How to Format a Document in APA Style

The American Psychological Association developed the APA writing style to provide standards for the publication of scientific information. Colleges and universities frequently require students to use APA style for research papers, articles and literature review, particularly in social science courses. APA style formatting separates information into seven main sections: title page, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references and appendices. Documents formatted in APA style are typed, double-spaced and have 1-inch margins at the top, bottom and each side. Times New Roman font in 12-point is recommended for APA style writing.

Instructions

    • 1

      Begin the document with a title page. Include a running header to be displayed at the top of each page. The header is the title of the document, typed in all capital letters. In the center of the title page, type the title of the document, followed by your name and the name of your academic institution. Page numbers begin on the title page and are placed in the top right hand corner of each page.

    • 2

      Type your abstract on the second page of the document. Center the word "Abstract" over this section of information. Your abstract is a summary of the key points of your study and an overview of your findings.

    • 3

      Write an introduction beginning on page three. This section begins with the title of the document, centered at the top of the page with the key words capitalized.

    • 4

      Label each additional section of the paper with the words "Method," "Results" and "Discussion" centered over the appropriate sections of your document. Include only the sections that apply to your topic.

    • 5

      Include a separate page labelled "References" to document the sources where your information was obtained. In general these are formatted beginning with the author's last name, first initial, year of publication, title of the article, name of the journal and volume number. The second and third lines are indented for each reference. Attach an appendix to your document if you refer to charts or diagrams in the body of your document.

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