APA Style

Reference List

contains a list of the sources cited in the text.

Appendices

Appendices supplement the main content of the paper but are not integral to the text (e.g., detailed instructions to participants might appear in an appendix).

direct quotation

reproduces someone else's words exactly.

To format a paraphrase, use either a parenthetical or narrative citation format.

Parenthetical format: Personality develops over the lifespan (Redford, 2019). Narrative format: As discussed by Redford (2019), personality develops over the lifespan.

Margins

Use 1-in. margins on every side of the page.

Arrange the pages of an APA Style paper in the following order:

title page abstract (usually not required for students) text (begins on page 2 of student papers and page 3 of professional papers) references footnotes tables figures appendices

Paragraph Alignment and Indentation

Align text to the left margin. Leave the right margin uneven, or "ragged." Indent the first line of each paragraph of text 0.5 in. from the left margin using the tab key or paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program. Exceptions are as follows: title page: Center all the elements of a student title page (except the page number). section labels: Center section labels (e.g., "Abstract," "References"). abstract: Left-align the first line of the abstract (do not indent the first line). block quotations: Indent a whole block quotation 0.5 in. from the left margin. headings: Center Level 1 headings. Left-align Level 2 and 3 headings. Indent Level 4 and 5 headings like regular paragraphs. tables and figures: Left-align table and figure numbers, titles, and notes (do not indent them). reference list: Automatically apply a hanging indent of 0.5 in. to reference entries using the paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program. appendices: Center appendix labels and titles.

All references consist of four components that appear in the following order:

Authorthe person, persons, and/or group responsible for the work Datethe date the work was published (or the indicator "n.d." if no date of publication is available) Titlethe title of the work being cited Sourcethe location where readers can retrieve the cited work

paraphrase

restates an idea in your own words.

Start each section on a new page, with the following exceptions:

tables and figures: Embed tables and figures within the text after they are first mentioned, or place each table and then each figure on separate pages after the reference list. footnotes: Use the footnotes function of your word-processing program to insert a footnote at the bottom of the page on which the footnote is called out, or list footnotes together on a separate page after the references.

The primary objective of scholarly writing is

to communicate clearly and concisely using precise, inclusive language.

Use first-person pronouns to describe your thoughts and contributions as well as steps you personally took in a study.

Do not refer to yourself in the third person as "the author." Use "I" to refer to yourself if you are the only author. Use "we" if you are writing a group paper. Do not use the editorial "we" to refer to people in general. Use "we" only when referring to yourself and your coauthors, or when you are identifying yourself with a particular group (e.g., "As social psychologists, we...").

Line Spacing

Double-space all parts of an APA Style paper, including text, block quotations, and the reference list. However, entries in a table body and words in a figure image may be single-spaced, one-and-a-half-spaced, or double-spaced, depending on which presentation is easiest to read. Add an extra blank line on the title page between the title and the byline between the text and an embedded table or figure Do not add extra blank lines above or below headings, even if the heading is at bottom of a page.

APA Style uses the author-date citation system to provide credit.

Each work cited in the text is identified by its author and year of publication. For each in-text citation, there is a corresponding reference entry in the reference list. Author typeParenthetical citationNarrative citation One author(Luna, 2020)Luna (2020)Two authors(Salas & D'Agostino, 2020)Salas and D'Agostino (2020)Three or more authors(Martin et al., 2020)Martin et al. (2020)Group author with abbreviationFirst citation aSubsequent citations(National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2020)(NIMH, 2020)National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2020)NIMH (2020)Group author without abbreviation(Stanford University, 2020)Stanford University (2020)

Figures

Figures include bar charts, line graphs, drawings, maps, photographs, and any other visual display that is not a table.

Some types of words that are always capitalized in APA Style include the following:

First Word of a Sentence + Proper Nouns + Trade Names and Brand Names + Personal Names Within Names of Disorders, Therapies, and So On + Job Titles and Positions + Title of Tests and Measures + Nouns Followed by Numerals or Letters

When possible, use the active voice instead of the passive voice to create direct, clear, and concise sentences.

First person, active voiceWe investigated the effects of the treatment. Passive voiceThe effects of the treatment were investigated.

Footnotes

Footnotes are used to supplement or strengthen information in the text and to acknowledge copyright.

Level of heading

Format 1 Centered, Bold, Title Case Heading Text begins as a new paragraph. 2 Aligned Left, Bold, Title Case HeadingText begins as a new paragraph. 3 Aligned Left, Bold Italic, Title Case HeadingText begins as a new paragraph. 4 Indented, Bold, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Period. Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph. 5 Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Period. Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph.

Table and Figure Title

Give each table and figure a title that is brief, clear, and explanatory. Left-align the title, double-space it, and capitalize it in italic title case.

