apa style paper without abstract

APA Style, 7th edition - Citing Sources

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When writing a paper using APA style, you must adhere to very specific style rules. These include:

• Double space with 1" margins on all sides.
• Many font choices are acceptable. Use the same font throughout the paper. Suggested fonts include: Calibra 11 pt., Arial 11 pt., Lucida Sans Unicode 10 pt., Times New Roman 12 pt., Georgia 11 pt., Computer Modern 10 pt.  MORE INFORMATION.
• While page headers are no longer needed for student papers (no more Running head!) , each page should be numbered in the header, flush right.  Numbering starts with the title page.
• Paper's sections:  Title Page, Main Body, References.  Other sections include abstract, appendices.  These are not always required or necessary. Check your assignment and/or ask your professor.
• Title of paper (in bold), author's name (your name), institutional affiliation (Regis College), course number and name, instructor name, assignment due date centered on title page are the basic elements on the title page.  MORE INFORMATION . 
• Start the reference list after the body of the paper, on a new page, with the word References   bolded and centered at the top. 
• Headings must conform to APA Style. MORE INFORMATION.
• APA Style website- Paper Format

Topics covered:

• Order of pages
• Title Page Setup
• Page Header
• Line Spacing
• Paragraph Alignment & Indentation
• Accessibility 

Use this checklist to proofread your paper once it is complete. 

• APA Checklist 7th edition

Use the below templates to get started with formatting your papers in APA in Word. Make sure to check with your professor if you should be using the professional or student versions!

• Regis College Library Student Template For student-formatted APA 7th edition papers. This template was created by Regis College Library librarians.
• Regis College Library Professional Template For professional-formatted APA 7th edition papers. This template was created by Regis College Library librarians.
• Scribbr APA Format for Papers- Templates From Scribbr: Goes over how to format your paper, FREE downloads to templates for the student and professional versions, as well as a video in how to use the templates in Word. Please note: there is a logo down the bottom of each page in the downloaded templates that will need to be removed before submitting your paper!

APA has sample papers available on page 50 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed.

Be sure to check with your professor on which format version to use, since the format for professional papers (those submitted to a journal) is different than the student format.

• APA Style Sample Papers You can view these sample papers with helpful annotations or without.

Student papers typically do not require an abstract ( see p. 30 APA 7th manual).  Check your assignment or clarify with your professor if you have questions about whether an abstract is necessary.

An abstract is written after your paper is completed.  It is typically one paragraph of 300 words or less that summarizes your paper and provides enough information so that the reader can decide whether it would be useful to read the rest of the paper.  It includes the purpose of the study, the design of your study (methods), results or findings, and conclusions. In other words, an abstract describes what you set out to do, how you did it, your results, and your conclusions based on the results.

There are different abstract formats for different types of studies.  These include empirical studies, literature reviews, theory-oriented papers, methodological papers, and case studies.  Each of these is discussed in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association,  (6th ed.), on pp. 25- 27.

If you include an abstract, begin on a new page right after the title page (the second page).   On the first line of the abstract page, center and bold the word Abstract  (do not use italics, underlining, or quotation marks). Begin your abstract paragraph on the next line.  Do not indent the paragraph.

MORE INFORMATION

You may want to use appendices in a long paper such as a term project or dissertation. Rules to keep in mind:

• The appendix appears after the reference list.
• Each appendix should be labeled.  Name the first appendix Appendix A, the second Appendix B, etc.
• The appendices should appear in the order that they are mentioned in your paper.
• Start each appendix on a new page.
• More detail about formatting appendices can be found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) starting on p. 38.
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APA Style (7th ed.)

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Format Your Paper

Download and use the editable templates for student papers below: .

• APA 7th ed. Template Document This is an APA format template document in Google Docs. Click on the link -- it will ask for you to make a new copy of the document, which you can save in your own Google Drive with your preferred privacy settings.
• APA 7th ed. Template Document A Microsoft Word document formatted correctly according to APA 7th edition.
• APA 7th ed. Annotated Bibliography template A Microsoft Word document formatted correctly for an annotated bibliography.

Or, view the directions for specific sections below:

Order of sections (section 2.17).

