Quick Tips

A helpful list of issues frequently seen in MSP papers and dissertations…and how to address them!

MSP exceptions to APA Style

• Single-space direct quotations of 40 words or more.

• Reference entries are now double-spaced -- remember to use a hanging indent instead of tabs in Word to format them OR try out the MSP References Style in the MSP Dissertation Template.

Direct quotes

• Reserve their use for instances when the wording of the original text is memorable or unique

• Single-space direct quotes of 40 words or more and indent them .5"  

• Always provide a page number!

Commas

• Enclose in commas parenthetical phrases starting with which. Otherwise, use that instead of which.

Ex: Transgender Day of Remembrance, which is on November 20th, honors the memory of transgender people whose lives have been lost due to acts of anti-transgender violence.

• Separate all elements in a list with commas (unless the elements themselves contain commas).

Ex: Themes included perception of the animal as non-judgmental, formation of a special relationship with the animal, and deriving comfort from the animal.

Numbers

• Remember to write out numbers and percentages when they start a sentence.

Ex: Seventy-two percent of the sample had experienced work-related stress.

Ex: Among the sample, 72% had experienced work-related stress.

• Refer to the APA  Manual or the APA Style website for much, much more on numbers!

Pronouns

• Use pronouns in your writing that align with gender identity. If you are writing about a person who identifies as male, refer to that person as he or him. Reserve the use of they/them for when a person identifies that way or if you are uncertain of a particular person’s gender identity. 

• Use who instead of that when referring to people.

Ex: Educating women who have miscarried can increase their awareness of potential trauma.

Citations

• Acknowledge three or more authors with et al.

Ex: Mental health issues associated with narcissism include depression, suicidal ideation, self-harm, and aggression (Schoenleber et al., 2015). 

• Alphabetize multiple citations contained within parentheses (the order in which they appear in your reference list).

Ex: (Brown & Brown, 2006; Gabriel et al., 2017; Schwartz et al., 2003)

Reference list tips

• Know what you’re citing (book? article? webpage?) and match the reference’s format and elements to the type of source.  References in APA Style consist of these four elements: Author (Who), Date (When), Title (What), Source (Where).

• Only capitalize the first word and any proper nouns in a book title; however, put the title of a journal in title case. Italicize both kinds of titles.

Ex: Solovitch, S. (2015). Playing scared: A history and memoir of stage fright. Bloomsbury Publishing. [book]

Ex: Shedler, J. (2010). The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 65(2), 98-109. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018378 [journal article]

• Don't forget to include doi numbers in journal article and ebook references!

• The APA Style website is a goldmine of information on constructing references!

Microsoft Word help

Need to know how to use the features of Word to put the finishing touches on your assignment? Come to the library and speak to a librarian for help with spacing, headers, formatting, and any other issues that come up!