Reference List Entries

In reference list entries, use italics for the following: titles of stand-alone works (e.g., books, reports, webpages) journal, magazine, and newspaper titles and volume numbers

Discussion

In the Discussion section, authors evaluate and interpret the implications of the results or findings with respect to the original hypotheses.

Method

In the Method section, authors describe in detail how the study was conducted.

Results or Findings

In the Results (usually for quantitative studies) or Findings (usually for qualitative studies) section, authors summarize the data and the analyses performed on those data.

Introduction

In the introduction, authors describe and review background literature on the topic of the paper and show why it warrants further investigation.

To format a long quotation (40 words or more), place the quotation as a freestanding block of text (block quotation).

Indent the entire quotation 0.5 in. from the left margin. Do not use quotation marks. For a parenthetical citation of a block quotation, include the author, year, and page number in parentheses after the final punctuation mark of the quotation. For a narrative citation of a block quotation, include the author in the narrative followed by the year in parentheses. Put the page number in parentheses after the final punctuation mark of the quotation. Do not add a period or other end punctuation after the closing parenthesis.

There are several uses of italics in APA Style. Some of the most common are the following:

Introducing Key Terms Adding Emphasis Reference List Entries

Font

Many fonts are permitted in APA Style papers, including the following: Sans serif fonts: 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode Serif fonts: 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or normal (10-point) Computer Modern Use the same font throughout your paper. Exceptions are to always use a sans serif font within figure images and to use the default font for automatically inserted footnotes (which is usually smaller than the text).

Table and Figure Notes

Notes explain the data in more detail for readers. They appear below the table or figure in the following order: general note specific note probability note

Table and Figure Number

Number each table in the order it is discussed in your paper (e.g., Table 1, Table 2). Write the number in bold and align it to the left margin (not indented). Number figures in the same way (e.g., Figure 1, Figure 2).

APA Style provides rules for the basic setup of your paper, including the following areas:

Page Header Font Line Spacing Margins Paragraph Alignment and Indentation Paper Length

Paper Length

Paper length depends on the assignment and may be measured by either word count or page count. Consult your instructor to determine the desired length for a student paper.

Use the following verb tenses in specific parts of your paper:

Paper sectionRecommended tenseExampleLiterature review (or whenever discussing other researchers' work)PastWilliams (2020) addressedPresent perfectResearchers have studied Method Description of procedure Past Participants took a surveyPresent perfectOthers have used similar approachesReporting of your own or other researchers' resultsPast Results showed Scores decreased Hypotheses were not supported Personal reactionsPastI felt surprisedPresent perfectI have experiencedPresentI believeDiscussion of implicationsof results or of previous statementsPresent The results indicate The findings mean that Presentation of study conclusions, limitations, and future directionsPresent We conclude Limitations of the study are Future research should explore

Two approaches to language that are used to write about people with disabilities are person-first language and identity-first language.

Person-first language puts the person before the disabling or chronic condition (e.g., "people with substance use disorders" rather than "substance abusers"). Identity-first language allows people to reclaim what others may see as a disability and incorporate it into their personal identity on their own terms (e.g., "autistic people" instead of "people with autism" and "Deaf people" instead of "people who are deaf").

Start the reference list on a new page after the text. Center the label "References" in bold on the first line of the page. Then, arrange reference list entries as follows:

Place entries in alphabetical order by author. For multiple works by the same author(s) in the same order, place works in chronological order. Place works with no date first, followed by works with dates in order from earliest to most recent. In-press references are listed last. For works with the same author(s) in the same order and the same date, use lowercase letters after the year to differentiate the references. Order the works according to which title comes first alphabetically. Format the reference list so that each entry has a hanging indent of 0.5 in. Double-space the reference list, including both within and between references.

To format a short direct quotation (less than 40 words), incorporate the quotation into your sentence.

Place the quotation in double quotation marks. Include the author, year, and page number (or paragraph number or section name if the work does not have page numbers) of the quotation in the same sentence as the quotation. Parenthetical format: Personality traits are thought to be "relatively stable across the lifespan" (Redford, 2019, p. 25). Narrative format: Redford (2019) stated that personality is thought to be "relatively stable across the lifespan" (p. 25).

Be concise in your scholarly writing

Say only what needs to be said. Where possible, eliminate wordiness and redundancy. Do not repeat yourself or use long phrasings just to meet a length requirement. If your paper is too short, do more research and think critically about your topic to develop your arguments further. Vary sentence and paragraph lengths. Avoid short and choppy writing as well as overlong and complex writing. Look for logical places to break up long and complex paragraphs.

some numbers should always be written with numerals, including the following:

Statistical or mathematical functions multiplied by 5 3 times as many Percentages, percentiles, and ratios more than 5% the 5th percentile a ratio of 16:1 Times and dates 5 days about 8 months 4 decades 12:30 p.m. Ages was 2 years old 15-year-old students Scores and points on a scalescored 4 on a 7-point scale Exact sums of moneyreceived $5 in compensation Numerals as numeralsthe numeral 6 on the keyboard

All tables and figures consist of four main components, as described next.

