Guidance on Preparing an Independent Article Report First and foremost, an independent article report (IAR) is not a book report. As such, students should avoid providing a simple summary of their selected article. Providing a simple summary of the article will result in a “0” grade for the assignment. Each IAR should be prepared with standard word processing software (e.g., Microsoft Word, Apache Open Office, Corel WordPerfect, Google Docs) and adhere to standard APA formatting guidelines as described below. A clear and concise, yet potent writing style will be necessary to score well on the IARs. Approximately one page of each IAR should provide some background on the article with the remaining four pages emphasizing the student’s analysis of the article. Each IAR should be presented in APA format including an APA-formatted cover page (you do not need to include an abstract page) and the full five-page report itself. The sixth or seventh edition of the APA Style Guide is acceptable for this assignment. In addition, students must include a References page indicating the citation for the chosen article and any other sources referenced in the paper. As per approved APA guidelines, the IAR should be written in a sans serif font or a serif font including 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode. In addition, APA guidelines require a one-inch margins on all sides of each page. IARs must be double-spaced and, as per APA guidelines, no additional spacing is permitted before or after any paragraph lines. When a student’s IAR is due, the report must be submitted via eCampus. Late reports will be subject to grade reductions for each day, week, or partial week that the report is overdue. When students are preparing their IARs, the following points should guide their thoughts: 1. What is the theme of the article from your point of view? 2. How does this article relate to business ethics? 3. Which of the four ethical theories discussed in class in Unit 1 is found within the article? a. Students should reference theories from the class lectures and eCampus readings in this section. 4. What is your personal reaction to the article? 5. What would you have done if you were in a management or leadership position in the situation presented in the article? In applying these guiding questions, students may consider breaking their IARs into the following headings: • Theme of the Article • Relationship to Business Ethics • The Theories of Business Ethics Mentioned • Reaction to the Article’s Content • How I Would Address the Issue  You should avoid using conversational jargon when writing the IAR and when writing any academic or professional paper. Below are some examples of what to avoid noted in red. Instead, you should consider writing the words noted in green. At the end of the day, the business made the right decision by firing its CEO. At the conclusion of the analysis, the business made the right decision by firing its CEO. Nowadays, people are more concerned about the environment. In today's market, people are more concerned about the environment. That being said, the money should not be distributed as proposed. Therefore, the money should not be distributed as proposed. The employees hosted a meeting to touch base on the issue at hand. The employees hosted a meeting to discuss the issue at hand. What is the proper use of possessive apostrophes for this paper? Singular form of possessive apostrophe:  The student's book was in their desk.  This is an example with a single student and a single book.  Notice that the possessive apostrophe is inside of the s at the end of student's. Plural form of possessive apostrophe:  The students' books were in their lockers.  This is an example with multiple students with multiple books.  Notice that the possessive apostrophe is outside of the s at the end of students'. What are the basic formatting parameters of the assignment? While you can find all of the requirements in the Syllabus, here are the basic items to remember: