One of the two main uses of APA style is in an experimental report, written after performing an experiment. Experimental reports allow the experimenter to document and share his process, successes, and failures in a scientific way. Experimental reports contain information on the topic, why it is important, what problems there are and how you tried to fix them, what your findings were, and what you think they mean.
Social sciences students and professionals often cite other materials and original sources when writing reports. When citing scientific research, or research presented in literature such as reports, publications, and books, APA format should be used. A literature review report is commonly used to show that the writer fully comprehends the materials she has read. Literature reviews consist of a title page at the beginning, an introduction section, and a properly formatted references page at the end.
For miscellaneous APA reports, a general format should be followed. The title page includes the name of the paper, the author's name, and the associated institution. The abstract page contains a paragraph including information on your topic, research questions, methods, results, analysis, conclusions, and other relevant information. The main body of your essay or project report comes next. Finally, an APA-formatted References page lists all of the sources you used as references for your report.
APA formatting does not simply cover the formatting of the paper, and the way the citations are listed, but the voice and writing style as well. Regardless of the type of report, APA reports should be written in first person when necessary. Clarity and consistency in your writing is necessary to clearly communicate your information. Be as specific as possible in your writing.