• Title page including Title, Author, University and Department, Class, Instructor, and Date
• Body (including introduction, literature review or background, discussion, and conclusion)
• Appendices (including tables & figures)

Margins & Page Numbers (sections 2.22-2.24)

• 1 inch at top, bottom, and both sides
• Left aligned paragraphs and leave the right edge ragged (not "right justified")
• Indent first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch from left margin
• Use page numbers, including on the title page, 1/2 inch from top and flush with right margin

Text Format (section 2.19)

• Times New Roman, 12 point
• Calibri, 11 point
• Arial, 11 point
• Lucinda Sans Unicode, 10 point
• Georgia, 11 point
• Double-space and align text to the left
• Use active voice
• Don't overuse technical jargon
• No periods after a web address or DOI in the References list.

Tables and Figures In-Text (chapter 7)

• Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1)
• Give each table column a heading and use separating lines only when necessary
• Design the table and figure so that it can be understood on its own, i.e. it does not require reference to the surrounding text to understand it
• Notes go below tables and figures

Title Page (section 2.3)

• Include the title, your name,  the class name , and  the college's name
• Title should be 12 words or less and summarize the paper's main idea
• No periods or abbreviations
• Do not italicize or underline
• No quotation marks, all capital letters, or bold
• Center horizontally in upper half of the page

Body (section 2.11)

• Align the text to the left with a 1/2-inch left indent on the first line
• Double-space
• As long as there is no Abstract, at the top of the first page, type the title of the paper, centered, in bold , and in Sentence Case Capitalization
• Usually, include sections like these:  introduction, literature review or background,  discussion, and conclusion -- but the specific organization will depend on the paper type
• Spell out long organization names and add the abbreviation in parenthesis, then just use the abbreviation
• Spell out numbers one through nine and use a number for 10 or more
• Use a number for units of measurement, in tables, to represent statistical or math functions, and dates or times

Headings (section 2.26-2.27)

• Level 1: Center, bold , Title Case 
• Level 2: Align left, bold , Title Case
• Level 3: Alight left, bold italics , Title Case
• Level 4: Indented 1/2", bold , Title Case, end with a period. Follow with text. 
• Level 5: Indented 1/2", bold italics , Title Case, end with a period. Follow with text. 

Quotations (sections 8.26-8.33)

• Include short quotations (40 words or less) in-text with quotation marks
• For quotes more than 40 words, indent the entire quote a half inch from the left margin and double-space it with no quotation marks
• When quoting two or more paragraphs from an original source, indent the first line of each paragraph a half inch from the left margin
• Use ellipsis (...) when omitting sections from a quote and use four periods (....) if omitting the end section of a quote

References (section 2.12)

Begins on a new page following the text of your paper and includes complete citations for the resources you've used in your writing.

• References should be centered and bolded at the top of a new page
• Double-space and use hanging indents (where the first line is on the left margin and the following lines are indented a half inch from the left)
• List authors' last name first followed by the first and middle initials (ex. Skinner, B. F.)
• Alphabetize the list by the first author's last name of of each citation (see sections 9.44-9.49)
• Capitalize only the first word, the first after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns
• Don't capitalize the second word of a hyphenated compound
• No quotation marks around titles of articles

Appendices with Tables, Figures, & Illustrations (section 2.14, and chapter 7)

• Include appendices only to help the reader understand, evaluate, or replicate the study or argument
• Put each appendix on a separate page and align left
• For text, do not indent the first paragraph, but do indent the rest
• If you have only one appendix, label it "Appendix"
• If you have two or more appendices, label them "Appendix A", "Appendix B" and so forth as they appear in the body of your paper
• Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1, or Table B1 and Table B2 if Appendix B has two tables) and describe them within the text of the appendix
• Notes go below tables and figures (see samples on p. 210-226)

Annotated Bibliography

Double-space the entire bibliography. give each entry a hanging indent. in the following annotation, indent the entire paragraph a half inch from the left margin and give the first line of each paragraph a half inch indent. see the template document at the top of this page..

• Check with your professor for the length of the annotation and which elements you should evaluate.

These elements are optional, if your professor or field requires them, but they are  not required for student papers: 

Abstract (section 2.9).

• Abstract gets its own page
• Center "Abstract" heading and do not indent the first line of the text
• Summarize the main points and purpose of the paper in 150-250 words maximum
• Define abbreviations and acronyms used in the paper

Running Head (section 2.8 )

• Shorten title to 50 characters or less (counting spaces and punctuation) for the running head
• In the top margin, the running head is aligned left, with the page number aligned on the right
• On every page, put (without the brackets): [SHORTENED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER IN ALL CAPS] [page number] 

More questions? Check out the authoritative source: APA style blog

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Paper Set Up

APA has a number of rules for setting up an APA style paper that your instructor may want you to follow. The following information came from the 7th edition of the APA Manual. See the page number that follows each style rule for more information.

