As you proof your proposal or dissertation, right click on each Word red underline for your references, then select “Ignore All.” If you still have names in your reference list with Word red underlines, either you misspelled the name in one of the places, or you do not have that reference mentioned in your text.
If you go through and use “Ignore All” in your references list, you will be able to spot the reverse when you read your text. (Please know, this method is just a time saver. It will not do a complete job of cross checking your references. See older blog post on hints for cross checking references.) One final thought, add authors’ names and the terms you repeatedly use to your Word dictionary. This will save you time. For example, I added Moustakas, Huessrlian, and phenomenological to my Word dictionary.
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You may not leave a heading of any level with less than two lines at the end of a page.
You may not cut a reference in half at the end of a page. You may not use a contraction. You may not use etc., e.g., or i.e. Use the percent sign for statistical purposes only; use the word in test. Use an ampersand (&) in parenthesis and in references only. Never indent more than .5. Use the same bullets and the same table style throughout. Only use numbers with items that are enumerated. Nothing in color—use grayscale. Do not capitalize the second word after a hyphen. Do not use Jr., III, or Sr. in text; you may use them in the references. Do not consider the word “the” in front of a reference: The Condition of Education is listed by “C” for Condition. Do not put personal communications in references. Anchors of scales take italics. Do not use underlining or quotation marks. The questions are Likert-type scaled with 5 (Very Satisfied), 4 (Satisfied), 3 (Neither Satisfied nor Dissatisfied), 2 (Dissatisfied), and 1 (Greatly Dissatisfied). See APA 4.21.
See APA 6.12 on the use of the word and versus the symbol &. Join the names in a multiple-author citation in manuscript text with the word and. Join the names with & in parenthetical citations, tables and captions, and the reference list. Doing a search (Edit > Find) can help you quickly find ampersands in your text if you think you have used them incorrectly.
For example: Jones and Smith (2013) conducted a study on the flight of geese. The study was on the flight of geese (Jones & Smith, 2013) 1. Follow the “Six-by-six rule”: Use no more than six words per line and no more than six lines per visual.
2. Apply the “billboard” test to each slide or transparency: “Could people read and understand the information while driving?” 3. Realize that people may forget lists, but they’ll recall images. Just don’t overdo the graphics. 4. Avoid using “chart junk,” fancy shadings and patterns in most drawing software. You’ll create the “Two C” effect—comical and confusing—by trying too hard to jazz up a chart. 5. Think “thin” when deciding on line thickness and “discreet” when picking colors. Reason: Thick lines and garish colors will distract readers. 6. Use the “one” principle: Limit each visual to one idea, one concept, or one point. 7. Put it to the one-minute test: If the audience will need more than 60 seconds to figure it out, it’s too complex. One of the biggest problems I routinely encounter and read about in other reviewers’ comments is formatting.
Do not leave a dangling line: There must be at least two lines of a paragraph at the bottom or top of a page; in paragraph formatting, this is called widow/orphan control (click on Format > Paragraph > Line and Page Breaks > Pagination>widow/orphan). If you use a different version of Word, go to Help and type in widow/orphan control for instructions. One hint: Be certain to do “select all” and set widow/orphan control for pages 1 through references. Do not set this for your table of contents. Do not hyphenate -ly and superlative words (widely used test, best informed students).
Do not hyphenate common prefixes (posttest, prewar, multiphase, nonsignificant) unless needed for clarity (pre-existing). Do not hyphenate foreign, letter, numeral terms (a priori hypothesis, Type A behavior) when the meaning is clear without it (least squares solution, heart rate scores). Do not hyphenate if a noun comes first (a therapy was client centered, results of t tests). Hyphenate adjectival phrases (role-playing technique, high-anxiety group, two-way analysis). Hyphenate compound adjectives preceding nouns (client-centered therapy, t-test scores) unless the compound adjective involves a superlative (best written paper). Hyphenate if the base is an abbreviation or compounded (pre-UCS, non-college bound). Hyphenate if the base word is capitalized or a number (pre-Freudian, post-1960). Hyphenate if the words could be misunderstood without a hyphen (re-pair, un-ionized, co-worker). If in doubt, consult a recently published dictionary. Standards change. For example, "data base" is now "database," and "life-style" is now "lifestyle." This phrase is most accurate in referring to something owed ($5 due) or an arrival time (due at 6:00)--try "because" or "because of”. Due---something expected to arrive imminently---“The baby is due in three weeks.” Nearly all of the time “because” should be used.
Case study is the design. Qualitative research is the method. Always provide a discussion as to why other types of qualitative designs (grounded theory, Delphi, phenomenology, among others) are not appropriate.
Do not use commas to separate parts of measurement (7 lbs 2 oz). Use the metric system, as a rule.
