West LibertyUniversity

Department of Nursing Program

6^th Edition APA Format
Information

 

            The
official source for formatting papers required in WLU nursing classes is the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (6^th ed.).  This style sheet attempts to cover the most
common formatting issues that students encounter.  For additional information, students should
consult the Publication Manual.

 

 

Paper Set-up: 

 

• Typeface:  Times New Roman




• Font size:  12




• Line spacing:  Double space entire paper




• Margins:
       1 inch at the left, right, top, and bottom of every page




• Paragraphs:
       Indentation settings for paragraphs/headings five to seven spaces


 

 

Title Page:    

 

• Numbered as page 1 using Arabic numerals




• Information to include:





 

• Title of paper in upper and lower case letters (
        12 words or less)


 

• Author’s Name (your name)


 

• Institutional affiliation (WestLiberty
        University)





 

 

• This information should be centered, and positioned
       in the upper half of page




• Running head: The abbreviated title; top flush
       left; maximum of 50 characters (counting letters, punctuation, and spaces
       between words); uppercase letters; appears on title page and all
       subsequent pages


 

 

 (see
full page example on the next page)

 

Running head:  EFFECTS
ON NURSING BY COMPETENCY RULES            
                 1                    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Effects
on Nursing by the Competency Rules of Accrediting Bodies

 

Mary
Anne Harkins

 

WestLiberty
University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                           

 

 

 

 

                                                                                  
                                   3

 

Heading Levels: 
(Ways to organize subject matter)

 

• The Introduction does not need a “Heading”


 

 

• With 1, 2,
       or 3 levels use the following examples:


 

 

            Level one:        Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and
Lowercase Words

 

            Example: 

 

The Pathophysiology of Pancreatitis

 

            In
assessing the patient with acute pancreatitis, it is necessary to understand
the pathophysiology behind the signs and symptoms.  Pancreatic enzymes are inappropriately
activated within the pancreas.  Therefore,
inappropriate breakdown of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates occur within the
pancreas itself…………………………………

 

Level two:      Flush left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Words

 

            Example:

 

 Associated
Signs and Symptoms

 

            The
hallmark symptom of acute pancreatitis is persistent abdominal pain that is not
relieved by vomiting.  Signs of
hypovolemia also accompany the abdominal pain…..

 

            Level three:   Indented, Boldface, lowercase except for the first word and with a
period at the end of the heading, then continue content 2 spaces after the
period.

 

Example:

 

 

Supportive measures.  Supportive measures
include pain management, aggressive fluid replacement, and psychological
support.

 

 

 

4

 

Body of Work: 
(Basic Rules)

 

• A good general rule in writing is that you always
       include and introduction of the content and end with a conclusion or
       summary of the content, even when not specifically asked.




• Do not leave a heading only at the bottom of a
       page.  It should be taken to


 

 

            the
next page.

 

• If you start a new paragraph on the bottom of a
       page – do not leave only


 

 

           one line.  That line should be taken to the next page.

 

• Do not carry only the last line of a paragraph to a
       new page.  Carry at least two lines.




• Paragraphs must be at least three sentences.




• Please proof read work for grammar and content.


 

 

 

APA rules on the use of numbers:

 

• Use the digit for numbers 10 and above.  (e.g., 
       33)




• Use the words for numbers less than 10.  (e.g., nine)




• Use numbers when they are followed by a unit of
       measurement. (e.g.,  5 mg)




• Use the number with other numbers grouped in a
       sentence with numbers greater than 10 or above.  (e.g., 
       there were 7 blocks…………..in 12 blocks)


 

 

• Use numbers that denote a specific place in a
       numbered series (books, volumes, table)  
       (e.g.,  Trial 3,  Chapter 5)




• Use numbers if they represents time, dates, age,
       sample size, exact money, etc.


 

 

5

 

• Use words for numbers that begin a sentence, title
       or heading.  Twenty Men of Honor




• Use words for common fractions.  (e.g., 
       one fifth of the class)




• Use
       numbers and not Roman numerals, unless specifically part of the title


 

 

 

 

Referencing sources in text 
(citations)

 

• Direct
       Quotes:  quotes that are fewer than
       40 words:


 

 

Example:   Kertcher (2007) states, “The blood is not
always bluer on the other

 

side” (p. 125).

 

• Direct
       Quotes:  quotes that are more than
       40 words:  freestanding block,
       all indent throughout, double space and omit the quotation marks.


 

 

Example:

 

Foster and Merritt (2009) found the
following:

 

The angels
seemed to be perceived as glowing and floating about the air.  However, when asked to describe a color, the
participants often were unable to distinguish red, blue, purple, yellow, or
white.  As well, when asked if these
entities moved or hovered, it seemed that they did neither yet was always just
out of reach. (p. 58).

 

 

 

 

 

6

 

• Paraphrasing:  This is using your own words to
  
       summarize or explain another’s work. 
       The author must be credited and the reference must appear in the
       reference list. 


 

 

Example:   Rivers and Nigel (2008) discovered that the
general feeling of the   

 

       
                  tribe was
paternalistic.

 

            Example:   The gender battle is neither old nor new in
philosophy (Miles and  

 

                               Craig, 2009).

 

• Tables, charts, skill sheets, models, graphs, etc.
       must be cited in text.


 

 

 

Direct Quotes (Basic Rules)

 

• When using a direct quote, always include the page
       number in which the quote came from. 
      




• If there is no page number (for example a brochure
       or internet site), use the paragraph number in the citation.  e.g., (Ckekler, 2008, para. 5).




• Personal
       Communications (Interviews):  do
       not include in reference list.  DO
       cite the person in text: 


 

 

Example:   B. Jones (personal communication, February
20, 2009) referred to the standards of care for the patients.

