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5+ Steps to Follow While Writing an APA-Styled Document

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Students must have come across the term APA style in their academic life. As this is a widely used style to create a paper. Many students got stuck with it and looked for paper help from experts. Ever wonder what this is? If not, no worries. Let us have a look at what is APA style of wri

 

 What Is APA Style Paper?

APA, or American Psychological Association, is a commonly used format to cite the sources used in writing a paper. This style is widely used in writing a research paper. It is the most difficult and is used frequently in criminology, economics, political science, business and sociology. When APA is discussed, it talks about the rules or guidelines that a particular paper should consider while it is created. APA style provides specific guidelines for almost all aspects of formatting. It includes font size and style, margins and punctuation. 

Steps to write APA-styled paper 

Many students find it challenging to write their papers according to the guidelines of this format. So let us have a look at the procedure of APA writing style.

APA style writing is divided into seven sections which are as follows,

The Title Page

As per the guidelines of APA style, the title page should contain the title of about 10-12 words. It should provide the essence of the entire paper. After mentioning the title, you have to write your name along with the name of your institution. 

After this, create a header with a short title, which will reflect on every document page.

Abstract

The length of an abstract section should not exceed 120 words. This section includes a summary of the entire research. It gives a brief about the paper to the reader in one paragraph.

Introduction

This section of the paper is not labelled as an “introduction”. A good introduction section evaluates the knowledge in the related area of the research. It also provides information about the knowledge gap present, along with what your research will add and why you are conducting it. The main focus of the introduction part should also be to keep the readers interested in reading ahead till the end.

Methods

The methods in the APA style of writing are straightforward. But, they have to fulfil requirements and should be precise. This section aims to define all the types of equipment used in the research in detail. 

The method section includes participants, materials and the process. In addition, it might include a design section if it is complicated. This section can be modified according to the needs of a particular paper. 

Results

In this section, you will add all your findings and how you analyzed them. You can divide this section further into the sub-sections if you feel that your findings are complex and need to be explained in detail. 

Discussion

This section allows you to explain your result more extensively. It can be looked at as a reverse section compared to the introduction. It is so because, in this, we start with the specifics and then move towards the general things. It will also include the limitations of your paper. With what questions are generated through your research? 

References

It is the last section, which includes all the references you have used while creating the paper. These references should be included in alphabetical order. It can be done by putting the last name first, followed by the name.

Let us look at some of the tips to be followed to make the paper effective.

Writing Tips for APA Style Paper

An APA-styled paper must be written formally, as it is for academic purposes. It should follow some tips that are,

  • Write it in a straightforward manner
  • Don’t use unprofessional language or slang
  • Don’t be biased 
  • Avoid using the first person, excluding the exceptions
  • Cite your sources properly
  • Try to paraphrase the sentences to avoid copied content from the sources
  • Avoid personal thinking and focus on delivering the facts. 

Now, you know what an APA-styled paper is and the procedure to follow while creating it. Along with tips to consider so you are good to go. There are many samples for you to check and get help. But, even after these, if you get stuck, look for a paper help expert to guide you in the right direction. 

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