10 Takeaways from Dr. Smudde's AP Style Workshop

Illinois State University’s Public Relations Student Society of America’s Faculty Adviser, Dr. Peter Smudde, gave an informative presentation to our Chapter about tips and tricks for using Associated Press Style and American Physiological Association Style. Dr. Smudde stressed the importance of learning AP and APA style as students in order to prepare for future careers in public relations and communications.

Here are 10 takeaways from his presentation:

1. Bookmark sections you use often (such as states, titles, times). This makes them quicker and easier to find when you’re in a rush.
2. Consider buying a new edition of the AP Style manual every two years, or download the online version on your device in order to get the latest updates.
3. “Write to express, not to impress.” 
4. Names of well-known cities (such as Chicago) can stand alone and do not require the name of the state.
5. Good writing should be compelling, insightful, clear, concise and accurate, and it takes a lot of hard work.
6. For APA Style: Memorize the difference between sources and whether that source comes from a book or an article.
7. Spell out numbers one through nine. Use numerals for numbers 10 and greater.
8. The American Physiological Association (APA) Style is the standard for the communication field for academic and scholarly writing.
9. Proper titles should be capitalized when they introduce a name (for example, PRSSA President Hailey Lanier).
10. Practice, practice, practice! The only way to get better at writing in these styles is to practice often and become familiar with your guides.


By Lisa Crocco