APA Format

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APA Format
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• The Basics
• Parts of an APA Paper
• Title Page
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• References
• Appendix

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• The Basics
• 12 point font
• Use Times Roman or Courier
• Double spaced
• 1 inch margins on all sides
• Indent the first line of every paragraph!
• Hit the tab key, APA states 5 -7 spaces
• Do not indent the Abstract

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• Title Page
• Includes
• Running head for publication (upper left corner)
• Page header and page number (upper right corner)
• -First 2 to 3 words of title
• 3. Title (center of page and in upper half of
  page), name of author (one double spaced line
  below title), and institutional affiliation (one
  ds below name of author)

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Page header
Running head
Title
Name of author
Institution
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Abstract

• brief summary of the research (max. 120 words)
• concise and specific
• Purpose of research, participants and method used
  and why the results are significant

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Introduction

• This section should begin with the title of the
  paper (centered at beginning of page)
• Present the specific problem being researched,
  why it is important and how your research is
  contributing in a different way from past
  research.

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Introduction

• Describe past research specific to the problem
  being studied (avoid making this too long!)
• If you have hypotheses, make sure to state them
  in this section
• Finally, clearly state what is being investigated.

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Method
This section describes in detail how the study
was conducted. You should give enough detail
that other researchers could replicate your
study. Remember to double space and use PAST
tense.

• Identify subsections
• Participants or subjects
• Apparatus or materials
• Procedure (can include design or be separate)
• You may use additional subsections if it helps
  readers more easily find information.

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Method

• The Method section should begin with the word
• Method centered at the beginning followed by a
• subsection heading in italics which should be
  flushed to
• the left-hand margin. For example
• Method
• Participants
• Fourteen lower division university students from
  California
• State University, Stanislaus (12 women and 2 men,
  mean age
• 35) participated in the cookie study.

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Method Participants A description of the
individuals used to conduct the research.

• Identify research subjects (participants)
• State demographic characteristics
• (gender, ethnicity, age, level of education,
  socioeconomic status, etc.)
• 3. Explain how participants were selected and
  assigned

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Method
Participants

• When using humans indicate how selected and
  whether there was any compensation.
• Report total
• If university students used, indicate the school
  and where it is located.
• Age 18 yrs old should be referred to as men and
  women

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Method
Apparatus/Materials

• This section briefly describes what materials
• or apparatus was used and their function.
• ID standard and specialized equipment
  (stopwatches, rented machines, etc.)
• Example Likert Scale Sheets, bottles of water,
  cookies

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Method
Procedure

• This section summarizes each step of how
• the research was conducted. Should be
• detailed enough to be replicated!
• include instructions to participants
• formation of the groups
• describe randomization, counterbalancing and
  other controls for extraneous variables
• make sure to include any operational definitions

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Results
Summarizes data collected and the analyzes
conducted.

• Report data in detail
• Mention results that run counter to hypothesis
• Dont discuss implications of the results but
  state whether or not hypothesis was supported.
• Dont report individual results unless it is a
  single subject design
• Data in tables and figures

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Results

• For each statistical test used, summarize
  results.
• When stating the type of test (t test, f test,
  chi square), make sure to italicize the letter,
  report degrees of freedom (in parentheses), alpha
  level and the probability that the score is due
  to random chance.
• Means and standard deviations
• M 7.00
• Test results pgt.127

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DiscussionAnalysis and implications of results.

• Begin this section with whether or not results
  matched your predictions, specifically if your
  hypotheses was or was not supported.
• If it was not supported, explain why you think it
  was not and what could be possible explanations.

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Discussion

• Make sure to connect the research discussed in
  the introduction with your results. How was it
  similar and how did it differ? Provide a
  possible explanation.
• Bring the whole study (your research) to a
  conclusion in this section.
• Discuss possible confounds (discuss alternative
  explanations of results)

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References

• You must give credit to all literature cited in
  your research paper.
• APA guidelines must be followed.
• List all entries in alphabetical order.

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References
Examples from the APA manual

• References
• Periodical (journals, magazines, etc.)
• Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C.
  (1994). Title of article. Title of Periodical,
  xx. xxx-xxx.
• Nonperiodical (book)
• Author, A. A. (1994). Title of work. Location
  Publisher.
• American Psychological Association. (2001).
  Publication Manual of the American Psychological
  Association. (5th ed). Washington, DC.

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Appendix

• This is the section where you attach relevant
  information that might be inappropriate or
  distracting to include in the general body of the
  report.
• Label with letters not numbers, ie. Appendix A,
  Appendix B, etc.

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Numbers

• General APA rule
• Figures to express numbers 10 and above (ie 43)
• Words to express numbers below ten (eight)

However, there are a lot of exceptions!
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Numbers Exceptions to the rule

• Use figures for the following-
• All numbers below 10 that are grouped for
  comparison with numbers 10 and above
• Ex 2 of the 20 responses

• Numbers preceding a unit of measurement
• Ex a 5-mg dose
• Numbers representing statistical or mathematical
  functions, percentages, ratios and percentiles
• Numbers that represent time, dates, ages,
  sample, population size, specific numbers of
  participants, etc.

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Numbers Exceptions to the rule

• Use words (spell out) numbers when-
• below 10 that dont represent precise
  measurements are grouped for comparison with
  numbers below 10 (ex the third of five taste
  stimuli)
• Any number that begins a sentence, title, or text
  heading (ex Fourteen participants)
• Common fractions (ex two-thirds majority)
• Universally accepted usage (the Fourth of July)