APA research paper
March 17, 2014 - Posted to Assignment writing tips
APA format is one of the writing styles that is used to write a research paper. It is typically used for writing papers in the social sciences such as sociology, psychology or to write technical papers.
APA research paper format has specific sections such as title page, an abstract page, the method section or body of the paper, and the resources page. There may be additional pages such as appendices where there are graphs and tables.
There are specific guidelines for writing research paper in APA format, which give a clear idea about the way the content should be structured. The rules for the format give details of the size of the margin, the font that should be used, the spacing required and so on. The writer is also let known how the sources should be cited.
The recommended font size for APA style research paper is 12 point Times New Roman. For image captions, it is 12 point Arial. Generally, a paper formatted in APA style should be double-spaced, and left aligned. The page numbers should be mentioned on the top right side of every page. Every paragraph of the body of the paper should be indented 5 spaces. The writer is encouraged to use headers to guide the reader through the paper. Here are some APA research paper guidelines to help you write an APA format research paper.
Select a thesis
A thesis is a brief statement of what your paper is about. A thesis should not be too broad or too narrow. Keep in mind the specifications of the teacher while choosing your thesis. How long is the research paper allowed to be? How much information is available? All these considerations will influence your choice of a thesis.
Do research
After you have decided the topic, go to the library and read some books, magazines, journals on the same. Go online and search for more information. Make a list of all the sources. For each book, keep track of the author, the title of the source, the publisher, city, state, and county of publishing, the name of the editor if it's listed, date of publishing, and also the ISBN.
Evaluate your thesis once again
You now know what information is available. Examine your thesis once again and think if you would like to continue working on it or would rather pick a different topic.
Make an outline
This is the first important step to write a great paper. Write an outline of the paper. This will help you organize it well. Include graphs, charts and tables, which you think can help to explain your thesis better.
Prepare a draft
Expand the outline and write down whatever information you have collected. Structure it well into neat paragraphs and a proper conclusion.
Proofread and revise
Revise the paper thoroughly for spelling, grammar and structural mistakes. Check for potential bias, jargon in the paper. You can ask someone else also to review the paper.
Title page
The title should not have more than 10-12 words. It should comprise the name of the paper, the author’s name (first name, last name). The page should also contain the name of the school.
Citations
Sources should be cited both in the body of the paper as well as at the end of the paper, on the references page. In-text citations separate the APA research paper format from the other writing styles. You need to give the author's name, and the year the book, magazine, journal was published.
The references page at the end of the paper contains a complete listing of all the sources that were used to write the paper. Every entry in the reference page has the information about the source in detail so that in case the reader wants to look it up, he can do so. The sources should be listed in alphabetical order as per the last name of the author. The title of the source, the publication date and other details will need to be included as well.
Write an abstract
After you have finished writing the paper, create an abstract. It should not be more than 120 words. Readers should be able to get the gist of the paper by reading it.
The APA research paper format gives order and structure to your paper, giving it a formal and professional look. It also lends credibility to the research paper, as many readers are used to reading papers in this particular format. The format allows the writers to use tables, charts and graphs in their paper. This facilitates ease of understanding the content.
The APA style research paper format enables a writer to hone his/her writing skills. It promotes the development of the critical thinking skills of a person. It encourages unbiased writing and urges writers to ensure that their papers present a neutral perspective.
If you are looking to write a paper in APA style and want some help, we are available for you. At EssayDragons.com, we help students to write well-researched APA style research papers and term papers.
