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Writing Checklist

Remember the introductory paragraph should clearly state the main topic and use the last sentence to preview the structure of the paper to give your reader a structure to follow– highlight all the main points you will cover in the paper.

Use 3rd person point of view (unless opinion paper) avoiding pronouns such as I, we, my, our (1st person) and you, yours, your, us, we (2ndperson). Deal with facts, thus, providing citations within paper and reference page. Focus on subject; not feelings about the subject. The use of 3rd person retains a formal tone: Academic writing is more formal than casual conversation.

· Paragraph Construction – All paragraphs should include an introductory sentence, explanations or details, and concluding sentence.

· Sequencing – Place your details in a logical order, so they correspond to the structure presented in the introduction.

· Transitions – Use a variety of thoughtful transitions to clearly show how ideas are connected.

· Supportive Research – write a research-based and accurately reported study.

· Quality of Information – Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.

 

· Conclusion/

Recommendations – The conclusion should effectively summarize the discussion and provide recommendation(s) for further research .

 

· Sources/Citations/References – Document all sources (information and graphics) using APA format accurately.

 

· Mechanics – No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.

 

APA Checklist – Changes to APA: https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-seventh-edition-changes/

1. Sections of an APA paper: title page, abstract (might be optional – check with instructor), text of paper and reference page.  

2. Running head is PERMANENT and aligned left margin on same line as page number (page number is flush right margin).

· Running head: Portion of title no longer than12 words in length and contain no abbreviations.

All letters of title are capitalized. Example: LEARNING STYLES ( title page only)

· Title page is always page 1. Thereafter, the title appears on each page in the header with only page numbers changing). Example: LEARNING STYLES .

· Center on page: Title of paper typed in upper & lower letters, followed by name, professor’s name and title of course.

 

· Begin paper by centering title at the top of page two (unless there is an Abstract or Table of Contents – number these first). The title is uppercase and lowercase letters and located directly under the 1” margin. Here is an example!

 

The title, in all caps, appears on each page in the header (in the left margin) after the title page with only the page numbers changing in the right margin. Only use the number!

 

3. Double space entire paper/Use 1 inch margin/Text is to be left aligned.  

4. Increased flexibility regarding fonts: options include Calibri 11, Arial 11, Lucida Sans Unicode 10, Times New Roman 12, and Georgia 11.

 

5. First sentence of a paragraph must be indented (with the exception of the Abstract).

 

6. The abstract must include the following components: purpose of the research, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words (no less than 150 and no more than 200).

7. Use the appropriate level headings for your paper. For all major headings, use level 1, use level 2 for your main points and use level 3 for your subpoints—see image.

Comment by Watson-Stone, Novadean: Use the appropriate level headings for your paper. For all major headings, use level 1, use level 2 for your main points and use level 3 for your subpoints—see image.

 

8. Summary or paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required.) For example,

 

According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.

Or

APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

See the Purdue OWL for more guidance.

9. When using long quotes, consider the following below:

Long quotations

Place direct quotations that are 40 words, or longer, in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

Jones’s (1998) study found the following: Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)

Source: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/

1. Same font throughout with the exception of italicizing: (1) key term to emphasize (2) titles of books, periodicals, films, videos, TV shows and microfilm publications (there are more in-depth examples in APA Manual section 4.21).

 

2. Numbers: 0-9 are written out while 10 and above are written as numbers (Exceptions: numbers expressing approximate lengths of time written as words ex: 1 hr 30 min; 12:30 a.m.; about 3 months ago).

 

3. Punctuation when ending a Quote : If quotation is at the end of a sentence, close quote with quotation marks, cite the source in parentheses, and end with a period or other punctuation outside the final parenthesis.

 

4. Avoid using “etc.” at the end of a list or exclamation point unless it is part of the quotation.

 

5. Ampersand: If the citation is in parentheses, use the ampersand (‘&’) instead of the word “and” in text of paper. Always use ampersand (&) in tables, captions and on reference page.

 

6. Capitalize first letter following a colon if clause is a complete sentence.

 

7. Use complete sentences and avoid slang. Use Spell Checker and proofread paper.

 

8. First sentence of a paragraph must be indented (with the exception of the Abstract).

 

9. Do not use contractions (it’s = it is; won’t = will not).

 

10. Always spell out acronym on first use. Example: APU = American Public University.

11. Indirect Quotes: Summary or paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required.)

According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners. APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

See the Purdue OWL for more guidance: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/

A Work by Two Authors: Name both authors in the signal phrase or in the parentheses each time you cite the work. Use the word “and” between the authors’ names within the text and use the ampersand in the parentheses.

