How to Properly Construct an Initial Discussion: APA 7th Edition

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There is great importance in how a substantive initial discussion is developed. How a paragraph is structured will make the difference in meeting the academic standard for this course. The format for a substantive initial discussion begins with APA 7th edition, as adapted by Saint Leo University in the Summer of 2020. The APA 7th edition format is a simple methodology of how to deliver or present findings resulting from conducting scholarly research. The entire concept for the APA 7th edition format is a book, offered along with textbooks as an accompaniment to aid in the forming of paragraphs in a structured writing setting. Students who embrace this practice for structuring the paragraph will hone and sharpen presentation skills for writing in this course and earn maximum points on assignments (Dr. Thurman-Newby, 2022).

The paragraph itself, according to APA 7th edition, should be indented five (5) spaces. The paragraph length should be between six and eight (3-6) lines per paragraph and each paragraph should have a citation at the end. The citation at the end of the paragraph supports the paragraph while crediting the source of the information. Three to six (3-6) lines are substantive. Please note the citation in parentheses with the punctuation after the last parentheses. Two or three (2-3), paragraphs properly structured, using the APA 7th edition format is a well-developed initial discussion. Each paragraph should easily Segway to the next paragraph. This means the Segway connects the reader with the first paragraph which introduces the topic, while the second paragraph analyzes the discussion topic, and the third paragraph closes or concludes the discussion (Dr. Thurman-Newby, 2022).

Lastly, a good substantive initial discussion with properly formatted paragraphs will have a reference list. A reference list, not a “work cited” not a resource list, a reference list comprised of the citations used. All substantive initial discussions for this course require a minimum of four (4) references. One of the references required can be the textbook. Other references should be gleaned from a reliable source such as the Saint Leo University Library. The Saint Leo Library has tens of thousands of relevant articles and journals to choose from. References should not be retrieved from websites or Wikipedia. The best approach is to access the library from this digital platform. All references and citations must have a publication date. Readers may note the format for this discussion is both substantive and properly formatted by APA 7th edition, as adapted by Saint Leo University in the Summer of 2020 (Dr. Thurman-Newby, 2022).