As you work on Project III, please keep in mind the following key pieces of information:

(1) With regards to 1st person ("I," "me," "us," or "we"): use of 1st person is allowed in the introduction (my initial research question was...) and the conclusion (future improvements I can make are...). However, do NOT use 1st person in either the methods & materials section (no I did this...) or the results section (no I saw this...). There are exceptions, of course, but this a general rule.

(2) Remember that I will be looking for passive voice in the methods & materials section (notes were taken by the observer in a spiral bound notebook) and in the results section (a latte was purchased by Subject A). You do not need to attempt to use passive voice in the introduction, discussion, or conclusion.

(3) If you are including visuals in your lab report, please make sure that your visuals are the "right size" -- namely, that they are not so small that they are not legible, but also that they are not so big that they take up 1/2 of the page.
Also, if you are using a visual, please remember that this visual must be labeled with both a label (i.e. Figure 1) and a title (i.e. Beverage Orders by Starbucks Patrons). Both of these pieces of information must be on separate lines and must be flush with the left margin. Also, the title must be italicized. (This is a new piece of information.)

(4) The Number Rule is also different in APA. According to the style guide, numbers should be written out (1) when they occur at the start of a sentence (although this should be avoided) and (2) when common fractions are used (i.e. one half, two thirds). All other numbers may be written as Arabic numerals.

(5) If you are describing the race/ethnicity of the people in your observations, remember to be as objective as possible. Do not use adjectives like white, black, or Oriental. Instead, use "Caucasian," "African American," or "of Indian/Asian descent."

(6) Every time you mention a specific time, you must specify whether it is a.m. or p.m.. Note also that a.m. and p.m. are spelled with periods (as they are technically abbreviations) and not as "am" or "pm." Also, phrases indicating time are usually set off by a comma: At 1:53 p.m., a latte was purchased.


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