4. Developing Assignment Instructions
Style Guide
The style guide includes any description of the required formatting and citation style for the assignment. Providing students with some direction regarding your expectations of the final product is important. However, a long list of rules can lead students to focus more on “checking off” a checklist, than exploring and developing their research skills.
Citation may require a little extra support. Expectations for citing sources often varies depending on the discipline and instructor. Understanding that students are building on previous knowledge and developing their understanding of when and how to cite in a variety of contexts and applications is important.
Strategies for Success
- Keep style requirements (e.g., font, margins, grammar) brief.
- Explain why following style rules is important in the context of your assignment.
- Provide examples of citations (especially important for presentations or visual representations).
- Show a variety of examples of completed assignments with proper formatting.
Example Statement
You should aim to complete your paper in 5-7 pages (not including cover page, appendices, or reference page), using double spaced, point 12 Arial font.
Write with your classmates in mind as the audience — knowledgeable, but perhaps unfamiliar with some specialized terminology. Use formal English (e.g., full sentences, no textese or slang, etc.), and pay attention to spelling and grammar as they will contribute to clarity and conciseness in your writing.
Please use the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Style for formatting the cover page, margins, page headers, subheadings (if any), and citations. APA Style is widely used across disciplines and you will likely use it again as you progress in your program. Following a style guide ensures consistency in format between papers and reduces distractions in reading. As a result, you help me read and mark your papers fairly. The library’s APA Research Style Guide provides examples and highlights key rules you should follow.
