What Are the Steps for Writing an Essay in APA Format?
When writing a social science paper, use the American Psychological Association (APA) format. Its straightforward style will organize your information naturally, making it easy for readers to understand.
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Title Page
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On the title page, center the title of your paper, your name, the course title and the date. In the upper right corner, add a header that includes the first few words of your title and the page number. The title page font should match the rest of your paper: 12-point Times New Roman or Courier. Your entire paper should be double spaced, including the title page elements.
Abstract
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The abstract serves as a short summary of your paper. Describe each major section in one or two sentences. Explain the purpose of your study, your research methods, the results and your conclusions. Aim for a maximum of 120 words.
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Body
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Organize the body of your paper by labeling each section. Common headings include: Method, Results and Discussion.
Citations
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Parenthetical citations are placed in the text of APA-formatted documents. These identify your sources immediately for readers, and they save you the time-consuming task of writing footnotes. Citation formats and placement vary slightly, depending on what you are citing.
Reference List
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The reference list identifies all sources mentioned in your paper. Arrange them in alphabetical order by the authors' last names. If a source doesn't name the author, use the first word of the title.
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References
- The Writing Center@the University of Wisconsin - Madison: Format a paper using APA guidelines: Title page
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point: Psychology With Style: Research Reports: Abstract
- The Writing Center@the University of Wisconsin - Madison: Create APA Parenthetical Citations
- The Writing Center@the University of Wisconsin - Madison: Create an APA Reference List
Resources
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