Writing a research paper in APA format or style can be a intimidating task especially if you have not written one before. This article will provide a brief overview of the key aspects involved in writing an APA research paper including APA citations, formatting, and the structure of an APA research paper.
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is used across a wide variety of academic disciplines from psychology and sociology to education, political science, and beyond. It provides a standard way for researchers and scholars to present their work to others in their field through a clear and concise writing style. When published in a journal or presented at a conference, an APA research paper allows others to understand the perspective and findings presented in the paper with minimal confusion.
The basic structure of an APA research paper includes four key sections: the title page, abstract, main body, and references. The title page includes a running head and page number along with the title, author’s name, and institutional affiliation. The abstract is a brief summary of the paper not exceeding 150-250 words. On a new page, the main body contains the bulk of the research paper including the method, results, and discussion sections. Finally, the references section lists all sources referenced in the paper alphabetically by the first author’s last name. Each of these sections are described in more detail below to provide an idea of a basic APA research paper format:
Title Page: The title page contains the running head, title, author’s name, and affiliation. The running head is a shortened title in all capital letters and flush left at the top of each page. The title summarizes the paper’s topic and should capture the main idea. The title is centered in the upper half of the page. The author’s name displays their first and last names and is centered underneath the title. The institutional affiliation is centered on the next line.
Abstract: On a new page after the title page, the abstract begins with the keywords as a section heading and continues with a brief overview of the study. Keywords convey the most important concepts covered in the paper and facilitate electronic searching of research databases. The abstract summarizes the paper’s purpose, key background information, methods, results, and implications in no more than 150-250 words. Longer abstracts are permitted for journal submissions.
Main Body: The main body of the paper begins on page three with a brief introduction paragraph including a hook, background information, and thesis statement. Each subsequent section provides detailed information regarding the study’s purpose, methods, results, and discussion. These sections vary depending on the type of paper but often include literature review, method, results, and discussion sections. Headings are used to organize subsections and provide an outline-like structure. Citations are included to give credit to others and support claims made in the text. Tables and figures are included after references to provide visual representation of key findings. They are numbered and titled with captions.
References: On a new page after the last page of text, the reference section begins with a centered header labeled “References” without bold or italics. All references mentioned in the text are listed alphabetically by the first author’s last name. Reference entries include all relevant publication information needed such as title, authors, year, etc. Examples of four common types of references are provided below to demonstrate the APA formatting style:
Journals:
Lastname, F. M. & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), Page Range. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyyy
Books:
Lastname, F. M. (Year). Book title. Publisher.
Websites:
Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Day). Title of web page or article. Title of website. http://www.somesite.com/fullurl
Reports:
Lastname, F. M., Lastname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of report. Location: Publisher.
Citations: In-text citations are made by including the author and date in parentheses within the text when paraphrasing or directly quoting another author’s work. If there is no author, use the first few words of the reference list entry followed by ellipses and year. The reference page entry provides all relevant bibliographic information. Citations are an essential part of conducting and writing research using sources to position the paper within the larger body of research on the topic.
Following the APA publication manual guidelines provides consistency in research writing and allows readers to understand sources of information and perspective. Properly constructed citations and references demonstrate academic integrity and give credit to other researchers. Overall, adhering to APA style organizes and facilitates comprehension of research findings and their contribution to the literature on a given topic. With practice and experience, students can become comfortable applying the key APA research paper elements in their own work.
The APA style research paper format contains five key sections including a title page, abstract, body, references, and optional tables and figures. Sections provide specific information necessary to contextualize and support key findings. Headings and citations allow for clear organization and acknowledgement of ideas and facts used from other works. Overall structure and formatting standardizes presentation of research papers in the behavioral and social sciences promoting understanding between researchers from different domains. With exposure and applying the essential APA guidelines introduced here, students can successfully complete an APA style research paper and engage effectively in academic research conversations.
Andrew Stroud