Formatting an Apa Paper

Formatting an APA Paper

According to Purdue Online Writing Lab (2010), American Psychological Association style is generally used for citing sources within the social sciences. Any information needed regarding APA style can be found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition, second printing. The sections of one's paper will vary depending on the type of paper one is required to write. Below, I will attempt to explain the main sections of an APA formatted paper as well as give examples as I create a sample APA formatted paper.

Abstract

The abstract of the paper is a single paragraph that has between 150 and 200 words. The abstract includes no indentations and is done in a block style. One can locate more information about an abstract from the APA manual, Purdue Owl online, or consult the professor for more information. The abstract includes important information about the article that is being written and it also lets the reader determine whether they want to read the article or not. The abstract should include and summarize a little bit of information about each section of the paper.

Formatting an APA Paper

In an APA formatted paper, everything is double spaced and all margins are set to one inch on all sides of the paper. The top right corner of an APA style paper should include the page number and the upper left should include the running header (APA, 2010). The title page of an APA formatted paper also has a page number and running header. Under the running header and page number, centered, will be the title of the paper. Under that the name of the student is placed. Under the student's name, the name of the school or institution should appear.

Once that is finished one is ready to start the introduction of their paper. An introduction does not have its own heading but will contain the title of the paper centered at the top of the page. The introduction will introduce the paper and include the thesis statement. It also includes the background on the topic that one is writing about.

Sources used while writing a paper should be cited often and be included in the introduction. Sources cited through the paper will be included on the References page. APA style does not use footnotes or endnotes. Citations are important as they will help to avoid plagiarism. If one is referencing an author, according to Purdue Owl (2010) the authors name is written with the year that the book was published appears in parenthesis at the end of the sentence. If one is citing more than one author at the end of the sentence that is being cited both authors will be listed