APA Manuscript Paper
Generate a paper of exactly 3 double-spaced pages written in 12-point font (including title and
reference pages. DO NOT include an abstract) that displays your grasp of: (1) appropriate use of
the APA Publication Manual, (2) proper spelling, grammar, and mechanics, and (3) synthesis of
research. Your paper should be centered on the topic you are exploring for your review of
literature assignment and the content generated here may be used for that assignment later in the
course.
1. Locate three research publications drawn evenly across a selection of recent
communication journals (these publications can also be used in your annotated
bibliography assignment and your final paper). You will want to find articles that have
some logical relationship. While you are examining research that utilizes a particular
theory in communication, there needs to be a topical connection between studies. For
example, while you may be looking at research that uses social penetration theory, the
articles you choose might topically focus on self-disclosure in romantic relationships, or
self-disclosure through computer mediated communication. If the only connection
between your articles is the theory, you will not be able to effectively synthesize which is
the goal of both this short essay and the review of literature. Make sure that you are
examining a topic that is thematically present in each of the articles you choose.
2. Prepare a one-page (MINIMUM & MAXIMUM) paper in which you provide a brief
introduction with attention getter, thesis statement, and preview of literature. Please
underline your thesis statement.
3. Provide a synthesis of the 3 publications. A synthesis is not a listing of sources, but a
linking of concepts or components from different sources to form a cohesive result. For
example:
Given the amount of hours Americans work per week, it is little surprise that
stress and burnout are major problems not only for employees, but for their employers
as well. And the growth in the stress and burnout literature attests to the destructive
dimensions of organizational life (Tracy, 2009). Although stress and burnout are two
distinct processes and products, the two concepts are frequently studied in tandem,
with the assumption that that occupational stressors (such as emotional work or labor)
can lead to burnout. Overall, healthcare is a field with substantial emotional demands
and occupational stresses. And yet, while studies often acknowledge the emotional
labor required of nurses in general (James, 1992), disagreement exists as to whether
hospice nursing is more or less stressful than that of other nurses (Payne, 2001).
4. Demonstrate your proficiency of APA citation methods. In your paper, you must
correctly utilize at least one of each of the following: a leading citation (“According to
Jones (2010)…”), a trailing citation, and a direct quote. Utilizing the example above:
Given the amount of hours Americans work per week, it is little surprise that
stress and burnout are major problems not only for employees, but for their employers
as well. As Tracy (2009) noted, the growth in the stress and burnout literature attests
to the destructive dimensions of organizational life. Although stress and burnout are
two distinct processes and products, the two concepts are frequently studied in
tandem, with the assumption that that occupational stressors (such as emotional work
or labor) can lead to burnout. Overall, healthcare is a field with substantial emotional
demands and occupational stresses. Studies have acknowledged that the “emotional
labor required of nursing professionals is substantial” (James, 1992, p.86). Yet,
disagreement exists as to whether hospice nursing is more or less stressful than that of
other nurses (Payne, 2001).
5. Format your paper in accordance with the APA Publication Manual. This includes:
correctly formatting the title page, correctly formatting the running head, including an
error-free reference list, and conforming to APA conventions for style/language use (DO
NOT include an abstract. First line of paragraphs should be indented, do not justify
margins, and eliminate any extra line between paragraphs (depending on your Word
setting, you may need to manually adjust this).
6. Avoid errors in spelling, grammar, mechanics, word use, punctuation, etc. These are
costly.
Grading rubric (55 pts):
0 – 10pts = Cover page correctly formatted
0 – 5 pts = Introductory paragraph with thesis underlined
0 – 20 pts = Studies synthesized and exhibit each of the 3 citation styles (leading, trailing, and
direct quote) with no errors. Including quality of writing (meaning it is concise and
free of stylistic errors)
0 – 20 pts = Reference page properly formatted with no errors
ALL 3 ARTICLES MUST BE FROM JOURNALS PUBLISHED IN THE DISCIPLINE OF
COMMUNICAITON (-5 per article not published in a communication jou
