It is very likely that your instructor will ask you to write an APA paper at some point if you are taking a psychology class. Precisely what is an APA paper? It is simply a written paper that follows APA format, the writing that is official of the American Psychological Association.
If you’ve never written an APA paper before, the formatting rules and guidelines can seem daunting and difficult at first. You may buy essay be familiar with writing papers in another format such as MLA or Chicago style, so that it might take some time to get the hang of writing in APA format.
While your instructor may have other specific requirements that are formatting you to definitely follow, here are some general guidelines for how to write an APA paper.
General Rules of APA Format
First, start by observing a number of the standard rules of APA format. Use standard-sized paper of 8.5 inches by 11 inches, and always use a margin that is 1-inch all sides.
Your paper should always be typed, double-spaced plus in a 12-point font. Times New Roman is certainly one recommended font to use, you may also use similar fonts.
Every page of your paper also needs to include a page header regarding the left that is top of page as well as a typical page number on the top right associated with the page.
Chapters of Your APA Paper
The exact structure of one’s paper will be different somewhat depending upon the kind of paper you’ve been asked to publish. For instance, a lab report might be structured a little differently than a case study or critique paper. A lab report will include sections that are extra the method, results, and discussion related to your experiment or study.
It doesn’t matter what form of APA paper you are writing, there ought to be four key sections that you need to always include: a title page, an abstract, the body that is main of paper and a reference section.
- Title Page: Your title page should contain a head that is running the title of the paper, your name and your school affiliation. These pages provides details that are important your readers, it is therefore important to learn just how to write a title that accurately yet briefly relates what your paper is about.
- Abstract: The abstract is an extremely short summary of your paper. This section is put right after the title page. In accordance with the rules of APA format, your abstract should not be any more than 150 to 250 words. However, your instructor may issue requirements that are specific the exact distance and content of one’s abstract, so check always with instructions and grading rubric provided for your APA paper.
- Body: the actual format for this section may differ depending upon the sort of paper you might be writing. For example, if you may be writing a lab report, the main body will include an introduction, an approach section, a results section, and a discussion section. Consult with your instructor for more specific home elevators what things to include in the key body of one’s APA paper.
- Reference Section: The reference section is where you include any and all references that have been used to create your APA paper. Remember, if you cited something in the main body of the paper, it must be contained in the reference section. This section has to start on a page that is new aided by the word “References” centered during the very top associated with the page. .
More Tips on Writing APA Papers
While writing an APA paper may seem difficult or confusing, start with breaking it on to more steps that are manageable. As you research your topic, creating an outline and a functional bibliography makes it possible to structure your paper and keep an eye on most of the references you use.
Start by doing all your research and writing your paper, but make sure to keep a careful record of all of the your references. Next, write the section that is abstract of paper only when you are completely finished writing your paper. Finally, put all of your references together and produce a title page. After you have completed these steps, spend a little time editing your paper and reviewing your finished APA paper to make sure that all of the formatting is accurate.
If you want additional help with APA format, consider purchasing a duplicate associated with the Publication Manual that is official of American Psychological Association.