How to write an APA research paper: hints for those who are concern


APA style refers to the official format of American psychological association. It is generally used in essay writing, dissertations, thesis, and works of social and other sciences. It is not very hard to format a paper in APA style if you understand the requirements well. Students, who have written a paper following the APA style, will find it easy to do it second time. For those students, who are doing it for the first time, it will be a little difficult.

In order to format a paper in APA style, you have to follow a few simple steps.

Rules for an APA Paper

  • If you are to write an APA style paper, then you should follow some standards. Take a paper of the 8.5 by 11 inches standard size.
  • Always keep 1 inch margin on all the sides
  • The most recommended font is times new roman however, you can use similar fonts too. The size of the text should be 12 points.
  • Always use double spacing
  • Remember to include a header on each page, and insert footer where you will enter page numbering.

An APA style paper is not hard to write. You may find it hard because it is your first time. If you are a psychology student it is most likely that your teacher will ask you to write your essays and papers using the APA style. Before you start writing your paper, make sure you have done your homework and have done enough research. Keep a track of all the references that you use in your paper. It is a good idea to keep writing them on a separate paper in an order. You will have to put all of them after the title in your paper. Another important thing you should remember is that you should always write the abstract in the end. After you have completed your paper, you can then write an abstract of the paper.

When you have completed your paper, you must revise and edit it. Never send an essay or a paper before rechecking it. Make sure you follow all the requirements properly. If you miss any font styling or size then you will not follow the format properly and your teacher might reject your paper. You should remember to follow all the specifications that your professor has mentioned.

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