Use commas before "and" in lists, for example, height, width, and depth. Use commas between groups of three digits, for example, 2,234. Use commas to set off a reference in a parenthetical comment (Walden, 2012). Use commas for seriating within a paragraph or sentence. For example, "three choices are (a) true, (b) false, and (c) don't know." Use semicolons for seriating if there are commas within the items. For example, (a) here, in the middle of the item, there are commas; (b) here there are not; (c) so we use semicolons throughout. Use commas in exact dates, for example, July15, 2013 (but not in May 2012). Avoid clichés [a phrase or word that has lost its original effectiveness or power from overuse] in academic writing. For example, over the hill, a dime a dozen, and head over heels are colloquial expressions and need to be replaced with more formal, academic language. Academic writing requires the use of a formal tone. Words used in everyday conversation need to be replaced with language that is more formal. For example, replace TV with television, replace deal with with manage, and replace help out with assist. One word could change the tone of a paragraph or an entire essay. Cliché: "actual" and "actually" are weak words whose meaning is nothing more than "in point of fact." They are often used as intensifiers but usually can be deleted with no change in meaning.
When there is no author, cite the first few words of the reference source (usually a title) and the year of the publication. For an article, chapter, or webpage use double quotation marks around the title. For a title of a periodical, book, brochure, or a report (APA, p. 17) use italics. Example from an article in the reference list: Last day to submit a paper. (2010). Cheating Made Perfect Journal, 5, 125-128. Citation in text = (“Last Day to Submit,” 2010). Note: The comma comes before the quote mark. Capitalize the first and all major words in titles of books and journal articles in the text [usually four letters or more is a major word] and all verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns. In the reference list, the title moves to the author position with no italic (Section 6.27, p. 184; Example 9, p. 200). Reference example for newsletter article, no author (p. 200): Organized chaos. (2007, July). Texas Monthly, 10(11), 12-13. Retrieved from http://www.texasmonthly.com/
Note: When the title is moved to the author position it may be either in regular or italicized font depending on what type of document is being referenced. Remember, the general rule is the “parent” is italicized (e.g. a journal name is italicized but the article title is not italicized; a book title is italicized but chapter title is not italicized). Cite sources to support your assertions. A good rule of thumb is the “says who?” rule—cite the source. Whenever the reader can ask “says who?” cite a source. There is always a space after a before and after & and p. or pp. and the page number and after a comma or semicolon. Use & in parentheses (Smith & Jones, 2010). Use and in the text—Smith and Jones (2010). The use of information from another source (whether quoted, paraphrased, or summarized) must be accompanied with an in-text citation (e.g., Thompson, 2010, p. #). Note: When you cite a specific part of a source (e.g. 90%, 500 girls, 2.8 million jobs), the number of the page, figure, chapter, etc. needs to part of the citation. A citation without a page number implies that the source has been read, sit aside, and a summary written without looking at the source---thus what is written is to general to be found in the document. In a citation page is abbreviated as p., and the words figure, chapter, table, and equation are not abbreviated. Common knowledge does not need a citation even if a reader has to look up the information. If an author(s) has more than one publication and you are citing more than one, give the name in alpha order by year of publication followed by the year of the first publication followed by a comma and then the year of the second publication. The surname is only listed once (Thompson, 1999, 2010). For first time citing use (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2009) and thereafter (CDC, 2009) for well know organizations. Do not use URL addresses for Internet sources in an in-text citation. Also, if you are making a statement that could warrant a different view, cite your source. Note: if you cite a reference after the last sentence in a paragraph, you are telling the reader that you are citing only the information in that sentence.
Capitalize the first and all major words in titles of books and journal articles in the text [usually four letters or more is a major word] and all verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns. When a capitalized word is hyphenated, capitalize both words (Full-Time). Also, capitalize the first word after a colon or a dash in a title [Note: In the reference list capitalize only the first word (Full-time.]. A name that begins with a lowercase letter should be capitalized if it begins a sentence (e.g., de Witte should be written as De Witte). The first word in a complete sentence following a colon should be capitalized. In the reference list the titles of books and articles, only the first word, the first word after a colon or dash, and proper nouns are capitalized. Capitalize all major words in the name of a journal. In the text, capitalize the first word after a colon that begins a new sentence as if it were following a period. Capitalize terms if the terms are proper nouns (Nobel Peace Prize), references to specific groups (Control Group A), nouns before numbers (Trial 5), and course and department titles (ABC University, School of Advanced Studies).
Do not capitalize the following: · Theories or philosophies · Models · Laws · Hypotheses · Therapies or techniques · Concepts · Diseases or disorders [capitalize the name if used in the disease or disorder, ex: Alzheimer’s or Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy] · Condition or the groups in an experiment · Variable or the statistical procedure or tests · Academic subject or course [Capitalize specific courses and department titles] The writer attributes human characteristics to inanimate objects. For example, chapters or articles can’t discuss because articles are inanimate objects. A study cannot attempt to demonstrate, control unwanted variables, or interpret findings, nor can tables or figures compare. However, all of these can show or indicate. Authors indicate. Results show. Data indicate. Do not write, “The company enforces its dress code.” A company is a “thing”---Company leaders enforce the dress code. For example, chapters or articles can’t discuss because articles are inanimate objects.
