Archive for November 2011
When conducting research papers, there are two major styles we can choose. The first style is MLA style. MLA style is more commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the liberal arts and humanities category. The second style that we use for research papers is APA style. APA style is commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences category. So far in my writing career I have only experienced writing MLA format. I am excited to conduct my next library research on immigration using the APA style. In this journal entry, I will be exploring some key aspects of using APA style and exploring some major differences between APA and MLA styles.
The general format of the APA format includes: a title page, page numbers and running head, an abstract, headings, visuals, and a list of references. The title page should include a running head for publication purposes, a title, and byline. Going with the title page includes page numbers and a running heading. On the upper right-hand corner of each page, there should include a 1-2 word version of the title. Next follow the title with five spaces and then the page number. The abstract is a 75-100 word overview of the essay and should be on its own separate page after the title page. Visuals such as tables and graphs can be very useful in providing supplements to the research paper. The visual must be as simple as possible clearly labeled. Finally, similar to a works cited page in a MLA style paper, an APA research paper need a list of reference. The list of reference must have a title that is centered from the top of the page and double spaced. The list must be alphabetized by last name of the authors.
MLA papers on the other hand, do not include a separate title page but do contain a works cited page unlike the reference page of APA papers as mentioned. The first page in the upper left-hand corner of an MLA paper should include your name, your instructor’s name, the course title, and the date, all double spaced. All pages should be numbered in the upper right-hand corner and the title should be centered. The works cited page should begin on a new page must be numbered and alphabetized by the author’s last name first. Sentences made should also be double spaced with indented lines after the first sentence. Titles should be underlined or enclosed in quotation marks.
In writing research papers, there are two very distinctive styles yet important in their own rights in presenting the research conducted. After working with MLA style until now, I feel that the MLA style would be easier to organize because it is the style that I am most common with. However, I feel that the structure of the APA style is more professional wherein it includes the need to analyze important scientific literature. The APA style is also more professional in which it goes in depth and includes an abstract, headings for sub-topics, and visuals.
In your APA Style thesis or dissertation, the reference list provides an alphabetical listing of all the sources you used to create your paper. When creating an APA Style reference list, which some people call a bibliography, you have to follow specific APA formatting rules, depending on the type of source involved.
First, let’s discuss some basic rules about the reference list.
AUTHORS. List the author’s last name, followed by the initials. If you have more than one author for a source, list each one individually, until you’ve listed the sixth author, then use “et al.” for any subsequent authors. When listing more than one author, use an ampersand (&) instead of the word “and” ahead of the final author in the list.
INDENTION. After the first line of each source, indent each subsequent line about one-half inch, creating a hanging indention for each source.
ORDERING. Alphabetize the entire list by the authors’ last names. If you have more than one source from an author, list the earliest source first.
PUNCTUATION. Capitalize all major words in the titles of the works that you’re citing for journals, but not books. With longer pieces of works, such as books and journals, italicize the titles. Do not italicize shorter pieces of work, such as essays.
I. Reference List Examples
Next, here are some examples for listing various sources in APA Style.
BOOKS. Include the year of publication, the book title, the publisher’s location and name, along with the author’s name(s).
*Johnson, T. J., & Smith, X. Q. (2003). Economic growth in Africa. New York: Jones Brothers Publishers.
ELECTRONIC SOURCES. List the author’s name, if known; date of publication, if known; title of the online article or Web page; volume or issue number, if known; date of retrieval; and Internet address. The first example is from an online periodical.
* Johnson, T. J., & Smith, X. Q. (2004). Determining technology’s role in economic growth. Retrieved August 20, 2007, from (website address)
If you’re simply referencing a standard Web page, use this format.
* Tracking the Economy Web site. (2006). Report on technology’s growth. Retrieved May 16, 2007, from (website address)
For sourcing an online lecture or presentation, follow this example.
