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HOW TO STRUCTURE YOUR WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

AND HOW TO REFERENCE ACCORDING TO THE APA
7TH EDITION.

AFL 1501
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Contents

1 Introduction and YouTube video links……………………….….……………………………. p 4

2 How to format written assignments ………………………………………………………...…p 4

3 Cover page…………………………………………………………………………………...…. p 5

4 Table of contents and headings………………………………………………...…….………. p 6

5 Using In-text Citation, Quotations and Plagiarism……………………………….…...….…. p 8

6 Examples on how to reference various sources………………………………………….…p 11

7 Reference list……………………………………………….………...………………….……. p 13

8 APA website links with detailed examples on ow to reference various sources….....…. p 14

9 A little extra help………………………………………………………………………………. p 14

10 Additional referencing video links…………………………………………….………………p 14

11. Copy of the Academic Honesty Declaration………………………………………………...p 15
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1 Introduction

As University students, you will need to present your assignments in a professional

manner. Different departments will have different structural and referencing requirements,
and each department will instruct you accordingly. For AFL 1501, we require that you
reference your work (in-text sources and the sources listed in your reference list)
according to the APA 7th edition.

Your written assignments (Assignment 2, 4 and 6) must also follow a specific layout. This
document will explain the basics of how to format your assignment, and how to reference.

Please watch the following Youtube videos by Dr S Forlenza on how to reference according
to the APA 7th ed.:

• In text citations, quotations and plagiarism:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8914hv18xnU
Samuel Forlenza, PhD. (2020, January 21). APA Style 7th Edition: In-Text Citations, Quotations, and Plagiarism [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8914hv18xnU

• Reference Lists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teErxDIPP5M
Samuel Forlenza, PhD. (2020, January 26). APA Style 7th Edition: Reference Lists [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teErxDIPP5M
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2 How to format written assignments:

When constructing your assignment, you must type your assignment in Arial font, size 12.
Please justify the margins of your paragraphs so that the right-hand side is “straight”, and
set the margins spacing to 1 inch on each side. The line spacing must be set on 1.5.

1. Go to the “Home” tab.

2. Change the font and the font size. (Arial 12)
3. Here you change the line spacing. (1.5 spacing)
4. Set the margins of your paragraphs to “justified”.
5. Add page numbers from the “Insert” tab. (page number must be in the top right-hand
corner)
6. Change margin spacing from the “Layout” tab. (1 inch)
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3 Cover page:
Please follow this layout for the cover page of your written assignments (Assignment 2,
4 and 6)
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4 Table of contents and headings

The headings in a table of contents must be numbered. You must also include the relevant
page numbers which indicate on which page the heading appears. Headings within your
assignment must appear exactly the same as they appear in your table of contents.

Example of how a table of contents must be structured:

Level 1 heading – in
capital letters

Level 2 heading

Level 3 heading
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Example of how headings must be structured within your assignment:

Level 1 heading – in capital letters.

Written in bold and centered. 1 INTRODUCTION

Your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here.

1.1 Purpose of my portfolio

Your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
Level 2 headings
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here.

1.2 Structure of my portfolio

Your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your
text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text here your text here.

Level 3 heading. 1.2.1 Concepts covered. Your text here your text here your text here your text here your text
First sentence here your text here your text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text
starts directly here your text here your text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text
after heading here your text here your text here text here your text here your text here your text here your text
period.
here your text here.

(Please take note of how the first line of each paragraph is indented.)
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5 Using In-text Citation, Quotations and Plagiarism

- All information used which are not your own, must be correctly in-text referenced.
If you do not in-text reference the information which you took from another source,
it is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a very serious offence.
- When you put the ideas of another source in your own words, it is called
paraphrasing – and it must still be correctly in-text referenced. (When
paraphrasing, the name and date of the author will usually appear at the start of
the paragraph to make it clear that the information comes from somewhere else.)

- There are two types of in-text citations:

• Parenthetical citation - goes at the end of the sentence.

Examples: One author - (Nene,2019).
Two authors – (Nene & Davids, 2019).
Three or more authors – (Nene et al, 2019) (The phrase “et
al”, means others)

• Narrative citation – Same surname format as above applies, but only the
year goes in parenthesis.
For example: According to Nene (2019), etc, etc, etc.

