LDR 711A Virginia State University Personal Leadership Development Plan Essay

Write a 1,050- to 1,200-word paper in which you translate your course learning into a personal leadership development plan and explain how your plan aligns with the SPL Model. Your plan should define a strategy for maximizing your leadership effectiveness and include the following components:

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Sample Paper for APA 7th Edition
Your Name
Institution Name
Course Name
Instructor’s Name
Assignment Due Date
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Sample Paper for APA 7th Edition
Begin the paper here. Double space the entire document. Indent the first line by one-tab
key (0.5 inches). University of Phoenix accepts one space after a period. The first paragraph is
the introduction in every paper and does not contain a subheading. Provide a brief overview of
the general topic and end with a preview of the topics discussed in the paper. Unless the paper is
a self-assessment analysis or a reflections paper, never write using first person: I, me, my, mine,
etc. Never write academic papers using second person: you, your, yours, etc. Using editorial
“we” and “our” is not acceptable. For more information on writing style and grammar, review
the APA Manual, Chapter 4.
In-Text Citations
Formatting of in-text citations throughout the paper varies, with options to ensure
readability and writing style. The following sections provide a brief overview of two types of intext citations: narrative and parenthetical. Review the APA Manual, Chapter 8 for more
information regarding the formatting of personal communications, block quotes, secondary
sources, and citing several sources to support a single claim.
Narrative Citations
Narrative citations are citations where the author or authors are listed as part of the
sentence. Alexander and Smith (2019) examined ……… Notice that “and” is used between
authors’ names in narrative citations. Also, always use past tense verbs when associated with a
citation since the source was published prior to the date used in the paper. If three or more
authors are being cited, for example a source written by Thomas, Dickinson, and Harrison, list
the first author and then, use et al. Thomas et al. (2018) stated……..
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Parenthetical Citations
A parenthetical citation is a citation where the writer presents the statement followed by
the citation. The writing process requires ……… (Alexander & Smith, 2019). Notice an
ampersand (&) is used between names in parenthetical citations. A parenthetical citation for
three or more authors requires only the first author’s last name and the addition of et al.
Improvement strategies for writing include….. (Thomas et al., 2018).
The examples shown in the narrative and parenthetical citations sections are paraphrases.
Paraphrases are the writer’s interpretation of an author’s statement. None of the exact words used
by the author should appear in a paraphrase. Direct quotes occur when the writer copies the exact
words used by an author. To properly acknowledge the sentence as a direct quote, quotation
marks must surround the quoted material and a page number or paragraph number (if pages are
not marked) must appear in the citation: Alexander and Smith (2019) stated “.. ………” (p. 423);
or, “The guidelines for writing an academic paper require ………” (Alexander & Smith, 2019,
para. 6). The use of direct quotes in scholarly writing is discouraged as the ability to paraphrase
indicates critical thinking skills.
Headings
Headings identify paragraph topics. The centered heading listed above is classified as a
Level 1 heading. Following the introduction, the body of the paper begins with a Level 1
heading. Level 2 headings are formatted flush left, as shown in the In-Text section above, and
reflect subtopics of the Level 1 heading. Many papers use only Level 1 headings throughout, yet
most papers use a combination of Level 1 and Level 2 headings. More complex topics may
require additional headings. For guidance with headings, consult the APA Manual Chapter 2,
Section 2.27 for examples.
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Conclusion
The final Level 1 heading in every paper is for the conclusion section and eliminates the
need to add “In summary,” or “In conclusion” as the start of the final paragraph. The conclusion
summarizes the key points made in the paper with no new information or analysis. The
conclusion is simply a recap of the most notable information presented in the paper.
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References
[NOTE: References are listed in alphabetical order. All references listed in the reference list
must have an in-text citation from that source in the body of the paper. For additional examples
of reference formatting, see Chapter 10 of the APA Manual]
Journal Article Example
Ainsworth, S., & Purss, A. (2009). Same time, next year? Personnel Review, 38(3), 217-235.
https://doi.org/10.1108/00483480910943304
Authored Book Example
Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2007). Management: Leading and collaborating in a competitive
world (7th ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Chapter in an Edited Book Example
Eatough, V., & Smith, J. (2008). Interpretative phenomenological analysis. In C. Willig & W.
Stainton-Rogers (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research in psychology (pp.
179-195). Sage Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781848607927.n11
Magazine Article Example
Kuttner, R. (2003, September 8). The great American pension-fund robbery. Business Week, 2426. http://www.businessweek.com/
Dissertation Example
Lisbon, E. I. (2010). A study of leadership preferences by generation. (Publication No. 3455137)
[Doctoral dissertation, Our Lady of the Lake University]. ProQuest Dissertations and
Theses Global.
