When you paste a URL or web address into Microsoft Word Word will format the pasted text as a hyperlink. Sometimes this is very helpful but in an academic paper in APA style or MLA style you don’t want this to happen. Your URL should just be plain text.
You can tell when Word formats a URL has a hyperlink because the text turns blue and becomes underlined.
To remove the hyperlink just right click the link and select “Remove Hyperlink.”
When you are considering how to write a research paper, one of the things to ask yourself is what you are trying to achieve with it, which will govern whether you use the analytical or the argumentative style.
The purpose of the analytical approach is to define, explain, and interpret information such as an event, book, poem, play, work of art, or even a person. You will use this approach to answer a particular question objectively. It requires that you approach the subject with no pre-conceived conclusions.
When writing a paper using the argumentative approach, also sometimes known as the persuasive approach, you make a statement proposing only one side of an argument. It is an attempt to convince your reader of the validity of your opinion as opposed to others, through evaluation and persuasion.
If you are taking the analytical approach to write a research paper, you will need to assemble data from reliable sources, which you cite by paraphrasing. You must have a genuine knowledge of the subject if you select the analytical approach as it is meant to make use of your research to provide an objective picture of the data that is available on the subject. This enables you to present a conclusion based on all available information, not just your opinion. Once you have achieved familiarity with the topic, you will be able to restructure and relocate the concepts that underlie the basic topic in your paper. When writing your analytical paper, remember to use the present tense, avoid the first person, as well as the use of contractions.
When constructing an argumentative paper, you aim to create a thesis that presents your opinion of why the reader should only consider one particular side of an argument. To do this, you must investigate your topic thoroughly and evaluate the evidence you discover in your research to be able to establish a position on the topic. You must then support your position by providing credible and trustworthy sources from previously published materials. In persuading your readers to your point of view, you may need to produce empirical research results by collecting data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments.
Your resulting paper will demonstrate your ability to counter any arguments to the contrary to your stated chosen position using reliable data and sound reasoning. Be sure to use good transitional words and phrases when moving between arguments to demonstrate your logical progression of thought.
As mentioned earlier, you will need to cite references to demonstrate a strong analysis or argument for your paper. When you refer to works by other authors, it is essential that you cite them accurately so your reader can validate the references. The citation style will vary based upon the writing format given to you by your professor, whether APA, MLA, or another.
To ensure that you do not lose points for formatting errors, you can use formatting software for accuracy. By using the proper software, you can save time during the editing process, and this will allow you to focus your attention on what matters most, the content.
David Plaut is the founder of Reference Point Software (RPS). RPS offers a complete suite of easy-to-use formatting template products featuring MLA and APA style templates, freeing up time to focus on substance while ensuring formatting accuracy. 
Reference Point Software is not associated with, endorsed by, or affiliated with the American Psychological Association (APA) or with the Modern Language Association (MLA).
Need to double check a DOI (Digital Object Identifier)? Just visit http://www.crossref.org/ and paste in a DOI.
Need to turn a DOI into a URL? Just put http://dx.doi.org/ in front of the DOI.
There are no specific instructions in the APA Publication Manual for how to format an annotated bibliography which is basically a reference list with your comments describing each reference.
Here is how to create an annotated bibliography using Reference Point Software’s Templates and Microsoft Word.
If using this method it is extremely important that you don’t add any new references because Word will sort the list including sorting the annotations which is not what you want to happen. If you do need to add a new reference after typing your annotations then do this:
An alternate way to create the annotated bibliography
The advantage of this method is that you don’t have to worry about Word sorting your annotations.
The disadvantage is that you are responsible for entering the references in the correct order.
One other thing you will notice, the paragraph you are typing might be indented like an APA-style reference. If you don’t want it formatted that way you will have to manually change the indentation on the Paragraph section of the Home tab on Word’s Ribbon.
There is a little down arrow at the far right lower edge. Click that to open the paragraph settings and change the hanging indent to a First Line indent.
Alternatively, you can change the style of the paragraph if you know how to change styles in Word.
If you thought you would be able to get through college without much writing, you may find yourself asking, ΓÇ£IsnΓÇÖt writing a research paper enough?ΓÇ¥ No. In many cases, you will need to write a research paper proposal before you write your actual paper. Ultimately, your professors will grade your final paper on your ability to interpret and intelligently discuss your topic and be able backup your findings with solid evidence. To be able to achieve this goal, you need to provide evidence that you are on the right path with a well thought out research paper proposal.
Below is a research paper proposal template for you to use. You will need to fill your information into the [ ] brackets where I have instructions and tips for you. Keep in mind that your professor may have some different requirements based upon their preferences. However, the following fields should suffice for most of your needs.
Date: [Add in the date you submit the proposal.]
To: [Add in your professorΓÇÖs name.]
