Читать книгу An EasyGuide to APA Style - Regan A. R. Gurung - Страница 13

As you become familiar with the details of writing in APA Style and format, either through using this book alone or with the PM, you should keep two important points in mind. First, there will be times when you are frustrated by having to learn a “new” format, when MLA, Chicago, or another style was working just fine before. Although it may be frustrating to learn something new, this is a task you will repeat hundreds if not thousands of times throughout your work career. This task is part of being an educated person. New procedures will be implemented, a new type of software will be installed, a new gadget will be invented, a new edition of a publication manual will be written—and your task will be to figure it all out. An inherent love of learning and taking on new challenges is an attitude that will serve you well with your future employers, whoever they may be. So, the ability to learn how to write capably in APA Style demonstrates a competence you have that others may not share; in fact, you might know fellow students who pick classes with the least amount of writing. If you develop a skill in an area others systematically avoid, you inevitably make yourself more marketable.

The ability to pay attention to detail, particularly in regard to APA format, can help separate the good from the great. In fact, in a study by Gardner (2007) on the reasons new collegiate hires get fired, failure to pay attention to details is one of the top reasons reported. If you can handle both the big picture and the minute details simultaneously, that is a gift. These gifts can be developed with practice. Practice may not make perfect, but practice allows one to get better and closer to perfect. You have to study, you have to learn from mistakes, and you have to be willing to make the mistakes to maximize your learning ability; obviously, you need to be willing to attempt the task numerous times to gain these experiences. Paying attention to the details can make the difference between earning an A or a B in a course. You may not like the details or how picky and arbitrary they seem, but knowing the rules (and knowing those occasions when you can break the rules) is invaluable. Plus, as you will read in this book, those seemingly “picky” rules can be very helpful to practicing robust science.

Keep in mind that these rules are not just in place for students learning to write. We have some evidence to support the fact that psychologists (including your professors) must also play by the same rules. Brewer et al. (2001) reported that in a survey of journal editors in psychology, 39% of the editors responding indicated that they had rejected an article submitted for publication solely because the writing did not adhere to APA Style and format. These rules are the same rules scientists play by, and, clearly, the penalties for not following the rules can be harsh for faculty and students alike.