1. Research by Wegener and Petty (1994) supports…

2. (Wegener & Petty, 1994)

 

See the Purdue OWL for more guidance: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/3/

12. Direct Quotes: must give page number. If no page numbers available, cite paragraph number using abbreviation para. (para. 4). If no page or paragraph numbers, cite heading and paragraph number where information is found.

· Direct Quotes: must give page number. If no page numbers available, cite paragraph number using abbreviation para. (para. 4).  If no page or paragraph numbers, cite heading and paragraph number where information found.

· According to APA and Purdue OWL, If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference (preceded by “p.”). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author’s last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

According to Jones (1998), “Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time” (p. 199).

· If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation. She stated, “Students often had difficulty using APA style” (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

Purdue OWL: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/

 

13. Review the Purdue OWL for guidance. In the reference area, capitalize the FIRST word of the title and the word after a colon. R emove hyperlink. When the web address turns blue and get underlined, right click them and “remove hyperlink.”

Nonperiodical Web Document, Web Page, or Report

 

List as much of the following information as possible (you sometimes have to hunt around to find the information; don’t be lazy. If there is a page like http://www.somesite.com/somepage.htm, and somepage.htm doesn’t have the information you’re looking for, move up the URL to http://www.somesite.com/):

 

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of document (web page titles are italicized.). Website name. http://Web address

 

Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderland, L., & Brizee, A. (2010, May 5). General format. Website name. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

 

NOTE: When an Internet document is more than one Web page, provide a URL that links to the home page or entry page for the document. Also, if there isn’t a date available for the document use (n.d.) for no date.

 

See the Purdue OWL for more guidance: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/10/

 

14. Use et al. in all references (ex: Smith et al., 2009) (Exception: three or more authors use et al. first time).

15.  Quotes over 40 words must be indented and page number cited. Do not use quotation marks.

16. The conclusion should summarize the discussion and provide at least two recommendations for further research. 

17. Cite all references in paper AND on reference page. If listed on reference page MUST have cited within paper.  

18. No retrieval dates or database name needed on reference page.

19. The reference page is the last page (unless appendix). Insert page break at end of text preventing distortion when edits are made. 

20. Title of page: References (centered on page directly under the 1” margin). Do not underline, italicize or make bold. 

21. Cite references in text of paper and include sources on reference page. PLEASE NOTE: Wikis (like Wikipedia) cannot guarantee the verifiability or expertise of entries, therefore, are not considered scholarly sources. DO NOT USE WIKIPEDIA AS A SOURCE.

22.  References are in alphabetical order by author(s) last name on the reference page; list last name, then first and middle initial (if applicable) only. If no author is provided, use the first character of the title. 

23. When citing a book, Web page title, and article or the reference page, capitalize the first word of the title only (with the exception of proper names). Also, italicize the name of the book. 

24. In reference area, capitalize the FIRST word, the word after a colon, and all proper names in the title of books, web article and articles. 

25. Italicize the name of books, journals, Websites and magazines, but do NOT italicize the name of the article. 

26. Do not use the words Volume or Vol., Issue or Iss,. or Pages, p. or pp. on reference page.  

27. The name of the journal and volume number are italicized. Pay attention to punctuation.

Remove hyperlink. When the web addresses turn blue and get underlined, right click them and “remove hyperlink.”  

28. Citing a source within a source (secondary sources) example: In-text—Bennett (as cited in Rudman, 1999) defined… 

Reference list: Rudman, R. (1999). Human resources management in New Zealand. (3rd ed.). Auckland, N.Z.:Addison Wesley Longman

29. Citing references on reference page: use the hanging indent. Highlight the citations and press Ctrl T automatically formats.

30. The publisher location is no longer included in the reference.

USE the Link to APA Exercise to guide your understanding: http://wpc.242f.edgecastcdn.net/00242F/academics/multimedia/_live/EDU/APA_Interactive/content.html Comment by Watson-Stone, Novadean: Notice: -The reference heading and how it is positioned. – You do not capitalize all the words in the title– In reference area, capitalize the FIRST word and the word after a colon

Grammar Checklist:

 

Spelling – Though there are many exceptions and some words simply require that you memorize their spelling, there are a number of spelling rules that we can utilize in our writing.  Some of the most well-known spelling rules are listed below. 

· i before e except after c, or as in long ei such as neighbor and weigh

· q is always followed by u

· When a word ends in y the y must change to an i before adding any suffix. 

· When a word ends in e, drop the e before adding a suffice that begins with a vowel.

· When the suffixes –ness or –ly are added to a word, the spelling of the original word remains the same. 

