Why APA? >Erica Ellsworth

Two questions I hear quite often in my writing classes are "Why do I have to learn APA?" and "When will I ever use APA again?" These are valid questions and ones I often struggle with myself because, honestly, when will students use APA again outside academia? The simplest and most honest answer I can give is that no, you probably will not use APA ever again. Of course, this leads to the question of "Why do I have to learn APA then?" and this is where I have to show that APA is important.

One thing that is hard to teach or even prove to students is the value of their writing. How do we show students that their writing is valuable and part of a larger body of written work? First, we need to define the "larger body of written work." What is this? How do the projects we assign in our courses add to this nebulas body of work? Each time we write (instructor and student), we share ideas, which is the basis of writing in the first place. Students come to college to learn, which involves understanding what others have written on a subject; but, they are also encouraged to be original thinkers, to share their ideas. It is this originality in thinking and writing where we can encourage students to see that what they produce for their classes is really part of the larger body of knowledge on a subject.

This also relates to how we show students the value of their own writing. The first step in this process is to embrace and accept the experiences that we all bring to the classroom. Writing is a very personal task, even when it is academic and in APA format. Giving experience validity allows students to see that what they have experienced in life is a vital part of their education and writing. Experience becomes the rich details and examples that explain students’ ideas. Details and examples are fundamental to writing, and we have to explain our ideas clearly to be understood.

The second step toward helping students value their writing involves source material. In academic writing, we have to validate our explanations and details with outside sources. Linking ideas and source material shows critical thinking and takes writing from personal, expository writing, to academic, research writing. By showing students how they are becoming researchers and writers in their fields, we show them that their writing is valuable. To become part of this club of writers, however, you have to know the secret handshake – APA. Using source material in writing shows students how to support and substantiate their experiences in a format that is common to an entire learning community. This is a critical link in the writing process, especially academic writing. This step is also the hardest sell in writing – you have to know APA to cite source material properly. Source material is what sets academic and personal writing apart. Showing students how they can link their experiences and ideas to outside sources and write their papers in such a way that is acceptable within a larger learning community reinforces that they are indeed writers and researchers. Furthermore, when we use and cite sources correctly, we are showing other writers that our writing has integrity. Perhaps more importantly, we show that we are aware of the body of knowledge that has been established already and we are contributing to them.

In criminal justice composition, I like to remind students that they bring a wealth of experience from their lives and their work to the classroom. When they choose a topic, I ask them to think about what experience they have with the topic. We spend time prewriting (brainstorming, free writing, field notes, etc.) to link the course topic with their experience. Once students see that they have experience with the topic, I introduce the idea of using outside sources. I ask students to find at least one source that supports their ideas on a topic. I ask them to link their idea to one example. An example would be "juvenile justice + drug rehab." We then talk about how this becomes a key word string, and they use this as their first attempt in researching. When students see that there is a link between their ideas and published material, they start to see the link between their writing and academic writing. Slowly, the idea that they are writers and researchers becomes a reality.

Sometimes, I feel like my students hear "eat your brussel sprouts because they are good for you" when I say it is important to know and use APA. Perhaps APA is a bit like those brussel sprouts. Teaching students to tolerate and even accept APA is one of the steps we have to take to help them become effective writers and communicators. As writers and researchers, this is our legacy to our students.

Erica Ellsworth is and adjunct professor in criminal justice.

Did you know...

Erica taught on Navy ships for four and a half years? While teaching for Navy College, she had to clip a gas mask to her belt and carry an epi pen (they were in the Persian Gulf). She's also been to the Kingdom of Bahrain over twelve times.