ELPS DEPARTMENT WRITING STANDARDS
The ability to express one’s ideas effectively is a hallmark of a quality education. Therefore, writing is one of the central activities of the ELPS program through which students accumulate, communicate and demonstrate learning.
All writing in the ELPS classes from postings on electronic bulletin boards and power-point presentations, to personal essays, to formal research papers will be evaluated on the minimal essentials of Standard American English grammar and in the general format of APA (American Psychological Association) style.
GENERAL FORMAT FOR APA STYLE
• Typed
• Double-spaced
• Standard paper (8.5 X 11 inches)
• Margins of 1 inch on all sides
• 12 point font size
• Examples of acceptable fonts:
Courier
Courier New
Times
Times Roman
Times New Roman
Your essay, if required by the professor, can include any of the following:
Title page: On a separate page and includes the title of your paper, author’s name and institutional affiliation.
Page header: Placed in the upper right-hand corner, the header is the first two or three words of the title. The page number is on the same line separated by five spaces.
Abstract: If your instructor requires an abstract, write a 75-100 word overview of your essay, which should include your main idea and your major points. You may also want to mention any implications of your research. Place the abstract on its own page immediately after the title page. Center the word Abstract and then follow with the paragraph.
Headings: Although not absolutely necessary, headings can be helpful. Major headings should be centered. Capitalize every word in the heading except articles (a, the), short prepositions (in, by, for) and coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or).
Format for List of References: Create your list of references on its own page after the last page of your text. Center the title “References” one inch from the top of the page. Double space. Alphabetize the list of references by the last name of the authors. If the work has no author or editor, alphabetize the work by the first word of the title (excluding A, An, or The).
Citation Sources in the Text and Reference List: This information is much too involved to place in this document. Please see the following suggested resources for this information:
http://library.csun.edu/egarcia/apacitation.pdf
Amato, C.J., (2002). The world’s easiest guide to using the APA
(3rd edition). Corona, CA: Stargazer Publishing Company. ISBN 0-9713756-6-6, (college edition, paper, spiral bound).
American Psychological Association. (2002). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. (5th edition). Washington. DC: American Psychological Association. ISBN 1-55798-791-2).
ELPS Rubric
Paragraph for ELPS Department Syllabi:
Presentation of written Materials: The ELPS department has adopted the American Psychological Association (APA) style of citations, references, and editorial style for use by our students to create uniformity in the written materials submitted over the course of the program. Information about the “APA Style” can be obtained through the Oviatt Library at the following website: http://library.csun.edu/egarcia/apacitation.pdf and at the ELPS website listed under ELPS Department Writing Standards and ELPS Department Writing Rubric. Each ELPS instructor will advise students on the depth of APA rules and regulations applicable to their individual courses. The ELPS Department also encourages students to contact the CSUN Writing Center and Lab (818 677-2033), located in the Learning Resources Center in Bayramian Hall 408, for help with academic writing, research papers, and/or note taking techniques.