English language learning
Document Example:
Proper Bibliographic Reference Format:
Rashed, D.H. (2008). A case study of international ESL learners’ perceptions of technology use in English language learning (Master’s thesis). Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 1456443)
In-Text Citations:
Citations are placed in the context of discussion using the author’s last name and date of publication.
(Rashed, 2008)
Alternatively, you can integrate the citation into the sentence by means of narrative.
Rashed (2008) examines ESL students’ perceptions of technology use in the classroom.
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Go to 7th edition paper format guidelines
The running head is a shortened title (no more than 50 characters, including spaces) that appears on every page. Use the automatic functions of your word-processing program to create a header that contains the running head and the page numbers for your paper. The header is located within, not below, the paper’s margin. There is no need to set the header at a specific distance from the top of the page. The words Running head : precede the running head on the title page only.
Publication Manual (6th ed., section 2.01, p. 229; section 8.03, pp. 229–230)
From the APA Style website:
How do I format my paper so that the phrase Running head appears on only the first page?
From the APA Style Blog:
Mysteries of the Running Head Explained
Running Head Format for APA Style Papers
Back to top of page
Set uniform margins of at least 1 in. (2.54 cm) on the top, bottom, left, and right of every page. Use your word-processing software to add a header that will appear at the top of every page that includes the running head and the page number. The header appears within the top margin, not below it.
Publication Manual (6th ed., section 8.03, pp. 229–230)
A Marginal Note
There are five levels of headings in APA Style. Proceed through the levels numerically, starting with Level 1, without skipping levels.
The number of headings needed for a paper will vary depending on the paper’s complexity and subject matter. Sections of similar importance have the same level of heading.
Don’t use “Introduction” as your first heading—it’s assumed that the beginning of the paper is the introduction.
Use boldface and/or italics only for headings within the body of your paper (as described for each level of heading in the Publication Manual ).
Use regular font formatting (no boldface or italics) for all section titles, such as Abstract, Author Note, Title of Your Paper (on the title page and on the page where the text begins), References, Appendix/Appendices, and Footnotes. These are not headings but labels for these sections.
More information
Publication Manual (6th ed., sections 3.02–3.03, pp. 62–63)
Five Essential Tips for APA Style Headings
Headings and the Use of Boldface Type
How to Use Five Levels of Heading in an APA Style Paper
Lists, such as numbered lists and bulleted lists, may be used in APA Style.
Each item on the list is punctuated at the end by a comma, semicolon, or period, depending on the grammatical structure of the list. Numbers are followed by periods and are not in parentheses.
In running text, a series of items is designated by letters in parentheses: (a) first item, (b) second item, and (c) third item.
Publication Manual (6th ed., section 3.04, pp. 63–65).
Lists, Part 1: Parallelism
Lists, Part 2: Commas and Semicolons
Lists, Part 3: Lowercase Letters
Lists, Part 4: Numbered Lists
Lists, Part 5: Bulleted Lists
Lists, Part 6: Overview
Tables can help you present a large amount of material efficiently. Table layout needs to be logical and easy for readers to understand. Here are some guidelines on formatting your table.
Place each table on a separate page at the end of your manuscript, after the reference list.
If font size and style are not specified by the organization for which you are writing (e.g., publisher, university), the suggested font is 12-point Times New Roman.
Margins depend on the size of the table but must be at least 1 in. (2.54 cm).
Tables may use single-spacing or one-and-a-half spacing (p. 229).
Information necessary for understanding the table and definitions of abbreviations used within the table appear in a table note.
Publication Manual (6th ed., sections 5.07–5.19, pp. 128–150; Table 5.1, p. 129, illustrates the basic components of a table; section 8.03, p. 228)
APA publishes a companion guide to the manual that focuses exclusively on tables: Presenting Your Findings: A Practical Guide for Creating Tables .
Many types of figures can help you present data to the reader, including graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs. A good figure is easy to read with elements large enough to be read easily. Here are some guidelines on creating your figure.
Place each figure on a separate page at the end of your manuscript, after any tables (or after the reference list, if there are no tables).
Place a caption below each figure describing its contents and defining any abbreviations used in the figure.
Publication Manual (6th ed., sections 5.20–5.30, pp. 150–167; section 8.03, p. 230)
For a comprehensive guide to figures in APA Style, see Displaying Your Findings: A Practical Guide for Creating Figures, Posters, and Presentations .
