Every semester students are supposed to write different pares. Some of these assignments are research papers that hinge on different topics. What’s more, these research papers have to be written in different formats. The research paper format that you write depends on the preference of the instructor or the institution at large. There are some institutions, which require the student to write all his papers in a specific format, as a way of creating a good academic writing identity. One of those formats is the APA, or the American Psychological Association.
When you write a research paper with APA format, there are guidelines you are supposed to follow. These guidelines are the ones that set the paper apart from the rest of the academic writing formats. Students have to master the guidelines and ensure that their papers are not only excellent in writing, but also they are free from plagiarism. This article is dedicated to helping you in knowing and understanding how to APA format our research paper. This regards the structuring content, spacing, margins, in-text citations as well as the references list. These aspects are crucial for the success of any research paper with APA format.
The APA format of writing research papers has been used widely in areas of psychology, business, sociology, economics, and medicine. At face value, the task of writing a research paper with APA format can seem daunting, but it all comes down to how you divide your paper into the right sections, following every single and basic rules of APA formatting paper.
The universal rules of formatting your research paper in APA style
Before even proceeding further, it is important to look at the universal guidelines that apply anytime you format APA research papers. They include:
All the margins in your research paper must be one inch. The margin is the space between the edges of the paper and where the text starts. This applies on all sides, meaning the right, left, bottom, and top margins ought to be one inch. You need not worry about this because it is the default setting in Ms. Word.
When using apa formatting paper rules, this style prefers the 12-point Times New Roman font. The lines in the body of the paper must be double-spaced, and the first indent of 0.5 inches.
When writing a research paper with apa format, you have to ensure that all pages have a running head. This should be put in capital letters and should not exceed 50 characters, including spaces. Make sure that on the first page of your research paper, the running head is preceded by “RUNNING HEAD:” For the rest of the pages, you can leave the “RUNNING HEAD.”
In apa formatting paper rules, numbering ought to start from the first page. These numbers ought to be inserted manually and should not have your name or any other identifying information on them. They are just plain page numbers.
Having the universal rules in mind, you can now see how your paper ought to be formatted in the APA style.
The title page and the abstract
When it comes to a research paper with apa format, everything should be in 12-point font size and double spaced. All margins should be one inch, and this is the basic layout that you will use for the rest of your paper. The title that you formulate for your paper must be brief. It is recommended by format apa rules that the title should be to the point, short and precise. The best length is ten to twelve words. This will give the audience an exact idea of what your paper is all about. The title ought to appear at the centre of the page.
Directly below the title comes your name and that of your institution. This should look like this:
Do not forget to include the running head because it is a brief synopsis of the title of your research paper. The page numbers ought to be at the top right corner of your paper and should be set to automatically show on every page of that document.
The abstract comes next after the title page, and you have to ensure that you indicate the word “Abstract” without the quotation marks. Do not write in italics or modify it in any other way. It should be centred and should come in the opening line of the abstract page. The abstract is usually a one-paragraph write up that is double-spaced. It summarizes the major points of your research paper. When using apa formatting paper style, you cannot ident your abstract.
Writing the main body of your APA research paper
Remember that wring a research paper with apa format is what sets it apart from the rest of the academic writings. When it comes to how to apa format your research paper, you need to consider the following aspects:
Every academic paper must have an introduction. When it comes to a research paper with apa format, you can write the introduction paragraph on a new page. Here, you are summarizing your topic for the audience and showing its relevance to the existing research. It also indicates how you inferred our hypothesis. You have to ensure it is catchy to avoid boring the audience. An APA style introduction to a research paper is written in terms of ideas
The methods section of the research paper with apa format should be labelled in bold. Methods section comes after the introduction. This is where you give a simple explanation of your research design. You can have sections that describe the participants, materials and procedures that you used in your research. There should be no page breaks between the subsections of your Method section. To make it even easier for you, label the subsections as Participants, Materials, and Procedures in bold letters. This section helps the audience to replicate the study and the methods if they so wish.
The word “Results” should be written in bold and flushed to the center. This should include the statics that analyzes your study. When it comes to formatting statistics in your apa formatting paper, you can consult your lecturer or the APA guidelines for specificity. If you have any supplementary materials like graphs, tables and so on, you can refer to them.
This is where you show the relevance and importance of your work to the audience. Label this section as the “Discussion” in bold and centred. It should come right after the results section of your research paper with apa format. You have to discuss whether or not your findings align with your hypothesis and show the limits of your research. Suggest the area that future research can concentrate on based on your findings.
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Making APA in-text citations in your research paper
Citations are very important when writing a research paper with apa format. You have to ensure there are enough in-text citations where you have used a paraphrase, summary or a quote from another source. The guiding rule here is that for every in-text citation you make in your research paper with apa format, it must correspond with the entry in the reference list.
When making in-text citations format apa, the last name of the author comes first, and the year of publication. For instance, (Field, 2004). When using direct quotations from a source, you have to include the page number. For instance, (Field, 2004, p. 12).
When it comes to using websites and e-books without page numbers, the apa formatting paper rules dictate that you must use a paragraph number
When it comes to making in-text citations for web pages, you have to do it as you would for any other source. However, if the name of the author is no available, the title and the date should be used in the citation. The in-text citation that you make should also lead the audience to the corresponding entry in the reference list. When making citations for sources with no dates, you ought to use n.d (meaning no date). For instance, it can read (Field, n.d.).
In-text capitalization, Quotes, underlining and italics
When writing your research paper with apa format, you need to pay attention to the following rules:
Finalizing your APA research paper
Now you know what you are supposed to do when it comes to writing a research paper with apa format. This is how you apply the final touches to ensure the paper conforms to the guidelines of the APA style.
Every source that you have used in your paper must be outlined in the Reference List. This should be put on a new page. The list should be full of bibliographical information for the references. The Reference should be written in bold and centred. The reference list should follow the alphabetical order based on the last name of the author.
Ensure there is no extra space between the references. You only put the normal double-space. The reference entries should use the hanging indentation. Anything that you have cited in the body of your paper must appear in the reference list and vice versa. Do not try to make any reference entry that you have not used in the body of your paper.
If you use any table or figure in your paper, ensure it falls on its page. However, sometimes instructors may require the student to include tables and figures in the boy of their research paper. If you are not sure about this, you have to consult with your instructor.
Common mistakes that students ought to avoid when writing an APA research paper
There is nothing bad in academic writing than overlooking that overlooking some common mistakes. If a student is writing an A-grade research paper with apa format, he needs to be aware of the following mistakes so that he can avoid them.
For your research paper to be successful, you need to formulate a well-defined thesis statement. This is what sets up the expectations for your audience and creates the focus of your paper. If you do not come up with an effective thesis statement, your paper will fall short of achieving its initial purpose. Make your thesis clear and precise.
Sometimes the teacher may give the word limit for such an assignment. As such, you need to ensure that you express yourself based on the topic within this limit. Do not try to exceed the suggested word count. If you do, it should not be by many words and should not interfere with the strength of your argument. The same case applies to fewer words than the expected word limit. What is important here is to ensure that your research paper with apa format meets the word count and makes more definitive statements.
You need to ensure that your in-text citations follow the apa formatting paper rules. This is why it is essential to proofread your paper section by section to ensure it meets the APA in-text citation rules.
Writing a research paper with apa format is now comfortable with the above steps. You can also hire our professional writers to help you with this format.