APA Style

1. APA Style • Obtain a copy of the APA Style Manual or Concise Manual of APA Style, or use online APA style resources (e.g., APA Style Helper at www.apastyle.org or the various resources that can be obtained from www.emunix.emich.edu/~ehoffman/apahelp.html ) • Some search engines (e.g., Refworks, EBSCOhost) can be set to produce references in APA format, but double-check for yourself. • Review your papers using my Common APA Formatting Errors checklist before you hand it in. • Make sure you budget enough time to check for APA style issues when you are planning out your paper

2. APA Style Tips (cont.) • Some specific tips: • APA style specifies a single space after the period in a sentence. Use find > replace all to quickly convert existing documents. • Superscripting is not normally permitted (with statistical notation being a possible exception). Undo / remove automatic superscripting: format > font > “uncheck” the superscript box • Ensure proper spacing in statistical notation (e.g., R2 = .03, not R2=.03) • Be aware that different types of references require different citation formats

3. Formatting Tables • General guidelines for the format and required content of different kinds of tables can be found on pages 147-176 of the APA manual with checklist on p. 175. • If you are comfortable with manipulating table content within SPSS, consider using it (Raw SPSS output does not conform to requirements of APA style). • In MSWord, use “insert table” and “table properties” functions of to construct your tables: Do not use the “draw” function to manually draw lines on the page. • Tables require titles, to be inserted above the table itself, on the same page.

4. Formatting Tables (cont.) Specific tips, instructions and examples for how to construct different kinds of tables can be down-loaded from the National Council on Family Relations web-site: http://oregonstate.edu/~acock/tables/ In particular, pay attention to the column alignment article, for how to get your column numbers to align according to the decimal point (a requirement of APA). Tables require titles, to be inserted above the table itself, on the same page.

5. Formatting Figures • There are fewer limitations onthe format and content of figures than for tables (requirements on pages 176 - 201 of APA manual; checklist on p. 201). • Generally, line graphs are the preferred way to graph information (bar graphs, pie charts very rarely used). • SPSS has a graph / figure editor. However, for basic line graphs (e.g., to graph group means or interaction effects), it may be simpler to enter the data into an excel spreadsheet, and use it’s graphing features. • Figure legends need to go on the same page as the figure itself, but captions are on a separate page. No separate title is needed, beyond the caption.

6. SSHRC / CIHR CGS Scholarship • If your GPA in the past 2 years was > 3.8 consider applying for a Canada Graduate Scholarship (either CIHR or SSHRC, but not both). • Additional Criteria: • Landed immigrant / Canadian citizen • Research-based master’s program (thesis track) • First graduate degree, and must have completed less than 9 months when you take up the award (must specify May, not September, award date) • Deadline: SSHRC = Jan. 8; CIHR = Jan. 16 • Contact Diane Beaton (OGS) for details about the administration of the award.

7. SSHRC / CIHR CGS Scholarship • Some specific tips: • Start preparing early- do not leave things (esp. letters of reference) until the end of the semester • Register & download instructions before you begin SSHRC: www.sshrc.ca/web/apply/students_e.asp CIHR: www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/20335.html/ • Work with CPSY faculty to put together your application, especially the Program of Research part • The study you propose does not have to be what you actually do in your thesis • At least one letter of reference should be a current CPSY professor (preferably a thesis supervisor who you have already begun to discuss things with)