APA Format Research Paper Example 2015
Writing a research paper requires you to demonstrate a strong knowledge base of your topic. Part of demonstrating that knowledge means having solid research skills and knowing how to present your ideas in a structured, logical manner. One of the most common ways to structure academic research papers is with APA format.
In this article, we will present a sample APA format research paper which you can use as a template for writing your own papers. Knowing how to properly format and structure your research paper is key, so by working through this example, you can see how a properly formatted and well-structured paper looks. Let’s dive in!
Sample APA Format Research Paper Example 2015
Title Page:
The title page should have five main components:
The title of the paper
Your name
Your school affiliation
The course name and number
The date of submission
Here is a sample title page in the correct APA format:
Running head: IMPACT OF STUDENT DEBT ON CAREER CHOICE
1
Impact of Student Debt on Career Choice
Your Full Name
John Jay College of Criminal Justice
PSY 101: Intro to Psychology
May 18, 2015
Page Header:
Every page should include a shortened version of your title in the page header flush left at the top of each page. To create a page header in APA style:
Click insert page number
Insert the shortened title in all capital letters with a maximum of 50 characters including spacing
Align flush left
The running head should look like this on subsequent pages:
IMPACT OF STUDENT DEBT ON CAREER CHOICE Page #
Abstract:
The abstract is a brief summary of your paper, usually 150-250 words. It should accurately reflect the content of the paper and highlight key points and conclusions. For example:
In a nutshell, this research examined the relationship between student loan debt and career choice in a sample of 100 college graduates. Survey data found that those with higher debt levels felt significant pressure to pursue high-paying careers in business, law or medicine instead of lower-paying careers they were more interested in, such as teaching or social work. Implications, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.
The key components of the abstract are the problem statement, participants and methodology, results, and conclusions.
2
Introduction:
The introduction should accomplish a few key goals:
Introduce your topic and provide context/background
State your research problem/question clearly
Explain why the topic/problem is important
Define any key terms
Preview your main argument/hypothsis and how your paper is organized
Here is a sample introductory paragraph:
In recent years, student loan debt in the United States has skyrocketed to over $1.2 trillion (Federal Reserve Bank of New York, 2013). For many recent college graduates, paying off student loans is a heavy financial burden that influences major life decisions. Little is known about how student debt levels impact career choice. The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between the amount of student loan debt and choice of career among recent college graduates. Prior studies have suggested that heavy student debt loads incentivize graduates to pursue high-paying careers that may not match their interests or talents (Pinto & Mansfield, 2006). This issue is of importance due to concerns about job satisfaction among indebted workers and the impact of debt on the economy. This research explored these relationships through a survey of college alumni from a large urban university.
Methods:
The methods section should describe your procedures and methodology in enough detail that the study could be replicated. Some key elements:
Describe your research design, variables, and participants
Data collection instruments
Procedures (what exact steps were followed)
Any special equipment or materials
Data analysis plan and statistical tests
A sample methods section:
3
Participants
The participants were 100 undergraduate alumni of a large urban public university located in the Northeast United States. They graduated between 2010-2014 and ranged in age from 22-29 years.
Materials and Procedure
An online survey was created using Qualtrics consisting of 20 multiple choice and open-ended questions assessing student loan debt, career choices, and factors influencing career decisions (see Appendix). The survey took approximately 15 minutes to complete. In January 2015, a link to the anonymous survey was sent via email to 500 random alumni. Of those, 107 responded with 100 providing usable data after incomplete responses were removed from the analysis.
Measures
The survey gathered data on demographics, field of study, current occupation, student loan debt amount, monthly payments, factors influencing career choice, job satisfaction, and perceived impact of debt on career choice. Debt levels were coded as low (under $25k), medium ($25k-$50k), or high (over $50k). Job sectors were coded as business, healthcare, education, government etc. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between debt levels and career choice.
Results:
The results section concisely summarizes your key findings organized around main variables or hypotheses tested. Present data and statistical analysis clearly using tables and graphs when needed for clarity. Sample results section:
A multinomial logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the impact of student loan debt on career choice. Compared to those with low debt, graduates with high debt ($50k+) were 3.54 times more likely to choose careers in business and 1.89 times more likely to choose healthcare careers over lower-paying fields like education. Figure 1 displays these results. Medium debt levels ($25k-50k) were not significantly related to career sector.
4
Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses revealed that 64% of those in high-paying jobs felt significant pressure to maximize income potential due to their debt burden compared to only 29% with low debt who indicated similar pressure. Those with high debt were also twice as likely to report job dissatisfaction and feelings of being trapped in their careers.
Discussion:
In the discussion section, relate your results back to previous research, explain practical or theoretical implications, acknowledge limitations and suggest future research directions. For example:
The results support the hypothesis that higher student loan debt is related to choosing higher-paying careers. Graduates may feel significant financial pressure due to their debt burden, incentivizing income-driven choices rather than passion-driven work. While lack of longitudinal data precludes claims of direct causation, the relationships between debt and career choice were strong.
Prior studies have linked high debt levels to delayed milestones like homeownership and marriage (Dwyer et al., 2012). The current findings suggest student debt additionally influences the types of jobs and careers individuals pursue right out of college. This raises concerns about job satisfaction and workforce retention if jobs are chosen primarily for financial motives rather than interest or passion.
Limitations include the use of survey self-report data and single time point cross-sectional design. A longitudinal study could establish causal ordering. Generalizability is also limited by use of a convenience sample from one university. Future studies should replicate these relationships in a nationally representative random sample using objective debt and career data. Understanding these impacts of student debt has implications for policies around financial aid, income-based repayment plans and college affordability.
5
References:
References are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Follow correct APA formatting conventions for your reference list including hanging indent, capitalization, punctuation etc. Sample references:
Dwyer, R. E., McCloud, L., & Hodson, R. (2012). Debt and graduation from American universities. Social Forces, 90, 1133-1155.
Federal Reserve Bank of New York. (2013, May). Student loan debt by age group. Retrieved from https://www.newyorkfed.org/studentloandebt/index.html
Pinto, M. B., & Mansfield, P. M. (2006). Financing college: Burdens and barriers for African American undergraduates. Journal of Negro Education, 75, 423-434.
Conclusion:
The conclusion should summarize your main findings and conclusions. Restate the importance of your results and recommendations for further study. Here is a sample conclusion:
This research found evidence that high levels of student loan debt are linked to choosing high-paying careers in business and healthcare among recent college graduates. Debt burden appears to motivate income-driven choices over passion when entering the workforce. While more longitudinal research is still needed, these relationships have implications for the increasing impact of student debt on graduates’ financial well-being and career satisfaction. Managing the rising costs of higher education will be key for empowering students to match their interests and talents when choosing careers. With over $1 trillion in student debt now outstanding, further study of its wide-ranging impacts is certainly warranted.
Andrew Stroud