The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a widely used format for writing and citing research papers in the social sciences, education, business, and other fields. Here is a general outline guide for APA style:
I. Introduction
- Introduce the topic and provide background information
- Clearly state the research question or hypothesis
- Provide an overview of the paper’s structure and organization
II. Literature Review
- Review relevant research and theories related to the topic
- Analyze and synthesize the existing literature
- Identify gaps or limitations in current research
III. Methodology
- Describe the research design and methodology used
- Explain the sampling strategy and sample size
- Discuss the data collection procedures and instruments used
- Describe the data analysis procedures
IV. Results
- Present the findings of the study
- Use tables, figures, and graphs to illustrate the results
- Highlight the main findings and trends
V. Discussion
- Interpret the results in the context of the literature review
- Discuss the implications of the findings
- Identify limitations and suggestions for future research
VI. Conclusion
- Summarize the main findings and implications
- Restate the research question or hypothesis
- Provide recommendations for future research or practice
VII. References
- List all sources cited in the paper in alphabetical order
- Use APA style formatting for citations and references
VIII. Appendices
- Include any additional materials that support the research, such as raw data, extra figures or tables, or detailed descriptions of methodology
APA Style Guidelines
- Use 1-inch margins on all sides
- Use 12-point Times New Roman font
- Double-space the entire paper
- Use headings and subheadings to organize the paper
- Use in-text citations to credit sources
- Use a running head with the title of the paper on each page
In-Text Citations
- Use author-date format for citations (e.g., Smith, 2020)
- Use ampersand (&) for multiple authors (e.g., Smith, Johnson, & Williams, 2020)
- Use “et al.” for more than three authors (e.g., Smith et al., 2020)
Reference List
- List all sources cited in the paper in alphabetical order
- Use APA style formatting for references, including:
- Author’s last name, first initial (Year). Title of book. Publisher.
- Author’s last name, first initial (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pp-pp.
- Author’s last name, first initial (Year). Title of webpage. Retrieved from https://www.url.com
Note: This is a general outline guide, and you should consult the APA Publication Manual (7th ed.) or the APA website for specific guidelines and examples.
