The Academic Writing Process

Part 1: APA Tip Sheet 

The academic writing process is all about following instructions. The format of the paper is as important as the content. 

How to format the body of a paper 

The main body should include a short title, which is also called the running head. The running head should be in all caps. The title's primary goal is to summarize the paper's main ideas and hence should be not more than 12 words (Mandernach, Zafonte, & Taylor, 2016). Moreover, the title should be centered and positioned in the upper half of the page. However, the title should neither be bold, italicized nor underlined. 

The author and course information should follow the title. The author's information should include first name, middle initials, and last name; but should omit all titles (Hughes et al., 2017). In the same way, the author's information should be centered and double spaced. What follows the author's name is the college, university, or institution's name. 

In addition to that, an APA paper should always be double spaced, unless advised otherwise by the instructor. The margins should be 1-inch while the indented paragraphs ½ inch. The paper should always be typed in 12-point Times New Roman, and every page should be numbered at the top right (Hughes et al., 2017). When it comes to the headings of an APA paper, they should be bold, centered, and all major words capitalized 

In some cases, some instructors request an abstract. Generally, an abstract is a summary of the paper, usually of about 100-150 words (Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2019). Just like the title, an abstract's central role is to explain the contents of the paper briefly. A professionally good abstract is often concise, accurate, readable, and nonevaluative (Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2019). The first line of an abstract is never indented but should be written in block format. 

How to format in-text citations 

Paraphrasing/ Summarizing 

The art of paraphrasing involves expressing another writer's work in your own words (Purdue Online Writing Lab, 2019). Summarizing, on the other hand, is condensing the work of another writer. When it comes to APA academic writing, paraphrasing and summarizing can be cited in four different ways. The first one is including the writers at the beginning with no page number but includes the year. For example, “Writer A and Writer B (2008) noted that…” 

The second format is including the writers at the beginning, together with the year of publication and the page number. For example, “Writer A and Writer B (2008) noted that writing could be an uphill task (p. 23).” The third paraphrasing and summarizing format is including writers at the end of the sentence with no page number. For instance, “writing can be an uphill task (Writer A & Writer B, 2008).” The last format is including the authors at the end with the page number. For example, “writing can be an uphill task (Writer A & Writer B, 2008, p. 23).” 

Direct and indirect quotes 

The APA writing mandates directly quoted materials to be reproduced word for word. The author's last name with the publication date and page numbers should always be included. For a single page number, the letter 'p' should be used, and for multiple pages, the letters 'pp' should be used (Example, p.21) for a single page and (pp. 211-213) for several pages. When citing an online source that lacks page numbers, it is advised to cite paragraph number (Example, para. 9). 

When one quotes a source that is quoted or cited in another source, it is referred to as an indirect quote. In APA writing, such quotes are called secondary sources. The general APA rule is that a writer should avoid using secondary sources but instead look for the original article or book with the quote and cite it (Pears & Shields, 2016). However, if the writer goes ahead and uses such a quote, they must name the original source as well as the secondary source in the parenthetical citation, and this must be preceded by the words "as cited in." In addition to that, the secondary source must also be included in the list of references. 

How to format a reference page 

Journal article 

The reference should follow the following order. Author's last name, first initials, (year), the journal title in italics, volume number (issue number) page number, and the Digital Object Identifier (DOI). For example, “Smith, J. & Nathaniel, H. (2011). The impact of academic writing. Journal Education, 23(2), 33-37. doi:10.1070/8567-6582.33.5.888.” 

Book/ E-book/Book chapter 

For a print book, the reference should include the author's last name, first initials, (year), title in italics, publication city, and publisher. For example, “Acquina, H. (2012). Writing from scratch . London: Lexington publishers.” An in-print book chapter reference should include author's last name, initials, (year), chapter name, in editor (Ed.), book title in italics, pp, city of publication, and publisher. For example, “Acquina, H. (2012). Following instructions. In O. Hopes (Ed.) Writing from scratch (pp. 22-24) London: Lexington publishers.” 

For an e-book, the reference should have the author's last name, first initials, (year), title in italics, and retrieved from URL. For example, “Schmit, H. M. (2012). The basic instructions for writing . Retrieved from http://orbis.eblib.com/writing/instruction.aspx?p=1120057 .” An electronic book chapter reference should include author's last name, initials, (year), chapter name, in editor (Ed.), book title in italics, pp, and retrieved from URL. For example, “Schmit, H. M. (2012). Citations. In D. Stern (Ed.), The basic instructions for writing . (p. 7) Retrieved from http://orbis.eblib.com/writing/instruction.aspx?p=1120057 .” 

Video/Movie 

An APA video and movie reference should include the names of producers as well as directors, and embrace the use of parentheses in identifying their contribution, the year, title, format, studio, and country of origin. The following order should be followed: Producer last name, first initials (producer), & director last name, first initials (director), (date of publication), the title of the video or movie (motion picture), country of origin: studio or distributor (Schwartz, 2016). For example, “Twain, X. (Producer) & Russo, A. (Director). (2009). Boy on fire (DVD). United States: Warner Bros.” 

Part 2: Lesson Learned 

Through the creation of an APA sheet, I have learned about the immense dedication towards following instructions. In as much as the content may be on point, the format of an APA paper is of paramount importance. One thing that resonated with me was the intext citations and referencing, particularly the use of commas and full stops. In typical sentences, commas and full stops are only used for pauses and at the end of a sentence, respectively. However, in APA academic writing, a misplaced comma or full stop can change the meaning and outlook of a paper. 

Academic writing is a dynamic and ever-changing process. For this reason, as I work on my degree, there needs to be thorough research to make sure that new emergent rules are understood. This will ensure writing becomes an easy and enjoyable process. The tip sheet will, therefore, come in handy in tackling future APA assignments as the rules will be a guide towards flawless writing. Therefore, the tip sheet, coupled with the professors' instructions, will guide my future assignments and help me realize my dream of graduating with first-class honors at the end of the degree. 

References  

Hughes, J. L., Brannan, D., Cannon, B., Camden, A. A., & Anthenien, A. M. (2017). Conquering APA Style: Advice from APA Style Experts.  Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research ,  22 (3), 154. 

Mandernach, B. J., Zafonte, M., & Taylor, C. (2016). Instructional Strategies to Improve College Students' APA Style Writing.  International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education ,  27 (3), 407-412. 

Pears, R., & Shields, G. J. (2016).  Cite Them Right: The Essential Referencing Guide . Palgrave Macmillan. 

Purdue Online Writing Lab. (2019). APA Formatting and Style Guide . Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_g uide/general_format.html 

Schwartz, B. M. (2016).  An Easy Guide to APA Style . Sage Publications.