Writing Center staff created this APA checklist to help students remember the basics of APA citations, reference lists, and style. It is not meant to be comprehensive, but students should use it as a reminder of the various APA rules that academic papers follow. If students are not sure what a particular item in the checklist refers to or entails, they should follow the link for more information. Additionally, the Writing Center can always help with APA questions at writingsupport@waldenu.edu.

Citations

• Citations follow APA guidelines as articulated in section 8.1 of the APA manual (7th edition).
• Sources used and cited in the paper are included in the reference list.
• The abbreviation “et al.” is punctuated appropriately.

• Parenthetical citations
  • Author(s) and publication year are always included.
  • A page or paragraph number is included for all quoted material, using the appropriate abbreviation: (p. xx) or (para. xx).
  • The citation is included within the ending punctuation for the sentence.
• Narrative citations
  • Authors of cited studies are included within the sentence.
  • The publication year is included in parentheses immediately after the authors’ names.
  • Publication years are included the first time a source is used in a paragraph; all subsequent uses of that same source do not include the publication year. Note: Rule starts over with a new paragraph.
  • Quiz: APA Style and Format

Reference List

• The title of the list is centered and bolded.
• Sources listed in the reference list are cited at least once in the paper.
  • Reference entries.
    • Each entry has an automatically formatted hanging indent.
    • Each entry has the basic information (as available): author(s), publication year, title, and retrieval information.
    • Each entry has been compared against the common reference entries and reference list basics on the Writing Center website, checking for:
      • Punctuation: periods and commas
      • Formatting: italics is used only when needed
      • Parentheses and brackets: used only when needed
      • Appropriate electronic information is included

APA Style

• Past tense is used whenever literature or sources are talked about (i.e., Smith discussed).
• Serial commas are used for all lists of three or more items (i.e., lions, tigers, and bears).
• Hyphens are
  • used to join words that work together to modify another word (i.e., evidenced-based practice);
  • used to join “self” compounds (i.e., self-esteem); and
  • not used with prefixes such as “non,” “semi,” “pre,” “post”, “anti,” “multi,” and “inter.”
• Block quotations (of 40 or more words) are formatted as such.
• Headings follow proper APA style (i.e., Level 1 headings are centered and bolded).
• Numbers
  • 10 and above are expressed using numerals,
  • nine and below are expressed using words.
  • expressing specific numbers and time use numerals, and
  • expressing approximate time use words.
• Complex lists of items within a sentence or paragraph can use letters to separate the items.
• Bulleted and numbered lists are used for specific reasons.
• The third person editorial “we” is avoided (including “us,” “our,” and “you”).
• Capitalization rules are followed (i.e., names of models and theories are not capitalized).
• Formatting
  • Course paper template is used.
  • Title page follows the template guidelines.
  • Double spacing is used throughout the paper (including the reference list).
  • Use one space after periods or other punctuation marks that end a sentence.
  • Quiz: APA Style and Format

Quiz: APA Style and Format

As a nurse starting an advanced degree, you are becoming a scholar-practitioner, which involves having strong communication skills. Writing in a scholarly way means supporting your ideas with evidence from literature and correctly using APA formatting.

Let’s take the quiz.

One of the challenges in scholarly writing is paraphrasing the ideas of others in your work. Paraphrasing means summarizing someone else’s ideas and giving credit to the original author. This allows you to incorporate others’ ideas into your writing without plagiarizing, which is copying someone else’s words and ideas as your own. The Learning Resources in this module will help you understand the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism.

This Quiz will assess your understanding of these concepts and your readiness to apply them in your work. The questions in the Quiz are based on resources related to APA writing standards, plagiarism, and academic integrity.

What Is APA Style?

The American Psychological Association (APA) developed a set of standards for writers in the social sciences to ensure consistency in publications. These standards cover:

1. Crediting sources
2. Document formatting
3. Writing style and organization

APA guidelines help readers identify a writer’s ideas and information easily, without being distracted by inconsistent formatting. This allows writers to express their thoughts clearly to readers. The APA materials used in the Walden Writing Center are based on The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition, often referred to as “APA 7.”

Why APA Style?