Keep in mind that with the advent of modern technology and spell check functions in most word processing programs (and Sakai!), it is also a good practice to allow the machine to do some of the spelling work for you. It is always wise to remember, even though a word is spelled correctly that does not mean that it is the correct word!   More to Explore and Share with Students: List of Common Misspellings While you consider the spelling challenges that you see most often in your writing, take a look at Oxford Dictionary’s list of common misspellings.  This listing is compiled using the Oxford English Corpus, “an electronic collection of over 2 billion words of real English that helps us see how people are using the language and also shows us the mistakes that are most often made” (Oxford Dictionary, 2014). Punctuation – Remembering where to place a comma or how to use quotation marks to designate a quote within a quote can be daunting when we’re writing.  Below are some common rules that will assist you with your writing skills. 

· Commas

· Use commas to separate an introductory phrase from the rest of the sentence. 

EXAMPLE:   Without realizing the time, Mary sat down with a book and missed her appointment. 

· Use commas to separate items in a series and use a comma before the conjunction. 

EXAMPLE:   Jack likes bananas, apples, pears, and grapes.

NOTE:  This rule may vary based on writing style being used.  Make sure to check your style guide. 

· When including a descriptive phrase in your sentence, set it off with commas. 

EXAMPLE:   The house, situated in the woods, appeared abandoned. 

· Quotation Marks

· Commas and periods go inside quotation marks.

EXAMPLE:   At the conference, Marissa Ryan discussed her most recent work saying, “One interesting finding of the study was that once a carpooling program was implemented, employees reported greater workplace satisfaction.” 

· When a quotation is part of an in-text citation and ends with a period, the period goes at the end of the in-text citation.

EXAMPLE:   Mr. Smith explained that “the theory of relativity is one of the most difficult for students to understand” (Evans, 2009). 

· Use quotation marks when referring to a word as a word. 

EXAMPLE:   The word “hip” was popular when I was a kid.   

· Semicolons, Colons, and Dashes

· Use a semicolon to join independent clauses with no word joining them otherwise.

EXAMPLE:   Sarah returned home from work late; traffic was snarled because of an overturned tomato truck. 

· Use a colon after a complete sentence and when introducing additional information related to the sentence. 

EXAMPLE:   There were a number of items included in Sue’s birthday package: a sweatshirt, a greeting card, a stuffed animal, a DVD, and a framed picture of Sue and her friend on vacation. 

· A dash functions much like a colon but is used when the information to follow is of particular note or importance. 

EXAMPLE:   There were a number of items included in Sue’s birthday package – a diamond ring, two tickets for a cruise, and keys to a brand new car! 

· Apostrophes

· Use apostrophes in contractions, to replace the letter removed to create the contraction. 

EXAMPLE:   Jason couldn’t believe that the puppy ate his homework. 

· Use apostrophes to show possession. 

EXAMPLE:   Jason’s dog ate his homework. 

· If two people have possession of the same item, use the apostrophe s on the second person’s name. 

EXAMPLE:   Mark and Tara’s baby has three teeth already! 

  More to Explore and Share with Students: Proper Punctuation Saves Lives

Consider that punctuation is a part of every sentence that we write.  When situated in different places within the sentence, the same single punctuation mark can change the meaning of the sentence entirely.  In the video below (click the image to watch the video on YouTube), Justin Franco (2010) demonstrates the importance of proper comma placement.  By sharing a short video like this one with students, we can help them remember the importance of proper punctuation.   Capitalization – Rules of capitalization can be complicated.  Like many other components of our language, the rules associated with capitalization have changed over time.  Interestingly, the rules for capitalization are not agreed upon and for writers, this can be confusing.  There are two general conventions: sentence case (also called Down style) and title case (also called Up style) and depending on the content and purpose of the writing, the use of either convention can be acceptable as long as the writer is consistent.  In some cases, the writing style used may dictate a certain convention or other specific rules associated with capitalization.    

· Capitalize family relationships when the relationship is stated as part of the individual’s name.

EXAMPLE:   Mother, did you see the sweater I knitted for Uncle Tim?

· Capitalize people’s titles when the title is placed in front of the name but not when it is used after the name.

EXAMPLE:   Mayor Little spoke with Kyle Loftman, the mayor of Dimsdale.

· Capitalize the first, last, and all important words in the title of a major work.  (Prepositions and words equaling less than three letters need not be capitalized but there is disagreement on this point as Lowe’s article below notes.)

