Sponsored Research and Resource Projects
Fall 2025
Workshop Series: Building a Confident and Smooth Transition to APA-Style Writing
Researchers: Amy Nguyen, Department of Psychology, and Eva Chan, EOP Transfer Connect
In our experiences of working with transfer students (i.e., in the classroom and at
advising sessions), we have observed that many transfer students within disciplines
that use APA-style writing feel pressure and unprepared when it comes to writing in
the APA format upon transferring to SJSU. One potential challenge is the transition
from using the MLA format and other writing formats for their prior coursework at
community colleges to using APA-style. This transition can be abrupt and confusing,
especially if transfer students were not exposed to APA-style writing at their prior
institutions.
This four-part workshop series will introduce APA-style writing to transfer students
(starting with the Fall 2025 cohort) in collaboration with the EOP Transfer Connect
program at SJSU. Each session will address a specific topic for APA-style writing
such as how to incorporate in-text citations, formatting reference citations, the
difference between primary and secondary sources, as well as how to synthesize and
analyze research while avoiding plagiarizing. Students will be given a pre- and post-test
to measure the level of confidence in and preparedness for writing in APA style before
and after each workshop. The goal of this research project is to help transfer students
achieve a smooth and confident transition to APA-style writing through engaging and
interactive writing exercises in addition to learning from lessons throughout the
workshop series.
