Using Proper Writing Style & Formatting

The School of Professional Studies recommends the SPS Publishing Style (based on the APA Publication Manual 6th ed.) for most courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels with the exception of MLA Style in undergraduate humanities courses and use of the AP Style in some communication courses. Your instructors will direct you to the appropriate style to use for your courses.

The use of a style manual does not exclude the need to use good grammar and proper English in your writing, see the APA manual’s chapters one through four. SPS recommends that you use the appropriate writing guide for your papers also. These texts might include: Strunk & White, Turabian, Chicago, New York, Hacker, etcetera. Again your instructor or the Writing Center will make recommendations.

SPS Publising Style

The Trinity School of Professional Studies research paper format, style, and referencing are based on the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Publication Manual, currently in the 6^th edition.  Differences between the SPS publishing Style and the APA style are designed simplify the document formatting process and to produce a published document that students and faculty will be proud of.

• SPS Publishing Style – February 2013
• Scholarly Verbs – to enliven your writing

Learn about APA style

To Learn about APA Style and how to use it follow the links below for tutorials.

• VAIL Tutor and Certificate
• APA Tutor

SPS Graduate Rubrics

All SPS Graduate level papers will use the SPS General Graduate Rubric as a guide for all written assignments, with the exception of Research Papers and Capstone Papers, which will use the SPS Capstone rubric.

SPS General Grad Writing Rubric Final Version 8.12.2012

SPS Capstone Rubric Final Version 8.12.2012

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarization

The following resources are helpful to studetns and instructors in determining how to avoic plagiarism by introducing them to the art of paraphrasing and summarization, the use and placement of citations, and teh formating of references.

• Avoiding Plagiarism the Easy Way
• Paraphrasing and Summarization

Common APA Style Writing and Formating Issues

There are some common issues studetns have in providing a clean APA or SPS style paper.  Many of these are oulined in the document below.  If you still have questions please contact your instructor, program chair, or advisor.

• Common Issues in APA and SPS Style Writing

Find Writing Assistance

• Trinity Writing Center
  • Appointment Request Form
• Trinity Research Librarians
  • TrinityLibrary@trinitydc.edu

Critical Thinking

• Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Excerpt

Sample Thesis or Capstone Papers from the APA

• Sample of a Meta-Analysis
• Sample of an Experimental Paper #1
• Sample of an Experimental Paper #2
• Sample of a Journal Article Published in APA 6th Edition Style
• Sample from the Purdue OWL

Recommended Texts for Assistance in Academic Research Writing

• SPS Research Text Bibliography – 1.26.2012

Using MS Word to Auto Format Your Papers

• Using MS Word to Auto Format in SPS Publishing Style
  • This document was developed by SPS to assist you in formatting your research papers, Thesis papers, and Capstone papers in either SPS publishing style or APA publishing style.  The documetn contains narratives and bulleted instructions with screen captures to instruct you in the step by step formatting of your papers
• APA formatting Microsoft Word 2007
  • This video from IACLibrary2000 quickly explains how to set MS Word 2007 to auto format your paper in APA formating style.  You can easliy adapt these directions to the SPS Publishing style or even MLA style
• How to Work with Styles in a Word 2007 Document For Dummies
  • This video from the For Dummies series quickly explains how to use the style headings in MS Word 2007 to auto format your papers.
  • *You can easily edit each heading style to match SP Publishing, APA style, or MLA style by highlighting the text, formating it as you wish it to appear.  Then right click onthe style button for your heading level.  Choose Update (heading level title) to Match Selection.  Now all headings at that level will update to your correct heading style.
• How to Create a Table of Contents in Word 2007 For Dummies
  • This video from the For Dummies series quickly explains how to use the style headings in MS Word 2007 to establish a Table of Contents in your paper. you can easily adapt this to meet the criteria of the SPS Publishing style, APA style, or MLA style.
• How to create a List of Tables and A List of Figures in MS Word 2007
  • This video from the Institute of International Management explains how to add a list of Tables and a List of Figures in a MS Word document, which will be appropriate for your papers in SPS Publishing style, APA style, or MLA style.