example of essay in apa format

example of essay in apa format

An Exemplary Essay in APA Format: Guidelines and Samples

1. Introduction to APA Format

The first level of heading (Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading), the second level of heading (Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading), and the third level of heading (Flush left, bold, Italic, Uppercase and Lowercase heading). Format in shaping the word success and use the abbreviated title for the running head. Title of the paper is not bold; only the headings are bold. The footnotes and appendices should be written in a smaller font, which is usually 10 in size. In the title page, use 12 font. Title is upper and lowercase letters, centered, boldface, and written in the upper part of the page. A more detailed explanation can be found in the APA’s manuals.

An APA format title page: This page should have four pieces: the title of the paper, running head, the authors, and the institution, as well as a complete word count. The title is in upper and lowercase letters and centered on the page (Tip: use Word’s capitalization function for the title). The running head is an abbreviated title of the paper in capital letters. Careful use of headings helps the author create a comprehensive and concise essay. The use of tables, graphs, illustrations, charts, etc. synchronizes with headings.

2. Key Components of an APA Essay

2.7. References In the APA style, the text citation consists of the last name of the author and the year in which the specific work concerned was published. Nevertheless, even though the citation of a work by the last name of the author and the publication date, the list of references should present all works you cited, not just those cited in the text.

2.6. Discussion The discussion section contains the interpretations and implications of the results, including potential alternative interpretations and/or consequences. The discussion is a summary, analysis, and synthesis of the results.

2.5. Results The results section should summarize the collected data. The results section is, for the most part, a summary of collected data presented in a useful form. Within this section, the presented data must be adequately summarized and described in text, form, and table. The summary must be a meaningful result or trend, not an applied application of the data. There cannot be any discussion beyond the explanation of the trend or result.

2.4. Method The Method section should be written in the past tense. It should record exactly what you did, not what has already been published. Only give enough detail for someone to replicate a study. Use the following subheadings: Participants (or subjects); Apparatus (or materials); and Procedure. Include the apparatus and/or procedure (termed method when it is described as a detailed plan to be performed) or a list of the stimuli.

2.3. Introduction The introduction should begin on the next page and be centered at the top of the page. It provides background or historical information and the problems addressed in the paper. The introduction begins on the next page and is centered at the top of the page. It does not receive the heading “Introduction”.

2.2. Abstract An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the paper. It includes a brief discussion of the research questions, methodology, results, and unstructured conclusion or discussion. An abstract of 150-250 words should appear on a separate page following the title page.

2.1. Title Page The title should be in the center of the page and should include the following: * The title of the paper, written in uppercase and lowercase letters. * Your name. * The college, university, or institution you attend. * If the affiliation of the institution is available.

Following are the key components of an APA-style essay: Title Page; Abstract; Introduction (or Statement of the Problem); Method (or Methodology); Results; Discussion (or Conclusion); and References.

3. Formatting Guidelines: Title Page, Abstract, and Body

3.3. Body The body of an APA paper contains the title, the abstract, the introduction, the methodology, the results, the discussion, and the references. The literature review must be presented as part of the discussion and not be a stand-alone section. The sections for the body are not unique to an APA paper and in another style would generally be the same. However, the heading of different papers in different styles is different. For an APA style paper, the headings should go as follows.

3.2. Abstract An APA paper might include several different types of abstracts which can be used depending on the paper’s nature. An abstract is a brief summary of the paper which is usually made after completing the paper and is usually around 150 to 250 words. The abstract should not contain any abbreviations or references. Finally, the abstract should not be indented like a paragraph, despite being part of the paragraph.

– Typed in all capital letters – Place the label “Running head:” (without the quotation marks) in front of the running head (on the left side) – On the following line, write the title (do not bold, underline, or italicize the title) – Do not include the label “Running head:” on the. The running head from the title page will be in the header area, and should show no more than 50 characters, including spaces, capital letters, and the word ‘running head’. Each page will have a header on the top left of the page.

