1

Insert a page number in the header of the paper, in the top right corner.

This is your Title Title

Section (e.g. A01), Assignment
page information.
Number & Name,
are additional information
It MUST include Student Name required by some
Title, instructors.
Student Name, College Name
Check with your instructor to
College Name, see what information you
Course Number Course Number & Section: Course Name need to include.
and Name
(e.g. SOWK 2040: Social Policy), Instructor Name
Instructor,
and Due Date. Assignment Number & Name

Date
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Abstracts are sometimes required for longer

essays. Check your assignment requirements. Abstract

The word abstract should be centered, bold, and one-inch margin from top of page. Remember

there is no indent with abstract paragraph. A true abstract is one paragraph of no more than 120

words. It should be concise, accurate, and reflect the content of the document. No paraphrasing

or quotes in the abstract. Only one space is needed after a period at the end of a sentence in the

body of your paper.

IF AN INSTRUCTOR HAS APPROVED the use of generative artificial intelligence

(genAI) for research, writing, and/or visual content creation, include a disclosure
statement. An accompanying appendix of the complete, unedited transcript(s),
including all prompts, must be included at the end of the paper.

Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence Disclosure

Microsoft Copilot was used in the research and writing of this work. I take full responsibility for

the content generated by this tool and the use thereof. See Appendix for the full, original

transcript.
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Title Centered on Page with Major Words Capitalized

In the body of the paper or text all the paragraphs should be indented five spaces or one

tab. The text of your whole paper will be double-spaced using Times New Roman, Calibri, Arial,

or another common font. Your paper will begin with an introduction, but this does not get a

heading. If you wish to have headings and sub-headings in the body refer to the online APA

Guide for specific details, or see the examples below. Headings should flow continuously within

the body of the paper, not one heading per page. You end the body of the paper with a

Conclusion. Centered, Bold, Title Case Heading

(Level One)
Referencing

You may cite in the introduction, body and conclusion of the paper. Citing gives credit

for an idea. Plagiarism is when you copy or use someone's ideas and don't give them credit.

When students write academic essays or papers, they are expected to back up their conclusions

with evidence, usually from journals and books. It is okay to use ideas that someone else has

written but you must say where you got the idea. This is called citing. If you plagiarize you may

be penalized, or sometimes even kicked out of school.

Citing Sources Flush Left, Bold, Title Case Heading (Level Two)

There are two places you must cite, in the body of your essay after using an idea that is

not your own, and at the end of the essay on a page titled References. You need to cite when you

quote someone else’s ideas word for word, when you use little known facts that are not common

knowledge, and when you paraphrase someone else’s ideas. Even though you are putting

someone’s ideas into your own words when you paraphrase, the ideas are not yours so you must

cite the source.

In-Text Citations Flush Left, Bold, Italics, Title Case Heading (Level Three)
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For an idea of how your in-text citations (also called parenthetical citations) should

appear, refer to the following example paragraph.

Some sentences will be your own words and ideas. In this sentence you talk about how

the authors Poirier and Morrison (2009) suggest an idea that you paraphrase. Some sentences

paraphrase an idea but do not mention the authors’ names in the sentence, only in the following

parenthetical citation (Reid, 2018). If your in-text citation has two authors, you will use both

names every time you cite that source (Zarft & Sheppard, 2016). When citing a source with three

or more authors, only mention the first author in the in-text citation and use et al. for the others .

For example, if the authors were Anderson, Hergert, and Larson, we would write the in-text

citation (Anderson et al., 2017). To do an in-text citation for a work that has only a title and no

authors, you will use the title, capitalizing all major words. If it is the title of a larger work, such

as a book or journal, put it in italics. If the title is of a smaller work, like a chapter or article, put

it in quotation marks. Include the date of publication if there is one. If there is no date given you

will use n.d. which means no date, in the citation (How to Cite, n.d.).

When you use a “direct quote” in the sentence you must include the page number in the

in-text citation (Chivers, 2007, p. 44). The next sentence shows how to introduce a direct quote

longer than forty words (also known as a block quote). In the book titled, How to Quote (2009),

Smith noted the following:

A direct quote longer than 40 words must be indented ½ inch from the left margin

and does not use quotation marks. It is introduced with a sentence using a colon

(as above) and the page number comes in parentheses at the end after the period.

If there is a second paragraph within the direct quote longer than 40 words

it is indented even though the first paragraph is not. (p 16)

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If this next sentence is a continuation of the paragraph, then it is flush left. If you are starting a

new paragraph after the block quote, then you will indent the paragraph.

This paragraph illustrates some further examples of in-text citations. When students learn

more about the process of learning and begin to incorporate the use of specific strategies, self-

monitoring, and self-reflection into their academic endeavours, they are more successful in

reaching their goals. In their examination of students’ acquisition of learning strategies, Simpson

et al. (2004) stressed that students will use a strategy if they understand how, why, and when to

use it (p. 3). The researchers explained that learning this “procedural knowledge would help

them understand the steps… and how to modify those steps” (p. 3). Simpson et al. argued that

using the specific strategy taught in a course is often not as important as using the process the

students learn of “selecting, summarizing, organizing, elaborating, monitoring, self-testing,

reflecting and evaluating” when working on course content (p. 4). The researchers recommended

that faculty teach students “how to decipher their own academic tasks” (p. 6). In addition, Lee

(2007) argued that once students have acquired a repertoire of study strategies, they should be

taught critical thinking skills to evaluate and modify their use of specific strategies (pp. 8283).