Margins - 1 inch all sides, including top, bottom, left and right (Sect. 2.22, p. 45)

Font preference and size - Most instructors prefer the font set at 12-pt Times New Roman. However, APA does allow for other font types and sizes, including Calibri 11-point, Arial 11-point, Lucida Sans Unicode 10-point, or Georgia 11-point. Consult your instructor for their preferences. (Sect. 2.19, p. 44)

Line Spacing - Double spacing should occur throughout the entire document, including title page, reference list, and quotations of 40 or more words. NOTE: There are a few exceptions. (Sect. 2.21, p. 45)

Page Numbers - Page numbers should be located in the right corner of the header unless specified differently from your instructor. Be sure to include a page number on the title page, too! (Sect. 2.18, p. 44)

Paragraph Indentation - Paragraphs should be indented 1/2 inch. For consistency throughout the paper, click your Tab key one time. (Sect. 2.24, pp. 45-46)

 Additional Resources

Setting up your Paper in Proper APA Style   (Coming Soon!) - this is a video tutorial created by the CSS Library. It will demonstrate how to set up a paper in proper APA Style in Word for a PC. 

Paper Format Checklist - basic formatting requirements for setting up an APA paper (Google Doc Version). 

Title Page for a Student Paper - guidelines from APA for setting up the title page for a student paper. 

More Information

For more information about formatting your paper, see the section numbers and additional resources outlined above and Chapter 2 of the APA Manual, 7th edition.

NOTE:   Your instructor may prefer slight changes to these rules. Check with your instructor for any variations.

APA Section Labels

Organization of an apa paper.

APA style includes section levels to organize the pages or major sections of the paper. Each new of these new pages or sections should begin on a new page. An APA paper should be organized as follows

• Title page - begins on page 1
• Abstract - begins on page 2 ( NOTE : This is optional for most course papers. Review your assignment instructions or contact your instructor to determine whether or not an abstract should be included in your paper. )
• Body or text of the paper - begins on page 3 (if there is an abstract) OR page 2 (if there is no abstract)
• References - begins on the first page after the text of the paper
• Appendices - begins on the first page after the references. Additionally, if there is more than 1 appendix, each appendix should begin on a new page. ( NOTE : This is optional for most course papers. Review your assignment instructions or contact your instructor to determine whether or not an appendix should be included in your paper.)

Note : there are options for additional sections that may be added to an APA paper. The sections outlined above are the pages or sections most commonly found in a course paper.   

Starting a New Page

When starting a new page or section of the paper, you are advised to include a page break or section break (in Word press CTRL + ALT + Delete all at one time). Do not click "Enter" until you get to a new page. This may cause problems with the accessibility of your paper or throw off your formatting of the paper if you add or delete information from your paper.   

Section Labels

To begin a new page or section, include a section label. For abstracts, the body of the paper, references, and appendices, the section label should be located on the very first line of the new page. The section label should be bold and centered. Additionally, capitalize all major words. 

The section label for each new page or section is as follows:

• Title page = the title of your paper (begin 3-4 double spaces from the top of the page)
• Abstract = Abstract
• Body or text of the paper = the title of your paper (use proper title case - all major words are capitalized)
• References = References (if there is only 1 reference label it as Reference)
• Appendix = Appendix (if only 1 appendix). If there is more than 1 appendix, add a letter after "Appendix." (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.)

More information

For more information about the organization of the pages or sections of an APA paper or section labels, see Section 2.17 on page 43 and Section 2.28 on pages 49 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. Additionally, review the APA 7th edition Checklist and see the example of a short student paper and the example of a long student paper .

APA Headings

To organize the parts within the body of your paper, APA has five different levels of headings. Think of these levels similar to what an outline has and how the main topics have Roman numerals, subtopics have capital letters, the next level has Arabic numbers, and so on.

When considering the addition of headings to your paper, APA instructs that you should only add a heading if there will be 2 or more subsections using the same level heading. If you do not have at least 2 subsections using the same level heading, then do not include headings for the subsection. See Section 2.26 on page 47 for more information.  

Be aware that not all papers will require the use of headings. Ask your professor if they wish to have you use headings in your paper. Long, formal papers should have headings especially if they include an abstract at the beginning.

