DNP Project Form and Style Checklist for APA 6th Edition

 
Areas for revision are indicated in the middle column. Place a check in the column at left indicating the revision has been made. Student and committee chair may use the right column for comments or explanations of the revisions, including page numbers indicating where revisions have been made.

APA writing style (APA 3.05–3.23) Writing Center link. Continuity in presentation of ideas (APA 3.05)
• Transitional words help maintain the flow of thought, especially when the material is complex or abstract. Transition devices include pronouns (which connect to nouns in previous sentences), time links (then, next, after), cause–effect links (therefore, consequently), addition links (in addition, moreover), and contrast links (but, conversely, however).
Smoothness of expression (APA 3.06)
• Aim for clear and logical communication.
• Use verb tenses consistently to help ensure smooth expression.
o Past tense (researchers presented) or present perfect (researchers have presented) is appropriate for the literature review and the description of the procedure
o Use past tense to describe the results.
o Use the present tense to discuss implication and to present conclusions.
• Avoid noun strings, that is, several nouns used one after another to modify a final noun.
• Use synonyms or near-synonyms to avoid repeating a term.
Academic tone (APA 3.07)
• Avoid informal/casual language, idiomatic expressions, jargon, clichés.
Economy of expression (APA 3.08)
• Avoid wordiness and redundancy.
• Unit length: sentence and paragraph.
Precision and clarity (APA 3.09)
• Use parallel structure to complete comparisons, avoiding ambiguous or illogical comparisons
• First person singular (I) is acceptable for self-reference.
• Pronouns: Eliminate ambiguity by specifying the pronoun referent.
• Editorial we: Restrict use of second person we to refer only to yourself and any coauthors. In general, avoid use of we, our, one.
• Avoid anthropomorphism: Do not attribute human characteristics to inanimate sources. For example, a study cannot seek to find something; a researcher can.
• Active voice (APA 3.18): Make sure that the subject is not hidden. For example: “I conducted the survey” rather than “the survey was conducted.”
• Word choice (APA 3.22): Which versus that, who versus that, while/although, since/because (3.22): Humans should be referred to as who or whom, while inanimate objects should be referred to as that. That takes a broad concept and makes it particular: The clocks that were on time were better than the ones that were not on time. Which refers to a specific instance of something: The clocks, which were precisely on time, were more useful than the sundials, which offered only approximations of the correct time.
Formatting
Margins and pagination
Margins for preliminary pages
(abstract / title pages / dedication / acknowledgments / TOC, including List of Tables and List of Figures):
Top = 1 inch
Bottom = 1.3 inch
Left = 1.5 inch
Right = 1 inch
Make sure the page number is 1 in. from the bottom of the page: Set the footer at 1 in.

Margins for main body of text
(page 1 to end of references and appendices):
Top = 1.3 inch
Bottom = 1 inch
Left = 1.5 inch
Right = 1 inch
Make sure the page number is 1 in. from the top edge of page: Set the header at 1 in.

Fit all text, tables, and figures within the margins.
Set right margin ragged rather than justified.
Preliminary pages pagination
The DNP project template contains information on the content of each page.
The order and pagination of the preliminary pages are as follows:
Abstract title page (no page number)
Abstract (no page number)
Title page (no page number)
Dedication (optional) (no page number)
Acknowledgments (optional) (no page number)
Table of Contents (page i)
List of Tables (paginated consecutively after the TOC)
List of Figures (paginated consecutively after the List of Tables )
Set page numbers in lowercase roman numerals, centered in the footer, 1 in. from bottom of page.
Format title pages according to sample titles pages in the Walden DNP template.

Include both abstract title page (with “Abstract,” centered, on the top line) and main title page.
Fit abstract on one page, double-spaced, no paragraph indent. For more on abstracts, see the Abstract Assistance information on the Center for Research Quality website.

Double-space acknowledgments and dedication pages; use normal paragraphing.
In the Table of Contents (TOC),
• Set Level 0 headings flush left, upper- and lowercase.
• Set Level 1 headings upper- and lowercase, indented 0.25 in. under Level 0 headings.
• Set Level 2 upper- and lowercase, indented 0.25 in. under Level 1 headings.
• List only Level 0, 1, and 2 headings in the TOC. All headings will be in plain typeface in the TOC.
• Alternately, use the template to generate the Table of Contents.

Main narrative sections, references, and appendices pagination
Set page numbers 1 in. from the upper right corner of the page—not in the margin.

There are no page headers with the abbreviated title in a capstone project.
Page 1 is the first page of Section 1. Page numbers appear on all pages of the sections, references, and appendices.
Landscape pages may be inserted to accommodate larger tables. See the instructions for paginating landscape pages.

