Without a standard format for academic paper writing, communication suffers, because the variations in style may distract or confuse readers. The APA style guidelines provide concise instructions for punctuation, grammar and the citation of references. People reading a publication written in the APA style format do not have decipher the meaning of these elements, because their usage is determined by the APA style guide rather than by the individuals themselves.
When the APA style guidelines are used during the paper writing process, an individual has more time to devote to research and content development rather than establishing a clear format for communication. This benefits the writers, because they are able to focus their intellectual efforts on formulating and expressing their ideas.
The APA style format includes guidelines that encourage writers to fully disclose important information about references. The APA format for the in text citations helps readers clearly identify the source of the material listed in the references. The references include the specific details about the publications quoted or paraphrased in the written work or publication. Not only do the APA style guidelines ensure that credit is given to the original author and plagiarism is avoided, standard citation also allows readers to easily interpret the references and find the original work.
Many publications and academic papers may include tables, graphs and statistics. The APA style guidelines include details on how to format the layout of these elements. The information contained in these elements is often complex. Standards for tables, graphs and statistics ensure better communication and accuracy.