1. Use proper, current APA format for every element of the paper. Be sure to include the
APA-formatted cover page, abstract, and reference page. Refer to your APA manual
for help.
2. Write in first person—this is allowed due to the personal nature of the assignment.
3. To facilitate the instructor’s grading of these assignments, you must have major
headings for Step 1, Step 2, and Step 3. Additionally, under the major headings, you
must have subheadings as you see fit for the outlined instructions.
4. The exact number of paragraphs that you include in each section is your decision;
your instructor will not be grading you on how many paragraphs you used per
section, but rather the extent to which you specifically addressed each of the areas
above.
5. The 8–10 required pages do not include the title page, abstract page, or reference
page. Those must be counted as additional pages.
6. Be sure to double-space, using Times New Roman 12-point font only, use 1-inch
margins, and avoid bold font (except for headlines, per current APA format),
underlining, and contractions.
7. The reference page must include a minimum of the 5 following references in current
APA format (all sources must be evident within the paper):
 The approved article for research
 Both of the course textbook(s)
 2 other scholarly sources from a peer-reviewed journal