Affect means “to influence; to change; to assume” as in “The weather affected Thompson.” Most of the time affect is a verb. Effect means “a result; impression” and is usually a noun. “The effect was amazing.” Effect can be used as a verb (to bring about) as in “Thompson hoped to effect change in the system” Tip: Try substituting one of the meanings in the phrase—“Thompson hoped to effect [bring about] change in the system. “The weather affected [influenced] Thompson.”
Provide variety by using different words. Here are some words that you can use. Accentuated; acclaimed; acknowledged; added; addressed; administered; admitted; advised; advocated; affirmed; agreed; alleged; analyzed; argued; asserted; assessed; assumed; attempted; based; believed; characterized; claimed; clarified; compared; completed; conceded; concluded; concurred, conducted; confirmed; considered; contributed; defined; delineated; demonstrated; denied; denoted; described; determined; developed; discovered; discussed; documented; doubted; emphasized; enunciated; espoused; examined; exhibited; expanded; explained; explicated; explored; expresses’ formulated; found; generalized; highlighted; hypothesized; identified; implied; included; indicated; inferred; interpreted; implied; introduced; maintained; mandated; noted; observed; opined; perceived; pointed out; posited; pontificated; presented; proclaimed; professed; promoted; propagated; proposed; proved; provided; recognized; referenced; referred; refined; related; reported; revealed; said; served; showed; specified; spoke; stated; stressed; studied; submitted; suggested; surveyed; theorized; thought; viewed.
A term that will be used several times in your document can be abbreviated the first time it is introduced immediately after the term in parentheses [e.g., American Psychological Association (APA)]. Once the term has been abbreviated, use throughout the document. To introduce an abbreviation and at the same time do a citation the following format will illustrate: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2010). “Abbreviations introduced on the first mention of the term and used fewer than three times thereafter, particularly in a long paper, may be difficult for a reader to remember, and you probably serve the reader best if you write them out each time” (p. 107). Do not use acronyms in a table or figure. Use U.S. (no internal space after the period) when used as an adjective (APA, p.88). For example: U.S. Senate or U.S. Department of Education; whereas use this format when referring to residents of the United States. Most often United States is the correct format.
Do not use abbreviations for journal names in the reference list. Avoid abbreviations (acronyms) except for long, familiar terms (MMPI). Explain what an abbreviation means the first time it occurs: American Psychological Association (APA). If an abbreviation is commonly used as a word, it does not require explanation (IQ, LSD, REM, ESP). Do not use the old abbreviations for subject, experimenter, and observer (S, E, O). The following abbreviations should NOT be used outside parenthetical comments: cf. [use compare] e.g. [use for example] etc. [use and so forth] i.e. [use that is] viz. [use namely] vs. [use versus] Use periods when making an abbreviation within a reference (Vol. 3, p. 6, 2nd ed.) Do not use periods within degree titles and organization titles (PhD, APA). Do not use periods within measurements (lb, ft, s) except inches (in.). Use s for second, m for meter. To form plurals of abbreviations, add s alone, without apostrophe (PhDs, IQs, vols., Eds). In using standard abbreviations for measurements, like m for meter, do not add an s to make it plural (100 seconds is 100 s); when referring to several pages in a reference or citation, use the abbreviation pp. (with a period after it and a space after the period). Do not use the abbreviation "pp." for magazine or journal citations; just give the numbers themselves. Do use "pp." for citations of encyclopedia entries, multi-page newspaper articles, chapters or articles in edited books. Use two-letter postal codes for U.S. state names (GA). Replace pronouns such as this, them, there, it, as it, their, etc. with a clear reference to defined subjects. For example, if a writer states “This is false because….” the reader may ask “what does this refer to?” Avoid using at the beginning of a sentence. As in, “This causes concern.'' Reason: “`this'' can refer to the subject of the previous sentence, the entire previous sentence, the entire previous paragraph, the entire previous section, etc. More important, it can be interpreted in the concrete sense or in the meta-sense. For example, in: ``X does Y. This means ...'' the reader can assume ``this'' refers to Y or to the fact that X does it. Even when restricted (e.g., ``this computation...''), the phrase is weak and often ambiguous. Never use that to refer to a person. Remember: A pronoun refers to the last named noun.
When referring to what authors have written in the literature you should use past tense. Thompson stated, not states. When referring to your dissertation study when you are completed, you will refer to what you did in the past tense. For the proposal use future tense--The purpose of the proposed study will be to… not is (is in the present tense). When you indicate what is in a chapter of your proposal or dissertation, use present tense because what you have written will always be in the chapter, thus in the present.
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AuthorAs your blog hostess, I suppose I should tell you something you would not find on LinkedIn or a curriculum vita, so I shall. I am an animal lover, a semi-professional photographer, a seamstress, and a career student who just happens to have the most amazing teenage granddaughters ever born! My other business is a writing service for children: www.atlantapawpals.com Archives
May 2014
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