An APA-style title page lists the title of the report, the writer's name and any affiliation with an educational institution. A running header with the title is typed flush left at the top of the page. Each subsequent page will feature this title. The title is centered and typed again beneath the running header, about one-third of the way down the page. APA format suggests the title be 12 words or less. Beneath the title is the author's name and educational affiliation, to identify the location of the research for the report. All lines are double-spaced.
The abstract is a short synopsis of the main points of the research in the report. It is typed on a separate page, and the word "Abstract" is centered at the top of the page. It consists of the report topic, report questions, methods, results, data and research contained in the report. The abstract is typically one paragraph, double-spaced and should not exceed 250 words. It is written flush left, without indentation. At the end of the abstract, writers have a choice of listing keywords that help readers identify the major research areas examined in the report.
APA-style reports begin with an introduction to the subject matter, then segue into the method of research used in the report. Typically, the method portion of an APA-style report requires the use of headings. Five levels of headings are available, depending on how many headings you use in your report. The first heading is centered, boldface, uppercase and lowercase; the second heading is flush left, boldface, uppercase and lowercase; the third heading is indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph ending with a period; the fourth heading is indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph ending with a period; and the fifth heading is indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph ending with a period. In-text citations are used to cite references within the body of the report. The author's last name and the year of publication of the source are written in parentheses directly after the sentence that uses the referenc
At the end of an APA report, a separate reference list is provided with all the sources used to write the report. Every in-text citation must appear as a reference in this list. The word "References" is written and centered at the top of the page. References are listed in alphabetical order of the last name of the author. The first line lists the last name and first name flush left, followed by the year of publication in parentheses, a period, the name of the article or book, and the page number of the source material. Each line beneath the first line is indented five spaces.