The Mechanics of Style

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The Mechanics of Style

• Chapter 4
• APA Style, 6th edition, 2010

Sandra Nite EDCI 628 Fall 2009
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Punctuation

• One space after
• commas, colons, semicolons
• period separating parts of reference citation
• periods of initials in personal names

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Punctuation

• Period
• initials of names
• U.S. as adjective
• identity-concealing labels for study
  participants
• Latin abbreviations
• reference abbreviations

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Punctuation

• No Period
• abbreviations of state names in reference list
  or vendor location
• capital letter abbreviations and acronyms
• abbreviations for routes of administration
• web addresses in text or reference list
• metric and nonmetric measurement abbreviations
  (except in.)

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Punctuation

• Comma
• between elements in a series of 3 or more items
• set off nonessential or nonrestrictive clause
• separate two independent clauses w/conjunction
• set off year in exact dates
• set off year in parenthetical reference
  citations
• separate groups of 3 digits in numbers

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Punctuation

• No Comma
• before essential or restrictive clause
• between two parts of compound predicate
• to separate parts of measurement

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Punctuation

• Semicolon
• to separate 2 independent clauses w/o
  conjunction
• to separate elements in a series with commas

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Punctuation

• Colon
• between grammatically complete introductory
  clause and final phrase or clause that
  illustrates, extends, or amplifies
• in ratios and proportions
• references between place of publication and
  publisher

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Punctuation

• No Colon
• after an introduction that is not an independent
  clause or complete sentence.

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Punctuation

• Dash
• to indicate only a sudden interruption in the
  continuity of a sentence

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Punctuation

• Double Quotation Marks
• to introduce a word or phrase used as an ironic
  comment, as slang, or as an invented or coined
  expression (only the first time used)
• to set off title of article or chapter in
  periodical or book, mentioned in text
• to reproduce material from test item or verbatim
  instructions to participants

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Punctuation

• No Double Quotation Marks
• to identify anchors of a scale (use italics)
• to cite letter, word, phrase, or sentence as a
  linguistic example (use italics)
• to introduce technical or key term (use italics)
• to hedge

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Punctuation

• Double or Single Quotation Marks
• to enclose quotations in text (single within
  double)
• in block quotations (40 or more words)
• with other punctuation periods and commas
  within quotation marks other punctuation outside
  unless part of quoted material

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Punctuation

• Parentheses
• to set off structurally independent elements
• to set off reference citations in text
• to introduce an abbreviation
• to set off letters that identify items in a
  series within a sentence or paragraph
• to enclose citation or page number of direct
  quotation
• in mathematical/statiscal expressions
• grouping symbols
• numbers that identify displayed formulas and
  equations
• enclose statistical values

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Punctuation

• No Parentheses
• to enclose materials within other parentheses
• back to back (put all in one)

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Punctuation

• Brackets
• to enclose confidence interval
• to enclose material inserted in a quotation
• to enclose parenthetical material already in
  parentheses

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Punctuation

• Exceptions
• use commas if possible without confounding
  meaning
• mathematical material (use correct mathematical
  notation)
• No Brackets
• to set off statistics that already include
  parentheses

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Punctuation

• Slash (virgule, solidus, shill)
• to clarity a relationship in which a hyphenated
  compound is used
• to separate numerator from denominator
• to indicate per to separate units of measurement
• to set off English phonemes
• to cite a republished work in text

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Punctuation

• No Slash (virgule, solidus, shill)
• when a conjunction would be clearer
• for simple comparisons (use hyphen or short
  dash)
• more than once to express compound units (use
  centered dots and negative exponents)

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Spelling

• Preferred Spelling
• Use the first spelling listed in
• Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary (2005)
• APA Dictionary of Psychology (VandenBos, 2007)
• Websters Third New International Dictionary
  (2002)

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Spelling

• Hyphenation General Principles
• If a compound adjective can be misread, use a
  hyphen.
• In a compound that is used as an adjective
  before a none, use a hyphen if the term can be
  misread or if the term expresses a single
  thought.
• If a compound adjective follows the term, do not
  use a hyphen.
• Write most word formed with prefixes as one
  word.
• When 2 or more compound modifiers have a common
  base, the common base may be omitted except the
  last one, but keep hyphens.