*There can be instances where the author is an organisation. In that case, write the name
of the organisation as the author.
For example: (Department of Social Services, 2018)

Author-Date Citation System [screenshot], by the American Psychological Association, n,d, (https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-
guidelines/citations/basic-principles/author-date)
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- When using direct quotations (for example, definitions), then you must use
quotation marks and include the page number after the quote.

Example:
• “Quote of 40 words or less.” (Nene, 2019, p. 112)
This quote can be included in any paragraph without any special indent
(spacing) required.

• For quotes of 40 words or more - please use a block quotation. The

quoted text must start on its own line. (How to do this is explained in the
“In-text citations, quotations, and plagiarism” YouTube video posted on
page 3.

- Example of a “block quote” for direct quotes:

American Psychological Association. (2020). Student Paper Setup Guide, APA Style 7th Edition. Apastyle.Apa.Org.
https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/student-paper-setup-guide.pdf

• Guidelines for block quotations:

- They should be offset from the main text and do not include quotation marks.
- Introduce the block quote on a new line and indent the entire quote .5 inch on the
left- and right-hand side.
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- If your block quote consists of two or more paragraphs, indent the

additional paragraph an additional .5 inch.
- The block quote should be double spaced.
- Block quotes can be cited in either a narrative or parenthetical form.
- The citation information at the end is not considered part of the sentence and
comes after the period.
- Use p. for a single page number (Example: p. 15) and pp. for multiple page
numbers (Example: pp. 125-126).
- If citing a source without page numbers, cite the paragraph number (Example: para.
4) or other identifying information (Example: Slide 7, Table 2, Results section).

Hamersly University. (2020, August 25). APA Style Guide 7th Edition. Western Oregon University.
https://research.wou.edu/c.php?g=1046948&p=7596963
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6 How to reference different sources:

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7 Reference list:
- The reference list will appear after you have completed the assignment
- The title “References” must appear at the top, in bold and centered.
- When constructing your reference list, please use the hanging indent (this is
explained in the “Reference Lists” YouTube video.)
- Order your reference list alphabetically
- First, list the author, followed by the date, followed by the name of the work, and
then followed by where you can find the work.
- Indent second and subsequent lines of each entry.
- Example:

Streefkerk, R. (2020, November 4). APA Reference Page [Screenshot]. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-reference-

page/
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8 APA website link with detailed examples on ow to reference various sources:

Please visit the American Psychological Association (APA) website for detailed
examples:
https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples

9 A little extra help

Please use this website to help you with referencing. This website helps you by
automatically generating your sources for you according to APA 7. It comes in very handy
for when you are unsure about how to reference a source you used.
https://www.scribbr.com/apa-citation-generator/

10 Additional referencing video links:

Please take some time to familiarise yourself with the following information:

• Direct quotes in APA style:

https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/direct-quotes/

• Writing for academic integrity:

https://sites.google.com/a/unisacommscience.co.za/writing-for-academic-integrity/home

• APA Reference examples:

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples

• APA Style 7th Edition In-Text Citations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h66Oh-uYO2E

• APA style – Quoting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=do921cAEL6o

• APA style – Citations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rDSQmO0Skw
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11 Copy of the Academic Honestly Declaration:

A copy of the academic honesty declaration MUST be included on the last page of assignment 2, 4 and
6.

PLAGIARISM DECLARATION

1. I know that plagiarism means taking and using the ideas, writings, works or inventions of another as if they were one’s
own. I know that plagiarism not only includes verbatim copying, but also the extensive use of another person’s ideas without
proper acknowledgement (which includes the proper use of quotation marks). I know that plagiarism covers the use of
material found in textual sources and from the Internet.

2. I acknowledge and understand that plagiarism is wrong.

3. I understand that my research proposal must be accurately referenced.

4. This research proposal is my own work. I acknowledge that copying someone else’s research, or part of it, is wrong, and
that submitting identical work to others constitutes a form of plagiarism.

5. I have not allowed, nor will I in the future allow, anyone to copy my work with the intention of passing it off as their own
work.

6. I confirm that I have read and understood UNISA’s Policy for Copyright and Plagiarism -
https://www.unisa.ac.za/sites/corporate/default/Apply-for-admission/Master%27s-&-doctoral-degrees/Policies,-
procedures-&-forms

Name……………………………………………… Student No: ...........................................