R.S. ZAHARNA       Home     Classes     Professionals     Research     Resources

PREPARING YOUR MASTER'S PROJECT:

A Manual of Style & Substance

R.S. Zaharna, Ed.D.
 


 Contents

Acknowledgements

•  SECTION I:    STYLE
•  SECTION II:   SUBSTANCE
 
 APPENDIX


APPENDIX
Not every study requires appendixes.  Appendixes provide the reader with extra material such as sample brochure, press releases, survey questionnaire, statistical copulations, promotional material, etc.

Appendixes immediately follow the reference list.  They are designated as Appendix A, Appendix B, Appendix C, etc. Each appendix begins on a new page, is homogeneous in context and is headed with a letter and a short descriptive title. The pages of the appendixes are numbered as a consecutive part of the pagination of the study. The letter designation of each appendix, full title and page number is listed in the Table of Contents.
 

 This manual includes the following appendixes:

        Appendix A: Sample Title Page

        Appendix B: Examples of Citing Sources within the Text

        Appendix C: Reference List

        Appendix D: Organizing Your Thoughts

Back to top of page.

Appendix A: Sample Title Page
 
 
 
 
 
 
THE TELECOMMUNICATION REVOLUTION:
 
TELETEXT AND VIDEOTEXT
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A Directed Research Project
 
 
Submitted to
 
 
 
 
THE FACULTY OF THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GRADUATE PROGRAM
 
SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION
 
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.
 
 
 
 
In Candidacy for the Degree of
 
Master of Arts
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
By
 
 
Iam Done
 
 
August 2000
 
 
Return to top of page
 
Appendix B: Examples of Citing Sources Within the Text
 
 
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is often preferred by scholars because one can see at a glance immediately who you are quoting. Writers prefer this style because it is much less cumbersome than having to constantly keep track of the numbering of footnotes.
 
Direct  Quotes
Direct quotations are the verbatim statement of another set off by quotation marks. Direct quotes must use the exact words, spelling and punctuation of the original even if they are faulty. The reference citation of each quotation must state the exact page or pages quoted. A short quotation, about two lines or less of typescript, is incorporated into the text and set off by quotation marks. The citation immediately follows with the author's name, year of publication, and page number in parentheses -- then, the period.  The citation is part of the sentence.
 
Example of direct quote
 
Mary Berelson found that "communicator anxiety was most acute for young adults" (1989, p.34).
 
 
Block or Long quotes
Long quotes, of three or more lines, are double intented 5 spaces on each margin for entire quote and 3 space indention for the beginning of each paragraph. Quotation marks are not used at the beginning and end of the blocked quotations. A period comes at the end of the quote. Immediately following, is the author's name, year of publication, and page number in parentheses. It is a good idea to briefly introduce the quote and highlight the quote's main point.
 
Example
Berelson discussed why communication anxiety might be particularly acute for young adults.
 
        Communication anxiety relates directly to a stable and confident sense of self and
        the ability to use that sense of becomes tenuous and frightening. One of the pressing
        tasks of young adulthood is formulating an identity. (1989, p.5)
 

Indirect Quotes and Paraphrasing
The candidate may substitute a direct quote with a rephrasing of another author's main idea. Paraphrasing is often preferable to long direct quotes simply because the main idea may be presented clearly and quickly. Direct quotes are usually shorter in length and are reserved for reinforcing a main idea or sharing the force of an author's argument.
 
Examples of indirect quotes
 
 Berelson (1989) illustrated the need to reduce communicator anxiety in young adults.
 
Communicator anxiety can be particularly acute for young adults (Berelson, 1989).
 
"Communicator anxiety" deals with a person's fear of social interaction (Berelson, 1989, p. 39).
 Personal/Professional Interviews
Personal and professional interviews are reliable sources of information so long as the candidate conducts them in a scholarly fashion.  Ideas and quotes taken from the interview are cited in the text the same as written sources. The interview is listed in the reference:
 
Doe, John, Executive Vice President, Creative Images, Inc., Personal interview, Washington, D.C., July 18, 1990.
 

Back to top of page.

Appendix C: Sample Reference List
 
 
Only those sources cited in the text are listed in the bibliography or reference list. All works -- books, reports, articles, video, interviews, etc. -- are arranged alphabetically by the author's last name.  Works not cited in the text are not included.  All written (e.g., books, articles, reports), visual (e.g., posters, graphic designs), audio (e.g., personal interviews, musical recordings) and audio-visual (e.g., television programs or commercial, films, etc.) materials must be included in the reference list. Because the reader may not know whether a source comes from a written or audio-visual source, it is best to prepare one consolidated list of all the materials.

The following are guidelines based on recommendations from the style manual of the American Psychological Association.
 
 
Punctuation

1. Use periods to separate the three major subdivisions of a reference entry: author, title, facts of publication.

                    Example:         Author, J.P. Title of work. Facts of publication.
 
2. Commas separate information within subdivision.

                    Example:        Journal of Communication, 1989, 38, 399-411.
 
 
3. For books, a colon separates the place of publication from the publisher.
 
                    Example:        New York: Random House, 1989.
 
4. Use parentheses for extensions, qualifications, or interpretations of each subdivision or the entire entry.

                    Example:        Style manual (2nd ed.)
 
 

Samples of Reference Entries
Underline or put in italics all publications such as book titles, names of journals. Below are samples of reference entries. Note that the first line of each entry is indented 5 spaces while the second line begins flush with the left margin.
 
Book sample:
 
Patton, B. and Giffin, K. Interpersonal communication: Basic text (2nd ed.). New York: Harper and Row, 1974.
 
 
Edited book
 
Kim, Y.Y. and Gudykunst, W. B. (Eds.). Intercultural communication research methods. Newbury Park, Calif.: Sage, 1987.
 
 
 
 Chapter or article from a book
 
Barna, L. M. The stress factor in intercultural relations. In D. Landis and R. W. Brislin (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training (vol. 2, pp. 19-49). New York: Pergamon, 1983.
 
 
Article from a scholarly or professional journal
 
Baxter, L. and Wilmot, W. Secret tests: Social strategies for acquiring information about the state of the relationship. Human Communication Research, 1984, 11, 171-202.
 
 
Article from newspaper*

Waltz, L. Communication is more than talk. San Luis Obispo County (Calif.) Telegram-Tribune,
        January 20, 1983, p. B-4.

(*if citing major publication -- e.g., TIME, Newsweek, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, etc. --  that has a larger reputation than writer, may be more credible to cite the publication than the author.)

New York Times, January 31, 2000, p. A1.

 
Personal correspondence or interview
 
Kirby, Y.T., president, Speech Dynamics Marketing Corporation, New York. Personal letter, October 26, 1982.
 
 
Newsletter or association publication

U.S. Chamber of Commerce. How to make your audience look alive (brochure). Washington, D.C., no publication date.
 

Back to top of page.



 
Appendix D: Organizing Your Thoughts
 
 
 
 
 
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
 
 
 
 
 
 
HOW HAVE OTHERS APPROACHED THE PROBLEM?
 
 
 
 
 
 
WHAT DID THEY FIND OUT?
 
 
 
 
 
 
HOW DID YOU APPROACH THE PROBLEM?
 
 
 
 
 
 
WHAT WAS NEW OR DIFFERENT ABOUT YOUR APPROACH?
 
 
 
 
 
 
WHAT DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE PROBLEM?
 
 
 
 
 
 
HOW ARE YOUR FINDINGS NEW OR DIFFERENT?
 
 
 
 
SIGN OFF
 
 
 
 Back to top of page. 
  Last updated on January 12, 2000.
zaharna@american.edu