APA Paper - Important Guidelines
Write using Paraphrasing (Do Not Directly Quote Material)
In your paper you will paraphrase information not directly quote it from your sources. The most significant reason for using paraphrasing is to provide support for your claims or add credibility to your writing. If you want to incorporate information into your Argumentative Research Essay effectively, you must manage your sources skillfully and accurately. Keep these rules in mind: 1. No more than 15% of your paper should be paraphrased. Most of the writing should be your own. Use words and opinions of others only to support your own points and ideas. 2. Keep paraphrases short. Resist the temptation to quote long passages of text, even if it seems remarkable and strikingly worded. Instead, smoothly incorporate fragments of paraphrases into your own sentences, making certain that the sentence structure is correct and makes sense. 3. Clearly identify each paraphrase. If the purpose of paraphrasing is to lend credibility to your writing, and you should indicate the authority behind the words. Use a signal phrase to set up the direct quotation or paraphrase properly. 4. Precede and follow paraphrases with your own commentary. Don't use a paraphrase to make your point. Instead, state your idea in your own words, and supplement that with cited material from an expert. 5. Interweave your sources. When paraphrases from the same source are all clustered in one portion of a paper, it can be a clear sign of an author that is not supporting their topics with analysis. Instead, the paper should blend information from different sources to create and support your own analysis.

Writing in Third Person
For academic writing, the writer is expected to write in the third person. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, we, my, and our. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking the individual, the “self,” out of the writing. This method is very helpful for academic writing, a form in which facts, not opinion, drive the tone of the text. Writing in the third person allows the writer to come across as unbiased and thus more informed. Here is a sample written in the first person. I believe that it is very important for the person writing the argument to have an actual opinion about the subject matter. In my opinion, I would not trust someone who does not have an opinion about such a controversial matter.

Last Updated: 10/6/13

Now compare the first passage above to this one: Writers with opinions about their subject matter tend to present the issues more poignantly because they appear well informed and more involved in the subject matter. One may suggest that writers with opinions about their subject matter tend to present the issues more poignantly because they appear well informed and more involved in the subject matter. When writing in the third person, the writer must always remember to correlate all pronouns with the third person to ensure appropriate pronoun-antecedent agreement. For example, when using the word “writer,” it is only acceptable to refer back to the writer with her or she. This same rule applies to all other indefinite third person pronouns: another, any, each, either, everybody, neither, nobody, other, anybody, everyone, somebody, anyone, everything, no one, and someone. Here are some examples: Another writer must have his or her turn to speak now. Either of the writers is allowed to submit his or her article. Neither of the writers is allowed to submit his or her article. When revising the draft for Style, writers need to ensure that there is no use of first person pronouns. When revising for the third person, writers should go sentence by sentence to locate first person pronouns and to then replace those pronouns with a third person construction. Here’s an example: I must have my opportunity to present my point of view now. Revised: The writer must have his or her opportunity to present his or her point of view.

Writing your paper
Begin writing a 3-5 page paper not including the APA Title Page and APA Reference Page (with these pages the paper should be 5-7 pages long). The paper should be double spaced, and written in 12 point Times New Roman font. Your paper does not need an Abstract! Along with a minimum three (3) supporting pages of text in the body of your paper about your subject and argument. You will also provide a clear and concise conclusion, that will demonstrate how you have proven your thesis and argument at the end of your paper.

Last Updated: 10/6/13

The paper must be a Microsoft Word document in APA Style and include:
Title Page Running Head Page Numbers Body Text - 3 to 5 pages Introduction with a clear Thesis Statement Three (3) Paraphrased Sources (do not directly quote material) a. Two (2) or more academic sources from the Online Library b. One (1) or more academic sources from the Internet 7. In-Text Citations 8. Conclusion 9. Reference Page 10. Reference List Entries 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Last Updated: 10/6/13