Module 4 How to do Apa Citation PDF

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Module 4 How to do Apa Citation Info and Video...

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Overview When writing in a formal, professional environment, it is important that content is wellstructured and clearly organized. It is also extremely important to clearly communicate to the reader what parts of the content are original ideas and what aspects are written based on information from other sources. At Conestoga College, we use a version of the American Psychological Association 6th edition style manual, termed APA@ConestogaOpens in a new tab as the standard for all writing assessments completed in all courses. This allows for one clearly-outlined expectation that all students will follow when writing to ensure that content meets the expected standards of clarity and organization. This module will review the necessary components of the APA@Conestoga style that apply directly to this course.

Learning Outcomes By the end of this week you will be able to: 2.8 Apply appropriate APA @ Conestoga formatting, citing, and referencing rules. Paper Format APA@ConestogaOpens in a new tab provides structured expectations of how to organize your paper. It is expected that you will use these paper formatting guidelines when completing your final literature review. In addition, assignments should also follow these guidelines where appropriate. As an example, let’s look at the appropriate format expectations for the final literature review. First, the content to be included in the final literature review should be organized as follows: ● Title page (page 1). ● Table of Contents (page 2). ● Abstract (page 3). ● Body (pages 4-x) – start on separate page from body. ● References – start on separate page after body. There are many specifications regarding each section, which are listed below.

Paper Setup ● All content must be written with a consistent font size and format and be doublespaced. ● Size 12 Arial font is highly preferred, however other options, such as size 11 Calibri are also acceptable. ● The margins should be MS Word default, 2.45 cm. Text should be left-aligned (never justified).

Header ● All pages (including the title page) should include a header in which the page number is in the top right corner.

Title Page The information on your title page should be double-spaced, and centred. Hit the return key or enter key three times before writing the title of the paper. Include the following:

● ● ● ● ● ●

Title of Paper Student Name (s) Affiliation/Program Course Name and/or Course Code Course Instructor Due Date

Table of Contents There is no mandatory requirement for a table of contents in the 7th Edition of APA. However, for the BIOT2120 literature review, it is expected that a table of contents will be included. The Table of Contents must List of all headings and sub-headings and the page number of the start of each section. ● Must be on its own separate page after the title page. ● Title “Table of Contents” should be bold and centred at top of page. ● In list, the headings and sub-headings must be left-aligned and indented according to the appropriate subheading level (see Headings section below), where level 1 headings have no indent, level 2 headings have a 1-tab indent, and level 2 headings have a 2-tab indent. ● Page numbers are right aligned. ● Must be double spaced.

Abstract APA@Conestoga refers to this section as the “Executive Summary” however, in scientific writing it is more commonly referred to as the abstract. Details regarding the inclusion of an abstract: ● Complete overview of the report, written in the present tense. ● On separate page, immediately after the table of contents and before the body of the paper. ● Include title “Abstract” centred at top of page. ● Does not require in-text citations as should be a general summary of the full report. ● Less than 500 words (approximately 1 page). ● Double spaced

Body ● The body of the paper includes the content of the paper. It begins on page 4 (after the abstract). ● The body should be organized with headings to demonstrate the different sections of the paper (for example Introduction, Research etc.). ● Paragraphs should always begin with a single tab (5-7) spaces.

Headings ● Scientific papers are organized into headings to give clarity to the reader. ● This guide indicates how to use each type of heading. ● Title Case Capitalization refers to the style used where almost all words in the title are capitalized. The only uncapitalized words are short filler words such as:

○ Short conjunctions and prepositions (typically 3 letters or less), such as “and”, “as”, “but”, “for”, “or”, “so”, “by”, “at”, “in”, “to” etc. ○ Articles, such as “an”, “a”, and “the” ● With respect to the final literature review, headings should be used as follows: ○ Level 1 – major titles (abstract, table of contents, introduction, research, conclusion, references). ○ Level 2 – used for sub-sections of the major sections. For example, in your literature review, the research section will be broken down into level 2 subheadings. ○ Level 3 – subsections of level 2 headings. Used to break down a topic further.

References ● The reference page should include “References” as a Level 1 heading and should be begin on a new page after the body of the paper. ● References should be written in alphabetical order using the format described on the Reference List page. A hanging indent should be used where all lines after the first of each individual reference are indented with a single tab. All of these expectations are fully explained on the APA@ConestogaOpens in a new tab website under the Page Format section. Please be sure to use this website as a guide if you have any questions regarding paper formatting. This website also provides useful guides such as the “Paper Format Checklist” and an example document template. These can be found in the Resources and TemplatesOpens in a new tab page. Be sure to use these resources to assist in the preparation of your final literature review.

