APA Conventions at

Walden University

The fundamental and essential principles for M.S. in Education

Course Work and Weekly Applications

Revised: 10/29/08

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Introduction

▪ This presentation is intended to provide the viewer with a quick overview of the essential and fundamental elements that must be included in APA formatted papers submitted in the M.S. in Education Courses at Walden University.

▪ This is not intended to be a comprehensive presentation, but a brief guide to the essentials. The APA Manual, Pocket Guide, and the Walden Writing Center should be consulted for more detailed explanations.

▪ There are some instances where Walden conventions differ from strict APA guidelines. Those exceptions are addressed in Slide 9.

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The Title Page

▪ A manuscript header with page numbers is required for all papers submitted. It must be “right aligned” and appear on all pages of the paper.

▪ The title of the paper should be centered on the page with the student’s name and Walden University on the succeeding lines.

▪ Toward the bottom of the page the instructor’s name should appear with the course title and number and date following on separate lines.

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Header

Title

Student &

School

Date

Instructor&

Course

Sample Cover Page

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Constructing The Paper

▪ At the top of the first page of text (page 2), center the title of the paper.

▪ Applications and reflections are written in essay form and must include an introductory and concluding paragraph.

▪ Headings for parts of the paper are NOT required and are optional. If one chooses to use them, the headings must be in accordance with APA conventions. The APA style information is located in the Walden Writing Center http://inside.waldenu.edu.

▪ Standard edited English must be used and be grammatically correct, formal, and written for the appropriate audience.

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Constructing the Paper – Part 2 ▪ Space once after punctuation marks.

▪ Contractions, bullets, and bold type should be avoided.

▪ Block quotes should be used with quotations more than 40 words in length. These should be indented five spaces and single spaced per Walden conventions.

▪ Do not quote from course videos…paraphrase and cite the video as: (Laureate Education, Inc. 2007), for example.

▪ Paragraph transitions must be smooth and allow the reader to move easily through the paper.

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The Reference Page

▪ The word, References, should appear centered at the top of the page.

▪ All sources should be listed in alphabetical order by author or editor’s last name. In the case of videos, Laureate Education, Inc. should appear in the place of author’s or editor’s names.

▪ Double space between each entry listed on the page.

▪ Single space entries that are more than one line, using a hanging indent.

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APA Template

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Exceptions to APA for M.S. in Ed.

▪ Lesson plans do not need to be formatted to APA specifications; however, the remaining paper’s narrative must be in APA.

▪ Essays in the M.S. in Education program may be written in the first person when describing personal experiences and classrooms.

▪ Other exceptions: Running Heads are not required Abstracts are not required Single space block quotes A reference that contains more than one line must be single

spaced with a double space between each entry.

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Student Assistance

The Walden Writing Center is a great resource for faculty and students. Visit it at:

http://inside.waldenu.edu

then click on the Writing Center tab on the left side of the page. Clockwise from top left: Jen,

Martha, Kari, Laurel, Tim, Brian, Erica, Jeff, Heidi, Sarah, Jamie, Tobias

Meet Your Writing Staff

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Helpful Tools for Essay Form

Paste the following URL’s into your browser:

Introduction Example: http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/essay/intro.htm

Supporting Paragraphs Example: http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/essay/support.htm

Summary Paragraph Example: http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/tips/essay/summary.htm

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ESSAY CHECKLIST (Not all items in the following list appear in this presentation. Please refer to the APA Pocket Guide)

_______ Title Page_______ Header_______ 1 inch margins_______ Times New Roman or Courier New font, size 12_______ Introduction and Conclusion_______ Indent first line of new paragraphs 5 spaces_______ Transitional words or phrases connect paragraphs_______ Required elements in the directions are addressed_______ No contractions_______ Single spaced after punctuation marks_______ In-text citations formatted as (author, year) and page number if a direct quote_______ Centered the word, References_______ 0.5“ hanging indent for the second line of a references (not a paragraph indent)_______ Single-spaced within a reference and double-spaced between references_______ References listed in alphabetical order by author’s last name_______ Walden’s grading rubric attached

Essay Checklist

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Final Notes

▪ This presentation is intended to hit primary points and not to be an extensive guide to APA formatting.

▪ Students and faculty should have the 2007 2nd edition of the Pocket Guide to APA Style. Carolyn Goodwin is the contact person for faculty materials.

▪ Finally, all faculty have been provided with an APA template that provides more information (for students as well) and gives examples. It is highly recommended that the template be offered to all students by posting it in the Document Sharing area or by providing a link to the document in all courses taught.

▪ The template can be found on the Writing Center home page. Click on “writing templates” and then look for the M.S. in Education APA Template. There is also a Lesson Plan Template that is useful and helpful for students.

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APA Conventions at Walden University

A Faculty Training Module

created by:

Diane Penland diane.penland@waldenu.eduPatricia Thurmond, Ph.D. particia.thurmond@waldenu.eduThomas Webb thomas.webb@waldenu.edu