Here are the five levels and how they should be formatted: 1. Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading - Begin the text on a new line as a new paragraph. 2. Left-aligned, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading  - Begin the text on a new line as a new paragraph.  3. Left-aligned, Boldface, Italicized, Upper and Lowercase Heading   - Begin the text on a new line as a new paragraph.  4. Indented, Boldface, Upper and Lowercase Heading, Ending With a Period . Begin the text on the same line as the heading and continue as a regular paragraph. 5. Indented, Boldface, Italicized, Upper and Lowercase Heading, Ending With a Period . Begin the text on the same line as the heading and continue as a regular paragraph. 

More Information:

For more information about headings, see Sections 2.26 & 2.27, Table 2.3, and Figures 2.4 and 2.5 on pages 47-49 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. Additionally, see the Headings Levels Template: Student Papers , created by APA to demonstrating what each heading would look like in an APA paper.

Printable versions of the heading levels are available here:

• Levels of Heading in APA Style, 7th Edition  - (Google Doc version, you must be logged in to Cor to access.)
• Levels of Heading in APA Style, 7th Edition - (PDF version)

Reference List

Always start your reference list on a new page.

Page title - The word References should appear centered at the top of the page and in bold. If you have only 1 citation the title should be Reference. (Sect. 9.43, p. 303)

Line Spacing - Double space between each line. (Sect. 9.43, p. 303)

Alignment - The first line of each entry should align with the left margin. All subsequent lines should be formatted with a hanging indent set at 1/2 inch. (Sect. 9.43, p. 303)

Order of entries - Alphabetical order by author. If there is no author, use the title of the document. If you have more than one entry by the same author, then arrange by year beginning with the earliest publication. (Sect. 9.44, p. 303, Sect. 9.48 & Sect. 9.49, p. 306)

Reference List Checklist - Formatting requirements for the reference list and for the creation of references (Google Doc Version).

Sample Papers

You might find it helpful to look at a sample paper formatted in the APA style.

Short Sample Student Paper - includes the use of 2 levels of headings.

• Google Doc Version  
• PDF Version

Long Sample Student Paper - includes figures, tables, and appendices.

Advanced Formatting Help from APA

• Accessibility Created by APA - learn about how to create accessible documents in APA Style
• Formatting of Abstract and Keywords From APA Manual. Find more information in Sect. 2.9 & Sect. 2.10, pp. 38-39.
• Formatting the Appendix From APA Manual. Find more information in Sect. 2.14, p. 41.
• Accessible Use of Color in Figures Created by APA - learn about the selecting color that is accessible to all readers.
• Figure Formatting Information about APA rules for setting up a figure.
• Sample Figures A variety of sample figures from APA.
• Table Format Information about APA rules for setting up a table.
• Sample Tables A variety of sample tables created by APA.
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General Guidelines

• Make 1 inch margins on the top, bottom, and sides.
• The first word in every paragraph should be indented one half inch.
• sans serif: 11-point Calibri or 11-point Arial
• serif: 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia
• Double space the entire research paper, including the title page.
• Left align the text.

APA Paper Components

Every paper should include at least four main sections:

Reference List

Student papers do not typically include a running head, an author note, or an abstract, unless specifically requested by the instructor.

A title page is always required in all APA formatted papers. Students should follow the student title page guidelines, unless their instructor requires them to use the professional version. 

The student title page should include:

• paper title;
• author(s) name(s);
• author affiliation (i.e. the department and the name of the university);
• course number and full name;
• instructor name;
• assignment due date;
• page number (start numbering the title page from 1).
• APA Blog - Title Page Setup
• Student Title Page Guide APA provides a student title page guide to assist students in creating their title pages.

If requested by the instructor, students may need to include an abstract, especially for capstone projects.

The abstract should be one paragraph of between 150 and 250 words. It is not indented. The section label "Abstract" is centered at the top of the page and it is in bold title case.

Text (Main Body)

The text of the paper should start on a new page after the title page (and abstract, if included). On the first page of the text, you should repeat the paper title in title case, bold, and centered.

Use double-spacing throughout the paper, left align the text and indent the first line of each paragraph by one tab key (usually set to 0.5 in.). 

Throughout the body, in-text citations are used and they include the author’s/authors’ name(s) and the publication year, followed by the page number of the text cited if applicable (see the In-Text Citations section).

Organizing a Paper with Headings

In order to effectively organized the ideas in your paper, you can use headings to separate each different section. APA recommends the use of a maximum of five possible headings. Not all papers must include headings.

• APA Blog - Headings

The Reference List appears on a new page after the end of the paper.