In-Text Citations In-text citations are used to give credit to the source of the information you are presenting in your paper. When considering the use of citations, keep in mind the following distinctions: ● Source – where the content originates from. For example, a primary research article or a secondary review article. ● Citation – information included within the body of a written paper to give credit to source of the content. ● Reference – the complete information regarding the source listed in a reference list at the end of a paper. Citations include only brief information about the source, and the entirety of the source information is listed in the reference list. In some types of writing, in-text citations are infrequent, because the majority of the information being written are original ideas from the author. This would be true for something like an opinion essay. However, when writing a literature review, in which the entire purpose is to summarize the current published information about a given topic, almost the entire paper is based on sources other than the author of the paper. This means, when you are writing your literature review, almost 100% of the content will come from something you have read and will not be your original writing, and therefore almost the entire paper will require in-text citations.

Please watch the following video which overviews the proper way to use in-text citations based on APA@Conestoga. Video: https://youtu.be/V8bvp-PYCdQ According to APA@Conestoga, there are three elements that are required in the in-text citation: 1. Name of author/authors. 2. Year of publication. 3. Page number or paragraph number. However, since you are often summarizing whole articles for the purpose of this review, you do not need to include a page number or paragraph number. This is an adaptation specifically for this course based on the style of writing you are completing. For the purpose of this course, your in-text citations need only include: 1. Name of author/authors. 2. Year of publication. Standard Citation: In this case you write the content you are summarizing in a sentence, then, at the end of the sentence you include the author(s) and year in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. (Author(s), year) Example: Corn that was genetically modified to contain a bacterial cold-resistance protein had slightly improved drought tolerance when compared to the wild-type strain of corn (Andrews & McMullin, 2015). Split Citation: Introduce the author and year at the beginning of the sentence and carry on to describe the content. The year follow’s the authors name in parentheses. Example: Andrews and McMullin (2015) demonstrated that corn genetically modified to contain a bacterial cold-resistance protein had slightly improved drought tolerance when compared to the wild-type strain of corn. The format of the in-text citation will vary slightly depending on how many authors there are in the source that you are citing. ● One author: Use author’s last name and the year (Bauman, 2014). ● Two authors: Use both authors' last names and the year (Bauman & Schalm, 2015). If using a split citation, use “and”, not “&”, since it is within a sentence. ● Three or more authors: Use “et al.” after the first author to replace the other authors' names (Bauman et al., 2014). In some instances you may write a sentence in which the content within the sentences switches from content found in one article to another. In this case, the in-text citations can be placed in the middle and at the end of the sentence to denote the sources for the two different parts of the sentence.

For example: Students learn better when they have the opportunity to teach others what they have learned (Bauman, 2014), such as when given opportunities to give oral presentations (Nielsen, 2013). In other instances you may write a sentence that includes an idea covered in more than one article you have read. In this case, you should cite all sources in the same citation separated by a semicolon. For example: Neurodegenerative diseases are often linked to incorrect protein folding resulting in the formation of protein aggregates (Bauman, 2013; Chiti & Dobson, 2005).

When/Where to Add Citations An in-text citation must be added to any sentence in which the content included in the sentence was learned from reading one or more sources. In a literature review, this means that most sentences will require an in-text citation. The exception to this is when the same source is used for several sentences in a row. For example, if you are summarizing a research study in the body of your paper and it takes 4 or 5 sentences to summarize the same article. In this case, the citation information is required only within the first sentence. This exception should only be used when the sentences following the initial sentence which include the citation are clearly and obviously using the same source. For example: A research study into the use of the CRISPR-Cas9 as a tool for engineering white button mushrooms to increase shelf life has shown great promise (Salina et al., 2020). The NXT2 gene, which is one of several genes that contribute to ripening, was knocked out using CRISPR-Cas9. This resulted in the white button mushroom resisting bruising when handled and maintaining freshness longer. Analysis of their results allowed the researchers to suggest that silencing of the NXT2 gene could increase shelf life of the white button mushroom for 5-10 days while not causing any negative impact on the flavour or texture. A second study showed similar success when CRISPR-Cas9 was used to silence the ARB3 gene in Crimini mushrooms (Owen & Patel, 2021). In this study the edited Crimini mushrooms showed less bruising after handling compared to the wildtype variety. It is expected that CRISPR-Cas9 as a tool for gene silencing will continue to have a broad impact on increasing the shelf life of fast-spoiling foods (Salina et al., 2020). In the example above it is clear that the sentences following the introductory sentence are referring to the same paper that is cited in the initial sentence, and so the citation does not need to be included in the sentences that directly follow as they continue discussing the same source paper. When the paragraph switches sources to discuss the second research paper, the citation must be added to the first sentence in which the source changes. Then, the same rule can apply where the sentences following the cited sentence do not require a citation if they are based on the same source. As soon as the source switches (even if it