Spacing: Line and character (word)
Use double line spacing between lines of text, between text and a block quotation, between paragraphs, and between a heading and subsequent text. Do not triple space or quadruple space between paragraphs.

Type one character space between sentences.*
* Although the 6th edition APA manual indicates two spaces, Walden’s preference is one space. Either is acceptable; be consistent.
Headings (APA 3.03)
Use Arabic numerals for the major section headings.
No headings are prefixed with letters or numbers.
APA style allows five different heading levels. In a Walden DNP project, there is an additional Walden heading level, Level 0.

In the project capstone, there are typically three or four heading levels: L0, L1, L2, and, if needed, L3 and L4.

Section Heading (Level 0)

Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (Level 1)

Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (Level 2)

Indented, bold, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. (Level 3)

Indented, bold, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. (Level 4)
At the final proofreading stage after all revisions, ensure that headings in Table of Contents (TOC) and text are identical; similarly, page numbers in text must match those in the TOC. Include only L0, L1, and L2 headings in the TOC.
At the final proofreading stage after all revisions, make sure to not strand a heading at the bottom of a page.
Tables and figures (APA 5.01-5.30) Set the word Table and its number above the table, flush left, in plain type.

Set its title double-spaced below the table number, in Title Case, flush left, in italics. (Single-space if the title is more than one line long.) Note that figures use the reverse style.
List the copyright, probability, and symbols or abbreviations used in a table in a Note. section (with period), either below the table or as part of the figure caption.
Use no vertical lines in APA-style tables.
Bold type may be used for emphasis of some table data (not in any headings or notes; see Table 5.3 on pp. 131-132).
Set the word Figure and its number flush left, in italics.
Set the caption after the number, in plain type, using sentence case. Note that tables use the reverse style.
Make titles and captions concise, clear, and expressive. (APA 5.12 & 5.23)
Do not split a table unless it is too large to fit on one entire page. If a table must run over to a second page, then type
(table continues)
under the table, flush right. Repeat the column headings (not the table title) at the top of the new page.
Set no text on a page if a table or figure is 75% or more of the page.
If needed, use a different point size or font for the table or figure text than used for the narrative text, but do not use smaller than 8 point or larger than 12 point type size.

Because colors and greyscales photocopy poorly, use shading, cross-hatching, and broken lines in figures to ensure the data can be deciphered correctly. Avoid the use of color except in rare instances where it enhances the presentation of ideas (APA 5.25).
Provide permission from the copyright holder(s) for published tables and figures not in the public domain. (APA 5.06)
Refer to each table and figure by number in the text preceding it.
Citations and quotations (APA Chapter 6) For in-paragraph quotations, set final punctuation after the citation: “as a result of overharvesting in the tuna industry” (Fishmore, 2006, p. 45).
Set quotations of 40 or more words in block form, double spaced.
In block quotations, set the final punctuation at the end of the quotation, before the citation (APA 6.03): as a result of overharvesting in the tuna industry. (Fishmore, 2006, p. 45)
For multiple sources cited parenthetically in a group, list by first author’s surname in alphabetical order (the order in which the sources appear in the reference list): (Brown, McIndoo, & Pezalla, 2008; Johnson & Ball, 2006; King, 2005) (APA 6.16)
For works with fewer than six authors, list all authors in the first citation; in subsequent references, use the surname of the first author, followed by “et al.” and the year.

Do not use “et al.” the first time a work is cited unless that work has six or more authors.

For works with six or more authors, use the surname of the first author followed by “et al.” and the year. Spell “et al.” as two words with a period. (APA 6.12)

Use a comma after the period if entire citation is parenthetical (APA 6.12): King et al. (2000) noted the fish were blue, but others disagreed (Brown et al., 2001).
Use three ellipsis points, with spaces between them, to indicate where text was omitted from a sentence . . . as shown in this example.
Use four ellipsis points to indicate that text was omitted between two sentences . . . .

