Byrdine F.

Lewis School of Nursing College of Health and Human Sciences Georgia State University N2040 Conceptual Foundations of Nursing and Trends APA Tips for Theorist Paper While all aspects of APA are important and expected to be employed by the student, for the purpose of the Theorist Paper, evaluation of the paper will primarily be based on the following regarding the proper format and APA usage of Title Page Abstract Page Running Head Margins Spacing Page Numbers Use of Numbers Reference Citations in the Text Reference Page Citations Quotations Grammar Spelling Punctuation

Key Points to Remember The Abstract Most students present this as an overview of their paper by repeating specific information contained in the paper. The abstract should create interest or entice the reader to want to read the entire paper. The abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents (not a repeat of the contents) of the article. It allows readers to survey the contents of an article quickly. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, sixth edition for specific information regarding the abstract. The Salutation When writing a formal paper, in which you do not personally know the individuals that you are referring to, do not to refer to these individuals by their first names. Refer to them by their professional or personal credentials, such as, Dr., Professor, Mr., Ms. or Mrs. If you are quoting another source, you can bracket the correction to include Dr., Ms, Professor, etc. Also, in whatever manner you choose to refer to an individual or the subject of the paper, be consistent in the reference to them throughout the paper. Do not switch back and forth with names, salutations and titles. The Manuscript The paper must have an title page, abstract page, and reference page. The paper should have one inch margins and a type font size of 12 point using the type font Times New Roman. In formal papers, avoid the use of contractions, such as, cant (cannot), wont (will not), arent (are not), etc. In formal papers, do not use the personal pronoun I. This is especially true if your point of view is not requested. And, yes, the student can provide their point of view without the use of I. If you are presenting research facts, do not use

this personal pronoun. In the theorist paper, a minimal use of the personal pronoun I will be allowed as students presents their thoughts regarding the theorists view. However, the student should strive to write the paper without using this pronoun. The use of the personal pronoun I in the abstract is not acceptable. Proof read, proof read, proof read!!! Check and re-check spelling (do not depend on spell check), grammar, and sentence structure. Avoid run-on sentences. Review principles of punctuation. Allow someone (other than yourself) to proof read the paper, maybe two people; someone familiar with the project and someone not familiar with the project.

Plagiarism As per APA, page 170, Whether paraphrasing, quoting an author directly, or describing an idea that influenced your work, you must cite the source. To avoid charges of plagiarism, take careful notes as you research to keep track of your sources and cite those sources according to the guideline presented Refer to APA for further information on plagiarism. The Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing considers plagiarism as cheating and it is a serious offense that can result in expulsion from the School of Nursing. Sample Paper For further assistance in paper writing, APA provides a sample paper with references to sections in the Publication Manual that will be helpful to you. The sample paper can be found beginning on page 41.