Apa Guide

Formatting and Style Guide

APA

What is APA?
APA
(American Psychological Association)

is the most commonly used format for manuscripts in the Social Sciences.

What does APA regulate?
APA regulates: Stylistics In-text citations References
(a list of all sources used in the paper)

APA stylistics: Basics
Point of view and voice in an APA paper

Use:
 the third personpoint of view rather than using the first person point of view or the passive voice; e.g., The study showed that…, NOT I found out that….  the active voice rather than passive voice; e.g., The participants responded…, NOT The participants have been asked….

APA stylistics: Language
Language in an APA paper is:  clear: be specific in descriptions and
explanations

 concise: condenseinformation when you
can

 plain: use simple, descriptive
adjectives and minimize the figurative language

Types of APA Papers
the literature review
--i.e. the summary of what the scientific literature says about the topic of your research– includes title page, introduction, list of references  the experimental report --i.e. the description of your experimental research-includes title page,abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references, appendices, tables & figures

Types of APA Papers
If your paper fits neither of the categories above,

 follow the general format  consult the instructor  consult Publication Manual

General Format
Your essay should:
 be typed, double-spaced, with two spaces after
punctuation between sentences  on standard-sized paper(8.5”x11”)  with 1” margins on all sides  in 10-12 pt. Times New Roman or a similar font  include a page header (title) in the upper lefthand of every page and a page number in the upper right-hand side of every page

General Format (cont’d)
Your essay should include four major sections:
References References Main Body Main Body Abstract Abstract Title page

Title Page
Page header:(use Insert Page Header)

title flush left + page number flush right. Title:
(in the upper half of the page, centered)

name (no title or degree) + affiliation (university, etc.)

Abstract Page
Page header: do NOT include “Running head:” Abstract (centered, at the top of the page)

Write a brief (between 150 and 250 words) summary of your paper in an accurate, concise, and specificmanner. Should contain: at research topic, research questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and conclusions. May also include possible implications of your research and future work you see connected with your findings. May also include keywords.

Main Body (Text)
 The first text page is page number 3  Type the title of the paper centered, at the top of the page  Type the textdouble-spaced with all sections following each other without a break  Identify the sources you use in the paper in parenthetical in-text citations  Format tables and figures

References Page
 Center the title– References-- at the top of the page  Double-space reference entries

Do NOT include “Running head:” in the header after the title page!

 Flush left the first line of the entryand indent subsequent lines  Order entries alphabetically by the author’s surnames

References: Basics
 Invert authors’ names (last name first followed

by initials). Alphabetize reference list entries the last name of the first author of each work. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or a dash in the title, and propernouns. Do not capitalize the first letter of the second word in a hyphenated compound word.

References: Basics (cont’d)

 Capitalize all major words in journal titles.

 Italicize titles of longer works such as books and journals.  Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles or essays in edited collections.

Making the...