Ellipsis points are typically not needed at the beginning or end of a quotation. (APA 6.08)
With two authors in a parenthetical citation, use “&”; with more than two, use a comma plus “&” before the last author. Use “and” in the running text.
Other authors (Cook & Wold, 2007; Marshall, Timmerman, & Walsh, 2006) agreed, but Patterson and Zuckerman (2008) found otherwise. (APA 6.12)
The basics of in-text web citations are the same as the author/date format described on pages 168–174 in the APA manual. Check APA sections 6.11-6.19 for rules on page and paragraph numbers.
Primary sources are preferred (APA 6.17). Use secondary sources sparingly (e.g., when the original work is out of print, unavailable through usual sources, or not available in English). If citing a secondary source, list the source in the References section; in text, name the original work and cite the secondary source (Laing, as cited in King, 2011).
Include the publication year with any parenthetical citation of a source. Include the year after the first citation in a paragraph when the author is part of the sentence, outside parentheses: Ball (2013) claimed . . . .
For the same source in the same paragraph, repeat the date if the source is referred to in parentheses: (Ball, 2013); however, do not repeat the year when the author is cited again in that paragraph as part of the sentence: Ball (2013) claimed . . . Ball found that . . . . (APA 6.11-6.12)
Reference list (APA Chapter 7) Use a hanging indent. Double-space the entire list.
Use the first and middle (if any) initials—with a space between them—of all authors; do not write out the first name. With two or more authors, use “&” rather than “and” before the last author.

Separate author’s names with a comma:
Schatzlein, E. R., & Shepard, M. P. (APA 6.25)
List up to seven authors. If a work has eight or more authors, list the first six, [comma] three ellipsis points [. . .] [space], and the last author. (APA 7.01, Example 2)
Abe, A., Bal, B., Cal, C., Dal, D., El, E., Fal, F. . . . Zed, Z.
With studies by the same author(s), include the author name(s) in all listings, in chronological order (earliest to latest), no “blanks.” (APA 6.25)
Set book titles in italics, capitalizing only the first word of the title and subtitle, any proper nouns, and any word following a colon (APA 7.02):
Writing from A-to-Z: The easy-to-use handbook
Set journal articles in plain type, no italics, capitalizing only the first word of the title and subtitle, any proper nouns, and any word following a colon (APA 7.01):
In search of mediocrity: The downfall of American Motors
Italicize the titles of journals, use Title Case. Do not include The before a journal title (APA 7.01):
Strategic Management, Counseling Psychology
Do not use the abbreviations “Vol.” and “No.” Set the volume number in italics; set the issue number (if any) in parentheses, followed by a comma and the page numbers: American Political Science Review, 37(3), 117-132

Page numbers of journal articles are not preceded by “p.” or “pp.” (APA 7.01)
Use the standard two-letter abbreviation for all states (APA 6.30):
Cambridge, MA; San Diego, CA

If the publisher location is outside the United States, spell out the name of the country (APA 6.30):
Montreal, Canada: Publisher.
London, England: Publisher.
Delete all html formatting and all hyperlinks. For citing a website either in text or in the reference list, keep link/address, but delete/turn off the hyperlink feature.
For journal sources retrieved electronically, use CrossRef.org to retrieve and then provide a DOI number, if there is one; if no DOI number, provide the journal homepage URL. If there is no journal home page, provide the name of the database where you accessed the article. Retrieval dates are not needed.

For more information on electronic sources, check the examples in Chapter 7 of the APA manual, the APA website (http://www.apastyle.org), or the Writing Center website (Electronic Source References)

Swann, W. B., Jr., Sellers, J. G., & McClarty, K. L. (2006). Tempting today, troubling tomorrow: The roots of the precarious couple effect. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32(1), 93-103. doi:10.1177/0146167205279584

Note that there is no space between the colon after doi (lowercase in a reference list entry) and the number; also note that there is no period at the end of a DOI number (or a URL) in the reference list.
Appendices (APA 2.13)
Paginate the appendices continuously in the upper-right corner of all pages.
Appendices use the same margins as the narrative and preliminary pages; any scanned material, tables, or figures in an appendix must fit within the document margins.
Any published materials not in the public domain require permission from the copyright holder; include letters of permission in an appendix.
Note that permission to use a published survey instrument or other test instrument in a study is a separate permission to include a copy of that instrument in your manuscript. See the ProQuest information on copyright and permissions in graduate research.
To protect your privacy and the privacy of any other researchers, mentors, or participants, delete personal contact or identifying information from any appendix materials.
Tables or figures that appear in an appendix are given the prefix of that appendix (e.g., Table A1, Figure B1). They are listed in the List of Tables or List of Figures following the last table or figure from the narrative sections.

If the table or figure is the only item in an appendix, the appendix title serves as the title or caption for the table or figure; a separate label is not needed, so it is not listed in the List of Tables or List of Figures.
Lists (Seriation, APA 3.04) For listed items within a paragraph, (a) use letters, not numbers, in full parentheses; (b) separate each item with a comma unless a comma is used within one of the items, then separate items in the series with a semicolon.

