APA style is one of the most common formatting types that students may encounter during their careers. Even more, as you grow and improve, you may need to conduct research in this format. Formatting always seems too official and challenging, and if you’re not familiar with it, it can be stressful to start. We’ll gladly help you find your ground in this formatting style and be more comfortable using it to present information better.
What is APA?
Before you begin using APA, let’s learn what this style means and why a writer would use it. APA stands for American Psychological Association, and this organization shares formatting standards that can help students and professionals organize their essays more effectively.
Because this formatting style is comfortable for many college professors, it has gained great interest and is often used in many courses. But there are some specific disciplines where this formatting style is more often applied. Psychology, economics, sociology, nursing, healthcare, marketing, business, and other related fields often use the APA style. Companies that concentrate on research can also require knowledge of this formatting.
There’s also another important thing to mention. APA has recently published a new version of its formatting style, APA 7, but many universities still use APA 6. If you’re unsure what formatting type you should use, ask your instructor about the needed version. In this review, I’ll focus mostly on the new version as it’s different from its better-known predecessor. If something’s missing, don’t be afraid to check official guidelines for APA formatting and its previous version.
General facts
When formatting your paper, make sure that you’ve got 1-inch margins on all sides and that the size of your paper is 8.5” x 11”. Every page in APA has a header or running head. If you’re just writing the assignment for your university, put page numbers there. But if you’re writing a professional or research paper, add the title of your paper as well. A common mistake for a beginner is to put your full title in the header, but that’s unnecessary. Just shorten your title and don’t exceed the 50-character limit.
Choosing the right font is also important; I have a thing for funny or creative fonts, but they don’t work in academic institutions. Your font should be readable. Most works use 10-12 points to make the text comfortable for a professor to read but also not excessively large.
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Structure
A typical APA work has these features:
- title page
- reference page
- abstract
- body pages
- appendices (if necessary).
Nevertheless, a typical non-research essay doesn’t need an abstract and appendix because of the specifics of the work.
Headings and titles
One thing that you’ll probably want to have as a reference is the list of headings, as the seventh version of APA has unique and specific requirements regarding them. First, it’s vital to remember that titles in APA are always capitalized. Doing otherwise would probably make your work look less organized. All major words in APA are capitalized. If you’re unsure whether all words in your title must be capitalized, look for free online services that capitalize your title instead of you. You’ll get used to it, and it’ll become easier for you to do that on your own.
Aside from that, there are five levels of headings in APA:-
Here’s how it should look:
First Level
Second Level
Third Level
Fourth Level
Fifth Level
In-text citations
In-text citations are essential for the best essay because that’s the critical feature of a good paper, but especially in APA style. Unlike MLA format, for example, APA citation is focused on the year. This requirement stems from the fast development of the fields in which the year of publication can have a great role. So, when quoting, make sure to put the authors’ name and date in the brackets, like this: (Jones, 2020).
Always put commas in APA style in-text citations. If you don’t have the authors’ surname, write the title of the work (“Reasons to Buy a Dog,” 2019). If you paraphrase the idea without adding direct quotation, you don’t have to put information in parentheses. However, writers who give a specific quote from a source add quotation marks. Here, I introduce the imaginary source:
In her text, Wilkins (2016) wrote about the importance of helping children in a family circle, “Parents offering assistance in social adaptation to their children contribute to positive outcomes in later life” (p. 64). Always write original works and avoid plagiarism in your papers.
Reference list
The reference list must be put on a separate page with the title “References” in bold and in the centre. In this formatting style, arrange the sources in alphabetical order based on the authors’ last names.
- If the author’s name and surname are available, always begin with their last name and add initials next.
- After that, put the date in parentheses.
- Write the title of the book, website, or journal article.
- For books, capitalize the first word only and the word occurring after the colon, semicolon, exclamation, or question mark. Put book titles in italics.
- For journal articles, don’t use italics but follow the rules above as well.
- For websites, use italics.
- After the title of the work, add the publisher’s name.
- If you’re working with a journal, write an issue and volume after the title of a journal.
- Don’t forget to mention pages and place of publication if necessary.
Example of a book on reference list:
Smith, J. (2017). Title of the work. Publisher name.
Here’s an example of a journal article:
Carter, O., & White, K. (2021). Title of the journal article. Title of the journal, 12 (1), 131-141.
You’ve got it
It can be a little hard to start but don’t be scared. Each formatting is created to make your life easier, and these simple tips have already prepared you for your first essay. If you need some additional help, look for official reviews of APA 6 or APA 7 and collect the information you lack. Remember: once you’ve learned this, it’ll come naturally to you and will only improve your writing. Good luck, and stay strong and motivated!