APA Style (6^th Edition)

When do I use APA?

APA (American Psychological Association) style is generally used for papers written for the social sciences, although APA may also be used for other research-based academic essays.

What's included in an APA Style paper?

APA (American Psychological Association) style is generally used for papers written for the social sciences, although APA may also be used for other research-based academic essays. 

Title Page

The Title Page is the first page of the document. It should include a running head, page numbers, the title of the paper, the author’s name, and the name of the affiliated institution. 

Abstract

Unless otherwise specified, include an Abstract in your APA style paper. The Abstract goes on a separate page following the Title Page. The title is “Abstract” and is centered at the top of the page. The following paragraph is not indented and is a concise summary of the research topics and questions, methods, results, and conclusions of the paper. At the end of the abstract, list a few important key words to make it easier to find the paper in a database.

Main Body Format

• 12pt, Times New Roman font (recommended)
• Double-spaced
• Running head & page numbers
• 1-inch margins a.k.a. “Normal”

References

The References page lists all sources cited within the paper. The title is “References” and is centered at the top. Below, the references are double spaced, flush left, with a hanging indent, in alphabetical order according to the first word. When no DOI is available for online sources, use the URL instead.

Book:

Carlson, T. (2002). Evolution of Reptiles (3rd ed.). London: Arnold.

Academic journal:

Atkinson, B., & Woo, L. (2013). Cross-cultural learning styles. Journal of Education, 40(3), 60-73. doi: 10.9874/56321012365478

Newspaper article:

Dominguez, A., Buckley, R., Arnold, J., & Hill, L. (1999, April 6). Local man falls in a pit. The Standard Examiner, pp. A1.

Online source (no DOI):

Harrison, F. (2012). The post-rock aesthetic. Retrieved from http://klanggeist.com/genres/postrock 

Works with no author

“Grasshopper.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Aug. 2017. Web. 21 Dec. 2017. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasshopper

In-text Citations

APA in-text citations include the last name of the author and the date published. Include page numbers for direct quotes.

Example of Introducing Citations

Many people believe that listening to classical music benefits study habits (Carlson, 2002, p.12). However, as Atkinson & Woo (2013) point out, music of any kind may lead to distraction for most people. Finally, some research suggests that it is not the genre of music, but consistent study habits, that are best (Chang et al., 2005; Flynn, 2001).