The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for writing research papers and documenting sources in the social sciences field. Following the APA format helps students effectively communicate their ideas in a clear, consistent, and proper manner. While papers in different fields will utilize diverse styles and formats, for the purposes of formal academic writing in psychology, education, and other social sciences using the APA format is standard.
The main components of an APA format paper include four primary sections – the title page, abstract, main body, and references. Formatting guidelines specify using one-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, and double-spacing throughout. Page headers include a running head and page numbers flush right at the top of each page. Student papers also include a student number on the title page for identification purposes.
The title page should contain the title of the research paper centered near the top in bold font. Below the title includes the authors name and institutional affiliation. The title is concise yet informative in clearly communicating the main topic and focus of the paper. No additional information such as the course name or instructor are included on the title page in APA format.
Next comes the abstract, which is a brief 150-250 word summary of the key aspects of the research paper. The abstract includes the purpose or research problem being investigated, background information essential for understanding the problem, procedures and methods used, main findings or trends discovered, and conclusions. It allows readers to quickly review the central elements and purpose of the paper. The word Abstract is centered and in bold at the top of this page only.
The body and text of the formal research paper adheres to strict APA formatting guidelines. The main text begins on a new page and is double-spaced throughout with no extra spaces between paragraphs. Paragraphs are indented five spaces using the tab key rather than skipping a line between them. Headings delineate the different sections and levels of information. Primary section headings are centered and boldfaced, while subheadings are flush left and boldfaced on a separate line. Tertiary subheadings are italicized, indented, and ending with a period.
In-text citations are used throughout the body of the research paper to give credit to ideas and information borrowed from external sources. Citations include the author’s last name and year of publication in parentheses. Long direct quotes of more than 40 words are also indented half an inch from the left margin without quotes. References to cited works appear in alphabetical order by the author’s last name at the end of the paper.
The references section contains a detailed listing of all in-text citations mentioned in the body of the paper formatted with a hanging indent in APA style. Reference lists only include works directly cited and are not a bibliography of all sources consulted. Each reference is composed of the author(s), date of publication, title, source, and other necessary publication details. Sources are alphabetized by the author’s last name and cited consistently throughout. Examples show proper formatting for books, journal articles, websites, and other common media types.
Maintaining consistent formatting throughout the formal research paper allows readers to focus on comprehending the content rather than deciphering its presentation. Correctly following all APA style guidelines communicates to evaluators that accurate information was gathered and meticulous care was applied in creating the paper. Students show due scholarly diligence and respect for their field of study by adhering to the standard APA format for research writing and documentation established by the American Psychological Association.