How Do You Follow APA Style Format?


Quick Answer

American Psychological Association style is characterized by double spacing, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, a running head and a title page. Other elements included in an APA-style paper are an abstract, a reference page, and in-text parenthetical citations that include the author, date of publication and page number.

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Full Answer

APA style is commonly used by scholarly writers in the social sciences. Most APA-style papers include four major sections: the title page, abstract, main body and references. The title page should include the paper's title, the author's name, institutional information, and any additional information required by a specific professor or publication. Additionally, the title page and all following pages should include a running head made up of a shortened version of the paper's title, as well as page numbers. The abstract should be between 150 and 250 words describing a summary of the main points of the research paper. The main body of the paper frequently opens with a thesis statement. It should be well written; follow any guidelines provided by a professor, course or publication; and follow a clear, concise and logical flow of argument.

The references should be listed in alphabetical order by author, last name first. Also included in the references are the title of the work, the date and place of the publication, and any edition or volume of the publication. Internet resources should provide as much information required for non-Internet resources as possible. Internet references must also list the Web address used and date of access by the researcher.

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