APA Format Research Paper Example 2018
Writing a research paper requires you to demonstrate a strong knowledge base of your topic and convey new understanding to readers. The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style provides guidelines for formatting your research paper and citing your sources. This formatting and citation style helps you maintain consistent in-text citations and a References page that lead readers directly to the content you used to support your analysis and conclusions. As you prepare your research paper in APA format, here is an example you can use as a guide.
Title Page
The title page of a research paper contains key identifying information organized in a specific way. Here is an example title page in proper APA format:
Running head: APA RESEARCH PAPER EXAMPLE 2018
Title: An Examination of the Impacts of Climate Change on Sea Level Rise
Name: [Your Name]
Course: Climate Change and the Environment
Date: December 13, 2018
The running head is a shortened version of the title in all capital letters and left aligned at the top of the page. The full title centers below the running head, followed by your name, course name/number, and date.
Abstract
The abstract is a single paragraph, usually 150-250 words, that provides a brief summary of the purpose, problem or issue being addressed, methods used, main findings or trends discovered, and conclusions. The abstract appears on a separate page after the title page. Here is an example:
This paper examines the ongoing impacts of climate change-driven global warming on sea levels worldwide. A review of current peer-reviewed scientific literature indicates rising global temperatures are causing the oceans to warm and expand, melting ice sheets and glaciers, and threatening coastal communities with rising seas. Data from recent decades show accelerating sea level rise with projections suggesting up to four feet of increase by 2100, potentially displacing millions. Mitigation strategies aim to curb future warming while adaptation planning attempts to protect vulnerable populations from these looming impacts. The paper concludes climate change poses a severe threat from rising seas that demands worldwide cooperation and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Introduction
The introduction section provides background information on the research topic and thesis statement. Here is a sample introduction:
Global climate change driven by anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions poses profound threats worldwide, with rising sea levels among the most pressing concerns due to potential widespread impacts. According to the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2018), atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations have surpassed 400 parts per million for the first time in human history. As global average temperatures increase in response to higher CO2 levels, ocean waters also warm and glaciers and ice sheets melt at accelerated rates. Estimates indicate between 1993 and 2010, sea levels rose approximately 3.2 millimeters annually on average, with the rate of rise doubling each decade since then (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [NOAA], 2018). Consequently, coastal regions face the growing danger of more frequent and destructive flooding from higher seas, with millions of lives and trillions of dollars in property at risk (Sweet et al., 2017). The purpose of this paper is to examine the latest scientific evidence regarding climate change impacts on sea level rise and potential consequences for coastal communities worldwide.
Method
The method section describes how the research was conducted. It provides information about the types of sources used and search strategies employed. Here is an example method section:
This paper primarily reviews current peer-reviewed literature on climate change and sea level rise published within the last five years through searches of academic databases and journals. Relevant sources were located through key word searches using terms including “sea level rise,” “climate change impacts,” “rising oceans,” and “coastal vulnerability.” Academic indexing services and databases consulted for sources included EBSCO, Academic Search Premier, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Government reports and data from agencies like NOAA and IPCC were also reviewed to provide the latest projections and measurements of climate and sea level parameters. A total of 30 sources form the basis of this literature review examining factors contributing to sea level rise and potential consequences.
Results
The results section summarizes the key findings and trends identified in the literature review and research. Here is an example results section:
Scientific evidence clearly demonstrates climate change is accelerating sea level rise through multiple mechanisms. Analyses reveal global average sea levels have increased approximately 8 inches since 1900, with almost half that rise occurring since 1993 (NASA, 2018). The dominant factors contributing to higher seas include thermal expansion as warming ocean water takes up more space, and melting of land-based ice such as mountain glaciers and the polar ice sheets (NOAA, 2018; IPPC, 2018). Computer models estimate between 25-30% of observed sea level rise thus far can be attributed to thermal expansion, with glacier mass loss accounting for 25-30% and Greenland and Antarctic ice sheet melt each contributing approximately 25% (DeConto & Pollard, 2016; Rignot et al., 2011). Projections indicate oceans could rise up to 4 feet globally by 2100 under continued high emissions, threatening to displace over 150 million people and cause $14 trillion in property losses worldwide (Kopp et al., 2017; Sweet et al., 2017). Coastal states like Florida and Louisiana already face severe challenges from relative sea level rise exceeding global averages.
Discussion
In the discussion section, you can analyze and interpret the findings, relate them to your thesis, acknowledge limitations, and suggest areas for future research. Here is an example discussion:
This literature review provides compelling evidence that anthropogenic climate change poses a dire threat to coastal regions through accelerating sea level rise driven by multiple synergistic factors. Numerous studies demonstrate the world’s oceans are absorbing over 90% of increased atmospheric heat, guaranteeing further thermal expansion in the coming decades (IPCC, 2018). Meanwhile, additional melting of land-based ice from warming temperatures will increasingly contribute to rising seas well past 2100 under all emissions scenarios. Consequently, coastal development stretching across three-tenths of US land area, and similarly vulnerable regions worldwide, face growing risks from coastal flooding, erosion, and saltwater intrusion (Sweet & Marcy, 2016). Although limitations exist regarding precise sea level projections at local scales, the urgent need for both aggressive mitigation of CO2 emissions and adaptation planning seems clear. Future research examining combined socio-economic impacts and most effective adaptation strategies could help guide such efforts to safeguard coastal populations and infrastructure increasingly vulnerable to rising oceans worldwide in a changing climate.
References
In APA format, the references list appears after the essay on a new page in alphabetical order by author last name. Here are some sample references in proper APA format:
DeConto, R. M., & Pollard, D. (2016). Contribution of Antarctica to past and future sea-level rise. Nature, 531(7596), 591-597. doi:10.1038/nature17145
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). (2018). Global warming of 1.5 °C: Summary for policymakers. Retrieved from https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/
Kopp, R. E., DeConto, R. M., Bader, D. A., Hay, C. C., Horton, R. M., Kulp, S., … & Oppenheimer, M. (2017). Evolving understanding of Antarctic ice-sheet physics and ambiguity in probabilistic sea-level projections. Earth’s Future, 5(12), 1217-1233. doi:10.1002/2017EF000663
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). (2018). Sea level rise. Retrieved from https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html
Rignot, E., Velicogna, I., Van den Broeke, M. R., Monaghan, A., & Lenaerts, J. T. (2011). Acceleration of the contribution of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets to sea level rise. Geophysical Research Letters, 38(5). doi:10.1029/2011GL046583
This concludes the example APA format research paper. It provides the basic structure and elements researchers should include in a paper formatted according to APA style guidelines. The main sections include the title page, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, and references. While additional content would be needed to fully address the research topic, this example illustrates the style standards for formatting, citations, and organization of an APA paper. Following these guidelines helps establish credibility by demonstrating the author’s understanding of sound research practices.
Andrew Stroud