Chapter 1: An Introduction to APA Style and Academic Integrity
What is APA Style? When is it used?
APA Style refers to a set of guidelines created by the American Psychological Association (APA). These guidelines help writers, including students, to format written work, reference list entries and in-text citations in a consistent way. Using APA Style helps writers to present their ideas clearly and consistently, making it easier for readers to understand and follow. In assignments, the use of APA Style makes marking easier for the instructor. It also ensures that a reader has all the necessary information they need to understand the journal article, book, or other resource. Finally, the use of APA Style ensures that sources are cited appropriately and consistently.
What does “citing a source” mean?
When an instructor talks about citing a source and creating references, they’re talking about giving credit for the information that students use in an assignment. It is expected that all writers to give credit for information that is a) not their own original idea, or b) that is not common knowledge, whether they are students writing an essay or assignment, or an author writing a book or journal article for publication.
Hint! The terms “citation” or “citing”, and “referencing” are often used interchangeably in English, which can be confusing. In this manual, we use “citing” as the overall term for giving credit for ideas and information that are not your own. Citing includes two parts – the in-text citation and the reference list entry.
Why are citations important?
Citing is an essential part of good writing. Giving credit for information that was taken from other sources does several things:
- It shows that the student – or other author – has done appropriate research and gives their written work credibility.
- It shows respect for the authors and researchers from whom the original information was taken.
Not correctly citing sources is considered plagiarism, which is a serious offence. Loyalist College defines plagiarism as “presenting and using another’s published or unpublished work, including theories, concepts, data, source material, methodologies or findings, including graphs and images, as one’s own, without appropriate referencing and, if required, without permission” (Loyalist College, 2020). Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional.
The authors of this manual highly recommend “Seven Grandfathers in Academic Integrity”, developed by Iehnhotonkwas Bonnie Jane Maracle from the University of Toronto. This excellent resource explains academic integrity using the Seven Grandfather Teachings. The Seven Grandfather Teachings are a set of Anishinaabe guiding principles – Love, Respect, Bravery, Truth, Honesty, Humility, and Wisdom – and these teachings have been passed down through stories and ceremonies, through many generations over thousands of years (The Seven Grandfather Teachings, p. 5). You can learn more about the Seven Grandfather Teachings in the link at the end of this section. Ms. Maracle’s lesson about academic integrity through the lens of the Seven Grandfather Teachings gives more thoughtful context about why we cite and give credit for ideas and information. A link to Ms. Maracle’s work can be found at the end of this chapter.
What counts as plagiarism?
Plagiarism is more than just “copying and pasting”. It can include:
- Not citing sources correctly, or not citing them at all. This includes copying and pasting into your assignment.
- Misquoting or not using quotation marks around direct quotations.
- Handing in someone else’s work as your own, including work that was purchased online or completed by AI (Artificial Intelligence) software, like ChatGPT.
- Re-using work done for a previous class or program; it is possible to plagiarize yourself!
- Working with other students on assignments that are meant to be done on your own. This is sometimes called group or team plagiarism.
(Algonquin College Library, 2010)
What does Loyalist College say about plagiarism and academic integrity?
Students at Loyalist College who are found to have plagiarized can face significant consequences:
- The first documented offence will result in a grade of zero on any material that can be demonstrated to be dishonest.
- The second documented offence will result in a grade of zero for the course.
- The third documented offence will result in suspension from the College for one calendar year.
- The fourth documented offence will result in permanent expulsion from the College.
- Plagiarism will also jeopardize on-campus employment and study permits, which require good academic standing.
More information about Loyalist’s policies on academic integrity and student conduct can be found in the Loyalist College Policy on Academic Integrity, and in the Loyalist College Student Code of Conduct, which are linked at the end of this chapter.
That sounds scary!
Academic dishonesty and plagiarism are a big deal, but they can be avoided! Just remember that you need to create your own work, and that you need to give credit for ideas and information that are not your own. And most importantly, remember to ask for help if you are feeling unsure or worried. Loyalist College has services and resources available to support and help you.
Using This Manual
Wherever possible, there is a note indicating where a piece of information is found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the Publication Manual). This is done with the chapter and section number. For example, if you see (1.10), you know that the information can be found in chapter one, section ten of the Publication Manual.
