FSEHS Format Requirements as They Relate to APA Style for the Applied Dissertation

During the spring of 2002, the Applied Research Center created the Style Guide for the Applied Dissertation. A major effort was made to eliminate format-requirement discrepancies--where possible--between APA rules and Fischler School of Education and Human Services (FSEHS) guidelines. Nevertheless, differences are unavoidable due to the unique nature of the FSEHS applied dissertation. The applied dissertation is a final manuscript. The APA manual is intended mainly for authors submitting articles for publication in APA journals. The manuscripts for submitted articles are edited by the receiving publisher and, eventually, typeset in a periodical.

The FSEHS style guide states clearly that "aspects of form and style not covered in this guide are to be found in the fifth edition" of the APA manual. A comprehensive discussion of the need for universities to establish their own format rules can be found in chapter 6 of the APA manual. (You will find that nearly all universities have created their own form and style guides in addition to requiring the use of texts such as the APA manual.) Many of the APA suggestions for guideline deviations have been incorporated into the FSEHS style guide. The following are examples:

1. The APA requirement for margins is 1 in. on all sides (APA section 5.04). But because the applied dissertation is bound in its final form, the FSEHS requires a left margin of 1.5 in. (as suggested in APA 6.03).

2. APA requires double-spacing for the entire document and specifies that single-spacing should "never" be used (APA 5.04). To improve readability, FSEHS guidelines require single-spacing within reference-list entries (as suggested in APA 6.03).

It is critical to note that an FSEHS requirement takes precedence over an APA rule. A careful study of the style guide and the APA manual, however, will show that few differences exist. A significant portion of the FSEHS style guide is devoted to preliminary pages (front matter) for which there are no APA guidelines. Another sizable portion of the style guide contains restatements of APA rules that students have considerable difficulty in following (e.g., sample and description of the style for a two- or three-level heading format).

We are aware of the challenges that some students experience in regard to the writing and preparation of their manuscripts. To assist students and faculty, a wide range of supplemental resources are available at the Applied Research Center's Web site.