How to Modify Existing Heading Styles for the APA Format

If you want to create an automatic Table of Contents in Word, then you need to format each of your headings using the appropriate Style format (see an earlier posting).

Word uses Headings 1, 2, 3, etc to identify the position of each title in the Table of Contents.  Therefore, you need to modify each of the Word headings so that they will match the heading formats defined by APA.

I have created a 7-minute video that demonstrates how you can do this.  Remember that you are not creating new styles.  You are modifying existing styles.

Addressing Level 3 Table of Contents Problems

Trying to get APA format and Microsoft Word capabilities can be a problem at time - especially when it comes to the automatic Table of Contents.

As noted in an earlier posting, if you format each of your headings with a Format Style (Heading 1, Heading 2, Heading 3) MS Word can create a Table of Contents for you.

Problem is that the Level 3 APA heading causes a problem so that it won't register in the Table of Contents. The problem is that the heading is on the same line as the regular text.  See the example below:

Level 3 Example:
     Generation Z. This generation is a unique generation because they will not have lived in a time when the World Wide Web didn't exist.

There are two ways to beat this problem:

1. Don't worry about it.  Be happy with only having levels 1 and 2 in your Table of Contents - Be Done With It.
2. Insert the lines for the Level 3 headings into the Word-Generated Table of Contents and place the Level 3 heading and page number into it manually.

Deciding which of these tactics will be completely up to you.  If you select option 2, I have created a 4-minute video that explains the process.

Happy Writing and 

I would appreciate your feedback on how well this addressed your needs.

Using the Five Levels of Heading in APA Style

Organization is a key element in article/review organization.  This organization is achieved through the headings the writer uses to provide a framework for the reader.

The American Psychological Association has a set of 5 levels that they include in their framework: (The following graphic was shared in the APA Style Blog.)

http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/

Here are some points that you should realize about these headings:

• All of the levels are bolded except level 5
• Level 1 is the only level centered.
• Level 2 is the only level left justified.
• Levels 3 - 5 all end with periods.
• Levels 1 & 2 are the only levels that use Title Capitalization.  Levels 3 - 5 use Sentence Capitalization.
• Levels 4 & 5 are indented.

Here is the beginning of a sample document using these headings. Click here to get to the rest of the document.

http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/

Module 11: Refining Your Abstract

You are almost done!!!

You have written your Introduction, Methodology, Analysis and Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations.   Now, all that you need to do is complete the beginning and the end of your Literature Review.  You need to complete your Abstract and your References.

Abstract

You have been reading abstracts forever.  These are the short, 150-word descriptions that give you a brief description of the contents of the article.  Within this short passage, you expect to find the topic, purpose, methodology, and conclusions. This provides a useful overview for researchers.

Your abstract should follow the same structure as your review:

1. Describe the topic in one sentence;
2. Explain the purpose, thesis or organizing construct and the scope of the article;
3. List the sources used; and
4. Review the conclusions.

The best way to evaluate the completeness of an abstract is by asking yourself if it tells enough about the article for a researcher to read and decide whether this article will be useful for her research.

Here is an example of a good abstract that follows the outline above:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be used to create differentiated learning environments. This review examines the effects of Universal Design for Learning on student achievement in a secondary school setting. Seven peer-reviewed research studies and one doctoral dissertation published between 2002-2010 were selected for analysis. The reviewed research studies indicated that students tended to perform better when material was presented through a multitude of channels and students were given a choice of methods for demonstrating proficiency. Future research into using UDL in the K-12 curriculum was recommended. (88 words)

Did it accomplish what was intended?  Please note that it is only 88 words.

Module 7: Using APA to Write a Lit Review and How to Write the Introduction

You know what to write, now you need to explore how to write it. This module will provide some guidance on how to write a literature review. It will discuss the content and the writing techniques that you should use to create a successful review. (NOTE: This video talks about "research questions" - in our class we are discussing "research themes." We try to answer Research Questions. Research Themes are used to organize discussions about what is being researched in specific fields.

Writing Using APA Format
You may be tired of reading about writing in APA format.  You have a whole book filled with that information, don't you?  Here are 2 great videos that you should spend less than 15 minutes watching. They deal with citing references and how to write the references on the References page. Not exciting but informative. You will also fin the  Enjoy.

• Citing in APA Format describes how to cite sources effectively in your writing and how to vary your writing when citing sources (5 minutes).
• Writing References According to the APA Manual explains how to format your reference list (9 minutes).
• APA Format: A Quick Guide is a cheat sheet for using APA.  It details paper format, citations, quotes, and references. 
• Dos and Don'ts of Writing a Literature Review Read through this document once now, and then once before you begin writing your paper. It's interesting how many of the tips will stick with you and shout out when you are writing.

Writing an Introduction
The Introduction is the most important part of your review.  This is where you create the framework for your review by describing the area of study you will be reviewing, why it is important, and what can be done with the results. It is where you build a foundation by defining necessary terms and introducing the trend(s) that you will be discussing in your review.

These areas need to be addressed.  They don't need to be in this order, but they all need to be presented in a manner that is logical and persuasive: 

• State the purpose of the paper (literature review)
• Identify the importance of the problem
• Define the scope of the review
• Explain why this analysis is appropriate
• Suggest how the review could be applied
• List and define terms that the reader should understand to make sense of your review
• List the research themes you found (typically 2 – 4)

Resources

• How to Create an Introduction video - Dr. Z explains how you can best write your introduction. He steps you through the parts of an introduction and provides examples to follow. (8 minutes)



• One-Theme Literature Review Template - This is a template for your 10-page literature review. You can download it from here or from the Course Content folder in our eLearning site.  Clicking this link will ask you to make a copy of the Google Doc. 

Writing a Paragraph
Some people don't understand how to create a paragraph. You have a topic sentence that describes the content of the paragraph and the rest of the sentences address that topic. You all seemed to have mastered creating a paragraph, but I thought you might enjoy what I found.

• Paragraph Writing Song by Heath - Catchy song that tells you how to write a paragraph. It's a little simplistic for our style of writing, but it provides a good foundation. English and elementary teachers -  it looks like this is a whole series of songs. (1.5 minutes).
• To Write a Paragraph song - Is another sing-along, but not as informative. (1 minute)