switches back to a source already used) the citation must be included again, as can be seen in the final sentence of the example paragraph above. This means, when writing a summary-type paper be sure to include a citation in the first sentence of each paragraph and then again, any time in which the source changes within the paragraph. Reference List After the body of your paper, you must include a reference list that includes the full information of all the sources used throughout the paper. Each reference has a standard format that contains at least four pieces of information: ● author, ● year, ● title, and ● source. In APA @ Conestoga, each piece is separated by punctuation. Depending on the type of source, more information may be required. The following guidelines should be followed when creating your reference list: ● Reference list must be at the end of the paper on a separate page. ● The title “References” should be given as a level 1 title. ● Should be double-spaced and include a hanging indent for each entry. ● All references in alphabetical order. ● All titles of each source (such as scientific journal like “Nature” or “Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Science”) should be written using Title Case Capitalization and be given in italics. ● Article titles are not written in italics. ● All authors indicated on the source are always listed, and are listed in the order they appear on the source. ● The final component of the reference is the DOI or retrieval statement. ● The DOI (digital object identifier) allows the access of a journal article by a direct link. If available, it is always included. Can be written as “doi:” or “http://dx.doi.org”. This is not the same as a URL. The retrieval date, URL, or database name should not be included if the DOI is available. If the DOI is not available, a retrieval statement can be used. Watch the following video for an overview of creating references based on APA@Conestoga guidelines. Video: https://youtu.be/DownoJf_k-k Use the APA@Conestoga websiteOpens in a new tab for more examples and details regarding varying types of sources. After the body of your paper, you must include a reference list that includes the full information of all of the sources used throughout the paper.

The following guidelines should be followed: ● Reference list must be at the end of the paper on a separate page. ● The title “References” should be given as a level 1 title. ● Should be double-spaced and include a hanging indent for each entry, and all references in alphabetical order. ● All titles of each source should be written using Title Case Capitalization and be given in italics. ● Article titles are not written in italics. ● Authors are always listed in the order they appear from the source. ● The DOI (digital object identifier) allows the access of a journal article by a direct link. If available, it is always included. Can be written as “doi:” or “http://dx.doi.org”. This is not the same as a URL. The retrieval date, URL, or database name should not be included if the doi is available. If not available, a retrieval statement can be used. The format for including references from a journal article is as follows: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), #-#. doi. OR Retrieval statement including the database name OR Retrieval statement including the full URL. For a full list of Journal Article examples, see APA@Conestoga: Reference ListOpens in a new tab. You will need to be able to identify these citations in a quiz this week.

Plagiarism It is important to understand that when citations are not used properly and/or references are not listed, this can result in intentional or unintentional plagiarism. The two most common forms of plagiarism observed in a course such as this include: 1. Improper summarizing, even if proper citations and references are included. Some students have in mind that as long as citations and references are included that it is impossible to plagiarize. This is false. If content is copied from a source word-for-word, or even partially copied in which some words have been changed but the sentences are still somewhat the same, this is still considered plagiarism even if citations are included and reference information is given. This is considered an academic offence and is dealt with seriously according to the student Academic Offence Policy. 2. Proper summarization, but missing citation and/or reference information. Even when content is effectively summarized and therefore includes no copied sections from the original source, it is still considered plagiarism if it is not properly cited. The citation indicates the source of the ideas within the content. If you are writing something that is based on something else you have read it must be properly cited and the complete reference information given in the reference section. Failure to do this can also result in an academic offence. To help explain the different types of plagiarism, please review examples listed on The Plagiarism SpectrumOpens in a new tab. Whenever you are completing a writing assignment for this course please ensure you follow all of the instructions given in the assignment description. Be sure to always summarize

content from papers in which you have read and use citations and references any time you are sourcing someone else’s work. If you have any questions or concerns about plagiarism please contact the instructor.

Citation and Referencing Aids Citation and referencing can take a lot of time if manually adding all citations and source information into your paper. There are several aids available that can make the process much faster. However, keep in mind that when using these options you will still need to adjust the final reference content to ensure it meets the APA@Conestoga guidelines.

Mendeley As mentioned in Week 2, Mendeley can be a helpful tool to use to make referencing much faster. You can install an add-in to MS Word and import citation and reference information. To install the add-in through the Mendeley desktop click on Tools at the top of the page, then click on “Install MS Word Plugin”. Video: https://youtu.be/XTfVCiksapk Microsoft Word Reference Tool You do not need a third party software to make citation and referencing easier, there is builtin functionality in Microsoft Word that can be used to effectively create citations and references. This system allows you to manually enter the reference information once, then use it throughout the paper as a citation and the reference list can be automatically generated from the information input. The Microsoft Office support website provides an excellent tutorial on how to use the internal functions. Go to the following Microsoft Office support site and read through the steps on how to use this function. Create a bibliography, citations, and references (https://support.microsoft.com/enus/office/create-a-bibliography-citations-and-references-17686589-4824-4940-9c69342c289fa2a5?ui=en-us&rs=en-us&ad=us)

Set the Microsoft Word default style to APA 6th edition (7th edition is not yet an available option). Once the citations and references are generated, be sure to go through and edit each one to match the APA@Conestoga guidelines, as the default APA settings within Word are not exactly the same as the required APA@Conestoga guidelines. If you need any assistance with citations or references, please be sure to ask your instructor.

Overview This module covered the components of APA@Conestoga including the paper formatting requirements and t...