Discussion posts are frequently important forms of class involvement in a virtual learning setting. They present an excellent opportunity to show that you have read the assigned texts and considered them carefully. Therefore, there is a great need to understand how to write them in whatever format.
For example, you might be required to write a discussion post in APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, or any other formatting style. Note that writing one when you don’t have the basic writing and formatting skills will make the task pretty challenging. This article answers pertinent questions regarding how to write a discussion post in APA format. Read on to acquire relevant knowledge on this topic.
How to Write a Discussion Post in APA Format
Similar to how you use APA in other academic essays and papers, it is the same way you employ it in discussion postings. Consider your forum post as a brief APA essay without the cover page. For example, APA rules cover organization and writing, even in a discussion post. They also cover the crediting of other works and basic formatting procedures.
Also see: Does Turnitin check discussion posts?
You must cite one or more works in your post, just like in an academic paper formatted in the APA style. You do this to bolster or clarify your arguments. Additionally, you must include a comprehensive References citation with each in-text citation you use in your discussion post. Remember, your discussion post’s references section will appear at the end of the paper.
Keep in mind that you must write in a formal tone while creating a discussion post in whatever format. This rule applies to the APA formatting style too. You must, for instance, use language acceptable for an academic context and vocabulary pertinent to the subject. In addition, to the greatest of your ability, you should employ standard English syntax and grammar.
Do Discussion Posts Have References?
When generating one, you must reference one or more authorities in your discussion post. Usually, you do this to strengthen or clarify your views. Similarly, you must include a detailed References citation for each in-text citation you use in your discussion board. Remember, you do this regardless of whether you employ APA, MLA, Harvard, or Turabian referencing format.
A parenthetical reference is the first kind of reference. Parenthetical references include the creator’s name(s) and the publication date at the end of paraphrased information.
A narrative reference is a name for the second citation. Here, the year is included in parentheses after the author(s)’ names are included in the text as a component of the sentence.
Should Discussion Posts Be Double-Spaced?
There is no standard requirement that necessitates the use of any specific size of line spacing. However, when writing a discussion post, single spacing is more appropriate. Double-spacing is not provided when writing on a discussion board across many learning platforms, such as Blackboard.
Nevertheless, your reference list should be double-spaced. In addition, it should have a hanging indent for each citation.
How Do You Cite a Class Discussion in APA 7?
In terms of APA, an in-class discussion is similar to an interview or personal discussion because it is not a published work and cannot be recovered by the reader. However, citing any in-class notes or PowerPoint slides used in a discussion in the list of references is necessary.
Note that APA 7 has procedures and rules you should follow when citing a class discussion. If you fail to follow any rule, your discussion post will be incomplete.
You should enclose the resource’s name in [square brackets] in the headline. Similarly, instead of a publisher, you should indicate the institution providing the course in the Source information. Finally, in the website section, you add the primary log-in page for your university’s learning management system rather than the precise webpage of the discussion.
Therefore, when writing the in-text citation from a class discussion in APA 7, it should be similar as follows:
First initial and last name of the instructor. If provided, the second initial. The year the discussion was made. The presentation’s title. The subtitles of [Discussion board post]if any. The name of the institution and the course code.
For example, Samuels, W. (2004, October 4). Nutritional plans for the management of the celiac disease [Discussion board post]. John Hopkins University, BIO 173.
Remember that in APA 7th edition style, your lecture notes are regarded as private correspondence. Although they are cited in the body of your discussion, they are not listed in the References section. Put the citation exactly after a passage from the lecture that was either quoted or rephrased.
Conclusion
So, how do you write a discussion post in APA? After comprehensively reading this article, you gain basic knowledge and skills to help you write an excellent discussion post. When writing one in the APA format, please observe the APA 7 referencing rules. Doing so makes you an excellent student who knows what they are doing in class.