APA Paper Assignment

MY TOPIC: How to build an ethical organizational culture

You will write an APA research paper that is a MINIMUM of 1,200 words of text–this means that the cover page and references are not counted in the 1200. The topic must be approved by the second week of class in the Introduction to APA Paper Assignment. The paper should address specific theories from the text and should be written from the manager’s perspective.

So, what is this APA paper all about? Let’s revisit the preliminary steps:

Choose a topic
Get the topic approved
Remember – it must be written from a manager’s perspective! That means it should be information that a manager could read and then implement; or, information that a perspective manager could read in preparation for becoming a manager.
Identify a minimum of five sources–books should not be used–particularly any TEXTBOOK. Use current articles or articles less than five years old.
Now it’s time to write and finalize your paper. The table below clarifies the components of the APA paper and my expectations.

MINIMUM OF

1200 words

This really means a minimum of 1200 words. This does not count the cover page nor the reference page. Well—what about quotes? If you get carried away using quotes, then you will have to exclude them from the word count. Why? You must be contributing something to the assignment!
Quality of content What does quality mean? This is the most subjective part of the grading—sorry, but it can’t be helped. First of all, the paper must be written from the perspective of—how will/can a manager use this information to achieve better performance from his/her subordinates, or to do the job more efficiently and effectively? Is this paper written at the college level, or is it too simplistic? Do not use personal experiences–this is a research paper and as such you need to be able to cite whatever you are including.
Logic and coherence of paper How do I know if my paper seems logical or coherent? This is slightly less subjective—Does the paper flow, or does it just jump from one topic to the next and then back again? When you are using sources try to integrate them rather than just going through them one at a time.If you write all about one article and then move on to the next you are really writing something more like executive summaries than a research paper; that is not your assignment.
Cover page
Do I really have to type a cover page? Yes.

So what do I have to have on this cover page, and by the way, how much is it worth? There are two points for the cover page. There are many examples online and there really isn’t “one best way” to do one. You must have your name on it—the title of your paper—the class designation—and the due date. There is NO page number on the cover page.

Introduction Who am I introducing to whom? No no, not that kind of an introduction. Tell me what you are going to discuss in your paper and you could even add why.
Conclusion (does it fit the introduction?) How does a conclusion fit anything? Good question. Think about your topic—what did you set out to research? What did you end up researching? Now look at the two, do they align with one another? Well not really—so now what do I do? You are in luck!!! In this class you can simply change the introduction and act like whatever you ended up with, was what you intended all the time. Now that’s a freebie. In future classes, where a specific topic is assigned to you, you may not have the option to change the topic. OUCH! That hurts. So be careful and don’t put yourself in the position of having to start all over.
Conclusion (is it really a conclusion drawn from the research?) If you have really done your research, did you incorporate your findings in the conclusion—or did you just reiterate what you stated in the introduction?
References (appropriate form?) APA format only. A great site to use for information on how to write an APA paper is the Online Writing Lab (OWL) (Lenker til en ekstern side.).
References (appropriate number?) You will need a minimum of five (5) references. What kind of publications can I use? How old can they be? For this class you can use popular press which means it does not have to be a strictly academic or refereed journal. Please DO NOT use books—this means absolutely do not use a textbook, any textbook—and most other books will tend to be so old they really are not of much help. If you have a reference—it MUST be cited in the body of the paper.
Citations (proper form?) APA format only. A great site to use for information on how to write an APA paper is the Online Writing Lab (OWL) (Lenker til en ekstern side.).
Citations (used when referring to the ideas of others) Do I have to cite something if I already know the information? Is it safe to assume that this is general knowledge possessed by the general population? If so, then you don’t have to cite it. Be careful, it is generally safer to do the citations than not. If you have a citation in the body of the paper you MUST have the source on the reference page.
Spelling/typos Don’t make any errors. Enable spell check—but remember it isn’t always right. There/their, write/right, to/too, read and re-read your work.
Punctuation Do it right. Think—What does “its” mean? What does “it’s” mean? What does “its’” mean?
Grammar/sentence structure Enable grammar check—but remember it makes errors too. A sentence needs a noun and a verb. Short, choppy sentences are usually avoided—but if done correctly this style can add emphasis to a paper/topic. Stay in the third person–that means avoid the use of I, we, us, me and so on. Don’t move back and forth between the singular and plural form of nouns in the same sentence. “It is the manager’s duty to stimulate the trust of the team and get the most out of their employees.”
Paragraph structure Please make paragraphs a reasonable length. How many sentences are there in a good paragraph? It is best to not rely on a formula when you are writing. There are different styles of writing depending on what you are trying to relay.

A good strategy is to have someone read your paper and give you feedback. Ask someone who will tell you the truth and not be afraid to give constructive criticism.

WRITING STUDIO: Housed in the Division of Student Success within the University Library and staffed by screened and trained undergraduates, the Maryville University Writing Studio offers free, individualized tutorials in all aspects of writing, from generating ideas and planning a draft to revising for coherence, concision, and clarity. Students may visit on their own or on the recommendation of a teacher. Schedule an appointment by calling the Peer Tutor Office at x9228, or just drop in. Be sure to specify that an APA paper is required!