The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide is commonly used for citing sources and formatting articles in the social sciences. For research papers, using APA style correctly is very important to give credibility and demonstrate you have conducted thorough research. This guide will cover the key elements of how to write an APA style research paper including the basic structure, in-text citations, and reference page formatting.
Research papers in APA style typically include four main sections: the title page, abstract, main body, and references. The title page introduces the paper with a running head, page number, title in bold, author name, and institutional affiliation. The abstract provides a brief yet thorough summary of the research as if the reader has not read the full paper. It includes the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions. The abstract is usually no more than 250 words and is written in block format with no indentation.
The main body follows the abstract and contains the bulk of the paper. It is where the research question or hypothesis is discussed. APA recommends using sections and subsections to organize the different parts of the paper. Section titles are centered and written in bold. Subsections can also be used which are centered and in italics. The main sections include an introduction, method, results, and discussion. The introduction summarizes the research topic, provides background information to contextually frame the topic, and states the research question or hypothesis. It is typically only one paragraph.
The method section describes how the study was conducted including the participants, materials, procedures, and measures. Enough details should be provided so that others could replicate the study. The results section objectively presents the findings without interpretations. Results are typically reported using figures, tables, or direct quotes from participants. The discussion section provides greater interpretation and context around the results and their implications. It also discusses limitations of the study and directions for potential future research. All text is double-spaced with 12-point Times New Roman font and one-inch margins.
APA style requires including in-text citations anytime a quote, idea, statistic or other information from an outside source is used. The citations contain the author’s last name and year of publication within parentheses following the information. If the author’s name is mentioned in the text, only the year needs to be in parentheses. For direct quotes, include the page number as well. For example: (Smith, 2020) or As Smith (2020) stated, “blah blah” (p. 5). The reference page is placed at the end of the paper on a new page with the label “References” centered and not bolded or underlined. It lists all sources used in alphabetical order by author’s last name.
Each reference entry is formatted with a hanging indent, meaning the first line of each entry is flush left and subsequent lines are indented. The formatting varies slightly depending on whether the source is a book, journal article, website, or other type of material. Book references include the author, year, title, publisher, and DOI or URL if available. Journal article references include the author, year, article title, journal title, volume and issue number, and page range. Websites include the author, year, page title, website name, and URL. Reference entries are not numbered or bulleted. They follow strict punctuation and structure guidelines for consistency.
Adhering to APA format demonstrates credibility by following the guidelines established by experts. It allows readers to easily find the sources cited for verification and shows the information presented has a basis grounded in empirical research. While APA style can seem complex, especially for less experienced writers, following the basic structural components and citation guidelines outlined here should set you on the right track. Even a draft submitted in proper APA style will stand out compared to one formatted incorrectly. Becoming familiar with APA conventions will serve students well in any discipline requiring academic research and writing. With practice and experience, the format will become more intuitive.
This article provided a comprehensive guide to writing an APA style research paper based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition. It covered the four main sections of a research paper including the formatting of title pages, abstracts, and references. Clear guidelines were presented on incorporating in-text citations and structuring the literature review, method, results, and discussion components. Following APA style demonstrates credibility and professionalism in academic writing. Mastering the style takes practice but provides a foundation for quality research across disciplines.