Eight Common APA Mistakes

 

By Kate Devlin

If you are writing a paper that needs to follow APA style guidelines, read on to see how to avoid some of the most common mistakes writers make.

What are some of the most common issues writers run into with APA style?

As most writers following APA style have probably already realized, there are many dos and don’ts when it comes to APA style. While there are many rules to follow, you may find that the more you work with them, the more familiar they become. You might even become an expert!

You are not alone if you struggle a bit with following APA style. There are great resources to guide you like the American Psychological Association’s website (apastyle.apa.org).

Here are some of the most common mistakes to watch out for:

1. Pay attention to verb tense. Use past tense for the literature review, the methodology section (if it’s already happened), and the results section.
2. Use what is called the Oxford comma (also known as the serial comma) for a series of items. This means that if you have a series of items, you put a comma after each item and before the “and.” For example, I like apples [comma], pears [comma], and grapes.
3. Only use one space after a period, not two. (This is good practice for whatever you write since two spaces after a period has not been in practice for a while now.)
4. For quotations, be sure to lead into your quote with a sentence or two introducing it, such as why it’s important and how it relates to what you are writing about. Don’t just leave the quote hanging with no explanation.
5. Be sure to use transitions between paragraphs and sections. They help guide the reader through your paper. Transitions are words like “first,” “second,” “next,” or “finally.”
6. Be sure you are using the correct formatting for your in-text citations and your reference list. The APA website has many examples to help you. Also, be sure that any references cited in your text match the ones listed on your reference pages.
7. Check your formatting—from the title page to the last appendix section, APA has rules for it all—margins, fonts, alignment, indentation, tables and figures, citations, etc. But don’t worry, while APA has many requirements, they also have plenty of examples to follow—another instance where the APA website will help you tremendously.
8. Be sure that the purpose statement that you use throughout your paper is consistent. You don’t want to send mixed messages to your reader.

 

While there seem to be a lot of rules to remember when it comes to APA style, there are also lots of online tips and examples to help you.

Resources

• American Psychological Association
• APA Style Introduction

Using APA Style Guidelines

 

By Kate Devlin

Most college students are familiar with APA style as it is often a requirement that they follow the style’s guidelines for their papers. While they may be familiar with it, they may not know all of its ins and outs.

Let’s explore why it’s so important to follow the APA guidelines.

What is so important about APA style?

Following the APA style guidelines is important for paper uniformity and consistency as well as for proper attribution or citing of sources. Papers sound better and flow better when they follow a style like APA.

Here’s a little snippet of APA history from the APA website that I thought was interesting. APA first came about in 1929 when a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers got together and developed a set of what they called “procedures,” and what we today call “guidelines.” These guidelines, which have been revised over the years, are still in use today by students, researchers, and educators for their scientific papers. The most current edition is the 7^th edition, released in October 2019.

How exactly do the APA guidelines help writers?

The guidelines help writers by establishing requirements for their papers. I’m going to touch briefly on seven of the main areas that APA covers. Keep in mind that this is a very general overview.

1.     Format (which fonts to use, how to format headings, and margin set up)

2.     In-text citations (how to format them correctly; see APA style guide for examples)

3.     “Style mechanics” (includes use of punctuation, abbreviations, and capitalization)

4.     Grammar (verb tense, active vs. passive voice, singular “they”)

5.     References (how to cite, again the style guide will have examples)

6.     Bias-free language

7.     Tables and figures

What are some helpful resources for APA guidelines?

The best online resource I found was the American Psychological Association’s website. It’s easy to navigate and has great examples. Purdue’s Online Writing Lab also has helpful APA information. Your school or university should have helpful resources as well. Of course, the most comprehensive option is the full guide that can be purchased in print or digital format.

Resources

• American Psychological Association
• APA Style Introduction

 

Writing a Research Paper and How to Get Started

 

 

 

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Check out Kate's tips about editing papers, blogs, social media, reports, newsletters, and resumes through a series of interviews with Simone Conceição.

