How to write a lab paper in APA style

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How to write a lab paper in APA style?

• Shenghua Luan

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Contents

• Title
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Method
• Results
• Discussion
• References

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Title

• Does it clearly tell the reader what the paper is
  about? (Most important!)
• Does it identify the field of study?
• Does it distinguish the paper from others in the
  same discipline?

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Abstract

• Is it less than 250 words?
• Does it make sense without reading the title?
• Does it require the reader to know any undefined
  terms?
• Does it describe the results of the experiment?
• Does it contain too many details about the
  experiment?

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Introduction

• Has the general topic been describe in the
  beginning part?
• Does the introduction make sense without reading
  the abstract?
• Have you really reviewed the relevant literature?
• Does the introduction clearly state your theories
  and assumptions?
• Have you described the experimental hypotheses?

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Method

• Have you provided all the info needed for someone
  to reproduce the experiment?
• Have you specified the properties (size,
  intensity, duration, etc.) of the stimuli?
• Have you specified how the conditions were run?
• Have you included important information about
  calculations or procedures (eliminated trials,
  etc.)?
• Have you included mundane or trivial information
  about the calculations or procedures?
• Is the tense of all verbs appropriate and
  consistent?

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Results

• Have you provided described the (graphed or
  tabled) data results?
• Have you provided the calculated parameter values
  for all models/functions evaluated?
• Have you described outcomes of all statistical
  tests?
• Have you explained what you have done?
• Have you included any conclusions?
• Do all numbers have appropriate units?
• Figures and tables.

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Discussion

• Are the results discussed in relation to the
  hypotheses/theories stated in the Introduction?
• Are the results discussed in relation to those of
  prior experiments?
• Are the results related to other theories or
  applications?

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References

• Have you used the appropriate format for the
  references?

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Figures and Tables

• Are they all numbered?
• Have you specified the dimensions of figure axes
  and table entries?
• Is there a title on a table and a caption on a
  figure?
• Are all of the important parameters specified?
• Are all of the important parts of the figure
  specified either in the caption or the legend?

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General

• Provide appropriate citations
• Check for spelling and grammar errors
• Does it really have something?
• Rewrite, rewrite and rewrite!

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