Your paper should have a neatly organized and uniform look. APA essays are typed double-spaced on standard-sized paper. Make your margins one inch on all sides and use 12-point Times New Roman font. A page header should be at the top of every page. The header should include the title of your paper and the page number flush to the right of the page in the upper right corner.
Structure is important in academic papers. To comply with APA standards, your essay should have a title page, abstract, main body and references, or works cited page. The title page must have the title, author's name and institutional affiliation centered on the page. The running header should be on all pages of the paper beginning with the title page and include the title and page number. Remember to format the running header so that it appears on all pages in the upper right corner.
The abstract is a reader's first glimpse into your work. You should be on a new page with the same header. Center the word "Abstract" in the center of the page. The abstract's purpose is to give an overview of the paper's topic.This summary should include any implications of the research, research questions, participants, methods and analysis. You should also include any conclusions you made from writing the paper. Ideally your abstract should be between 150 and 250 words. You would follow the abstract with the main body of the paper, which supports your topic in further detail.
Taking credit for someone else's work is not accepted in academic writing. Your own work is well-researched and well-represented of other author's work while being truly original. To avoid plagiarism, cite your sources throughout the paper and conduct a list of the references used on a separate References page. Organize your authors in alphabetical order, and use proper punctuation for each resource.