7 – APA Style

Why Should I Care?

Some journals (and academics in that same field) use the APA style, which is useful to know.

• The Basics

APA stands for American Psychology Association. This group of psychologists share a common style for the publishing of papers, which are scientific, and usually based on experiments. The cover page is usually separated from the rest of the paper, so that the revision process is done in a blind fashion. The author’s name must not be printed on the pages other than the cover page.

It is known for a short citation, without first names. In French, this style is called “Auteur-Date”. The style is used by many economists, political scientists, sociologists, and other social science disciplines.

Here is the complete set of guidelines for the Dawson-approved APA style.

http://www.dawsoncollege.qc.ca/academic-skills-centre/handouts/

• The Cover Page Format

Title is centered Caps NOT on each Title word 1/3 down from top

 

The rain was heavy and wet

Student Name College ALWAYS DOUBLE SPACED 2.0 1/2 down from top

 

John Smith

Dawson College

Course Title Professor Modern Date, comma All the way down from top

Research Methods 300-300-DW

Prof. C.A. Ramsay

March 26, 2014 

• The Text Format

 

Text is 2.0 spaced, first line indented, and aligned “justified”.

The Bibliography

 

Introduction

            Ramsay’s prose is known for a fabulous repetitive passage in his 2010 novel: “I tried to find shelter. But there was none. The rain was pouring down on my head and giving me a splitting headache. I tried to find shelter. But there was none. There was none” (Ramsay, 2010).

            According to Davidson’s analysis (2013), the author tried to find “shelter.”

Text (Last Name, Date).   Notice the citation is INSIDE the sentence, before the period!

Refer only to last names, no book titles, only dates.   Reader will consult the bibliography for more info if necessary.

• The Bibliography

Only full last name. First name initials only.

References

Notice the Caps are not on each word of titles. Compare with MLA…

Abraham, M. (2004). Making MLA really fun. New York City:          Crazy Fun Press.

Burroughs, P. (2003). Ramsay, George, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, in     Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 7, Université             Laval/University of Toronto, Retrieved 9 March 2020,       from http://www.biographi.ca.

Commission de toponymie. (2010). Rue Ramezay. Gouvernement   du Québec.

Davidson, M. L. (2013). A Guide to Ramsay’s literature. Montreal:       Happy Times Books.

Notice the italics are for book or journal titles.   NO quotation marks. EVER.

Fielder, J. (1978). Asimov’s robots in Critical encounters: Writers and themes in science fiction. Ed. Dick Riley. New York: Ungar. 1-22.

Libby, O. G. (1902). Ramsay as a plagiarist. The American Historical Review, 7(4), 697-703. doi:10.2307/1834565

The second author’s name, same format.

Pringle, M. & Gonzales, J. (2010). The MLA style of documentation – A pocket guide.Boston: Pearson Education.

Text is 2.0 spaced, aligned to the left secondary lines indented half an inch. .

Ramsay, C.-A. (2010). November rain. Montreal: Providential Allegories Printing Co.