Table and Figure Number + Table and Figure Title + Table Body + Figure Image + Table and Figure Notes

Tables

Tables show numerical values or textual information arranged in columns and rows.

Figure Image

The figure image consists of the image containing the data a legend explaining or defining the symbols, line styles, or shadings or patterns used in the image Use graphics software (e.g., Excel, Word, Photoshop) to create figure images.

Table Body

The table body consists of column headings used to identify and organize the data underneath them cells containing the data Use the tables function of your word-processing program to create tables.

Text

The text is the author's main contribution. The text often begins with an introduction that addresses the importance of the work, contextualizes it within the existing literature, and states the aims of the work. Paragraphs containing the main arguments follow. The paper typically ends with a discussion or conclusion. Headings may be used to break the text into sections.

Introducing Key Terms

Use italics the first time you introduce any of the following: key terms or phrases, often accompanied by a definition words, phrases, or abbreviations from another language with which readers are unlikely to be familiar

Lists helps readers understand a related set of key points.

Use parallel wording for items in a list. Use a serial comma between elements in a list of three or more items. (This means using a comma before the final item.) Use semicolons in lists to separate items that already contain commas.

Two kinds of capitalization are used to capitalize the titles of works and headings within works.

Use title case, in which most words are capitalized, to capitalize the following: titles of works appearing in the text titles of periodicals in reference list entries titles of tests or measures paper titles, headings, sections, and table and figure titles Use sentence case, in which most words are lowercase, to capitalize the following: titles of articles, books, reports, webpages, and other works in reference list entries

Adding Emphasis

You can use italics sparingly for emphasis if emphasis would otherwise be lost. In general, however, reword a sentence so that the important part appears at the beginning or end instead of getting lost in the middle.

Abstract

a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper. It is written as one paragraph and is usually a maximum of 250 words long.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition provides guidance on talking about the following characteristics with inclusivity and respect:

age disability gender participation in research racial and ethnic identity sexual orientation socioeconomic status intersectionality

Page Header

appears in the top margin of every page of your paper and consists of a page number and, when required, a running head. The page header always includes a page number. Insert page numbers in the top right corner using the page-numbering function of your word-processing program. The page number should show on all pages. The title page is page number 1. A running head is a shortened version of the title of the paper typed in all-capital letters. Running heads are required only for manuscripts being submitted for publication. Running heads are not required for student papers unless the instructor or institution requests them. When present, the running head appears aligned to the left in the top margin of every page, across from the right-aligned page number.

APA Style was developed by social and behavioral scientists to help writers achieve

clear, precise, and inclusive writing.

important aspects of academic writing style:

continuity, precision, and conciseness.

APA Style encompasses much more than what has been covered in this tutorial, including

ethical standards to follow when planning and conducting research journal article reporting standards (JARS) for reporting quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research detailed information on how to use punctuation marks including colons, dashes, and slashes information on how to present complex statistics, including factor analyses, structural equation models, and regression analyses information on copyright and permission that is relevant when reproducing content such as images from the internet in a paper specific reference formats for many different types of references guidance on publishing your work and sharing it after publication

Scholarly papers should have continuity

meaning a logical, orderly, and smooth flow of ideas To improve continuity in your writing and the flow of your paper, check transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and ideas. Use punctuation to signal transitions and demonstrate relationships between ideas. Use transitional words and phrases to help maintain the flow of ideas, especially when the material is complex or abstract. Possible transitional words and phrases to use are the following: Time linksthen, next, after, while, since Cause-effect linkstherefore, consequently, as a result Addition linksin addition, moreover, furthermore, similarly Contrast linksbut, conversely, nevertheless, however, although

Scholarly writing should also be precise,

meaning you select words carefully and structure sentences so that meaning is unambiguous. Use words and phrases consistently. Do not switch between synonyms because synonyms may have subtle differences in meaning. Avoid the use of colloquial expressions, contractions, and jargon. Direct, declarative sentences with simple, common words are usually best. Refrain from anthropomorphism, which means attributing human characteristics to animals or inanimate objects, and from making illogical comparisons, which often result from the omission of key words or from having nonparallel sentence structure.

The student title page includes the following elements:

paper title author name author affiliation, which for students is usually the department of the course and university attended course number and name (as shown on instructional materials) instructor name (as shown on instructional materials) assignment due date (written out as November 14, 2020, or 14 November 2020 depending on the standard format used in your country) page number 1 in the top right corner