PPA 503 – The Public Policy-Making Process

Lecture 2c – APA Editorial Style

Punctuation

Period. Use a period to end a complete sentence (also abbreviations,

quotations, numbers, and references). Comma.

Use a comma Between elements (including before and and or) in a series of

three or more items. The height, width, or depth.

To set off a nonessential or nonrestrictive clause, that is, a clause that embellishes a sentence but if removed would leave the grammatical structure and meaning of the sentence intact.

Switch A, which was on a panel, controlled the recording device.

Punctuation

Comma (contd.) To separate two independent clauses joined by

a conjunction. Cedar shavings covered the floor, and paper was

available for shredding and nest building. To set of the year in exact dates.

April 18, 1992, was the correct date. But, April 1992 was the correct date.

To separate groups of three digits in most numbers of 1,000 or more.

Punctuation

Comma (contd.).Do not use a comma

Before an essential or restrictive clause, that is, a clause that limits or defines the material it modifies. Removal of the clause would alter the meaning.

The switch that stops the recording device also controls the light.

Between the two parts of a compound predicate. The results contradicted Smith’s hypothesis and indicated

that the effect was nonsignificant. To separate parts of measurement.

8 years 2 months.

Punctuation

Semicolon.

Use a semicolon To separate two independent clauses that are

not joined by a conjunction. The participants in the first study were paid; those in

the second were unpaid. To separate elements in a series that already

contains commas. The color order was red, yellow, blue; blue, yellow,

red; or yellow, red, blue.

Punctuation

Colon.Use a colon Between a grammatically complete introductory clause

(one that could stand as a sentence) and a final phrase or clause that illustrates, extends, or amplifies the preceding thought. If the clause following the colon is a complete sentence, it begins with a capital letter. For example, Freud (1930/1961) wrote of two urges: an urge

toward union with others and an egoistic urge toward happiness. They have agreed on the outcome: Informed participants

perform better than do uninformed participants.

Punctuation

Colon (contd.).Do not use a colon After an introduction that is not a complete

sentence. The policy alternatives included

The status quo, which reflected the current policy choices,

Alternative A, which required direct intervention, and

Alternative B, which required indirect intervention.

Punctuation

Dash Use a dash to indicate only a sudden interruption in the

continuity of a sentence. Do not overuse. These two alternatives—reducing benefits and

disqualifying recipients—significantly reduced the size of the program.

Quotation marks Use double quotation marks To introduce a word or phrase used as an ironic

comment, as slang, or as an invented or coined expression. Use only the first time cited.

Considered “normal” behavior. The “good-outcome” variable . . . The good-outcome

variable.

Punctuation

Quotation marks (contd.) To reproduce material from a test item or

verbatim instructions to participants. The first question was “what is your gender?”

Use italics and not double quotation marks Identify the anchors of a scale. To cite a letter, word, phrase, or sentence as a

linguistic example. To introduce a technical or key term.

Punctuation

ParenthesesUse parentheses To set off structurally independent elements

The patterns were significant (see Figure 5). To set off reference citations in text.

Kingdon (2003) suggests To introduce an abbreviation

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) To set off letters that identify items in a series within a

sentence or paragraph. The policies include (a) welfare policy, (b) energy policy,

and (c) defense policy.

Punctuation

Parentheses (contd.)Do not use parentheses To enclose material within other parentheses

(use brackets to enclose material within parentheses).

(the Department of Housing and Urban Development [DHUD]).

Back to back. (e.g., policy learning; May 1990).

Punctuation

BracketsUse brackets to enclose parenthetical material that is already within

parentheses. (The results for the control group [n=8] appear in Figure

2.) Exception: do not use brackets if the meaning is clear

using commas.• Not (as Imai [1990] later concluded)• But (as Imai, 1990, later concluded)

to enclose material inserted in a quotation by someone other than the author.

“when [the author’s] words are quoted” (Dummy, 1995, p. 151).

Punctuation

SlashDo not use a slash When a phrase would be clearer.

Not: Smith acted as a supervisor/mentor. But: Smith acted as a supervisor or mentor.

For simple comparisons. Use a hyphen or short das (en dash) instead.

Test-retest reliability Not: test/retest reliability.

Spelling

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is the standard spelling reference for APA journals and books.

The more comprehensive version is the Webster’s Third New International Dictionary.

Plural forms of Latin or Greek originSingular PluralAppendix appendicesCannula cannulasDatum dataMatrix matricesPhenomenon phenomenaSchema schemas

Spelling

Hyphenation Use the dictionary to determine the use of

hyphens in compound words. Follow-up is a noun or adjective, but follow up is a

verb. If a compound is in a dictionary, it is considered a

permanent compound (e.g., high school, caregiver, and self-esteem).

Spelling can also change (life-style became lifestyle; data base became database).

Spelling

General principles of hyphenation Do not use a hyphen unless it serves a purpose. If a compound

adjective cannot be misread, do not use a hyphen. Grade point average. Health care reform.

In a temporary compound that is used as an adjective before a noun, use a hyphen if the term can be misread or if the term expresses a single thought (all words modify the noun).

Different-word lists (lists of different words). Different word lists (different lists of words).

Most compound adjective rules are applicable only when the compound adjective precedes the term it modifies. If it follows the term, do not use a hyphen.

Client-centered advice. But: the advice was client centered.

Spelling

General principles of hyphenation. Write most words with prefixes as one word;

however, there are exceptions. When two or more compound modifiers have a

common base, this base is sometimes omitted in all except the last modifier, but the hyphen is retained.

Capitalization

Words beginning a sentence The first word of a complete sentence. The first word after a colon that begins a complete

sentence. Major words in titles and headings

Not conjunctions, articles, or short prepositions, but all words four letters or longer. Capitalize all verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns. When a capitalized word is hyphenated, capitalize both words. Capitalize the first word after a colon or dash in the title.

Major words in article headings and subheadings. Major words in table titles and figure legends. References to titles of sections within the same article.

Capitalization

Proper nouns and trade names. Proper nouns and adjectives and words used

as proper nouns. Names of departments if they refer to a specific

department. Trade and brand names of drugs, equipment,

food, programs, etc. Do not capitalize names of laws, theories,

models, or hypotheses (except retain uppercase in proper names).

Capitalization

Nouns followed by numerals or letters. On Day 2 of Experiment 4. Do not capitalize nouns that denote common

parts of books or tables followed by numerals or letters.

Titles of tests Capitalize complete, exact titles of published

and unpublished tests. Do not capitalize shortened, inexact, or general

titles of tests

Italics

Use italics for Titles of books, periodicals, and microfilm

publications. Genera, species, and varieties. Introduction to a new, technical, or key term or

label (do not italicize after the first use). Letter, word, or phrase used as a linguistic

example. Words that could be misread. Periodical volume numbers in reference lists.

Italics

Do not use italics Foreign phrases and abbreviations (ad lib, et

al., per se, vis-à-vis. Greek letters. Mere emphasis.

Abbreviations

Use abbreviations sparingly. Do not overuse because it creates confusion. Do not underuse. If you introduce an abbreviation, and only use

it two or three times subsequently, you are better spelling it out in all cases.

Explain the abbreviation the first time, and use the abbreviation subsequently.

Some abbreviations are in dictionaries. They can be used without explanation. IQ, REM, ESP, AIDS, HIV, NADP, ACTH.

Use the standard Latin abbreviations only inside parentheses. Spell out the English equivalent in the main text (e.g., use and so forth for etc.).