Bob: I use the checklist below and it works pretty well. It could be expanded to include any other items you wish.
Checklist on APA Style A list of common errors often made in APA Style is provided below. Review all of them as you write papers and be sure your submission is free of these errors. 1.The list of sources at the end of the paper is labeled References, not Works Cited or Bibliography. All items in the list are arranged in alphabetical order. 2. Every point of fact in your paper must have a citation to a reference to a source to back it up. Do not say anything without a source unless it is strictly a personal opinion, an explanation, or a connecting comment to tie parts of the paper together. 3. Direct quotes should be used sparingly. If you have a direct quote in the paper, you must provide the page number in the intext citation: (e. g., Smith, 2006, p. 24). Do not put a page number in if it is not a direct quote: (e. g., Smith, 2006). See pages 173-176 of the Concise Rules for more information 4. The intext citation must match the start of the entry in the Reference list. In text (Smith, 2006) would match Smith, J. (2006) etc in the Reference list; (Oklahoma Statutes, 1974) would match Oklahoma Statutes (2006) etc. in the Reference list. This is to make it easy for the reader to locate the source for the information presented. 5. The first line of an entry in the reference list is flush with the left margin. All following lines for that entry are indented five spaces from the left margin. You may set your computer to use hanging indent and this will be done automatically. 6. All citations in the text must refer to an entry in the list of references at the end. And, only references actually cited in the text are included in the list of references. 7. In the list of references, use only the initial for author's first name, not the full name. 8. Do not put the author's degree (e. g. Ph.D., M.D.) in the reference. 9. Do not write out or include abbreviations for the words volume, issue, etc. Look at the examples in the Concise Rules of APA Style, pages 215-218. Proper form: Smith, J. (2010). Principles of APA style. American Psychologist, 64, 234-237. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225 10. The next to last name and the last name in a list of authors should be connected by the use of the word "and" in the text ( e.g., Smith, Jones and Miller) and by use of an ampersand (&) in the citation (e.g., Smith, Jones & Miller, 2008) in the text as well as in the list of references (e.g., Smith, Jones & Miller (2008).). 11. Only the first word of the title and the subtitle (generally follows a colon in the title) of a book or the title of a journal article are capitalized as well as all proper names. 12. Book titles and the names of journals are italicized. 13. You must have complete information on published articles that you reference (year, volume, pages, journal title, author. etc.), not just the Internet address of where you found it. 14. You do not need the Internet address for articles in the list of references, but should include the doi number, if one is available (see example in number 9 above). See pages 201-207 of the Concise Rules of APA Style for more information. 15. For reports published on the Internet, see pages 226-229 for examples of correct format. To refer to a web site as a general source of information, simply put the address in parentheses in the text. 16. For how to handle multiple authors of articles/books and proper use of et al., see pages 195-196 and page 216 (example 2) of the Concise Rules of APA Style. Best Wishes. C. Eugene Walker, Professor, University of Oklahoma [email protected] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=22733 or send a blank email to leave-22733-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