* Johnson, T. J. (2006). Technology’s role in the economy [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from (website address)
GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT. Because such a document usually doesn’t include an author, list the governmental division in the alphabetical list.
* Department of the Treasury. (2005). Economic growth forecast, 2006-2010 (Publication number 2005-10-0032). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
PERIODICALS. When using a magazine or newspaper as a source, list the author, date of publication, article title, name of the periodical, and page numbers used.
* Johnson, J. T. (2006, November 29). Governments invest in technology. New York Times, p. B1.
A journal requires slightly different formatting. Be sure to include the issue number in italics ahead of the page number(s).
* Johnson, J. T. (2005). Technology controls local economies. Journal of Economic Growth, 7, 423-427.
VIDEO. If citing a movie as a source, list the producer, director, date of publication, title, country of origin, and studio.
* David, L., Bender, L., & Burns, S. Z. (Producers), Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2005). An inconvenient truth [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Classics.
II. Citing a television show follows a similar format.
* Jones, G. (Producer). (2000, Sept. 6). The nightly news [Television broadcast]. New York: Public Broadcasting System.
III. Odd Situations
SAME AUTHOR, SAME YEAR. If you end up with several sources from the same author, some of which were published in the same year, use an “a” and “b” designation to differentiate between the two sources in your alphabetical listing.
* Johnson, J. T. (2006a). Technology in economy. Economist Magazine, 113, 17-18.
* Johnson, J. T. (2006b). Economic conditions worldwide. Economist Magazine, 115, 23.
SECONDARY SOURCE. If you’ve used a secondary source in your paper that references another work, you should refer to the original work and use a citation for the secondary source in the main text. In the reference list, however, only list the secondary source.
IV. Finally, for additional information on formatting sources in a reference list, look at the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or visit the APA Web site, where you’ll find some online resources designed specifically for formatting online sources.
Writing term papers and doing it correctly is a very involved process. It involves several components that need to be completed successfully in order to write a superior paper.
One of those components is the research and citation part of the term paper. If you do not do this step very carefully, it could result in you plagiarizing someone else’s work without meaning to. To plagiarize someone’s work is to use it without giving them the proper credit for their information and to do so is illegal.
When you are looking for facts and discovering other information to include in your paper, it is very important that you give the proper credit to the proper person that is responsible for the information that you are using. If it is something they said, it should be enclosed within quotation marks. If it is something they’ve written previously, you need to state where you saw or read it.
When writing term papers, there are specific formulas for what should be written and included in a research citation. A citation is a fact or information that you are sharing and using to support your argument in your paper. If it is written information, you need to quote it accurately. The author’s name should certainly be spelled correctly when you are giving them credit for the information.
You will also need to say where you found it, the title of the article and or publication it was in, the publication date, the publisher and the page number(s) where the information was located. Titles usually need to be underlined. You also need to identify the format that the information comes in- CD, video, film, audio cassette, book, magazine and so on.
There are several style guides that can be used as references for determining the formula you use for your citations. The most popular ones include the American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), Harvard and Chicago style guides.
Your researched information is usually included in footnotes at the bottom of each page where the citation first appears. Then it will appear again at the back of the term paper in what is called the bibliography. The bibliography is a detailed and complete listing of all of the research citations you used in the preparation of your paper.
When writing term papers that contain endnotes, you don’t need to use footnotes too unless specifically instructed to. Footnotes are listed at the bottom of the same page where the citation is used. Endnotes, on the other hand, are listed on a separate piece of paper at the end of the term paper.
All footnotes or endnotes should be numbered consecutively with a superscripted number- one that is written slightly above the main writing line and it will be smaller than the rest of the print on the line. The endnotes page will be located in your paper just before the bibliography at the end.
There are different kinds of bibliographies and your instructor should explain what is required for the assignment. A full bibliography will include all of the cited works in your paper while other kinds of bibliographies will allow for only certain information to be included. These include selected bibliography or annotated bibliography.