EXAMPLE:   The Catcher in the Rye

  More to Explore and Share with Students: Capitalization

In this contribution to the DailyWritingTips blog, Carla Lowe (n.d.) explores the confusion surrounding when to capitalize words in titles.  She notes that “the rules for capitalization in titles – like the rules for other areas of English grammar – are not set in stone; style guides and grammarians disagree on which words to capitalize in a title” (para. 2).  Review Lowe’s article, “ Rules for Capitalization in Titles,” to learn more about the sentence case and title case conventions as well as other nuances related to capitalization in the English language. 

Word Usage – Many words in the English language sound the same but have very different meanings.  It can sometimes be a challenge for students to determine which to use in their writing.  Consider the examples below. 

· Affect vs. Effect

“Affect” means to influence and is often used with “on.” 

EXAMPLE:   The flooding affected our entire evening. 

“Effect” can also be thought of as “resulting in.” 

EXAMPLE:   The effect was that we were unable to attend the concert. 

· Who vs. That

The general rule is that writers should use “who” when referring to a person and “that” when referring to a thing. 

EXAMPLE 1 (appropriate use of “who”):  The little boy who spilled the milk blamed it on his little brother. 

EXAMPLE 2 (appropriate use of “that”):  The pencil that was on the table is no longer there. 

· Irregardless vs. Regardless

Particularly in conversation, we may hear a person say (or, we may say ourselves) something like, “Irregardless of that point, …”  What the person really means to say is, “Regardless of that point, …” 

Grammar Girl, Mignon Fogarty (2013), provides a valuable explanation:  “Regardless means ‘regard less,’ ‘without regard,’ or despite something….The prefix ir- (i-r) is a negative prefix, so if you add the prefix ir to a word that’s already negative like regardless, you’re making a double-negative word that literally means ‘without without regard’” (para. 3). 

More to Explore and Share with Students: Common Errors in English Usage

Emeritus Professor of English at Washington State University, Paul Brians, provides a variety of resources related to proper word usage (and common errors in English usage).  On the homepage of his “Common Errors in English Usage” site, Brians addresses his visitors writing, “The aim of this site is to help you avoid low grades, lost employment opportunities, lost business, and titters of amusement at the way you write or speak.”  In appreciation of Dr. Brians’ efforts to assist us, please review his extensive collection of Common Errors in English Usage.

Grammar

Grammar is best described as the rules for how we properly write and speak a language.  There are typically two approaches to grammar in any language: descriptive and prescriptive.  Descriptive approaches to grammar are typically “based on a systematic analysis of a large text corpus [to describe] grammatical structures” while prescriptive approaches attempt “to use the identified rules of a given language as a tool to govern the linguistic behavior of speakers” (Princeton University, n.d., para. 2).  Below are just a few of the most basic grammar rules that we should understand as we work with students. 

· Forming Complete Sentences

Sentences are how we convey ideas.  We must ensure that they are “complete.”  A complete sentence requires a subject and a verb.  Sometimes the subject can be implied, as in the case of a direct command. 

EXAMPLE 1 (complete sentence):  Michael ran to the office this morning, completing his exercise for the day.

EXAMPLE 2 (incomplete sentence): Michael ran to the office this morning.  Completing his exercise for the day.   

· Subject and Verb Agreement

The verb of a sentence must agree with the subject and the basic rule states that a singular subject performs a singular verb while a plural subject performs a plural verb. 

EXAMPLE:   Jennifer speaks with the teacher while Amber and Sharon sing a song. 

· Passive vs. active voice

Passive voice occurs in our writing when the subject is not performing the action of the verb.  It is best to rewrite your sentence so that the subject of the sentence is performing the action.  Consider the examples below. 

EXAMPLE 1 (passive voice):  The findings were determined to be sound. 

EXAMPLE 2 (active voice): The researchers determined the findings were sound.

· Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives describe nouns. 

EXAMPLE:   The happy girl ran through the park.  

Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, clauses, or other adverbs.  Adverbs typically answer questions related to when, where, or how something occurred. 

EXAMPLE:   The happy girl ran joyfully through the park. 

· Pronouns

Pronouns are used in place of nouns and help writers avoid continuously re-stating the same word.  Pronouns must match the subject to which they are referring.  Consider the examples below. 

EXAMPLE 1 (incorrect):  The student submitted their paper late.    

EXAMPLE 2 (correct):  The student submitted his paper late.    

More to Explore and Share with Students: 7 Grammar Rules + 7 Grammar Rules

The English language is, for all intents and purposes, a living creature.  Because we use it every day and because we change, our language changes, as well.  From time to time rules and accepted conventions change and what we learned in grade school may not be as strictly enforced (or, enforced at all) as it once was.  You may be pleased to read about some of these changes in Ben Yagoda’s article, “ <a rel=’nofollow’ target=’_blank’ href=’http:/

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