 

 

 

 

 

7

 

In-text
Citations  (Basic Rules)

 

 

• With every citation include author and year.




• Once a citation has been made, you must cite the
       same source within the same paragraph with the author and year again.




• If there are 2 authors, always cite both




• If there are 3, 4, or 5 authors, cite all authors
       the first time, then with subsequent authors cite only the first author
       followed by et al., year   Example: Smith et al., 2004




• If there are 6 or more authors, cite only the last
       name of the first author followed by et al., and the year for all
       citations.




• If a group serves as an author (corporation,
       associations, etc.), spell out the group name each time or if it is a well
       known abbreviation cite the following:


 

 

Example:   (National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH,
2008)

 

                    And then abbreviate it thereafter as
NIMH (2008)

 

• If there are no authors, move the title to the
       author position, and alphabetize the first word of the title and the year.




• If the author is “Anonymous” begin the entry with
       the word Anonymous spelled out and alphabetize the entry as if a true
       name.


 

 

 

 

 

 

8

 

Citation of a work discussed in a secondary source:

 

• Give the secondary source in the reference list; in
       text, name the original work, and give a citation for the secondary
       source. 


 

 

Example: If Seidenberg and McClelland’s
work is cited in Coltheart et al. and you did not read the work cited, list the
Coltheart et al. reference in the References. 
In the text, use the following citation as an example:

 

Seidenberg and McClelland’s study (as cited in Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins,
& Haller, 2009) explores the dual-route and parallel-distributed processing
approach to client interviewing.

 

 

Reference
List   vs 
Bibliography:

 

• A reference list cites work that specifically
       supports the content of your work.




• A bibliography cites and includes work that is used
       for background and further reading.


 

 

• Every reference that is cited in text must appear
       in the reference list.




• Every entry in a reference list must be
       cited in-text.




• The reference list or Bibliography is to be double
       spaced and arrange entries in alphabetical order by last name of the first
       author.




• For entries with multiple authors, do not alter the
       order of the authors for the original text.




• The reference page is to be numbered and titled as
       References, two lines (or a double space) below the page number,
       and it is to be centered.


 

 

 

9

 

• Regarding publisher location:  Give city and state abbreviation
       according to U.S. Postal Service abbreviations if located in theUnited States.  If located outside of theUnited States
       give city and country.


 

 

 

Reference List Entries:

 

• Book with
       ONE Author:


 

 

Gilster, P. (2008). Digital literacy. New York,NY:
John Wiley & Sons.

 

• Book with
       MORE than One Author:


 

 

Forell, C. A., & Matthews, D.
M. (2009).  A law of her own: The reasonable woman as a

 

measure of man.  New York,NY:New
  YorkUniversity
Press.

 

• Book with
       Editions:


 

 

Huskey, T., & Maury, J.
(2007).  We must talk to hear ourselves: The introduction to

 

listening skills (2^nd
ed.).  New York,NY:
McGraw-Hill.

 

• Brochure,
       corporate author:


 

 

U.S.Department of Health and Human
Services, National Institutes of Health, National  

 

      Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2008).
Managing asthma: A guide for schools    

 

     (NIH 
Publication No. 02-1002).Washington,
DC: Government Printing Office.

 

• Encyclopedia
       Reference (dictionaries, etc.), with no author listed:


 

 

Special education. (2007).  In The
new encyclopaedia Britannica (Vol 11, pp. 75-76).

 

Chicago,IL:
Encyclopaedia Britannica.

 

 

 

10

 

• Journal
       Article:


 

 

Jones, J. J., & Fritter, R. L.
(2005).  The remaking of the
organizational hierarchy in

 

the millennium. Journal of Healthcare Management, 45
(2), 10-22.

 

• Magazine
       Article:


 

 

Keller, R., Peters, K., &
Knowlton, Y. (2005, November 10). 
Magnesium: The

 

forgotten electrolyte. Science Magazine, 220, 999-1002.

 

 

• Newspaper
       Article:


 

 

Many doctors shun patients with
Medicare. (2005, March 17). The New York
Times,

 

        p. A1.

 

Schwartz, J. (2007, September
30).  Obesity affects economic, social
status.  The

 

Washington Post, pp. A1, A4.

 

• Online
       Article:


 

 

Begley, S., Underwood, A., Springen,
K., & Gesalman, A. (2007).  The
schizophrenic

 

    
mind.  Newsweek, 139(10), 44-57. 
Retrieved from http://search.epnet.com

 

• Web Site:


 

 

B-type naturetic peptide in
congestive heart failure (2008, October). Retrieved from  

 

      http://www.bnpchf.org/elecref.html

 

• Online
       Reference Work (Encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.) with author


 

 

Hutchinson, M. (2008).  Hydrocephalus.  In Deluxe (Ed.). The New American   

 

       encyclopedia (Fall 2009 ed.).  Retrieved from

 

  
    http://enclyopedia.stanford.edu/hydrocephalus/

 

 

                                                                                                                                          11

 

• Online
       Reference Work (Encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.) no author or editor


 

 

Hydrocephalus. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (11^th
ed.). Retrieved from  

 

       http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/hydrocephalus

 

 

ADDITIONAL ADVISE:

 

v
Use only refereed (Professional, credible) sources.  When in doubt—check it out (with a Faculty
member).

 

v
For additional 6^th Edition APA style information, refer to
the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  OR use the following website:          http://owl.english.purdue.edu

 

v
According to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (APA  Ethics Code  Standard 8:11) researchers/authors/writers
do not claim the words and ideas of another as their own; they give credit
where credit is due.  To not follow
this code is PLAGIARISM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revised 1/2010

 

Reviewed