Pages need to have 1-inch margins on all sides, be double spaced, and be printed on standard 8.5- x 11-inch paper. The font should be 10 or 12 point and Times New Roman. A page header that includes the first few words of the title followed by five spaces and the page number needs to be included in the upper righthand corner of every page. APA essays need to be divided into four sections: the title page, abstract, main body and references. On the title page, include what you will call your paper in the header or a running head. To do this, type "running head: (paper title in a maximum of 50 characters)." This should be in all caps and aligned left. Then, centered on the page, write your full title, name and school or other affiliation. The second page is the abstract. Title the page "Abstract" and center it on the page, then write a maximum of 120 words summarizing the research and key points in your paper.
Write in third person and in active voice. If you did research with another person, you may refer to yourselves as "we" when referring to your research; for example, "We found that..." Show specific ideas, building on sentences if necessary. When writing in APA style, write a paragraph once, then go back through and delete unnecessary words. The writing should be as clear and to the point as possible. Do not claim that your research proves anything; rather say that it suggests an effect. Refer to the people studied as "participants" rather than subjects, according to Purdue's writing lab, and use more specific terms like "community members" to give your writing more clarity. Use simple adjectives, and avoid figurative language to prevent confusing the reader.
Refrain from using labels as much as possible, but if they are absolutely necessary use the term that the group would call themselves. Do not use gender-specific pronouns like "he," and do not use "he or she." Instead, rephrase the sentence to use "they" or "the" with a descriptive noun such as "child."