How to get an A

• Know your topic: Use the research aids and that wonderful although archaic library to research your topic. Have AT LEAST as many sources as you have pages, if it is a shorter paper (2-4 pages) you should have of least 5 sources.
• Know how to write a good paper: A good paper goes through at least three revisions and is reviewed by both professors and peers. More detailed writing instructions can be found below along with common problems encountered by students. You con also refer to the student papers on this site for examples of good writing. Always remember lo learn and follow APA style and to never use personal reference in a scholarly paper.
• Cite anything you did not think of, and DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Plagiarism is: To use and pass off (the ideas or writings of another) as one’s own. Even ideas that you reword but do not cite are plagiarism, a VERY SERIOUS and often punishable offense in all levels of academia. If in doubt cite it. APA citation style is always used in Psychology, you can find out how to do this below or on the APA website.

Effective Writing In Psychology

Good papers for psychology courses at GC are written in APA style and contain content based on appropriate evidence. This checklist elaborates and highlights key points of style and evaluation.

• Content

  Content of a paper should be relevant to the assignment. Content should be based on the best available evidence.

• Source Quality

  All major “claims” made in a paper should be supported by evidence. A very important consideration is the nature of the evidence used for support. Evidence for major points may be of six types. They are (1) personal experience, (2) anecdotes, (3) expert opinion, (4) psychological theory, (5) qualitative research, (6) quantitative research.

  In psychology, all six types of evidence are sometimes used. However, you need to be particularly cautious in the use of personal experiences and anecdotes. since one can often find whatever story one needs to support whatever point one wishes to make. Anecdotes and experiences are effective in creating interest, but are not effective as strong evidence.

  One should also be cautious in using expert opinion and untested theories as evidence without first checking the evidence on which they are based. In psychology, empirical work published in peer-reviewed journals and well-referenced books is usually regarded as the strongest evidence.

  Recency of referenced information is important. Older materials are not necessarily of less value and may be essential for setting the context for recent developments. However, efforts should be made to ascertain how more recent findings may affect interpretation of earlier claims. As often as possible, use primary rather than secondary sources.

• Analysis

  Careful analysis (in recent years often labeled as “critical thinking”) is important to good writing in psychology. The most important element of analysis is careful evaluation of the evidence. i.e., what type of evidence (see previous section) is available and what are its strengths and limitations. This requires attention to both evidence you find supportive and that which is not supportive (i.e., you should avoid selective “proof-texting”). Conclusions founded on the “weight of the evidence” are the ultimate goal.

• Writing and Organization

  Writing that expresses points clearly and follows rules of grammar and punctuation is expected. An introduction that sets the context and direction of the paper is on important beginning to content that is well organized. APA style generally uses internal headings to assist in organization and to help the reader follow the content of the paper. Internal headings however, are not on excuse to avoid synthesis. Well-presented content “weaves” source materials into an integrated whole.

  In this course, I will evaluate papers using the guidelines summarized above. In the outline below, I have provided additional details concerning the evaluation process. You will want to use these comments as a guide in the preparation of your papers.

APA Style

The American Psychological Association (APA) has developed a style of scientific writing followed by all publications in psychology. You should be familiar with the key elements of that style and use it in your psychology courses at GC:

Organization

APA style makes use of frequent headings in the body of a paper. APA style recognizes five levels of headings. Level one headings are centered and major words are capitalized. Level three headings are flush with the left side, underlined, and major words capitalized. Level four headings are indented five spaces, underlined, first word capitalized, and end with a period (i.e., level four headings begin a paragraph). Level two and level five headings are very rarely used.

Documentation: APA Style

APA style does not use numbered footnotes, but rather makes reference by citing authors and dates of publications within the text. The following paragraph will illustrate the key points.

Jones and Gerard (1964) found little support for the hypothesis that first-year college students have higher levels of stress than do college seniors. However, other research has called this conclusion into question (Howard, 1986: Macintosh & Macintosh, 1994: Zajonc. Jones. & Festinger, 1987). In one dramatic study, Simons concluded that “first-year students with younger siblings expressed more stress from homesickness than did seniors” (1993, p. 14).

Note that if author’s names are part of text, only date goes in parentheses. If author’s names are not part of text, both authors and dates go in parentheses, separated by a comma. Multiple citations within the same parentheses are separated by semicolons (with the citations alphabetized). The page number is given in the citation for a direct quotation.

Miscellaneous Notes

• Research is best not used as a verb.
• Avoid use of the word “prove.”
• Bibliography should be alphabetized, first line of citation indented five spaces.
• Citations of essays in books of readings–the citation is of the essay–see APA manual.
• Make backup copies of your files. One copy on one disk is a BIG risk.
• Get started early. Use interlibrary loan.
• Take pride in your work. You should feel guilty if you turn in work that is less than your best.
• Do not change from singular to plural as your way of using inclusive language. Use entirely plural expressions or the “he/she” expression. The latter is somewhat awkward but acceptable.

Common Sources of Confusion in the English Language

accept or except | complement or compliment | regardless never irregardless
advice or advise | continual or continuous | lie or lay
affect (2) or effect | credible or credulous | leave or let
affective or effective | criteria or criterion | lend or loan
all right or alright | data or datum | loose or lose
allot or a lot never alot | desert or dessert | mad or angry
all ready or already | disinterested or uninterested | media or medium
elude or illude, never allude | emigrate or immigrate | ones or one’s
allusion or illusion | etc. or et al. | phenomena or phenomenon
all together or altogether | farther or further | principle or principal
among or between | fewer or less | set or sit
any more never anymore | flammable or inflammable | shall or will
as or like | good or well | stationary or stationery
backward or backwards | hanged or hung | taught or taut
bad or badly | I or me | that or which
can or may | imply or infer | their or they’re or there
cite, sight or site | important or statistically significant | who or whom