This manual also includes a glossary. Words included in the glossary are hyperlinked the first time they appear in a chapter, so you can move to the glossary easily.
Finally, this manual includes an appendix that explains some of the most common kinds of sources. Like words in the glossary, words included in this second appendix are also hyperlinked the first time they appear in a chapter.
Please Note!
The authors of this manual have reviewed the text in full, and to the best of our knowledge, all of the information in the manual is accurate. However, mistakes do occur. Students bear sole responsibility for ensuring that their citations are correct, and that their assignments meet the criteria laid out by their instructor.
What’s Next?
The next chapter introduces different kinds of essays and provides some basic guidelines for deciding what kind of essay or assignment to write.
Sources
Algonquin College Library. (2010, July 10). Plagiarism. https://algonquincollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=529860&p=5067326
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style (7th ed.).
Iehnhotonkwas B.J. Maracle. (2020). Seven Grandfathers in academic integrity. University of Toronto. https://studentlife.utoronto.ca/wpcontent/uploads/Seven_Grandfathers_in_Academic_Integrity.pdf
Legislative Assembly of Ontario. (n.d.). The Seven Grandfather Teachings. https://www.ola.org/sites/default/files/common/pdf/Seven%20Grandfather%20Teachings%20WEB%20Eng%20.pdf
Loyalist College. (2020, August). Academic integrity policy. https://loyalistcollege.com/about-loyalist/policies/aop-216-academic-honesty
Uniting Three Fires Against Violence. (2024). The Seven Grandfather Teachings. https://unitingthreefiresagainstviolence.org/the-7-grandfathers-teachin/
APA Style is set of guidelines created by the American Psychological Association (the APA). These guidelines help writers, including students, to format written work and citations in a consistent way.
A reference list entry is the information in a reference list at the end of an assignment or essay. Each source of information in an essay or assignment must have a reference list entry. An APA Style reference list entry includes author(s), a date, a title, and a source.
Citing is the process of acknowledging the sources of information and ideas. This takes the form of a citation. Citations must include specific pieces of information and must follow a consistent format. There are two parts of a citation – the in-text citation, and the reference list entry.
Academic journals, sometimes called “peer reviewed” or “scholarly” journals are ideal for finding in-depth current research in a specific area. They publish academic or scholarly articles. These articles are written by experts in a field of study. They’re longer, written in an academic style, use professional terminology and language, and the topic of the article is narrowly focused and explored in-depth. They’re heavy on text and light on illustration, but may contain charts, graphs, and other statistical data. The content in the article is typically based on either original research or authorities in the field, instead of personal opinion. Sources are well cited in a particular format, like APA Style, and there are both in-text citations or foot- or endnotes, and a bibliography or works cited page. Often, journal issues will have a volume and issue number – like Volume 6 Issue 4. Journal covers are usually plain with an emphasis on the key research articles in a particular issue.
Books provide overviews, background, history and introductions as well as in-depth examinations of topics. It's common to wonder about the differences between books and eBooks, and which one is better. The only difference between books and eBooks is access and format; print books are physical items and eBooks are digital files that can be accessed from a variety of devices. The content and quality are the same.
Resources, sometimes called sources, are sources of information; this is where information is found when conducting research. This can sometimes lead to confusion, because one of the pieces of information in a reference list entry is also called a source.
A reference is a group of details about one specific resource, arranged in a consistent way. These are sometimes called citations, but this is not correct.
In an APA Style citation, the author is the person or people, or the group responsible for creating the work. An author can be a single person, multiple people, a group like an institution or a government agency, or a combination of individuals and groups.
Plagiarism includes taking, using, and passing off someone else’s work or ideas as your own. Plagiarism can be intentional or accidental, and can include reusing your own work from previous courses.
Academic integrity is the expectation that all members of an academic community act with honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility. This includes students, instructors, and researchers.
To quote means to copy “word for word” from a resource, including original spelling and punctuation. Direct quotations appear in quotation marks and end with an in-text citation.
Academic dishonesty “includes a variety of actions including, but not limited to, plagiarism, conflict of interest, cheating, falsification, misrepresentation and fraudulent behaviour, and copyright breaches.” (AOP 216)