Figure Construction: Resisting the Urge to Obscure
Because the Publication Manual provides guidelines for writers submitting manuscripts to scholarly journals, it is silent on the topic of tables of contents. Usually questions about tables of contents come from students or teachers who want the information to complete a class assignment. Style preferences for undergraduate writing can vary by discipline, university, and instructor. Instructors should provide their preferred formatting guidelines if they require tables of contents; if guidelines are not included with the assignment or syllabus, students can request them.
Dear Professor... Your Students Have Questions We Can't Answer
The title page includes five elements: title, running head, author, byline, institutional affiliation, and author note (which includes grant/funding information and a full correspondence address). The title page is numbered page 1.
Instructors who require other information on the title page should supply students with examples of their preferred format.
Publication Manual (6th ed., sections 2.01–2.03, pp. 23–25; section 8.03, p. 229; see also sample papers, pp. 41–59, and supplemental material )
Dissertation Helpers
Use a comma between elements in a series of three or more items.
height, width, and depth
Publication Manual (6th ed., section 4.03, pp. 88–89)
Using Serial Commas
Material quoted directly from another source (i.e., reproduced word for word from works by other authors, your own previously published work, material replicated from a test item, and/or verbatim instructions to participants) must always provide the author, year, and specific page(s) in the text citation (for sources that don’t have page numbers, see the APA Style Blog post on citing a Kindle listed below) and include a complete entry in the reference list.
If the quotation includes fewer than 40 words, incorporate it in text and enclose it with double quotation marks. If the quotation includes more than 40 words, it should be treated as a block quotation, meaning that it is displayed in a freestanding block of text without quotation marks.
If material is paraphrased (i.e., restated in your own words), always provide the author and date in the in-text citation. It is not necessary to include the page number(s) in the citation, but it may be helpful, especially if the source is very long (e.g., a short passage from a whole book).
Publication Manual (6th ed., section 4.08, p. 92; sections 6.03–6.10, pp. 170–174)
You Can Quote Me on This
Punctuating Around Quotation Marks
How to Cite Direct Quotations
How Do I Cite a Kindle?
Apa style contacts.
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Note: This page reflects APA 6, which is now out of date. It will remain online until 2021, but will not be updated. The equivalent APA 7 page can be found here .
The American Psychological Association (APA) updated its style manual in the summer of 2009. This resource presents the changes made between the fifth and sixth editions. Please note that the first printing of the APA sixth edition contained misprints; if you are using the APA manual, make sure you are using at least the second printing of the sixth edition. Traditionally, psychologists were the main users of APA, but recently, students and writers in other fields began using APA style. Therefore, the sixth edition was written with a broader audience in mind. The changes made to the sixth edition reflect this broader audience. This resource was created following the APA manual’s “What’s New in APA,” is organized according to the APA manual chapters, and highlights updates to the sixth edition that most concern student writers instead of those interested in publishing manuscripts. For a more complete discussion of the changes, please visit this site .
Headings are used to help guide the reader through a document. The levels are organized by levels of subordination, and each section of the paper should start with the highest level of heading.
Level | Format |
1 | CENTERED UPPERCASE HEADINGS |
2 | Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Headings |
3 | |
4 | |
5 |
Level | Format |
1 | |
2 | |
3 | |
4 | |
5 |
For example, in a scientific report following APA style, a report contains three sections: Method, Results, and Discussion. Each of these sections start with level 1 headings:
Methods (Level 1)
Site of Study (Level 2)
Participant Population (Level 2)
Teachers. (Level 3)
Students. (Level 3)
Results (Level 1)
Spatial Ability (Level 2)
Test one. (Level 3)
Teachers with experience. (Level 4)
Teachers in training. (Level 4)
Test two. (Level 3)
Kinesthetic Ability (Level 2)
Using precise language is expected in scientific writing, and the sixth edition offers new ways in which to talk about research participants (note that “subjects” is still an acceptable term to use, but “participants” is more representative of the individuals’ roles in the research project).
Refer to participants at the appropriate level of specificity. The manual provides the example of using "women and men" to refer to all human beings instead of only using man. "Man" is appropriate to use when referring to one man, but not when referring to a population that includes men and women. The APA Style Blog also includes a page that discusses the use a singular “they.” You can find it here .