3.1.3. Running head The running head is a short title that appears at the top of pages of published articles, with a page number to the right. The running head is different on the title page than the rest of the paper. To create the running head/page header, utilize the following steps.

3.1.2. Author The author’s name (your name) should appear below the title. The author’s name should not contain any titles (such as Dr., Mr., etc.). Furthermore, APA suggests the author should include his or her first name, middle initial(s), and last name (though the middle initial(s) is optional). The institutional affiliation, normally in the same font as the rest of the paper, should also be included on the title page, though this is not required. Under the author’s name is the institutional affiliation, the location where the author conducted the research.

3.1.1. Title The running head is a shortened version of the title of your paper that will appear at the top of every page of your paper. The running head is only one of the elements required for an APA paper, however. The title of the paper should be concise and clearly describe what the paper is about. Your title may take up one or two lines, but should not be more than 12 words in length.

3.1. Title Page The title page of an APA paper includes a shortened version of the paper title for the header, the page number, the paper title, the author’s name, and the institutional affiliation. The institutional affiliation is the location to which the author (or the author’s standing institution) at the time of the research is affiliated.

4. Citing Sources in APA Style

Your in-text citation gives credit to Frederick and shows the source in which you found Frederick’s ideas. In other words, it gives credit where credit is due for the origination of an idea, resulting in a trusted and authentic research paper. False use of words or even just a bad link can reveal the truth behind the writing, showing that in fact a good paper could be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Such as no words on the page or a complete non-formatted bibliography page. The use of APA style is essential to an academic environment, not indicative of a lack of creativity within the vocabulary of knowledge, nor is it a complicated set of rhetoric, nor is it anything other than the original information that someone else had thought of, argued, and proved before you did. It is that simple. This whole entire discussion of citations could be ended here. The same goes for data sources, physical resources, absolutely everything pointed at in your paper. Just put the author and the date, after all. As long as you can positively identify accurately who said what and when, the format you use for laying it out doesn’t really matter, so we can consider that the final word.

Using in-text citations and a references page is generally a rule enforced by most schools, and the quality of the citations can impact the strength of the words. The format of these citations and references should always be in APA unless otherwise indicated by your teachers. One main reason it is important to know APA citing is to be able to write papers that are painless for others to read and that your words, along with links to tables and graphs, directly correlate to their corresponding source. The APA format differs from other documentation styles, such as MLA, in that it is not only used for psychology and related fields, but many other sciences and behavior. To cite sources in APA 6th edition style, you’ll need three pieces of information about a source: the author’s name, the date of publication, and the source publication information.

5. Sample Essay in APA Format

The method section explains how the author researched the paper. The study can be original, primary data, results of an experiment or quasi-experiment, survey, secondary data, use of existing data, case study, records, or history.

The Introduction section is where the writer explains to the reader what the paper is about. Most introductions have 3-5 subheadings, organized as an inverted pyramid and composed of general and specific discussion of the topic.

Fourth-level Headings – Fourth-level headings are for areas of study which fall under a third-level heading. They are the least important type of heading in APA, and are used least frequently. However, they are useful in some academically focused papers.

Third-level Headings – Third-level headings are for areas of study which fall under a second-level heading. They are the fourth-most important type of heading in APA, and are used less frequently than second and top-level headings.

Second-Level Headings – Second-level headings are for areas of study which fall under a top-level heading. They are the third-most important type of heading in APA.

Top-Level Headings – Top-level headings are for major areas of study. They are the second-most important type of heading in APA.

Headings in a paper are essential in APA format, both for the writer and the reader. In order to help the reader understand the paper, section headings should be used. And since most of the papers submitted are designed for a score, the reader or evaluator will want a quick first impression of the paper. Section headings signal important areas of the writer’s thinking and help tell the reader what is most important. They also provide signposts along the way that help the reader follow the energy level of the writer. Consequently, all writing aimed at readers should try to use as many headings and subheadings as possible. Each part of a paper is generally divided into subsections, the first level of subheadings.