Discussion Assignment

APA Format Checklist

Here is a list of things that you should look for in your final paper:

1. You have a single, main point (thesis statement), and all sentences in your paper directly relate to and support your thesis statement.

2. Your main point is an original, clearly defined claim and is consistent with current research on the subject selected.

3. Your word choice and language level show that you have a formal, academic, university-level audience in mind.

4. You support your initial claim with the university-level evidence you have gathered during your research.

5. If personal experience is used, you remember to convey that information without resorting to conversational first-person voice,

6. Your reader can easily determine which words are quotes, which words are summaries or paraphrases, and which words are your own ideas.

7. You present the strongest arguments against your claim; you avoid the "straw man" fallacy and argue as hard for the other side as you argue for your own.

8. You evaluate each possible objection and reply appropriately; not all objections can be refuted but all must be addressed.

9. Your title page is double spaced, as is the rest of the paper. You have a header with a running head and page number; headers are one half inch from the top of each page, and all margins are one inch. The words "Running Head:" should appear in the header on your title page, left aligned, and be followed by your running head in capital letters.

10. Your title is in standard text, not bolded or in italics, and should be centered on the page. Dates are not part of the cover for APA papers at Argosy University.

11. Your abstract is titled "Abstract" and is not in bold text or italics; it contains 120 words or fewer, is numbered page two (with numerals in place of word numbers), not first-line indented, and is double spaced.

12. You correctly cite every claim that is not your own or common knowledge and include all necessary information. If the item cited contains quotes, you correctly use a page or paragraph number.

13. The title of your references page is "References," not "Works Cited," and the text on the page does not contain boldfaced type, or italics, or all caps. It is in hanging indent format. Check that you have not used authors' first names, only initials.

14. Personal communications are only cited within the paper, not on the references page. All other sources match directly with a references citation for every source used in the paper and an in-text citation for every source listed on the references page.

15. You have correctly capitalized the titles of your reference works. You have included all required information for each type of citation according to your text.

16. Your resources are trustworthy and current. You have used the appropriate abbreviations as presented in your text.

17. Your sources are peer-reviewed; you have few or no sources that end in “.com” or “.org.”

18. You offer the exact address of any cited Web page, not simply the home page of the sponsoring organization.

19. If your reader cannot access the page, you have included a complete citation to the Web page's location.

20. You have removed artifacts (underlining, hyperlinks, colored text, etc.) from the Web address and any period at the end of the citation.

21. You correctly quote and paraphrase using the criteria in your text. You include a page or paragraph number for every quote. If a quote is more than 40 words, you remove the quote marks, block indent five spaces from the left-hand margin, and include the parenthetical citation in the block.

22. Any changes or commentary you add are included in brackets. You use p. for a single page and pp. for multiple pages.

23. You give full credit for all the work produced by someone other than yourself.

24. You use appropriate language, avoiding wordiness, while giving the reader all necessary information in strict APA style.

25. You have no spelling, punctuation, sentence, apostrophe, or homophone errors.

26. You deliver your findings objectively, in the academic third person voice, and avoid contractions, and any other conversational and informal trope.