Refer to participants how they wish to be called. Try to avoid labels if possible, but if this is not avoidable, be respectful. Focus on the people and not the label. For example, instead of labeling a group “the elderly" or "the arthritic," labels in which individuals are lost, try “older adults" or "a woman with arthritis."
Acknowledge participants’ participation while still following the rules in your field. For example, a cognitive psychology student might use the term “subjects” in her research report, but a nursing student might use the term “patients” to refer to those who participated in his research. Whatever term you choose to use, be sure you are consistent throughout your paper and with your field’s guidelines.
Spacing (4.01). Regarding punctuation in manuscript drafts, APA suggests using two spaces after periods ending sentences to aid readability.
One space: “Previous research shows that patients are interested in palliative care. This research project explores how to discuss palliative care with patients.
Two spaces: “Previous research shows that patients are interested in palliative care. This research project explores how to discuss palliative care with patients.
Approximations (4.31-32). Use words to express approximations of days, months, and year.
I started spelunking about four years ago.
Reporting statistics (4.35, 44, and 10). Use a zero before the decimal point with numbers less than one when the statistic can be greater than one.
Do not use a zero before the decimal point when the number cannot be greater than one.
Include effect sizes and confidence intervals with statistics. This will allow the reader to more fully understand the conducted analyses.
Use brackets to group together confidence interval limits in both the body text and tables (5.15).
95% Cls [-7.2, 4.3], [9.2, 12.4], and [-1.2, -0.5]” (p. 94)
The sixth edition includes a section (5.01) on the purpose of displaying data. This section can help you decide when and how to display your data. For example, your data might show that you are exploring data and information, or your data may serve a storage purpose for later retrieval. More than likely, though, your data will serve either a communication purpose to show you have discovered meaning in data and you want to show/communicate to others this meaning. Figures. Figures include graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs. As a general rule, only include figures when they add to the value of the paper. If the figure merely repeats what is written in the paper, do not include it, as it does not add any new information to the paper. The sixth edition also emphasizes the importance of clearly labeling electrophysiological, radiological, and genetic data (sections 5.26 – 5.28 in the Publication Manual).
The sixth edition provides explicit rules for direct quotations and states that you must credit the source when “paraphrasing, quoting an author directly, or describing an idea that influenced your work” (p. 170). If the quotation is less than 40 words, incorporate the quotation into the text and place quotation marks round the quotation. Cite the source immediately after the quotation and continue with the sentence.
Porter (1998) has stated that “The internetworked classroom has the potential (not yet realized) to empower students” (p. 5), and this research project examines this potential.
If the quotation you are using falls at the end of the sentence, enclose the quotation with quotation marks without including the quotation’s original punctuation. Here’s a sentence as it appears in the original text:
“Semantic frames/domains represent one of the two major organizing principles for conceptual structure” (Croft & Cruse, 2004, p. 32).
Here’s what the sentence looks like when quoted within a text:
In arguing for frame semantics, Croft and Cruse (2004) asserted, “Semantic frames/domains represent one of the two major organizing principles for conceptual structure” (p. 32).
If the quotation has more than 40 words, use a block quotation. Begin the quotation on a new line and indent a half-inch from the left margin. Double-space the entire quotation, and at the end of the quotation, provide citation information after the final punctuation mark.
John Nicholson (1820) anticipated this effect when discussing farming methods in the nineteenth century:
Perhaps it would be well, if some institution were devised, and supported at the expense of the State, which would be so organized as would tend most effectually to produce a due degree of emulation among Farmers, by rewards and honorary distinctions conferred by those who, by their successful experimental efforts and improvements, should render themselves duly entitled to them. (p. 92)
References that appear in the text must appear in the references list in alphabetical order by the author’s last name, with the exception of personal communication; only cite personal communication in the text, not in the reference list. Electronic sources (6.31). Because electronic publishing has become a standard in research, the sixth edition provides an overview of electronic sources and how to reference them, specifically with URLs and DOIs. URLs, more commonly known as a web address, locate information housed on the Internet. The fifth edition specified that references to electronic sources should refer to the article’s or document’s URL. However, they are prone to “breaking” or deleting, and to resolve issues associated with the unstable nature of URLs, publishers have started using DOIs with articles. For more details on how to cite electronic sources with following the sixth edition, consult your APA manual or the OWL’s resource on citing electronic sources . While citing from a webpage, you may not be able to find a page number to refer to, i.e., there is no pagination. Instead, refer to the paragraph number from which you are citing where you would usually insert a page number by using “para.” instead of “p.”. Be sure to include the author’s/s’ name/s and year, too, if applicable.
