APA Paper Formatting - Anyone using commercial templates?

Nursing Students Post Graduate

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There are several commercial templates aavailable to format APA type papaers and I'm looking for recommendations. Anyone use one and can recommend as outstanding?

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

Tried to use a buddy's APA software several terms ago. Wouldn't load correctly.

Ended up formatting everything myself. After did that, I kept using my model. No probs at all.

Recommend the APA manual ($20 or so).

Do it once and you're done!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

I use Reference Point and I'd rate it as good, but not necessarily outstanding as I don't have anything to compare it to. It does the job for me. I especially like having the references formatted for me without a headache.

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Tried to use a buddy's APA software several terms ago. Wouldn't load correctly.

Ended up formatting everything myself. After did that, I kept using my model. No probs at all.

Recommend the APA manual ($20 or so).

Do it once and you're done!

I did the same. We have so many papers to write - the manual is essential - there are rules for everything. It is not too hard to format your processor for the basic template and go from there.

Also, by having the manual, if there is a question about how you did your paper, you have documentation to back it up.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I just finished my BSN/MSN and was very frustrated with how each instructor interpreted APA. (Don't even get me started - lol). However, our instructors would provide us with a sample copy of their version of the APA style and then I followed that and did fine.

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.
I just finished my BSN/MSN and was very frustrated with how each instructor interpreted APA. (Don't even get me started - lol). However, our instructors would provide us with a sample copy of their version of the APA style and then I followed that and did fine.

I agree. Our instructors don't seem to ever agree on what is right...one instructor will tell me to do it one way and another will grade it and mark what the other instructor said wrong! Sigh...

Just a tip...DONT buy the little green spiral bound APA book...it is awful..there is a larger red and black book that is much much better!

get this one

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Fifth Edition

by American Psychological Association

Paperback

List Price: $26.95

ISBN: 1557987912

dont get the smaller green and black version....

I also found a few great websites that help with formatting your papers in word...ie..getting those pesky running heads and what not positioned right on your title page...

I have also heard of people using software that does everything for you automatically but its a bit pricey...there was a thread on here not long ago about it but after I checked it out I found out that they wanted over 200$ for the software...sounded great but im poor so I have to do it by hand:(

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Specializes in Neuro, Critical Care.
I use Reference Point and I'd rate it as good, but not necessarily outstanding as I don't have anything to compare it to. It does the job for me. I especially like having the references formatted for me without a headache.

Is this software that you purchased? Or is it a website? I write so many papers that having some software to help me out sounds like a dream:)

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Specializes in ICU/CCU/MICU/SICU/CTICU.

I use the PERRLA program. It was $24.95, formatted with 5th ed APA rules. It makes out my cover page, and reference page. When you quote something, you insert the quote, then fill in the blanks that it asks for. It does everything else for you.

I also have the 5th ed APA manual. But the program is much easier.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.

That reminds me: PERRLA is the program I referred to in my prior post. Wasn't compatible with my version of MS Word (2002?).

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I was looking at some of these. Don't really want to learn another way to format and write papers. Rather focus on content of writing and other studies.

http://www.charm.net/~rps/index.htm

http://thewritedirection.net/drpaper/dp-home.asp

http://www.styleease.com/APAMain.htm

http://www.apastyle.org/stylehelper/ver5/

May try the syleease demo version first but would love to hear about any of these from others.

Hey Tweety, does reference point do more than reference formatting?

Mike

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Does PERRLA do more than cover and reference page?

I use the PERRLA program. It was $24.95, formatted with 5th ed APA rules. It makes out my cover page, and reference page. When you quote something, you insert the quote, then fill in the blanks that it asks for. It does everything else for you.

I also have the 5th ed APA manual. But the program is much easier.

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

http://www.refpt.net/index.htm

Here's the website I downloaded the program from. My spouse used it to get his Masters in Health Care Administration and loved it.

It does more than reference, it sets up the title page, etc. I'm it does more than what I've used it for when when I start a paper it asks if I'm doing a simple or complex paper. But just having it do the reference page is a Godsend to me.

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