Writing a scientific research paper requires following the American Psychological Association (APA) format and style guidelines. This includes specific formatting like font type, font size, spacing, margins, and headers as well as in-text citations and references list formatting. Following are the key elements to include in an APA format paper as outlined in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
The starting point of any APA formatted paper is the title page. The title page should contain a running head, page number, title of the paper, name of the author, and affiliation. According to APA format, the title of the paper is centered and written in title case (capitalizing important words) and contains no more than 12 words. The author’s name and school or institutional affiliation are centered and single spaced below the title. A running head with page number is flushed left in the header on every page of the paper in APA format. The running head should contain fewer than 50 characters including punctuation and spacing, and the page number is flushed right.
After the title page, APA format structure requires an abstract page. The abstract is a brief yet comprehensive summary of the key elements of the entire paper, typically ranging between 150-250 words. The abstract contains the purpose of the study, methods, results, and conclusions in one paragraph that is presented in blocked format (without paragraph indentation). Like the title page, the word “Abstract” is centered at the top without formatting.
The body of the paper follows next and starts with a introduction section. The introduction should clearly state the purpose and significance of the research being presented, providing background information that leads to the specific question being addressed. Hypotheses and definitions of key terms must be clearly stated. APA recommends the introduction be between 1-3 paragraphs.
Methodology and results sections follow to describe the specific design and process of the research study. The methodology section provides full disclosure details on subjects, apparatus and materials, procedures, and analyses conducted. All variables must be operationally defined in APA style. Statistical analyses and outcomes are reported objectively without interpretation in the results section. Visual depictions of data through tables and figures are preferable to lengthy paragraphs of text when appropriate and effective in APA format.
The final discussion section interprets the meaning and importance of the results in context of the original question or hypothesis posed. The discussion references related research and compares its findings to previous studies to establish validity. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are also included in the discussion section as part of APA format.
Throughout the body of the paper, sources are cited inline using the author-date method. For example, (Smith, 2020). Direct quotes also require a page number. For example, (Jones et al., 2019, p. 42). If sources have 3 or more authors, cite all authors the first time then use et al. in subsequent citations. Visual depictions also have captions and are numbered sequentially (e.g. Figure 1). At the end of the paper, references are listed alphabetically by author’s last name in APA format. All sources cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and vice versa, to ensure credibility and avoid plagiarism.
The concluding paragraph restates the main findings of the study without introducing new ideas and considers the implications and applications of the results. Recommendations for future research build upon limitations to extend understanding. In total, APA formatted papers require clear, concise writing using the active voice and avoiding first person “I/we” whenever possible. Strict adherence to APA style guidelines establishes credibility and professionalism essential for scientific research communication. Overall, following this general structure and format ensures comprehension and reproducibility for any reader.
The key elements of an APA research paper include a title page, abstract, formal introduction, method, results, discussion, and reference sections along with in-text citations of sources and a references list. Adherence to precise APA formatting of structure, section headings, font, spacing, and styling as well as scholarly voice and appropriate academic language are mandatory for any paper within the social or medical sciences. Mastering APA style demonstrates understanding of scientific research best practice and allows effective dissemination of new findings to others in a consistent manner.