“The Purdue University Writing Lab and Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement” (Purdue OWL, 2010, “Mission,” para. 1).
“Mission” is used here to refer to the section in which this quote was found.
Published on November 6, 2020 by Courtney Gahan .
An APA abstract is a summary of your paper in 150–250 words. It describes the research problem , methods , results and conclusions of your research. For published papers, it also includes a list of keywords.
Write the abstract after you have finished your paper, and place it on a separate page after the title page .
The formatting of the abstract page is the same as the rest of an APA style paper : double-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font, one-inch margins, and a running head at the top of the page.
Apa format abstract example, how to write an apa abstract, apa abstract keywords.
SCRIBBR APA ABSTRACT EXAMPLE RUNNING HEAD 1
What is the problem? Outline the objective, problem statement, research questions and hypotheses. What has been done? Explain your method. What did you discover? Summarize the key findings and conclusions. What do the findings mean? Summarize the discussion and recommendations. What is the problem? Outline the objective, problem statement, research questions and hypotheses. What has been done? Explain your method. What did you discover? Summarize the key findings and conclusions. What do the findings mean? Summarize the discussion and recommendations. What is the problem? Outline the objective, problem statement, research questions and hypotheses. What has been done? Explain your method. What did you discover? Summarize the key findings and conclusions. What do the findings mean? Summarize the discussion and recommendations. What is the problem? Outline the objective, problem statement, research questions and hypotheses. What has been done? Explain your method. What did you discover? Summarize the key findings and conclusions. What do the findings mean? Summarize the discussion and recommendations. What is the problem? Outline the objective, problem statement, research questions and hypotheses. What has been done? Explain your method. What did you discover? Summarize the key findings and conclusions. What do the findings mean? Summarize the discussion and recommendations.
Keywords : example keyword, example keyword, example keyword
An APA abstract must be formatted as follows:
The AI-powered APA Citation Checker points out every error, tells you exactly what’s wrong, and explains how to fix it. Say goodbye to losing marks on your assignment!
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Simply answer the following questions and put them together, then voila! You have an abstract for your paper.
If you need more guidance writing your abstract, read our detailed instructions on what to include and see an abstract example.
How to write an abstract
At the end of the abstract, you can also include a short list of keywords that will be used for indexing if your paper is published on a database. Listing your keywords will help other researchers find your work.
Make sure that your keywords:
Here is an example of an APA format paper published as a chapter in a book, where the author has included a set of keywords. The author has chosen the terms listed in the title as keywords as well as several other related keywords that feature in their research.
Book chapter title: Nonparalytic Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
From: Post-Polio Syndrome: A Guide for Polio Survivors and Their Families (pp. 21-26), Julie K. Silver, Yale University Press (2001)
Keywords: Polio, Paralysis, Symptoms, Postpoliomyelitis syndrome, Medical diagnosis, Legs, Physicians, Strokes, Misdiagnosis
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Gahan, C. (2020, November 06). How to write and format an APA Abstract (6th edition). Scribbr. Retrieved September 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/6th-edition/archived-abstract/
Scribbr apa citation checker.
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Thesis, from a commercial database. Nicometo, D. N. (2015). Increasing international education to develop culturally competent social workers: Social media recommendations for social work abroad program 501(c)3 (Order No. 1597712).Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add "Unpublished" to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets. APA format. Author last name, Initials. (Year).
Types of APA Papers. APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page.
This article reflects the APA 6th edition guidelines. Click here for APA 7th edition guidelines. You can use other theses as a source for your own dissertation. Take into account that theses often still contain mistakes and are not always a reliable source. So don't base your dissertation too much on other theses.
APA Style citations consist of two parts: In-text citation: A brief citation in parentheses when you mention a source, citing the author's last name and the year of publication, e.g. (Smith, 2019). It identifies the full source in the reference list. Reference list entry: Full publication details listed on the reference page, which appears at ...
