Page 150 - Merritt College Student Handbook and Planner 2021-2022

APA Guidelines Cheat Sheet APA Guidelines Cheat Sheet
ENGLISISHH
Correct use of formatting and punctuation:
• Paragraph Indentation: Indent the first line of each new paragraph 1/2” from the left-hand margin. To achieve this, use the Tab key rather than pressing the space bar numerous times.
• Only use quotation marks when citing directly from another source. Do not use them when displaying titles of other written works or to indicate emphasis.
• Proofread thoroughly to ensure proper punctuation, capitalization, and spelling.
Style and Voice:
• Use only third person pronouns (it, he, she, etc.) in your writing. Avoid use of personal pronouns (I, me, my, you, your, etc.).
• Avoid colloquialisms and clichés; write in an elevated, clear, and concise manner. • Write out all numbers below 100 in word form. (For example, “five” instead of “5”)
Quotations and Citations:
• Short quotations (taking up four lines or less)
1. Introduce your quotation followed by a comma.
2. Enclose the quotation with quotation marks and insert into your paper.
Eliminate the punctuation mark at the end.
3. Place the parenthetical reference after the quotation with punctuation following the
closing parenthesis. Each in-text citation should contain the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number on which you found the quotation.
EXAMPLE:
Charlie Nussbaum stated, “aliens will one day rule our planet” (Rickels, 1999, p. 234), and he pointed up to the heavens as he said this.
• Long quotations: (longer than 40 words)
Place long quotations inside a free-standing block of text and omit quotation marks 1. Follow the introduction of your quotation with a colon.
2. Start quotation on a new line and indent 1/2” from the left margin.
3. Double-space the quotation.
4. Indent the first line of each new paragraph inside the quotation an additional 1/2”. 5. Place a period at the end of the quotation.
6. The parenthetical reference is placed after the period.
EXAMPLE:
Edward Markinston (1976) discovered the following:
I was wandering through the woods one rainy night in May a few years ago and I saw something that made me question my previous findings. The tree branches shivered when the wind blew.
I believe that this is not the result of the air currents moving the branches; rather, I believe that trees react to changes in temperature in the same way that humans react to changes in temperature. (p. 56)
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