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Capitalization

• Capitalize
• the first word in a complete sentence
• the first word after a colon that begins a
  complete sentence
• major words in titles of books and articles
  within the body of the paper
• major words in article headings and subheadings
• major word in table titles and figure legends
• references to titles of sections within the same
  article

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Capitalization

• Capitalize
• proper nouns and adjectives and words used as
  proper nouns
• names of specific department in specific
  university and specific academic course names
• trade and brand names of drugs, equipment, and
  food
• nouns followed by numerals or letter that denote
  a specific place in a numbered series (not nouns
  preceding variables)
• exact, complete titles of published and
  unpublished tests
• derived variables within a factor or principal
  components analysis

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Italics

• Use Italics
• titles of books, periodicals, films, videos, TV
  shows, and microfilm publications
• genera, species, and varieties
• introduction of a new, technical, or key term or
  label (first time only)
• letter, word, or phrase cited as a linguistic
  example
• words that could be misread

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Italics

• Use Italics
• letters used as statistical symbols or algebraic
  variables
• some test scores and scales
• periodical volume numbers in reference lists
• anchors of a scale

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Italics

• Do Not Use Italics
• foreign phrases and abbreviations common in
  English
• chemical terms
• trigonometric terms
• nonstatistical subscripts to statistical symbols
  or mathematical expressions
• Greek letters
• mere emphasis (use syntax)
• letters used as abbreviations

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Abbreviations

• Use abbreviations sparingly (for clarity)
• Use abbreviations when it helps the reader parse
  the language
• Avoid abbreviations of numerous terms the reader
  cannot remember
• Use full term the first time followed by
  abbreviation in parentheses
• May use abbreviations that are word entries in
  Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary (2005)
• May use abbreviations appearing frequently in the
  journal

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Abbreviations

• May use abbreviations appearing frequently in the
  journal
• Latin abbreviations for parenthetical material
• Units of measurement with numeric values (except
  day, week, month, and year)
• Long names of organic compounds

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Abbreviations

• Concentrations
• Route of administration or drugs
• For plurals, add s alone, unitalicized, w/o
  apostrophe
• Never begin a sentence with a lowercase
  abbreviation

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Numbers

• Use numerals to express
• the number 10 and above (words below 10)
• numbers in the abstract of a paper or in a
  graphical display
• numbers immediately preceding a unit of
  measurement
• numbers that represent statistical or
  mathematical functions, fractional or decimal
  quantities, percentages, ratios, and percentiles
  and quartiles
• numbers that represent time, dates, ages, scores
  and points on a scale, exact sums of money, and
  numerals as numerals
• numbers that denote a specific place in a
  numbered series, etc.

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Numbers

• Use words to express
• any number that begins a sentence, title, or
  text heading
• common fractions
• universally accepted usage
• Use a combination of numerals and words to
  express back-to-back modifiers
• Use a zero before the decimal point with numbers
  lt 1 when the statistic can exceed 1 (not when the
  statistic cannot be gt1)

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Numbers

• If Roman numerals are part of an established
  terminology, do not change to Arabic
• Use commas between groups of three digits
• To form plurals of numbers, add s or es alone,
  w/o apostrophe

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Metrication

• Use metric units for physical measurements,
  whenever possible
• If instruments record nonmetric, report SI
  equivalents in parentheses immediately after the
  nonmetric units
• See www.apastyle.org for SI base and
  supplementary units

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Statistical Mathematical Copy

• As a general rule
• for ? 3 numbers, try a sentence
• for 4 20 numbers, a table
• for gt 20, a graph
• Do not give reference or formula to statistics in
  common use
• No need to repeat descriptive statistics in table
  or figure, but mention the table and emphasize
  particular data
• Use the term, not symbol for statistical term in
  narrative
• Space mathematical copy for readability
• Type subscripts before superscripts except prime
  symbol

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Equations

• Punctuate all equations, in line of text or on
  new line
• Place short, simple equations in line of text
• Use new line for
• longer equations
• equations projecting above or below the line
• equations numbered for reference
• Type all signs and symbols, is possible

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Reference

• VandenBos, G. R. et al. (Eds.). (2010).
  Publication Manual of the American Psychological
  Association. Washington, DC APA