When listing items vertically, or breaking them out of the paragraph, use 1., 2., 3., and so forth, if ordinal position is important. If ordinal position is not important, use bullets. Use MS Word’s automatic numbered (or bulleted) list format; set the number indent the same as for a paragraph (usually 0.5 in.); if sentences run over one line, they are also indented, as in this example:

1. Begin the sentence here and keep typing; if the sentence goes over one line, as this one does, the text will look like this.
2. The next item will begin here.
• Items in a series where chronology or priority is not warranted may be identified in a vertical list with bullets.
Double-space list items.
Spelling (APA 4.12)
Many prefixes do not require hyphens, including anti, non, inter, intra, pre, re, semi, mini, pseudo, and under (See APA Tables 4.1 and 4.2, pages 98, 99).
Do not hyphenate compound adjectives when they cannot be misread or when their meaning is established: health care reform, third grade students.
Typically, hyphenate compound adjectives that end in “ed” only when modifying a noun and not hyphenated alone: her client-centered style but her style is client centered.

When two or more compound modifiers have a common base, the base is sometimes omitted in all but the last modified, but the hyphens are retained: long- and short-term memory.
Capitalization (APA 4.14-4.20) Do not capitalize job titles unless they immediately precede a person’s name:
The vice president of the United States but Vice President Joe Biden
Except for personal names, do not capitalize the names of laws, theories, or hypotheses, or diseases, disorders, or therapies (theory of learned behavior, multiple sclerosis, Maslow’s hierarchy, Asperger’s syndrome).
Capitalize nouns followed by letters or numbers (e.g., Table 1, Figure 1, Grade 6, Appendix A, Participant A, Research Question 1, Chapter 1, Section 1 but page 1, row 3 [common parts of books or tables]).
Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins a complete sentence. (APA 4.05, 4.14)
Exceptions: Capitalize the first word after the colon in the Definition of Terms section of Section 1. Capitalize the first word after a colon in a heading or title.
Miscellaneous
The proper format for a dash (em-dash) is two hyphens with no space between them or on either side–like that—or that. (APA 4.26)
Use double quotation marks for quotations.

Use single quotation marks only for quotations within double quotation marks.

Italicize a keyword or term introduced the first time in the text or when defined or described as a term. (APA 4.07-4.08, 4.21)
The subject and verb must agree in number (i.e., singular or plural). Data and media are plural nouns: The data are. . . . (APA 2.07b)
Pronouns must agree in number and gender with the nouns they replace. (APA 3.19)
Statistical abbreviations are italicized: n, t, SD, p.

N = total sample; n = subsample.

The correct form is “t test,” no hyphen, italicized t, When used as an adjective, do hyphenate, as in t-test results. (APA 4.33-4.45)
Do not use contractions.

Add an apostrophe + s to form the possessive of a name:
Wilks’s lambda, Jones’s study. (APA 4.12)
Use the term subjects or participants or describe their characteristics. (APA 2.06)

When referring to the number of participants in a study, follow the rules for numbers in APA 4.31.
Report the literature in past tense, as in Jones (2008) argued. (APA 3.18)
Institutional review board (IRB) number: The Walden IRB approval number must appear either in the methodology section or in an appendix. You do not need to include it in both places. If the approval number is placed in an appendix, do not include the entire IRB approval e-mail from the Walden IRB office, just the approval number.
For information on writing tips for protecting participants, refer to the FAQ About IRB, Anonymity, and Confidentiality in Doctoral Capstone Studies.

Be sure to check your Dedication and Acknowledgments sections and appendices for any mention of names of people or places that could compromise the identity of participants or violate a signed confidentiality agreement, if there is one. When writing about a study site or community partner, follow any agreements you made with the study site or community partner.
Spell out Latin abbreviations such as e.g., etc., i.e., cf. unless in parentheses. Follow abbreviations in parentheses with a comma. (APA 4.26)
Use a comma between items in a series of three or more nouns or noun phrases, including before and and or. (APA 4.03)
Use gender-neutral language. (APA 3.12-3.17)
In general, spell out numbers under 10 and use Arabic numerals for numbers 10 and above, with these exceptions: a series of numbers, numbers preceding exact elements of time or measurement, or a number beginning a sentence. (APA 4.31, 4.33-4.34)
Use the % when preceded by a number unless at the start of a sentence. (APA 4.32a)
Do not use an apostrophe when forming the plural of a number: 1990s, 40s
Use a comma in numbers like 2,398. Use numerals in numbers like 2 million. (APA 4.37-4.38)
Abbreviations (APA 4.22): Write out in full a term to be abbreviated on its first appearance, followed immediately by the abbreviation. Thereafter, use the abbreviation in text without further explanation. Spelled out terms that are abbreviated follow usual rules of capitalization, even though the abbreviation is all capital letters: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) but cognitive-behavioral model (CBM).
Resources: APA website and the Writing Center website
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