Acquisition of strategic learning is, as Hadwin et al. in 2001 explained, “enacted over time

through a series of events” (as cited in Simpson et al., 2004, p. 3). P. Foley, a professor at North

London University, observed that motivation is strongly linked to student use of learning

strategies (personal communication, May 16, 2007). Motivation, in turn, can be influenced by

students’ beliefs about learning. Simpson et al. (2004) commented on such beliefs:

[Many] college freshmen . . . believe that learning should be easy, completed quickly

(i.e., the night before in a cramming session) and should happen to them because of what

others do for them (i.e., the professor did not teach me to solve that problem). (p. 4)
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Flexible use of strategies, self-reflection, and motivation can enhance academic success.

References Page Citation

The body of your paper is followed by your References page, which must be on a

separate page and must have one inch margins. The title References must be centered, bold, and

no colon. Remember that the entries are to be listed in alphabetical order according to the first

author or title of the source being cited. All entries will have a hanging indent of .5” (one-half

inch).

It is often easier to do the References list before formatting the in-text citations of the

paper. When the in-text citation information is taken from the References it helps ensure

consistency. Do not cite anything in your References that is not cited within the body of your

essay.

Conclusion

This is the end of the body of your paper. The Conclusion does not have to be on a

separate page unless that is where it occurs in the text. The References page will follow as your

final page on a separate page, and must also have the header and page number. See the following

final page for an example of a References page.

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References

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American

Book with an organization as author
Psychological Association (7th ed.). American Psychological Association.

Canadian Public Health Association. (2010). Public health and community health nursing

practice in Canada: Roles and activities. http://www.cpha.ca/uploads/pubs/3-

Website with organization as author
1bk04214.pdf

Doenges, M., Moorhouse, M. F., & Murr, A. (2019). Nursing Diagnosis Manual (6th ed.). F.A.

Davis Company Book with multiple authors Book with one author

Guffey, M. A. (2018). Business communication: Process and product. Nelson Education.

McCance, K. L., Grey, T. C., & Rodway, G. (2014). Altered cellular and tissue biology. In K. L.
Chapter
in an
McCance, S. E. Huether, V. L. Brashers, & N. S. Rote (Eds.), Pathophysiology: The edited
book
biologic basis for disease in adults and children (7th ed., pp. 49-102). Mosby Elsevier.

Minghella, A. (Director). (1996). The English patient [Film]. eOne Films. DVD film

Mosby’s dictionary of medicine, nursing, and health professions (10th ed.). (2017). Elsevier. eBook
with no
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/norquest-ebooks/detail.action?docID=4615208 author

Sinnema, J. (2008, October 26). Students give new meaning to ‘hospital green’. Edmonton
Print newspaper article
Journal, p. A16.

Wynch, A., Newlands, F., & Forrester, D. (2019). What does empathy sound like in social work

communication? A mixed‐methods study of empathy in child protection social work

practice. Child & Family Social Work, 24(1), 139–147.

https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12591` Journal article with a DOI number

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Name of genAI tool
used and date of use. Appendix

Generative Artificial Intelligence Transcripts

Microsoft Copilot (April 9, 2024)

Link to transcript Include link to full transcript when available. If not available,
further documentation may be required. Ask your instructor.
Prompt

Describe how to write a research paper. Include how to develop a research question and thesis

statement.

Answer

Writing a research paper involves several steps:

Understand the Assignment: Make sure you understand the requirements of the assignment.

What is the page limit? What are the formatting guidelines? What is the deadline?

Choose a Topic: Choose a topic that interests you and fits the assignment’s requirements. It

should be broad enough to provide ample research material but narrow enough to focus your

paper.

Develop a Research Question: A research question guides your research process. It should be

clear, focused, and complex enough to warrant a full research paper. For example, instead of

“What is climate change?”, a better research question might be “How does climate change affect

crop yields in the Midwest United States?”.

Conduct Preliminary Research: Before you form a thesis statement, conduct some preliminary

research to gain an understanding of the topic. Use reliable sources like academic journals,

books, and reputable websites.

Formulate a Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement is the main argument of your paper, usually

one sentence that is placed at the end of your introduction. It should answer your research
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question and guide your paper’s direction. For example, “Climate change negatively impacts

crop yields in the Midwest United States due to increased temperatures and unpredictable

weather patterns.”

Create an Outline: An outline will help organize your thoughts and make the writing process

easier. It should include an introduction, body paragraphs with supporting arguments, and a

conclusion.

Write a Draft: Start writing your paper based on the outline. Don’t worry about making it perfect

in the first go; focus on getting your ideas down.

Revise and Edit: Review your draft for any errors or inconsistencies. Check for clarity,

coherence, grammar, and spelling. Make sure all information is accurately cited.

Write the Final Paper: After revising, write the final version of your paper. Ensure it adheres to

the assignment’s formatting guidelines.

Proofread: Finally, proofread your paper one last time before submission. It’s often helpful to

read it out loud or have someone else review it.

Remember, research is a recursive process, and it’s okay to revisit steps as needed. Good luck!