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Explain why Alex's formatting decision was penalized despite the general rule that final manuscripts can deviate from rigid APA style. What crucial source of authority should Alex have consulted before deciding on the final layout of the paper?
Case context: Alex is writing a research paper for an undergraduate psychology course. Knowing that student papers are a type of final manuscript, Alex decides to embed all statistical tables directly within the body of the text to make the paper easier to read. However, the syllabus for this research methods course states that student papers must be formatted exactly as if they were being submitted to a professional journal for publication. After submitting the paper, Alex is penalized for not placing the tables at the end of the document.
Question: Explain why Alex's formatting decision was penalized despite the general rule that final manuscripts can deviate from rigid APA style. What crucial source of authority should Alex have consulted before deciding on the final layout of the paper?
Sample answer: Although final manuscripts like student papers are generally permitted to deviate from rigid APA style for readability (such as by embedding tables within the text), individual courses or instructors can still require papers to be formatted as if they were being submitted for publication. Alex was penalized because the course syllabus explicitly required journal-submission style formatting. Alex should have consulted the course instructor or the institutional guidelines to determine the specific formatting rules for the assignment.
Key points:
- Final manuscripts are allowed to deviate from strict APA style to improve readability.
- Some courses require student papers to be formatted as if they were being submitted for publication.
- Students must consult instructors or institutional guidelines for specific formatting rules.
Rubric: The response must explain: 1) That while final manuscripts are generally allowed to deviate from strict APA style to improve readability, instructors/courses may still require papers to be formatted for journal submission (2 points); 2) That Alex's course syllabus explicitly required publication-style formatting (1 point); and 3) That students must consult their instructors or institutional guidelines for specific formatting rules before submitting (2 points).
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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU
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