APA Research Paper Examples from 2017
Writing a research paper in APA style requires understanding the basic components and style guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association. This article provides APA research paper examples from 2017 that illustrate how to format and structure an APA research paper.
Key APA Style Components
An APA research paper generally follows a standard format and structure. Here are some of the key style elements you’ll need to know to format an APA research paper:
Title Page: The title page should include the title of the paper, author name(s), and institution affiliation. Center the title at the top of the page, include an author note, and a running head (page header).
Abstract: The abstract sums up the key highlights of the research paper. It appears directly after the title page and is limited to 150-250 words. It briefly summarizes background information, methodologies used, results found, and implications.
Body: The body of the paper presents the main ideas, research, and analysis. It is separated into labeled sections including the introduction, method, results, discussion, and conclusion.
In-Text Citations: All sources used in the paper need to be cited both in-text and on the reference page. In-text citations, enclosed in parenthesis, indicate the last name of the author and year of publication, for example (Smith, 2017).
References Page: All sources used in the paper are listed alphabetically by author’s last name on the references page. Each source cited in-text must appear on the references page. The references are double-spaced and use a hanging indent.
APA Paper Examples from 2017
Below are two example papers written in APA style from 2017. Both adhere to key formatting guidelines including title page, running head, abstract, citations, and reference sections.
Example 1: Stress Levels Among College Students Majoring in the Sciences
This empirical research study examines stress levels among 123 undergraduate science majors at a large midwestern university by administering the Perceived Stress Scale and gathering participant demographics. The results indicate that biology majors reported significantly higher stress than chemistry or physics majors (p < .05). Female students scored higher on the stress scale than males. Seniors had lower stress scores than first-year students.
The implications of the findings point to the need for targeted stress reduction resources for high-risk groups like female biology majors. Limitations include the use of a convenience sample from one university. Future research could broaden the sample to other institutions and explore additional factors like GPA, extracurricular activities, and family responsibilities that may influence stress in college science students. Example 2: A Virtual Reality Based Treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder This paper explores the potential of virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) as an innovative treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD). A review of the literature identified several controlled clinical trials demonstrating VRET's effectiveness compared to traditional exposure therapy and control conditions. The key advantages of VRET include greater control over environmental stimuli, flexibility to design highly individualized virtual scenarios, and reduced barriers to treatment engagement. A hypothetical VRET protocol is proposed that incorporates graduated virtual social exposure combined with cognitive restructuring. Limitations of existing VRET research and areas for further development are also discussed. While still in early stages, VRET shows promise as an accessible and efficacious intervention that could increase treatment options for individuals suffering from social anxiety. Larger scale randomized controlled trials are needed to establish VRET as an evidence-based treatment. Formatting in Alignment with APA Style These sample papers follow key formatting guidelines set by the APA Publication Manual: 12-point Times New Roman font Double spaced throughout 1-inch margins all around Header with running head and page numbers Section headings centered and not bolded or underlined In-text citations include author surname and date in parentheses References list uses hanging indentation Together, these examples illustrate the essential structural and stylistic elements of APA formatted research papers including title page, abstract, body sections, in-text citations, and references page. They serve as useful templates for students and researchers to format their own papers according to current APA Publication Manual standards. Proper formatting is crucial, but content and ideas remain most important when developing an original research study or literature review. Following these APA style guidelines helps ensure credibility and consistency in scholarly communication across disciplines.