APA Style Workshop. This workshop provides an overview of APA (American Psychological Association) style and where to find help with different APA resources. It provides an annotated list of links to all of our APA materials and an APA overview. It is an excellent place to start to learn about APA format.
For study purposes and for your APA reference you need to know the level of the work. At Auckland University of Technology (and other NZ universities) Thesis is either for a doctoral or a master's degree. Dissertation is either for a master's or a bachelor's degree with honours. Exegesis is the written component of a practice-based thesis where ...
Document Example: Proper Bibliographic Reference Format: Bibliographic references are double-spaced and indented half an inch after the first line. Use italics and "sentence-style" capitalization for dissertation / thesis titles. Identify the work as a doctoral dissertation / master's thesis in parentheses after the title. Sabbagh, S. A. (2009).
In the 6th edition of APA for a dissertation citation, you would include the UMI number rather than the publication number. Additionally, doctoral dissertation is in parenthesis rather than brackets. An example of an APA 6 citation looks like: Author, A. (Year). Title (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from database name. (UMI number)
tutorials under the "Resources for Writing Your Dissertation" tab. APA Style, 7 th Edition: A Brief Overview This section provides a very brief overview of APA Style formatting. For more thorough information about APA Style, 7 th edition, please refer to Appendix A (on page 11) of this guide for additional APA resources. Headings
Cite your source automatically in MLA or APA format. Cite. Using citation machines responsibly. Powered by. Media File: APA Sample Paper. This resource is enhanced by an Acrobat PDF file. Download the free Acrobat Reader. Click this link to download the PDF handout of the APA Sample Paper.
Reporting Research in Psychology by Harris M. Cooper Provides practical guidance on understanding and implementing journal article reporting standards (JARS) and meta-analyses reporting standards (MARS). It includes carefully chosen examples from articles published in APA journals that illustrate how JARS and MARS can be incorporated into various types of research studies, with engaging and ...
Published dissertation or thesis references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.6 and the Concise Guide Section 10.5 This guidance has been revised from the 6th edition.
Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr. The most important APA format guidelines in the 6th edition are: Use 12 pt Times New Roman. Set 1 inch page margins. Apply double line spacing. Insert a running head on every page. Indent every new paragraph ½ inch.
DOIs can be found in database records and the reference lists of published works). Books with a URL or a DOI can be referenced like this: Author/editor (Surname, Initials) (Year of publication) Title of book (in italics) (Edition) (if not the 1st edition) DOI or Retrieved from URL.
Thesis or Dissertation Library Research; APA Style - 6th Edition; Search this Guide Search. Thesis or Dissertation Library Research. Getting Started! ... The sixth edition has been revised and updated to include: new ethics guidance on such topics as determining authorship and terms of collaboration, duplicate publication, plagiarism and self ...
Thesis/Dissertation - APA Reference List Capitalization. The document title is in sentence case - Only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. Always capitalize the first word, the first word after a colon or a dash. The title of the thesis or dissertation is in title case - Each word in the name is capitalized, except for articles (a, an, the), prepositions ...
Author: Doaa H. Rashed: Publication date: 2008: Title of doctoral dissertation or master's thesis: A case study of international ESL learners' perceptions of technology use in English language learning: Form of work: master's thesis: Name of database: Proquest Dissertations and Theses: Accession or order number: UMI 1456443
Narrative citation: Harris (2014) When a dissertation or thesis is unpublished, include the description " [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]" or " [Unpublished master's thesis]" in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title. In the source element of the reference, provide the name of the institution that awarded the degree.
Publication Manual (6th ed., sections 5.07-5.19, pp. 128-150; Table 5.1, p. 129, illustrates the basic components of a table; section 8.03, p. 228) From the APA Style website: APA publishes a companion guide to the manual that focuses exclusively on tables: Presenting Your Findings: A Practical Guide for Creating Tables. From the APA Style ...
APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the ...
This article reflects the APA 6th edition guidelines. Click here for APA 7th edition guidelines. An APA title page must include: A running head (including page number) The title of your paper (one or two lines long) The full name of the author (s) Your university or institution. Additional information, such as a course number or an author's ...
Include the running head aligned to the left at the top of the page. On the first line, write the heading "Abstract" (centered and without any formatting) Do not indent any part of the text. Double space the text. Use Times New Roman font in 12 pt. Set one-inch (or 2.54 cm) margins.