Higbee & Miller Payne & MacDonald & McGrath & Van Blerkom Writing for Publication in American Psychological Association (APA) Style

23/Th 8:00 AM Hope

Type_Presentation: 60-minute Concurrent Session

PresentationTitle: Writing for Publication in American Psychological Association (APA) Style

ProgramStrand_Primary: Research and Evaluation

ProgramStrand_Secondary: None

Presentation_description:

This session, which is sponsored by the CRLA Media Advisory Board, will introduce participants to key features of APA style from the perspectives of the writer, the reviewer, and the editor. A checklist with associated page numbers from the APA manual will be among the handouts provided.

Session_summary:

For professionals new to the world of “publish or perish” or graduate students who seek to publish articles related to their thesis or dissertation, the American Psychological Association (APA) style requirements of most journals in the field of education can be one of the greatest barriers. For educators trained in Modern Language Association (MLA) or Chicago styles the transition can be particularly difficult. To those unacquainted with APA style, some of its guidelines seem counterintuitive. Meanwhile, The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition) is a volume of more than 400 pages and learning to navigate it can be daunting for even the most seasoned professional. Members of the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) have much to offer to other educators through professional publication. It is imperative that CRLA members’ efforts to publish not be thwarted by something as basic yet confusing as publication guidelines.

The purpose of this session is to introduce participants to some of the “whys” as well as the “hows” of APA style. When understanding the reasons behind some of the “rules” of APA it becomes easier to remember and follow style guidelines. Thus, learning objectives for this session include the following:

a. Participants will gain perspectives on why some APA guidelines exist and how they assist reviewers and editors as well as the members of the publication’s intended audience.

b. Participants will become acquainted with some of the most common errors made by authors writing in APA style and how to avoid them.

c. Participants will learn shortcuts to finding the answers to their questions.

The format for this session will be a panel presentation provided by members of the CRLA Media Advisory Board (MAB). MAB members will provide their own perspective on APA style as seen through the lens of author, reviewer, editor, and consumer. Members of the panel will field questions as they arise, so it is anticipated that although some formal presentation will occur, much of the session will be Q & A. Handouts will include an outline of steps to publication and common problems that arise as well as a “cheat sheet” that directs users to the pages in the APA manual that cover common questions.

The membership of the CRLA MAB includes learning assistance professionals who have published widely in the field and have served as editors and editorial board members for such publications as the Journal of College Reading and Learning, The Learning Assistance Review, the Journal of College Student Retention, Academic Exchange Quarterly, the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) and Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy (CRDEUL) monograph series, the NADE Digest, and the NADE Selected Conference Papers, to name but a few.

PresenterBio: Jeanne L. Higbee has a B.S. in Sociology from Iowa State University and earned her M.S. in Counseling and Guidance and Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She currently serves as Professor in the Department of Postsecondary Teaching and Learning at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She is a 2007 American College Personnel Association (ACPA) Diamond Honoree and the recipient of the ACPA Voice of Inclusion Medallion, the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA) Robert Griffin Long and Outstanding Service Award, the Henry Young Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE), and NADE’s Hunter R. Boylan Outstanding Research/Publication Award.

Presenter2_Bio: Emily Miller Payne, EdD, Associate Professor and graduate faculty in Developmental and Adult Education at Texas State University; she directs The Education Institute with $1.4 million annually in externally-funded research and service grants. She is editor of the Journal of College Reading and Learning. She was co-chair of the National Association for Developmental Education Publication and Professional Development committees, and served on the National Adult Education Standards Committee Review Panel, The College Board Standards Committee, the National Assessment of Adult Literacy Supplement Project, and National Assessment of Adult Literacy Content and Bias Review Panel. She is published in national and state refereed publications.

Presenter3_Bio: Lucy MacDonald, MA, MA, is Professor Emerita, Chemeketa Community College, faculty trainer at TIDE (Technology Institute for Developmental Educators) and co-author to Tech Talk in the Journal of Developmental Education. She has two national awards from CRLA and is an ACDEA fellow. She created and maintains a student success web site called howtostudy.org

Presenter4_Bio: Jane McGrath, EdD is Professor Emerita, Paradise Valley Community College–a Maricopa Community College. During 30+ years with the Maricopa Colleges she taught a variety of reading, English, journalism, and computer courses and often worked as faculty development coordinator and instructional designer. Her textbook series includes Basic Skills and Strategies for College Reading, Building Strategies for College Reading, and Strategies for Critical Reading. McGrath is a Fellow of the American Council of Developmental Education a member of Media Advisory Board, JCRL Editorial Board, and president-elect of CRLA.

Presenter5_Bio: Diane Van Blerkom teaches College Study Strategies and serves as an academic counselor/advisor in the Academic Support Center at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown. Diane served as the Director of the Learning Assistance Center for nine years before moving mostly to teaching. She currently serves on the Editorial Board of the JCRL and the Media Board for CRLA. Diane has authored several articles and three textbooks: College Study Skills: Becoming a Strategic Learner, 6th ed., Orientation to College Learning, 5th ed., and Taking Charge of Your Learning: A Guide to College Success. Diane’s article, “Study Strategies and Generative Learning: What Works?” (co-authored with Mal Van Blerkom and Sharon Bertsch) won the award for the Outstanding JCRL Article of 2006-2007.