• Center and bold the title “References” (do not include quotation marks, underline, or italicize this title).
• Alphabetize and double-space all entries.
• Use a hanging indent for all entries (the first line of each reference is flush left and subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 in).
• Every article/source mentioned in the paper and used in your study should be referenced and have an entry.

Sample Paper

Sample paper and template.

This is a Word office version of a sample APA student paper, and it can also be used as a template for formatting your paper.

• APA 7 Student paper template
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• How to write and format an APA abstract

APA Abstract (2020) | Formatting, Length, and Keywords

Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on January 17, 2024.

An APA abstract is a comprehensive summary of your paper in which you briefly address the research problem , hypotheses , methods , results , and implications of your research. It’s placed on a separate page right after the title page and is usually no longer than 250 words.

Most professional papers that are submitted for publication require an abstract. Student papers typically don’t need an abstract, unless instructed otherwise.

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Table of contents

How to format the abstract, how to write an apa abstract, which keywords to use, frequently asked questions, apa abstract example.

Formatting instructions

Follow these five steps to format your abstract in APA Style:

• Insert a running head (for a professional paper—not needed for a student paper) and page number.
• Set page margins to 1 inch (2.54 cm).
• Write “Abstract” (bold and centered) at the top of the page.
• Do not indent the first line.
• Double-space the text.
• Use a legible font like Times New Roman (12 pt.).
• Limit the length to 250 words.
• Indent the first line 0.5 inches.
• Write the label “Keywords:” (italicized).
• Write keywords in lowercase letters.
• Separate keywords with commas.
• Do not use a period after the keywords.

Are your APA in-text citations flawless?

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The abstract is a self-contained piece of text that informs the reader what your research is about. It’s best to write the abstract after you’re finished with the rest of your paper.

The questions below may help structure your abstract. Try answering them in one to three sentences each.

• What is the problem? Outline the objective, research questions , and/or hypotheses .
• What has been done? Explain your research methods .
• What did you discover? Summarize the key findings and conclusions .
• What do the findings mean? Summarize the discussion and recommendations .

Check out our guide on how to write an abstract for more guidance and an annotated example.

Guide: writing an abstract

At the end of the abstract, you may include a few keywords that will be used for indexing if your paper is published on a database. Listing your keywords will help other researchers find your work.

Choosing relevant keywords is essential. Try to identify keywords that address your topic, method, or population. APA recommends including three to five keywords.

An abstract is a concise summary of an academic text (such as a journal article or dissertation ). It serves two main purposes:

• To help potential readers determine the relevance of your paper for their own research.
• To communicate your key findings to those who don’t have time to read the whole paper.

Abstracts are often indexed along with keywords on academic databases, so they make your work more easily findable. Since the abstract is the first thing any reader sees, it’s important that it clearly and accurately summarizes the contents of your paper.

An APA abstract is around 150–250 words long. However, always check your target journal’s guidelines and don’t exceed the specified word count.

In an APA Style paper , the abstract is placed on a separate page after the title page (page 2).

Avoid citing sources in your abstract . There are two reasons for this:

• The abstract should focus on your original research, not on the work of others.
• The abstract should be self-contained and fully understandable without reference to other sources.

There are some circumstances where you might need to mention other sources in an abstract: for example, if your research responds directly to another study or focuses on the work of a single theorist. In general, though, don’t include citations unless absolutely necessary.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, January 17). APA Abstract (2020) | Formatting, Length, and Keywords. Scribbr. Retrieved April 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-abstract/

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APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.) for Student Papers

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APA 7th ed. Fillable Word Template and Sample Paper

• APA 7th ed. Template Download this Word document, fill out the title page and get writing!
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APA Style 7th Edition Tutorials for Students in Psychology and Social Work

What is apa style.

• The Importance of Citing

Why is APA Style needed?

How do i get started with apa style, let us practice what we have learned, attribution and acknowledgement.

• Basics of APA Style Tutorial
• Reference Entry Elements
• Reference Examples
• Reference List
• In-Text Citations
• Student Paper Format
• Managing References - Zotero

Origination of APA Style

• Where did APA Style come from?

Commonly Used APA Related Terms

Abstract : Abstract is a brief synopses of article. It provides a brief but comprehensive summary of the article. 

Citing : In the context of academic writing, citing is the act of acknowledging the sources of information you have used when writing your work.

Citation:  A citation gives credit to a source, and contains publication information such as author(s), title and date.