Questions for an Editor

 

I’m Kate Devlin, a freelance editor and writer. I thought I’d tell you a little about me and answer some questions about editing. I currently work full time for an IT recruiting company on our communications and marketing team. My job involves writing for our company blog, editing marketing materials, and reviewing and editing resumes before they are submitted to clients. As a side hustle, I do freelance editing for a variety of projects.

 

I’ve been using my editing skills for more than 20 years, and while not all my jobs have been editing roles, I have used my editing skills in every one of them. 

For some reason, I have always been drawn to grammar and writing and the rules that go along with writing. Honestly, I’m not quite sure why I retain that information. 

 

As a child, I read all the time and wrote short stories that I submitted to contests. My earliest editing gigs were for my college roommate when she asked me to read her English papers; I even tried to start my own proofreading/editing company in college but unfortunately that didn’t go anywhere at the time.

 

Through my freelance work, I have read and edited some really interesting works from business proposals, resumes for a variety of careers, college admission letters, master’s dissertations, blog posts, company websites, government annual reports, and so much more.

 

Types of things I most like to edit

I like to edit anything, but I am particularly drawn to technical materials, documents, and non-fiction. While I like to read fiction, I don’t feel as comfortable editing those types of materials.

 

Enough about me, let’s talk editing.

 

Different types of editing

There are five types of editing:

1. Developmental editing looks at the big picture, like plot, theme, and characters, like in a novel or short story.
2. Structural editing looks at the story’s structure and content and how to make it better, like chapter lengths, storyline, etc.; it’s similar to developmental editing and can be done in conjunction with it.
3. Line/stylistic editing looks at word choice, sentence structure, verb tense, description of scenes and images, etc. and makes sure the prose flows.
4. Copy editing/mechanical editing looks for errors like typos, inconsistencies, or confusing sentence structure that affects readability. Copy editors are often called mechanical editors since they aren’t concerned with the content of the story as much as the correctness of the language and information presented. They look closely at:

a.     Punctuation

b.     Capitalization

c.     Spelling

d.     Grammar

e.     Word usage

 

This type of editing often involves fact-checking, as well.

 

5.  Proofreading is the last step in editing process before going to print and looks for the same issues as a copy editor but it’s often done on a printed, hard copy version. Proofreading is looking for typos, spelling errors, as well as issues with typesetting, line breaks, images, etc.

 

Copy editing and proofreading are my strengths and what I enjoy the most. I like looking for what I call the “nitty gritty” details (typos, punctuation and grammar issues, and inconsistencies).

 

What is so important about editing? Why would someone need an editor for their project?

Editors make you look (and sound) good. It’s all too easy to miss that typo or comma that’s in the wrong place or to use a commonly misused word (for example, affect/effect; assure/ensure). Editors make sure your copy reads well and is polished before it’s published. A well-written piece reflects well on the writer and creates a good impression.

 

Can editors edit materials they are not familiar with?

Yes, in fact I’ve read lots of different technical documents and don’t always know the topic the writer is writing about (nuclear power, cryptocurrency, British football/soccer), but I’m still able to edit for the things mentioned above (grammar, punctuation, readability, consistency, etc.).

 

What are some editing tips you can share with us?

The most important tip I can give is to read through the document more than once—at least twice at a minimum. It’s easy to miss things on the first reading.

 

Here’s my editing process:

1.     Glance over whole document for anything (format, wording, etc.) that jumps out at me and fix right away.

2.     Read line by line and correct typos/errors.

3.     Keep a “style guide” for consistency—this includes terminology, formatting details, etc.

4.     After first thorough read-through, fix any formatting issues (margins, headings).

5.     Put the document away for a while—a few hours or even a day or two.

6.     Read through again to catch things you may have missed on the first go around.

7.     Add comments/questions in the document for author—this you can do any time during the editing process.

 

One other thing I do when I’m editing is keep a notebook handy to jot down anything I need to double check or fact-check.

I’d love to answer any questions about editing or help you with your next project. You can post a question on the comments area here.

You can find me at Kate Devlin Editing Services or devlin.kate@gmail.com.