When you write as a student, you’re entering a new writing community. Just as you’d need to learn the customs and rules of a new country you visit, you must learn the customs and rules of academic writing. These rules differ from those of other writing environments, such as letters to friends, emails to coworkers, or blog writing. The academic community has its own rules, and following these standards helps writers:

1. Improve clarity
2. Avoid distracting the reader
3. Cite sources for evidence
4. Maintain uniform formatting

To learn more about transitioning into academic writing, you can view “What Is Academic Writing?” Remember that as the author, it’s your responsibility to engage your readers, and inconsistencies in formatting and citations can distract them from your writing’s content. By using APA style, you allow your readers to focus on your ideas, as they are presented in a familiar format.

Getting Started With APA Style

At first, APA style can seem overwhelming. To get started, you can:

1. Familiarize yourself with the left column, exploring different pages to find information on citations, reference entries, capitalization, numbers, and more.
2. Find the appropriate APA template for your assignments (hint: the first “Course Paper” template is suitable for most course assignments).
3. Use the APA Checklist to review your assignments and ensure you’ve followed all APA rules.
4. If you previously used the 6th edition of APA, check the APA 6 and APA 7 Comparison Tables to learn about changes in the 7th edition.
5. Review our APA webinars based on your interests, such as “How and When to Include APA Citations.”
6. Explore APA resources in our APA Scavenger Hunt to familiarize yourself with the resources available on the website.
7. Check out our APA-related blog posts.

Finally, don’t hesitate to contact writingsupport@waldenu.edu if you have any questions.

APA Basics Checklist

The Writing Center staff created this APA checklist to help students remember the basics of APA citations, reference lists, and style. It’s not meant to be comprehensive, but students can use it as a reminder of various APA rules that academic papers should follow. If you’re unsure about a particular item on the checklist, follow the link for more information. Additionally, the Writing Center can assist with APA questions at writingsupport@waldenu.edu.

Citations

1. Citations follow APA guidelines as outlined in section 8.1 of the APA manual (7th edition).
2. Sources used and cited in the paper are included in the reference list.
3. The abbreviation “et al.” is punctuated correctly.
4. Parenthetical citations include author(s) and publication year.
5. Page or paragraph numbers are included for all quoted material, with appropriate abbreviations (e.g., p. xx or para. xx).
6. Citations are placed within the ending punctuation of the sentence.
7. Narrative citations include authors of cited studies within the sentence.
8. The publication year is included in parentheses immediately after the authors’ names.
9. Publication years are included the first time a source is used in a paragraph, and the rule starts over with a new paragraph.

Reference List

1. The title of the list is centered and bolded.
2. Sources listed in the reference list are cited at least once in the paper.
3. Reference entries have an automatically formatted hanging indent.
4. Each entry includes basic information: author(s), publication year, title, and retrieval information.
5. Each entry has been compared against common reference entries and reference list basics on the Writing Center website, checking for punctuation, formatting, parentheses, brackets, and appropriate electronic information.

APA Style

1. Past tense is used when discussing literature or sources (e.g., Smith discussed).
2. Serial commas are used for all lists of three or more items (e.g., lions, tigers, and bears).
3. Hyphens are used to join words that work together to modify another word (e.g., evidence-based practice), used to join “self” compounds (e.g., self-esteem), and not used with prefixes such as “non,” “semi,” “pre,” “post,” “anti,” “multi,” and “inter.”
4. Block quotations (of 40 or more words) are formatted correctly.
5. Headings follow proper APA style (e.g., Level 1 headings are centered and bolded).
6. Numbers: 10 and above are expressed using numerals; nine and below are expressed using words; specific numbers and time use numerals, and approximate time use words.
7. Complex lists of items within a sentence or paragraph can use letters to separate the items.
8. Bulleted and numbered lists are used for specific reasons.
9. The third person editorial “we” is avoided (including “us,” “our,” and “you”).
10. Capitalization rules are followed (e.g., names of models and theories are not capitalized).
11. Formatting: The course paper template is used, the title page follows the template guidelines, double spacing is used throughout the paper (including the reference list), and one space is used after periods or other punctuation marks that end a sentence.

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