The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide is commonly used for writing research papers and documenting sources in the social sciences field. When writing an APA research paper, there is a general structure that should be followed including the formatting guidelines for title page, abstract, body, references, and appendices. This article will provide an overview of the general flow and components of an APA research paper.
Title Page
The very first page of an APA research paper is the title page. The title page should contain the title of the paper, the author’s name, and the institutional affiliation. The title should be concise but informative by capturing the key aspects or variables of the study. It is centered and typed in bold font in the upper half of the title page. The author’s name appears below the title also centered and in bold font. The name of the author’s university, college, or other institution affiliation comes on the next line below the author’s name.
Abstract
The abstract is a single paragraph, typically between 150-250 words, which provides a brief summary of the paper. It comes on the page immediately after the title page. The abstract describes the research problem or issue being addressed in the paper, provides background information necessary to understand the problem being investigated, states the purpose of the study and research questions or hypotheses, briefly explains the methodology, and summarizes the key results and conclusions. The abstract is a stand-alone section that allows readers to quickly review the main points and purpose of the paper.
Introduction
The introduction section comes after the abstract. It should introduce the topic, provide background and context for the research problem, establish the significance or importance of the research problem, and explicitly state the research problem or issue and associated research questions or hypotheses. The last sentence of the introduction presents the thesis statement or hypothesis that will be addressed in the study. Scholarly sources should be used to situate the research problem within the larger scholarly conversation around the topic.
Method
The method section comes after the introduction and describes how the research problem was studied. It typically includes subsections explaining the research design, participants or sources of data, instruments or measures used, and procedures. The research design subsection states whether the study used experimental, correlational, qualitative, or other type of design. The participants or data sources subsection provides detailed information needed for others to understand the applicability of the results such as participant demographics or characteristics of data sources. The instruments subsection details measures, questionnaires, surveys, tests, or other instruments used to collect data. Finally, the procedures subsection explains the specific steps taken to collect and analyze data including timeframes. This section allows others to understand how the research was conducted and determine the validity and reliability of the results.
Results
The results section comes after the method section and presents the analysis and key findings of the research without interpretation. It uses both textual discussion and statistical results or visual figures to report what the data revealed in answer to the research questions or hypotheses. Results are presented in a logical sequence using tables and figures to display results when appropriate. Statistical information includes test statistics, probability values (p-values), confidence intervals, effect sizes, and other relevant details to allow the reader to judge the magnitude and significance of results. Verbatim quotes from qualitative research can also be used when relevant.
Discussion
The discussion section comes after the results section. It should explicitly relate findings back to the original research questions or hypotheses but not just repeat results. It provides interpretations of the results and shows how the results either support or contradict previous theories or findings. It also discusses potential theoretical or practical implications and limitations of the study. Conclusions statements clearly summarize key findings for each hypothesis or research question, whether they were supported or not supported by the results. The discussion concludes by elaborating on how the study contributes to knowledge, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research on the topic.
References
The references page comes after the conclusion section. It contains an alphabetized list of all sources cited within the paper. Each source cited in the text is represented by an entry on the references page using the appropriate APA style. Sources are listed in hanging indent format, with the authors’ last names and date appearing in the text citations. Alphabetize reference list entries by the last name of the first author of each work. If there is no author, alphabetize by the title, ignoring any A, An, or The in the title.
Appendices
Any supplementary materials, such as raw data, interview questions or transcripts, appear after the references section. Each appendix begins on a separate page and is labeled alphabetically in a consistent format (e.g. Appendix A, Appendix B). The reference list and appendices allow the reader to find additional information about sources used and examine raw data supporting results if desired.
A general APA research paper follows a standard structure of title page, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references, and (optionally) appendices. This overall flow helps frame and organize the research for readers according to the conventions appropriate for writing empirical research reports in APA style. Following this general structure and formatting guidelines provides coherence and clarity for presenting scholarly social science research. Adhering to these standards enables readers to efficiently understand, critique, and build upon the knowledge reported.
Andrew Stroud