APA format guides just about every component of a research paper. The APA style website notes that APA format provides a set of rules and conventions for punctuation and abbreviations, tables, headings and subheadings and the presentation of statistics. APA format is widely known for its guidelines governing the citation and documentation of sources used in a research paper.
A primary purpose for using the APA format, according to the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL), is to guide readers. Purdue's OWL claims that APA style helps readers locate information found in your paper with ease. As Brigham Young University (BYU) linguistics and English language professor Lynn E. Henrichsen explains, readers often want to verify information included in your paper or simply learn more about the subject. They can do this by following your cues to the original source.
Simply put, APA format helps keep your paper neat and organized. This helps readers better focus on your ideas, claims Purdue's OWL, since they will not be distracted by unfamiliar formatting. Henrichsen contends that by using APA style, you show yourself as "a detail-oriented researcher." This is crucial because, as Henrichsen states, if you make an error involving punctuation or some other area covered by APA style, a reader might question your aptitude in other areas as well, such as statistical analysis.
The Rutgers University Department of English website lists the major facets of APA style. They explain that APA format uses "a parenthetical documentation style" for documenting your sources. This means that you identify your source briefly in the text where the material is used followed by a corresponding, complete reference in your reference list at the end of your paper. APA also instructs writers on how to format title pages, abstracts, text and appendixes, according to Rutgers.
Purdue's OWL contends that there are two types of papers, typically governed by APA style: literature reviews and experimental reports. APA produces "The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association," which provides complete details on all aspects of APA style, including what sections must be included with each type of paper. The APA manual covers everything from the basics of citing sources to things to avoid, such as gender and racial bias, notes Purdue's OWL.