Cheryl Schwartz wrote:
> I figured that while I'm experiencing a burst of and interest in e-mail
activity, I should ask everyone about the new
> manual. I just received mine yesterday and noticed a couple of changes i
thought I'd ask you all about. Opinions?
>
> -First, the hanging indent for references has returned. (I actually liked
it with the paragraph indent.)
> -Second, now, instead of underlining, we/students are to put italicized
things in italics. (And use bold face instead of
> squiggly underlines.)
> -Third, and maybe I just haven't looked enough, word limits seem to have
disappeared for (the different kinds of)
> abstracts.
> -Fourth - well, personal opinion here, but I _really_ like the new section
on electronic references!
> -Fifth - am I losing my vision, or did they take out the section listing
the various APA journals?
Mine hasn't come yet, and this is the first I've heard of the
important details. I'm glad to hear of the return of the hanging indent, for
exactly the same reasons that Claudia gave. In fact I have always had my
students use the hanging indent, referring to the "out" given in the 4th
Edition, page 251 (sect. 4.18):
"Students should note that a hanging indent may be the format preferred by
their university, as the paper will be prepared as a final copy".
When I was an undergraduate I thought "I'm not going to go through all these
details in this manual - I'll just use published articles as models for APA
format". In short, I didn't understand the difference between "final
manuscript" and "copy manuscript" (p. 331 of the 4th Edition, sect. A 01). I
see my students using the same reasoning, and so make that point explicitly
(not that it necessarily 'takes'...), using the hanging indent point as the
example.
I'm a bit concerned about the italics point, though it makes sense.
But I tend to be one of those persons who overuses italics, relying on that
rather than effective word choice to make emphases. I hate to think of
myself as getting lazy about that.
Paul Smith
Alverno College
Milwaukee
