What is an APA Format Research Paper?
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for citing references in student research papers, especially in STEM fields like nursing, psychology, education, and others. When writing a research paper in APA format, there are guidelines for the structure and layout that must be followed for effectiveness and readability.
Some key elements of an APA format research paper include:
The paper should use a clear, concise writing style, avoiding complex sentence structures that are hard to understand. Word choice should be precise and unambiguous.
The entire paper should be written in Times New Roman 12-point font, and be double-spaced throughout. This includes the title page, abstract, body text, headers, footnotes/endnotes, and reference list.
Any page headers/footers should contain just a page number in the top or bottom corner without any other text. Page numbers begin on the title page as page 1.
A title page should come first containing the title of the paper, author’s name, and school/university affiliation. This is page 1 but the page number is not written out or shown.
An abstract page comes next – this is a short 150-250 word summary of the key purpose and findings in the paper. The abstract is written in block format without indentation.
Section headings in the body should clearly identify the areas being discussed like the Introduction, Methodology, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion sections.
References or Works Cited page comes last, containing the full citations of all sources referred to or quoted from in the body text. The citations follow APA formatting guidelines.
In-text citations within the body point to specific sources and matches the citation in the references list at the end with the same author/date or number marker.
Tables and figures have numbers (“Table 1” or “Figure 1”) and titles, and are embedded close to where they are discussed in the text.
A basic APA research paper outline looks like this:
I. Title Page
Includes paper title, author, institution, page number
II. Abstract
A brief 150-250 word summary of key aspects
III. Introduction
Background context for the research topic
Thesis statement or hypothesis being addressed
IV. Methodology
How was the research designed and carried out?
Participants, materials, procedures
V. Results
What was discovered or found from the research?
Include tables and figures
VI. Discussion
Interpretation and significance of the results
Compare/contrast to other studies or theories
Limitations and future research implications
VII. Conclusion
Restate thesis and summarize main points
Importance and implications of the findings
VIII. References
List all sources cited in proper APA format
APA Research Paper Sample
Here is a sample APA formatted research paper on attitudes toward mental health issues:
Title – “Changing Views of Mental Health on College Campuses”
Abstract:
This paper examines recent research on attitudes toward mental health issues among college students. Data from three studies conducted in the past five years at large public universities revealed that though stigma still persists, students are generally more aware of and open to seeking help for conditions like depression and anxiety. Factors like increased educational campaigns on mental wellness, the growing rates of diagnosed mental illness nationally, and the stress of college life appear to have shifted perspectives positively compared to past decades. Barriers to care and perceived social norms still prevent many from getting treatment even if they acknowledge a problem. University administrators and student groups continue to address remaining stigma through community outreach.
Introduction:
Mental health on college campuses is a widely researched topic given student vulnerabilities. Historical research shows perceptions toward mental illness were often quite negative decades ago, but today indications point toward more destigmatization (Eisenberg, Hunt, & Speer, 2012). Recent studies suggest expanding awareness of issues like depression and anxiety, in turn increasing openness to treatment seeking (Lipson, Lattie, & Eisenberg, 2018). This change reflects trends nationally as discussions of wellness have entered the mainstream (Clement et al., 2015). Barriers remain for some student populations (Gruttadaro & Crudo, 2012). This paper examines current research on attitudes toward mental health conditions found among undergraduates.
Method:
Three quantitative studies capturing student perspectives at multiple state universities are reviewed and analyzed. These include surveys conducted by Lipson et al. (2018) at a Northeast university, Clement et al. (2015) at a Southeast university, and Gruttadaro and Crudo (2012) examining nationwide data. Questionnaires addressed awareness levels, perceived norms, experiences seeking help, stigmatizing attitudes, and barriers faced. Analysis examined descriptive statistics and any statistical significance in responses between demographics.
Results:
Lipson et al. (2018) found over 90% of respondents recognized major depression or generalized anxiety as legitimate medical conditions. Over 25% felt peers would have less favorable views of those seeking counseling. Clement et al. (2015) noted that while awareness of campus resources increased to nearly 70% from 50% a decade prior, men were significantly less likely to seek help despite acknowledging distress. Gruttadaro and Crudo (2012) reported common barriers as views of conditions as personal weaknesses rather than medical issues.
Discussion:
These studies indicate growing awareness and open-mindedness toward issues of mental well-being. Normalization through educational campaigns appears impactful. Nevertheless, certain gender norms and stigmatizing beliefs persist to some degree as barriers to care. Social perception seems to lag scientific understanding. This highlights the need for continued anti-stigma work focusing on sociocultural determinants of help-seeking. Limitations include the self-report nature of surveys and regional biases within university samples. Further research should continue longitudinal tracking and address improving campus climate.
Conclusion:
Though stigma toward mental health issues on college campuses has lessened substantially according to recent research, work remains to be done in overcoming certain stigmatizing attitudes and social barriers. Increased advocacy promoting mental wellness as integral to overall well-being can further shift perceptions and help all students access needed services. Universities demonstrating committed anti-stigma leadership positively impact surrounding communities as well. By fostering supportive, compassionate campus environments, higher education aims to set the standards for generations.
References:
Clement, S., et al. (2015). Mental health-related stigma in healthcare and mental health-care settings. Lancet Psychiatry, 2(6), 467–482. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(15)00023-6
Eisenberg, D., Hunt, J., & Speer, N. (2012). Help seeking for mental health on college campuses: Review of evidence and next steps for research and practice. Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 20(4), 222–232. https://doi.org/10.3109/10673229.2012.712839
Gruttadaro, D., & Crudo, D. (2012). College students speak: A survey report on mental health. NAMI. https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI/Publications-Reports/Survey-Reports/College-Students-Speak_A-Survey-Report-on-Mental-H.pdf
Lipson, S. K., Lattie, E. G., & Eisenberg, D. (2018). Increased rates of mental health service utilization by U.S. college students: 10-year population-level trends (2007–2017). Psychiatric Services, 70(1), 60–63. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.201800332
Andrew Stroud