3 Obscure APA Writing Style Rules You Should Know

 Many students are required to submit essays, research papers, and other assignments written in APA writing style. Academic papers written in APA style of writing should strictly follow APA guidelines even those obscure ones to score good grades. Using APA Writing style requires more than just the form of references and citations. Some complex requirements may be unknown for those who are not familiar with APA writing style or have some experience using this style when preparing their academic papers. Below are the three obscure APA rules you should know:

Prefixes in APA Writing Style

A big part of using APA writing style is the proper use of prefixes. It is common to use hyphens after prefixes in casual English. However, this is against APA style of Writing. Words such as underdevelopment, hypertext, underscore should not be hyphenated when writing an academic paper using APA style of writing. There are certain circumstances that you will be allowed to use prefixes when writing an academic paper using APA style. When using the prefix self-, you should always add prefixes for example self-esteem, self-employment among others. On the same note, you are allowed to use a hyphen when the word after the prefix is a proper noun or number.

Anthropomorphism in APA style of writing

Anthropomorphism refers to a situation where a writer ascribes human traits or action to non-living things. Anthropomorphism is commonly used in all levels of study when writing an academic paper. Many tutors, professors, or reviewers may not bother to mention it; however, it should be avoided when writing an academic paper. Examples of most commonly used anthropomorphism include "This article examines... " or "This paper discusses... " Be as it may, it is not technically possible for a paper to discuss anything. Therefore, the best alternative is to say "The researcher discussed... " or "... is discussed in this paper."

Numbers in APA Writing Style

Many students and scholars are confused by the use of numbers when writing documents using APA style. Many students and scholars are familiar with numbering rules in APA style, but they end up misusing them. It is important to note that you should spell out numbers between one through ten when you include in a paper formatted in APA style of writing. For example, you should not write " It took 7 years for me to understand how to cite a paper using APA." Instead, write, "It took seven years for me to understand how to cite a paper using APA."

Tips for proper formatting and editing a document using APA

It is important to obtain a copy of APA writing style guidelines and review it thoroughly before writing an academic writing paper. You obtain them from popular websites such as Purdue OWL and reputable universities writing centers. You can also get help from professional writers and editors that can help you format your academic paper or book in APA style of writing.