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Webpage on a Website Example
Moore, T. G. (2017, December). Self-compassion may improve resiliency. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/self-compassion
Website Example
World Health Organization (2018, March). Questions and answers on immunization and vaccine
safety. https://www.who.int/mongolia/health-topics/vaccines/faq
Locating DOI Numbers or Links for Journal Articles
Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) is a new system and articles have been, or are in the process, of
being identified with a doi number. As an author, one of your responsibilities is to see if an
article has been assigned a doi number, and if not, then you need to provide a direct link to the
article, instead of providing ‘Retrieved from …..(secured database)’.
Avoid providing a URL to a secured database, such as ProQuest, etc. If individuals interested in
researching one of your references don’t have access to a secured database, then that individual
will not be able to ‘easily’ locate the article.
Sometimes we must hunt a little to find a doi number or a direct link. When you see ‘searchproquest’ in a link, then you know the link is to a secured database, and a database the ‘average’
person will not have access too. Two areas to hunt, which usually lead the way to a viable
option:
Use Crossref Metadata: https://search.crossref.org/?q=
if you click on the link, you will see a search bar; click on the ‘Search Metadata’ tab. Copy/paste,
or type in, the title of the article and hit ‘enter’. If the article you are using has been assigned a doi
number, the article will usually be the first one listed in the results. If your article doesn’t show
up in the search, then that article has not been assigned a doi number yet.
**** You may also want to bookmark this link so you can have easy access to the web page to
look up doi numbers for future articles.
If an article doesn’t have a doi number, please refer to the APA Manual for alternatives. You
must provide an easily accessible link to every journal article.
Paragraphing with the MEAL Plan
M – Main Idea
Every paragraph should have one main idea. If you find that your paragraphs have more than one
main idea, separate your paragraphs so that each has only one main point. The idea behind a
paragraph is to introduce an idea and expand upon it. If you veer off into a new topic, begin a new
paragraph.
E – Evidence or Examples
Your main idea needs support, either in the form of evidence that buttresses your argument or
examples that explain your idea. If you don’t have any evidence or examples to support your main
idea, your idea may not be strong enough to warrant a complete paragraph. In this case, reevaluate your idea and see whether you need even to keep it in the paper.
A – Analysis
Analysis is the heart of academic writing. While your readers want to see evidence or examples
of your idea, the real “meat” of your idea is your interpretation of your evidence or examples:
how you break them apart, compare them to other ideas, use them to build a persuasive case,
demonstrate their strengths or weaknesses, and so on. Analysis is especially important if your
evidence (E) is a quote from another author. Always follow a quote with your analysis of the
quote, demonstrating how that quote helps you to make your case. If you let a quote stand on its
own, then the author of that quote will have a stronger voice in your paragraph (and maybe even
your paper) than you will.
L – Link
Links help your reader to see how your paragraphs fit together. When you end a paragraph, try to
link it to something else in your paper, such as your thesis or argument, the previous paragraph or
main idea, or the following paragraph. Creating links will help your reader understand the logic and
organization of your paper, as well as the logic and organization of your argument or main points.
Reference
Duke University (2006). Paragraphing: The MEAL plan. Retrieved from https://twp.duke.edu/uploads/assets/meal_plan.pdf
Supporters and opponents of the death penalty have justified their beliefs on several
grounds. Supporters, for instance, argued the death penalty is the ultimate specific deterrent
as someone who is put to death will never be able to murder again (Pataki, 1997). The threat
of being put to death for an offense may also act as a general deterrent, promoting a safer
community (van den Haag & Conrad, 1983). Further, Fein (1993) argued the death penalty
provides retribution, answers individual and societal needs to punish offenders, and the death
penalty is cheaper than life imprisonment. Based on these arguments, supporters believe the
justice system has a duty to impose the death penalty on certain offenders (van den Haag &
Conrad, 1983).
M
Supporters and opponents of the death penalty have justified their
beliefs on several grounds.
E
Supporters, for instance, argue the death penalty is the ultimate
specific deterrent as someone who is put to death will never be able to
murder again (Pataki, 1997).
A
The threat of being put to death for an offense may also act as a
general deterrent, promoting a safer community (van den Haag &
Conrad, 1983).
Further, Fein (1993) argued the death penalty provides retribution,
answers individual and societal needs to punish offenders, and the
death penalty is cheaper than life imprisonment.
L
Based on these arguments, supporters believe the justice system has a
duty to impose the death penalty on certain offenders (van den Haag &
Conrad, 1983).