APA Format Research Paper Guidelines
The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide is commonly used for citing references in student papers, especially in science, technical, psychological and social science courses. Following APA format research paper guidelines dictates certain specifications for font, margins, headings, in-text citations, and the reference page. There are also general format guidelines for research papers whether they are experimental or non-experimental. This article will comprehensively cover APA format research paper guidelines for students who are unfamiliar with the style.
General Format Guidelines
Title Page
A title page is required for all APA format papers and should include the title of the paper, the author’s name, and affiliation (institution or university). The title page is page number 1 but the page itself is not numbered. On the subsequent pages, a header that includes the shortened title should be included with the page number in the top right corner.
Paper Elements
The standard elements of an APA format paper include a title page, abstract, main body, and reference page. The title page follows the format described above. An abstract comes after the title page and is a brief 150-250 word summary of the paper including the purpose, problem, method, results and conclusions. The abstract page is labeled “Abstract” centered at the top. From there the body of the paper begins on the next page with the introduction. The introduction sets the problem statement and context for the reader. A literature review typically follows to summarize previous research and theories. Methodology, results and discussion sections are included (depending on the type of paper) with section headings centered and not bolded or underlined. The final section is the reference list that documents all in-text citations.
Font and Margins
APA specifies a uniform font and margin specifications. The entire paper should be typed in 12-pt Times New Roman font. There must be 1-inch margins on all sides of the page. Pages should be double spaced and left aligned, excluding the abstract page which is single spaced. Indent the first line of each paragraph by hitting the tab key once. Indent block quotes by half an inch on each side which is five spaces.
Headings
Section headings are used to organize and provide structure to the paper. Five heading levels are used in APA style ranging from Level 1 to Level 5 in order of hierarchy. Each heading level is formatted with different fonts, bolding and capitalization. Level 1 and 2 headings are centered, bold, and title case. Level 3 headings are bold and left aligned in sentence case. Level 4 and 5 headings are indented, bold, italicized, and end with a period in sentence case. An example of heading styles is:
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3. Level three heading.
Level 4. Level four heading.
Level 5. Level five heading.
In-Text Citations
Cite any reference to a source of information within the body of the text with the last name of the author and year published in parentheses. For example: (Smith, 2020). If quoting directly, be sure to also include the page number as (Smith, 2020, p. 29). When no author is given, use the source title or a shortened version in quotation marks instead. Two or more works should be separated by semicolons in the parentheses. Reference lists should be alphabetized by author’s last name or source title if no author is given.
Reference Page
The reference list needs to be on a new page at the end of the paper with the word “References” centered and in bold at the top of the page. All references need to be double spaced and have a hanging indent of 1⁄2 inch. They should be listed alphabetically by the author’s last name or title if no author is given. Works should only be referenced if they are cited within the body of the paper. Reference examples include books, journal articles, websites, and more with varying specifications for each format.
Experimental Research Papers
Additional sections like the methodology, results and discussion should be included for empirical research studies presenting original data. The methodology section describes how the study was conducted including type of design and procedures, population and sample demographics, manipulation or intervention descriptions, measures used, and data analysis plan. Results present the findings of the study, typically through tables and figures accompanied by text explanation. The discussion interprets the results, connects them to the hypothesis or research questions, notes their implications, limitations, and provides directions for future research.
Non-Experimental Research Papers
Literature reviews and theoretical papers do not involve original empirical research or data so focus more on summarizing and synthesizing previous studies and theories on a topic. Methodology is less relevant in these cases and the focus is on the introduction of the issues, literature review, analysis and discussion of theories/studies on the topic, implications and conclusions. Non-experimental papers place more emphasis on the literature review section pulling together different perspectives on an issue or theoretical debates.
Following APA format guidelines for research papers ensures consistency, readability and professional appearance. University students in many fields that will likely write multiple papers using APA style over their academic career. Mastering the general format and special styles like in-text citations and reference page formatting early on can help students succeed with research assignments. With practice, the proper APA format for a research paper can become second nature.
Andrew Stroud