In high school, your teacher typically asks you to write a critical essay or a short research paper on a current event or interesting person. Writing in MLA style and creating a works cited page for your references works well for these papers. However, if you take psychology or sociology classes in high school or college, you may be asked to write a paper using APA 7 style.
Understanding APA Style
Developed by the American Psychological Association, the seventh edition of APA style is designed to create uniformity in social and behavioral science research. If papers are written using the same rules, it makes it easy for researchers to find information on these subjects.
Writing a paper in APA format is not just about creating citations and reference lists. The rules cover all parts of researching and writing a paper in the social and behavioral sciences. The style guide is updated regularly to account for new ways of thinking, especially in terms of gender and racial identities.
Elements of an APA Paper
APA requires you to follow a certain style while formatting your research paper. Regardless of whether you’re writing a paper for school or for publication in a scholarly journal, you need to format it exactly the same way. Learning to format correctly helps make it easier for you as you progress through college and graduate school.
An APA paper includes:
- Title page
- Abstract (optional for student papers)
- Text of paper
- Introduction
- Body
- Conclusion
- Reference List
- Tables
- Figures
- Appendices
How to Format Your APA Paper
Keep these guidelines in mind as you format your paper in APA style:
- Choose Times New Roman 12 point font size.
- Set 1-inch margins all around – top, bottom, left, and right.
- Use flush-left style – do not right justify.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph
- Include a “running head” on each page, flush left. (Optional for student papers)
- Number each page starting with the cover page.
- Place page numbers at the top of each page, flush right.
- Double-space within the paper and the reference list.
- Double-space after the title, headings, footnotes, long quotations, references, and figure captions.
Note: A running head is an abbreviated form of the paper’s title.
Running Head
Unlike other editorial styles, APA requires a “running head” on each page for professional papers. Basically, what this means is you take a shortened version of the paper’s title and include it on the top of each page, including the cover page.
Cover Page Example
Flush left
EFFECTS OF DRUG USE IN COLLEGE
Follow the Requirements
As you organize for your school paper, remember to follow your instructor’s guidelines. Teachers usually have specific ways they want you to work on your paper. Paper requirements will be posted, including word length, topic choice and citation style.
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FAQs
An APA paper includes:
- Title page.
- Abstract (optional for student papers)
- Text of paper. Introduction. Body. Conclusion.
- Reference List.
- Tables.
- Figures.
- Appendices.
The basic format for a book citation requires listing the author's name, the title of the book, the publisher's name, and the date of publication. Edited books, when cited in full, will list the editor's name instead of an author's name.
What is the APA format for school paper? ›
General APA Guidelines
Your essay should be typed and double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11"), with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
How to write a bibliography example? ›
Author surname, initial. (Year) 'Article title', Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pp. page range. Maceachen, D. B. (1950) 'Wilkie Collins and British law', Nineteenth-Century Fiction, 5(2), pp. 121–139. This format is also used for journal articles which you accessed online but which are available in print too.
What is the proper bibliography format? ›
Books follow this pattern: Author Last Name, Author First Name. (Publication Year) Title. Publisher's City: Publisher. Page numbers.
What are the 4 parts of APA format? ›
General APA Format
Includes a general list of the basic components of an APA paper: title page, abstract, body, and reference page.
What is APA and its examples? ›
APA is a formatting guide from the American Psychological Association. APA is used in social science and behavioral science research. Papers written in APA format should be written in double-spaced, 12 point font, with one-inch margins. Papers written in APA should include an abstract that summarizes the main points.
What is the difference between APA Style and bibliography? ›
It's a fact! APA Style uses text citations and a reference list, rather than footnotes and a bibliography, to document sources. A reference list and a bibliography look a lot alike: They're both composed of entries arranged alphabetically by author, for example, and they include the same basic information.
Should a bibliography be double spaced in APA? ›
In APA style, double spacing is typically required for the entire document, including citations, references, and the main text of the paper. Double spacing ensures readability and allows for easier review and feedback from instructors, editors, or reviewers.
How to write an annotated bibliography APA step by step? ›
Annotated Bibliography: a step by step guide
- Select a Topic. Pick something you can handle well within your time and space limitations. ...
- Get a Good Overview. Use several good reference sources to become familiar with your topic. ...
- Review your Assignment! ...
- Select What to Include. ...
- Write the Annotations. ...
- Put It All Together.
The sections in APA-style paper are as follows:
- Title Page. As per the APA research paper format, the title should be between 10-12 words and should reflect the essence of the paper. ...
- Abstract. ...
- Introduction. ...
- Methods. ...
- Results. ...
- Discussion. ...
- References.
Annotated diagrams illustrate how to set up the major sections of a student paper: the title page or cover page, the text, tables and figures, and the reference list.
Why do schools use APA format? ›
APA is used in college writing because: It provides a uniform standard of each section of a research paper. The rules ensure clear and consistent presentation of papers. The format helps ensure the sources are cited by standard guidelines.
How do you write a high school paper in APA? ›
- Do not use contractions (which means that you will NEVER use the word it's in an essay/research project)
- Use American spelling of words (i.e. neighbor and NOT neighbour).
- In a formal essay, never write in the first person (me, I, my)
- Refer to the research.
- Use active voice.
- Keep your writing clear, concise, and bias-free.
High school students typically learn MLA style for their English classes; however, when they go to college, most students choose majors that require them to use APA Style.