From: [Add in your name and your email address.]
Subject of my paper: [Provide the broad topic for your paper.]
My Major and why writing about this topic will be beneficial to me: Write why you are specifically interested in this topic and how it will benefit advancing your education. As I stated in another post, ΓÇ£Steps to Writing a Winning Term Paper Using Reference SoftwareΓÇ¥ you must have an active interest in your subject (amongst other things) otherwise you will struggle writing your paper and your statements will lack conviction.
My thesis: Keep in mind that your thesis should only be a sentence or two long and it is an answer to a specific relevant question; it isnΓÇÖt a question. Often your thesis will be more effective if it answers a how or why question instead of a who, what, when or where query.
Approach to the subject of my paper: There are several ways you can present material in your paper in support of your thesis statement. Will you have to define certain terms? Will you include anecdotal evidence? Will you include opposing views and comparing and contrasting them to your views? You want to think of a logical, orderly fashion in which you will lay out your research paper so it transitions well from thesis to conclusion. Your choice of target audience should influence your approach.
Intended audience: Selecting a specific intended audience will define the level of education and biases of your readers. It will alter the information you include in your research paper and how you present your viewpoints. When selecting an audience, target a demographic that has your level of education, but doesnΓÇÖt necessarily have your background or major. While organizing your thoughts, think to yourself, ΓÇ£What do I need to explain to this audience to help them understand this topic?ΓÇ¥
Graphs or charts: Graphs and charts are a way to visually support your written analysis and data. They are not intended to be filler to help you reach your page count requirement. Most professors do not count them towards meeting that goal. Make sure you cite your charts and graphs from other sources using the proper formatting style.
Documentation Style: Your professor will usually assign the APA, MLA or other formatting style to you. If you are unsure what style you should be using, ask them. If they donΓÇÖt assign a style, the type of class you are preparing your research paper for usually will. DonΓÇÖt forget; when itΓÇÖs time to write your paper, there are MLA and APA format software products that can greatly diminish your time formatting the document.
Kinds of sources I will use and why they will benefit my paper: Professors like to see a balanced approach to selecting types of sources for your paper. If you are struggling finding good sources for your research paper while creating your proposal, itΓÇÖs a good indication you should pick another topic. When you state the types of sources you will be using, include how these sources will strengthen your paper.
Tentative List of References: Your professor will often give you a minimum number of references for you to include as a tentative list of references for your research paper proposal. This will be higher than the actual number of references you include in your final paper since you likely will not use all of those on your tentative list. Your professor wants to see if you know how to select appropriate sources within your field. Check with your professor if you need to get their approval to use sources in your final paper that you did not include on your tentative list.
David Plaut is the founder of Reference Point Software (RPS). RPS offers a complete suite of easy-to-use formatting template products featuring MLA and APA style templates, freeing up time to focus on substance while ensuring formatting accuracy. For more information, log onto http://www.referencepointsoftware.com/ or write to:
info @ referencepointsoftware.com
Reference Point Software is not associated with, endorsed by, or affiliated with the American Psychological Association (APA) or with the Modern Language Association (MLA).
Quick ways to select entire paragraphs in Word:
When typing your paper you may need to use a hyphen. One problem you might encounter is that Word will want to wrap part of the phrase to the next line when it sees a hyphen near the right margin.
For example, you might be writing: “Typing APA Style papers is an anxiety-producing experience.”
To prevent Word from wrapping the line at the hyphen type a non-breaking hyphen like this:
If you paste an Excel table to a document with APA or MLA-style margins, it is very likely that the table will get scrambled because it does not fit within Word’s margins.
To get around this:
Not only will your table fit and look exactly like it did in Excel, but you can also even re-size it as needed by grabbing a corner and dragging.
Microsoft Word is a very helpful tool for typing papers and other school work. However, Word can sometimes be too helpful, especially when typing papers in APA style.
For example, when you paste text or charts, Word attempts to maintain the formatting of the original source. This is usually exactly what you want. However, in an APA-style document, maintaining the formatting of your document is more important than bringing in the formatting from another source.
If you paste something from the Internet, Word will attempt to maintain the formatting that was present on the web site from which you copied the information. This is unlikely to match APA style, and you may wind up with a different typeface or font size, different colors and even different margins.
A less obvious, but more common problem is when you are working with another student and combining documents via copy and paste. If the other student’s document does not have the same formatting as your document, Word will attempt to maintain the formatting from the source, thus changing your document.
There is a special paste feature in Word called “Paste Special” that gives you almost total control over the formatting of pasted text and charts. When you use “Paste Special” you can tell Word to apply the formatting in your document to the pasted item rather than using the formatting from the source.
To use this feature in Word 2003 or earlier
In Word 2007 or later,
See also: pasting charts and tables.