Evaluation Title: APA Formatting: You're The Instructor, Let

Evaluation Titleapa Formatting Youre The Instructorlets Imagine Y

Identify at least 8 APA formatting errors in a student paper using reliable sources such as the Purdue OWL, APA Style website, and Herzing library APA resources. Explain each error in a numbered list using full sentences. After completing your analysis, save your work as a Word document, proofread it thoroughly, and then attach the file to your assignment submission according to the provided instructions.

Paper For Above instruction

As an instructor tasked with evaluating a student’s research paper, it is crucial to ensure that the paper adheres to the American Psychological Association (APA) formatting standards. Proper APA formatting not only enhances the professionalism and readability of academic papers but also ensures consistency and clarity, allowing readers to follow the author’s ideas seamlessly. In this analysis, I will identify at least eight common APA formatting errors that frequently appear in student papers, explain each error in detail, and offer suggestions for correction based on authoritative APA resources such as the Purdue OWL, the official APA Style website, and the Herzing University library APA guides.

One of the most prevalent errors pertains to the title page formatting. Many students mistakenly omit the running head, which should include a shortened version of the paper’s title in all uppercase letters, aligned to the left, with the page number aligned to the right on every page. According to the APA 7th edition guidelines, the title page must include the paper title, author’s name, institutional affiliation, course number and name, instructor’s name, and the assignment due date. Failure to include a correctly formatted title page is a significant error that compromises the paper’s APA adherence.

Another common mistake involves in-text citations. Specifically, students often neglect to include the publication year immediately after the author’s surname in citations, especially when paraphrasing. For example, citing (Smith) instead of (Smith, 2020). APA mandates the inclusion of the year for clarity and reader orientation. Failing to provide the year can mislead readers and diminish the credibility of the citation.

Similar errors are found in the reference list formatting. These include inconsistent indentation—often called a hanging indent—where the first line of each reference should be flush left, and subsequent lines indented by 0.5 inches. Many students forget to apply this formatting, resulting in a cluttered and unprofessional appearance. Additionally, improper ordering of references—alphabetized by the surname of the first author—is a frequent oversight. Correct reference formatting also includes proper use of italics for book titles and journal names, which some students omit or incorrectly apply.

Title capitalization is another area of frequent error. The APA style dictates that titles of articles, books, and other sources should use sentence case, meaning only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized in the reference list. Conversely, in the main text, titles of works should be italicized. Many students either capitalize all words or neglect to italicize the titles where required, thereby violating APA standards.

Line spacing and margins are technical but critical elements of APA formatting that students often overlook. The entire document should be double-spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides. Failure to set these correctly results in a paper that appears inconsistent with APA formatting. An additional formatting error involves font choice and size; APA recommends a clear, readable font such as 12-point Times New Roman. Deviations from this—such as using Arial or larger font sizes—are common mistakes.

Headings are essential for organizing content and guiding readers through the paper. Many students misformat headings by inconsistent font styles or levels, or by failing to format them according to APA levels (e.g., Level 1, Level 2). Proper heading formatting involves specific font, style, and indentation rules that help structure the paper logically and professionally.

Lastly, the use of page numbers is often inconsistent or missing. According to APA guidelines, page numbers should appear in the header of each page, aligned to the right. Many student papers do not include page numbers or place them incorrectly, which can hinder navigation and referencing in the document.

In conclusion, there are numerous specific APA formatting errors that can detract from the professionalism of a student research paper. These include errors in the title page, in-text citations, reference list formatting, title capitalization, line spacing, font selection, heading levels, and page number placement. Accurate identification and correction of these errors, guided by authoritative APA resources, are essential skills for students to master to produce high-quality academic writing that aligns with professional standards.

References

• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2020). APA Style Introduction. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
• American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
• Herzing University Library. (n.d.). APA Style Guide. https://library.herzing.edu/APA
• American Psychological Association. (2019). APA Style Student Paper Formatting Rules. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format
• Purdue OWL. (2021). APA Style References. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html
• Johnson, B., & Christensen, L. (2019). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (7th ed.). SAGE Publications.
• American Psychological Association. (2022). APA Style Blog. https://apastyle.apa.org/blog
• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). (2020). American Psychological Association.
• Brizee, A., & Tompkins, C. (2020). Formatting Your Paper. Purdue OWL. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/formatting_the_paper.html
• American Psychological Association. (2019). APA Style Guide to Scholarly Writing. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format