Differences between APA and ICONTEC standards
Academic work is a constant in the life of any student, either during the university career, or in the development of a thesis and a doctorate. In all cases, it is a priority to respect the norms imposed by the main regulatory institutions. These rules change depending on the country we are in and, while in Spain we follow those of the American Psychological Association (APA), in Colombia we follow those of the Colombian Institute of Technical Standards and Certification (ICONTEC). Knowing their differences is essential to carry out the best work and, in this way, ensure that the form goes hand in hand with the quality of the content.
Differences in margins, line spacing and typography
It is possible that if you are studying in Colombia or that, being a resident of this country, you have left for another region and That thing about APA and ICONTEC is turning out to be a real odyssey for you. Do not despair, it is completely normal. So, even though Here you can see all the features from ICONTEC, we want to show you some of the most obvious differences.
Let's start with the basics: the margins. While ICONTEC tells us that they must be 3 cm on all sides, except on the right, which will be 2 cm, the rules Apa indicate that they must be 2.54 cm in all cases. Yes, the first evidence that the APA standards are much simpler than the ICONTEC ones.
As for the font, APA asks that it be in the 'Times New Roman' format and size 12. In the case of the ICONTEC, the size is maintained, but the font changes to Arial type. If we talk about line spacing, APA determines that it should be double and ICONTEC 1.5. Of course, in both cases there should not be a numbering in the lower right corner of the page.
Differences on the cover and the back cover
The cover is another of the headaches for those who are accustomed to the style of APA. Its rules are nothing demanding with the first page of work. In fact, he only asks us to have the title, the author and the institution to which he is presented. On the contrary, ICONTEC goes one step further and has its own margins and line spacing -the same as in the case of the body of the text-.
Secondly, ICONTEC forces us to create a back cover with the same type of content as the cover. A closing to give uniformity to the entire document that, in the case of APA, it is not necessary to present, that is, with a blank page at the end is more than enough to fire the proofreader.
Differences in tables of contents and images
Regarding the tables of contents, we find another of the great differences between the two regulations. The ICONTEC rules require that we include a table in which the title and page of each section of the work is added.. However, the APA standards do not say anything about any table. They only force us to create a short introduction about the work that has been done. Introduction that we also have to present in the case of ICONTEC.
Finally, you can talk about the images. ICONTEC rules that if images are used in the text -something out of the ordinary- it is necessary to document their origin and all the information related to them. The APA rules, on the other hand, do not speak at any time about the use of images.
Conclusions
As you have well observed, the differences between the two types of regulations are not too wide. In fact, They have more similarities than discrepancies. However, all these previously listed nuances must be taken into account when developing any type of academic piece that lies ahead.
That's why, Despite the fact that the ICONTEC rules may be more complex, it is time to familiarize yourself with both regulations. A key learning with which we can carry out authentic wonders during our phase as students or researchers.