SP 26 ENGL 199A

Writing in the Natural Science

4/23/2026

Anqi Zu

Agenda

• Brief Housekeeping
• Mini Recap: Citation Matters
• APA Style Guide - Peer Tutoring Activity
• APA “Quiz”
• Preview Next Tuesday
• Exit Ticket

Housekeeping

• Print (3 copies) relatively completed draft for peer review on Tuesday, 4/22.
• Send it to Anqi if you want me print it for you!!
• Print (3 copies) the letter to the peer reviewer on Tuesday, 4/22
• Participation in peer review = 10 points
• Leave early today if needed

Citation Matters

• Who you cite (and don’t cite) shapes what knowledge is seen as important.
• Academic work often over-cites already powerful groups (e.g., white, male scholars), which keeps their ideas dominant.
• In science research, especially well researched area, it is usually the “big names”
• It helps decide whose voices are heard and remembered in a field.
• Sometimes writers cite just to meet expectations, not to truly engage with ideas.
• Everyone (not just experts) should think critically about citation choices.
• Can I cite a paper written by someone from non-U.S. backgrounds? Can I cite an indigenous scholar? Can I cite a new graduate student?

Citation is not just a technical rule to avoid plagiarism—it’s a meaningful academic and ethical practice that shapes knowledge itself.

Peer Teaching - APA Citation Guides

STEP 1: Briefly go through the whole guide.

STEP 2: Pay attention to your assigned section [Individual]

STEP 3: Write 3 most important key points (with sub-points if needed) for the class to know in next slides.

STEP 4: Share with your peers.

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The Basics

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Most references can be divided into two main categories:

1. journals and other small sources
2. books and other large “container” sources

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Last name, First initial. Middle Initial. (Year). Title of article/source: Title of article/source. Title of container, vol.(no.),page-page. stable URL or DOI

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Last name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

*note where capitals and italics are

Examples: Blog, Book, Chapter, Book Edition:

• Blogs/Websites:
• Last, First initial. (Date/Year (ex: 2013, September 11)). Title of blog. Title of web.
• Citations for books focus on giving credit to the source
• regular book citations require author, year, book title, and publisher, specific parts must be identified
• If a book isn’t the original version you must include the edition and who/how it was changed

Examples: Journal article, Youtube, film:

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• Youtube video

Name of account/person who posted the video. (Date/Year). Title of the video [Video]. Title of website. Link.

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• Journal article

Last name, First initial. Middle initial. Title of article. Title of container (journal in which the work was published), volume number(issue number), page range. DOI/url.

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• Film

Director last name, first initial. (Director). (Year). Film Title [Film]. Production Company..

Notes: points 1 to 8

• References:
• New page
• Alphabetical order - last name of author(s)
• Hanging indents

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• Formatting references DOs:
• Italicize punctuation in title
• Capitalize: first word of title/subtitle; first word after colon/dash; proper nouns

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• Formatting references DON’Ts:
• Period after URL/DOIs
• Italicize punctuation between items
• Italicize and underline title
• Use quotes for title

Notes: points 9 and after

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• Nonstandard Punctuation and Capitalization
• Keep original formatting/punctuation
• Ex. “PhiloSOPHIA” vs. Philosophia
• Missing Information
• Author: Cite the source by title, disregard author
• Date: Use n.d. following authors name
• Ex. Price, M. (n.d.)
• Similar Information
• Author: List the same authors chronologically (early to recent)
• Year: Use letters to signify differences in similar authors
• Ex. Price, M. (2011a)... (2011b)

In text citation, formatt 1-6:

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• Please use author name in in-text citation
• Use et al. for multiple authors or a list format
• Include page number for direct quote if able

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“direct quote” (Sarah, 2026, p.22), “...”

In text citation notes, first 9 points:

• If referring to an idea, use just author and year of publication
• Use “p.” for one page and “pp.” for multiple
• When citing three or more authors, use “et al.”

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Final Notes:

• Double check citation generators!
• You will not remember every rule. Keep a list of resources - Purdue Owl, APA, handout sites, etc.

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• Put [sic] after quoting text with an error. “He went to th [sic] store”
• (text [text])

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Know the difference:

• em dash, en dash, hyphen
• colon vs. semicolon
• e.g. vs. i.e.
• Footnotes vs. endnotes

Paper format for student paper

• We will not use this format in english 199*
• Include a title page
• Heading and page number alignment
• Text style

APA Quiz + APA Ditector Activity

• Listen to Anqi’s prompt. Cover your eyes/drop off your head. Make thumb reactions. Do not think too long!!
• Record your number of correct answers!

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👍

👎

Yes!

No!

Maybe?

Next Tuesday Preview

• Peer review mini-lecture
• 3 - 4 person group peer review (group assigned by the article you review)
• [If time allows] Discuss sample lit review paper, go over lit review assignment instructions

Exit Ticket

• Your name
• What type of peer reviewers are you? [i.e., Not very experienced but sincere; Encouraging; Critical; etc.]
• What type of peer reviewers are you looking for?
• Any questions/concerns/uncertainties you want me to know?