Using APA to write about technology
I created this Storify after marking a bunch of papers written by MA and M.Ed students to help them write better.
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Introduction
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The authoritative guide writing using APA style is the website below. If you don't have a copy of the APA 6th Edition book it is a very useful reference. APA style isn't just about how to cite and reference, it also provides guidelines on how to write about the things you are referencing and how to format your papers.
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If you are unfamiliar with APA style, this tutorial is a great place to start. I like how they made it really easy to navigate. You can choose whichever area you want to review, and simply click the slide for that area. Each slide has accompanying audio instructions.
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APA and Microsoft Word
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Microsoft has downloadable templates (free) that are setup to use APA 6th Edition. These provide a great place to start.
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APA style report (6th edition) – Templates – Office.com
Need to create an APA style research term paper? Use this pre-formatted template to create an APA compliant report or thesis. Includes specific instructions and formatting based on the APA 6th edition… -
The APA style template uses styles for the heading and formatting. If you are unfamiliar with how to use Styles in Microsoft Word, I strongly recommend you view one the following tutorials. This will save you a lot of time with all your papers!
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Word 2010 Windows Styles
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Word 2011 Mac Styles
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Academic Writing Tips
There were three areas where writing could be improved:(1) The use of et al.(2) Integration of quoted passages(3) The use of quotation marks (the punctuation)Here are some articles that explain each of these as they relate to APA and academic writing. -
APA Style Blog: The Proper Use of Et Al. in APA Style
by Chelsea Lee Academic writing is full of little conventions that may seem opaque to the uninitiated. One of these is the Latin phrase et al., an abbreviation meaning "and others." It is used to shorten lists of author names in text citations to make repeated referencing shorter and simpler. -
APA Style Blog: Et al.: When and How?
by Paige JacksonThis week, we continue on down the list of frequent APA Style stumbling blocks compiled by Dr. Anthony Onwuegbuzie and colleagues ( Onwuegbuzie, Combs, Slate, & Frels, 2010). These authors contributed a recent guest post to our blog, and this is our third follow-up post on specific common errors. -
This is a really useful article, in that it provides great examples of how to better integrate quotes into your writing. As a general rule, it is bad to start a sentence with a quote – all direct quotes should have some form of lead in.
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Be sure to read the comments in this article. Technical terms are not quoted – so it is typically better to use italics rather than quotation marks when you are writing about technology.
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APA Style Blog: Quotation Mark Uses Other Than Quotes
by Stefanie Most people know how to use quotation marks to identify material directly quoted from a source ("That's terrific!" the editor cried; Hendrik Willem van Loon once said, "Somewhere in the world there is an epigram for every dilemma"; the first item on the questionnaire was, "How often do you engage in this type of behavior?"). -
APA Citing and Referencing Technology
Here are specific examples of APA usage when citing technology. When you are citing software (including applications that run on the web like WordPress), ensure that you spell it exactly how the creator spells it. The name of software is a trademark, and should be used correctly (e.g. iPhone not IPhone, WordPress not Word Press or Word press). Pay attention to capitalization and spacing. -
Here is a great general article on how to cite anything you find on a website:
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APA Style Blog: How to Cite Something You Found on a Website in APA Style
by Chelsea Lee Perhaps the most common question we get about APA Style is "How do I cite a website?" or "How do I cite something I found on a website?" First, to cite a website in general, but not a specific document on that website, see this FAQ. -
APA Style Blog: Using Brackets in APA Style References
by Timothy McAdoo Glancing through the references examples on pages 193-215 of the APA Publication Manual, you may notice that some references include information in brackets. These brackets always appear immediately following the title element (and any of its parenthetical information). Understanding this element of an APA Style reference can give you great flexibility when creating references. -
I suspect for essays relating to group collaboration work, these articles may come in handy:
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APA Style Blog: How to Cite Social Media in APA Style (Twitter, Facebook, and Google+)
by Chelsea Lee Thanks to developments in technology and feedback from our users, the APA Style team has updated the formats for citing social media, including content from Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. These guidelines are the same as you'll find… -
APA Style Blog: How to Cite a Mobile App
by Chelsea Lee Mobile applications, or apps, are a type of softwarethat runs on devices such as smartphones and tablet computers (such as iPhones, iPads, and Androids) as well as web browsers (such as Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox). -
Just in case you love my class so much you want to cite it 😉
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APA Style Blog: How to Cite a Class in APA Style
by Timothy McAdoo ?Have you ever learned so much in a class that you wanted to cite the whole thing? If so, you're not alone. Unfortunately, because a class is not a retrievable source, when you try to put together a reference, you won't have a " where" there.
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