reads as follows:The table title is boldfaced, the table label is italicized, and this table is double-spaced (although tables do not have to be).See Chapter 15, page 164
Callout labeled Number Rules points to the value, 2.10, and the text in the callout reads as follows:Means and standard deviations are reported to two decimal places, leading zeroes properly included.See Chapter 13, page 140
Callout labeled Justification points to the notes below the table and the text in the callout reads as follows:This paragraph is left justified. (The margin is even on the left but uneven on the right.)See Chapter 16, page 174
The textbox labeled What About the Paper’s Content? is at the bottom of the paper, and the text reads as follows:To see this same paper with content feedback,See Chapter 21, page 229–245.
3 General Writing Tips Specific to APA Style: General Bare-Bones Fundamentals
It would be difficult to teach (or reteach) the complexities of how to write within one book such as this one. However, informed by our experience in teaching students how to write (specifically, how to write using APA Style and format), we offer some targeted advice about the most common mistakes we see in our students’ writing and the actions to take to help prevent those mistakes in the future. This way, you benefit from the past mistakes of others. It is almost no pain, but with gain. Or in the words of the Dread Pirate Roberts (watch The Princess Bride), “Life is pain, … and if anyone says otherwise, they are trying to sell you something.” Below we provide the basics of how best to approach an APA-Style paper, including details on using a scholarly voice.
Clear and Succinct Writing: Using Your Scholarly Voice
As with any type or genre of writing, it takes both time and practice to get good at it and build your confidence. Scientific writing has its own voice and tone, with the appropriate levels of formality, detachment, and objectivity, and this scholarly writing is written with a different style than is typically used in creative or technical writing. Be sure to avoid slang words, excessive use of first person, gender bias, too many direct quotations, contractions, and inappropriate passive voice. You should also avoid wordiness, especially just for the sake of reaching a mandatory page length. Even with these style rules, scientific writing does not have to be boring. In fact, the better journal articles in psychology are written to tell a good story. Even though the language may not use a conversational tone, this decision is a purposeful one to be clear and concise. Clear communication is the primary objective—to present ideas precisely, with logic and a smooth flow from idea to idea (Knight & Ingersoll, 1996).
In some college student writing assignments, such as composing a term paper or answering an essay question on an exam, you might tend to go on and on, hoping the instructor “finds” the right answer buried somewhere in your prose—this could be called the “kitchen sink” approach. Scientific writing does not share that same strategy. You should always strive to be succinct—concise and to the point. As readers, we appreciate the courtesy of authors who write in this manner; the author does not waste our time with unnecessary words or ideas that clutter the central message. However, as writers, it takes time and practice to acquire this skill; we have designed this book to help you improve as a succinct writer. Knight and Ingersoll (1996) captured the essence of this approach:
Vigorous writing is concise and direct. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words and a paragraph no unnecessary sentences. This does not mean that all sentences and paragraphs should be short or lacking in detail, but that every word is purposeful. (p. 210)
Here’s one more idea to share about writing clearly and succinctly—what about quotations and contractions? If you are going to use direct quotations in your writing, be sure you have noted the exact page or paragraph number from where the quote appeared—the citation might look like (Smith, 2014, p. 712) or (Jones, 2015, para. 7). Prior to completing the assignment, we strongly recommend that you consult with the person grading the assignment to determine their preferences about direct quotations. Some instructors might welcome the use of an occasional quote, whereas others might discourage it completely. Since your results may vary, why not inquire first?
Now, about contractions—we don’t recommend them for formal APA-Style writing. (In this sentence, the word “don’t” is a contraction—the shortened form of “do not.”) Contractions connote a more informal style of writing (as your authors have aspired to in this user-friendly EasyGuide), but if we were writing for a more formal outlet (such as a journal or an academic book), we would not use contractions. It’s about formality. In addition to using words properly, you’ll want to use the right words in the right places—that is, avoiding those commonly confused words.
Commonly Confused Words in Psychology and Beyond
Like other disciplines, psychology has its own terminology and jargon. Your topic-specific textbooks (such as your introductory psychology textbook, cognitive psychology textbook, etc.) introduce you to the specific, technical terms. But even in your own writing about psychology, common words are frequently confused; sometimes this is due to a psychological “spin” placed on those words. Honestly, many of these words are commonly confused in disciplines beyond psychology, so keep this list in mind when writing any paper. Following is a brief listing of commonly confused words, with definitions designed to clear up the confusion (with some assistance from www.dictionary.com).
advice/advise
advice: noun, an opinion given, such as a recommended action
advise: verb, to give counsel, information, or notice
affect/effect
affect: verb, to act on or produce a change in; noun, feeling or emotion
effect: noun, a result or consequence; verb, to bring about
allusion/illusion
allusion: noun, the incidental mentioning or casual referral
illusion: noun, a type of deception or false impression of reality
cite/site/sight
cite: verb, to quote (typically) an authority, to mention as proof
site: noun, the position or location of an item to be located; verb, to put into position or locate
sight: noun, vision, the perception of objects with your eyes; verb, to see or notice or observe
conscience/conscious
conscience: noun, one’s inner sense of right and wrong; ethical, moral principles
conscious: adjective, one’s own awareness of thoughts, sensations, existence
council/counsel
council: noun, an assembly of individuals selected to provide consultation or advice
counsel: noun, advice given to direct the conduct of someone else; verb,
