Product Description

Hands-on guide for learning the style rules of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed. Previous edition: c1990. Wire-spiral binding.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8493 in Books
• Published on: 2002-01-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Spiral-bound
• 236 pages

Customer Reviews

Mastering APA Style: Students Workbook and Training Guide
While this appears to be an excellent textbook, it was not a helpful resource to those looking for information on citing various references and sources. This book is strictly for those who are or will be writing papers meant for publication. However, if you are looking for a book with listings of how to cite your sources (i.e. a bibliography) you won't find that information here.

A Training Guide that isn't really a Guide at all
Take careful note of what is written on page 10 before you even think of ordering this unhelpful guide:

"Be sure you have a copy of the Publication Manual (5th edition) before you begin to use the workbook."

Mastering APA Style is just a compilation of several multiple-choice tests that are supposed to help with mastering this style of writing. There are no rules and there are no helpful tips on researching and writing publications; it is entirely a book of examples. And each example points to a specific rule detailed in the Publication Manual, a different guide entirely!

Hopefully the Publication Manual succeeds at explaining what APA style really is, because this training guide doesn't. Unless you already know how to get around using APA, do not waste your money on this book.

Welcome to the arcane world of the APA Style!
...I can honestly say that it was easier learning the Korean language than it is trying to master this obfuscatory, often convoluted way of formatting papers.

Notwithstanding, for those of us among the uninitiated, help is here in the form of this workbook. Mastering APA Style can be a tremendous resource if you remember two vitally important cavaets: (1)Don't try to discern the "logic" of why APA does the things it does, just do it the way they say to do it, and you won't get mixed up an frustrated. (2) The more you use APA, the better you will become. I am entering my second year of graduate school and I am convinced that it will take another two years to master all of the subtleties and nuances of the APA format.

This book, however, will make the ride much, much smoother!