DOI (digital object identifier): It is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to a digital object, mainly a scholarly article, to provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. 

In-Text Citation : It is a brief note that appears within the body of the paper and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication. An in-text citation should always match the corresponding entry in the reference list at the end of paper.

Paraphrasing : A paraphrase restates another’s idea (or your own previously published idea) in your own words. 

Plagiarism : It is the act of presenting the words, ideas, or images of another as your own; it denies creators of content the credit they are due. 

Quoting : It is the act of reproducing the exact wording used by the original author. Direct quotations appear within quotation marks and end with a citation.

Reference : It contains details about one cited work, generally including four elements:  author, date, title, and source.  

Reference List : It identifies all the sources you cited in the text of your paper. It generally is at the end of the paper and definitely on a new page after the text of your paper. 

APA Style is the most common writing style used in college and career. Its purpose is to promote excellence in communication by helping writers create clear, precise, and inclusive sentences with a straightforward scholarly tone. It addresses areas of writing such as how to

• format a paper so it looks professional;
• credit other people’s words and ideas via citations and references to avoid plagiarism; and
• describe other people with dignity and respect using inclusive, bias-free language.

APA Style is primarily used in the behavioral sciences, which are subjects related to people, such as psychology, education, and nursing. It is also used by students in business, engineering, communications, and other classes. Students use it to write academic essays and research papers in college, and professionals use it to conduct, report, and publish scientific research.

In addition, APA Style provides you with a powerful tool that will hep you avoid deliberate or unintentional plagiarism. Please review the Avoiding Plagiarism Guide created by the APA experts to understand what two common types of plagiarism are and how to avoid them. 

Why is learning citations important? Citations help readers understand where the information used in your paper comes from, enabling them to trace the path of that information. When readers wish to explore a specific point or reference cited in the text, citations make it easier by providing information about your sources in a standardized format.

Besides showing readers where you obtained information, using citations also has a strong ethical purpose. In academic writing, it is important to credit ideas that are not your own. Citations allow you to integrate the ideas of others with your own thoughts in a fair and honest way.

The reference formats for APA Style manuals are as follows:

APA Style provides a foundation for effective scholarly communication because it helps authors present their ideas in a clear and concise, and organized manner.  Uniformity and consistency enable readers to (a) focus on the ideas being presented rather than formatting and (b) scan works quickly for key points, findings, and sources. When style works best, ideas flow logically, sources are credited appropriately, and papers are organized predictably and consistently. 

Students are encouraged to first learn about APA Style by reading works written in APA Style. A couple of guides created by APA experts from the American Psychological Association can help you with that:

Anatomy of a Journal Article   https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/anatomy-journal-article.pdf

Scholarly journal articles share a common anatomy or structure. Each part of an article serves a specific purpose. The handout of  Anatomy of a Journal Article explains how journal articles are structured and how to become more efficient at reading and understanding them. Understanding the structure of a scholarly article and the purpose of each part helps you grasp a strategy called targeted reading. Targeted reading means to read specific sections of research articles first to determine if the article seems useful for your research topic. This way you will save time, find useful article faster, and choose which articles to read in full.

Reading and Understanding Abstracts https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reading-abstracts.pdf

Abstracts are short summaries of scientific research articles. The handout of Reading & Understanding Abstracts explains the definition and purpose of abstracts and the benefits of reading them, including analysis of a sample abstract. The skill of reading and understanding abstracts of scholarly articles not only saves time but also helps you conduct better research and write more effectively.

APA Style Writing Principles https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/writing-principles.pdf

The poster created by APA experts shows the three main principles of APA Style: clarity, precision, and inclusion and lists steps on how to achieve them. As a student writer, you always should write your academic paper with clarity, precision, and inclusion. 

Research Article Activity https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/apa-style-research-activity.pdf

Reading research articles is not an easy task for you as a student. The Research Article Activity designed by APA Style experts aims to make it easy to read and understand a scholarly article. This activity worksheet helps you find, cite, analyze, and summarize a research article. Completing this activity breaks down a lengthy research article into easily understandable chunks. This way helps you better understand the study in the article before you write about it. 

The information in this Guide   is courtesy of   the official APA Style website by the American Psychological Association.

Source Credit: Information on this LibGuide comes from APA Style website https://apastyle.apa.org/ This website has a wealth of free and authoritative resources designed to help anyone new to APA Style.

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• Last Updated: Apr 6, 2024 12:06 PM
• URL: https://research.ewu.edu/APAStyleTutorial