How To Write APA Essay Format? Best Tips Till Date!

After MLA Essay Format, this is another daunting seeming essay writing term. Whilst, it doesn’t act like one. Readily understandable, Holds a creative approach, Portrays your thoughts effectively. Don’t you feel so, well I do?

1. WHYs and HOWs of APA Style Essay
2. Most prominent features of APA Format
3. What is the Basic Format for APA Styled Essays?
   1. Title Page
   2. Professionally Designed Tittle Page Includes
   3. Student-designed Title Page Includes
   4. Running Heads and Page Numbers
   5. Abstract Page
   6. Key Words
   7. Body
   8. Quotations and Paraphrasing
   9. References
   10. Footnotes

1. Let’s find out all the WHYs and HOWs of APA Style Essay

APA Style guide is a documentation style created by the “American Psychological Association.” This format is a way of drafting essays, reports, papers, in an articulated form of font, indents, citations, etc. This format is indicative of the sociology and psychology disciplines.

There are various versions known for this format, but the most updated version is applicable according to the new style guide for the 7th Edition.

2. Most prominent features of APA Format are  

Title Page, Reference Page, and In-Text Citations.

Mentioned are few of the guidelines that are very peculiar to be followed in terms of APA format in essays.

1. Use a paper of size 8.5 x 11.”
2. Font Style – Times New Roman
3. Font Size – 12 Points
4. Spacing – Double Spaced
5. Includes Running Heads and Page Numbers on all Pages
6. There should be a margin of 1 inch left from the paper, from each side(top, bottom, left, or right).

3. What is the Basic Format for APA Styled Essays?

The major components of an APA styled essay align in the below-mentioned structure – 

1. Title Page
2. Abstract Page
3. Essay
4. References
5. Footnotes

Let us begin with understanding each of the pointers in detail for writing a brilliant piece of a research paper.

1. Title Page

Coming up with a title of any write up is more exhausting than scribbling the whole essay.

Every book, Article, Research Paper, anything worth reading and includes Information, accounts for a tittle.

This brings me to the Title Page for the essay penned in APA style.

The title page for the APA Essay format is formatted in a precise manner. This format further subdivides into the format designed for professionals and the form created for students to write their kind of required research paper guidelines. 

The title of the page can be extended to two lines, but make sure that it doesn’t exceed the word count of 12.

2. Professionally Designed Tittle Page Includes

The title is the centralized crucial pointer, followed by the author’s name, Institutional Affiliation, and Author Note. 

Institutional Affiliation mentioned for the Professionally Designed Tittle Page is to make people aware of the research’s location. 

Followed by the Author’s Note – This is a note written in the bottom half of the page and is a division of a lot of paragraphs. 

These paragraphs include the author’s name, change in affiliations, disclosures, or acknowledgments, study registrations, data sharing, and other assistance. This note also includes the contact details of the author.

3. Student-designed Title Page Includes

The title is the main pointer, followed by the Course Name and Number, Instructor’s Name, and Assignment Due Date.

Student-created format, there is no requirement for the author’s note to exist.

4. Running Heads and Page Numbers

Running Heads and Page Numbers are other essential factors for every essay or research paper written in this format.

Running Heads, a little sibling of the Title, which is truly a Rubik’s cube to solve after finalizing the title, But fun to work on. As we all are capable enough to add statuses to our FACEBOOK, Instagram, or Twitter Pages. (Less Characters but Equal Explanation like a Title).

They are the summary version of the actual title on the title page. It is known as the short title, that effortlessly defines the whole meaning of the main title.

Running heads place on the top left corner of the page. It is inclusive of only 50 characters, including punctuation.

Page Numbers, on the other hand, are in place on the top left right corner of the page.

5. Abstract Page

The abstract page is altogether a new page to begin.

• This page includes a page header named, abstract (no Italics, underlining, or quotations). This page comprises the significant outcomes extracted from the research done.
• Further, all the pointers on this page comprise of in detail description, including the research topic, questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and the conclusion.
• This page can also incorporate the implications/objections or future work links connected to the research.
• The abstract is a single paragraph form. It is a composition of around 200-250 words.
• The paragraph is double spaced, and this is the primary factor for all the essay formats.

On this page, if any digit needs to be involved, then figures can be mentioned as digits until the sentence begins from a number, then it will be in words.

6. Key Words

Sometimes, students or professionals would love to add keywords in their research paper to make it beneficial for the instructors to find their work in the database.

Thoughts are the soul to an essay to what Keywords are the heart of.

Keywords word is italicized, and then the list is mentioned with commas horizontally.

7. Body

The body is again a separate page, where we mention some of the outsourced work.

8. Quotations and Paraphrasing

Quotations are the words of a different person incorporated in our work, and giving the actual sayer, the credit for the same.

While adding the quotation in the research paper, the author of the quote needs the credit too. In APA Format, the recognition includes mentioning the last name of the author and the year of publishing, followed by the quote.

For Eg. Davis (1989) quoted that “quote.”

If not mentioned in the text citation, then it can be said in the parenthesis after the quotation and the page number.

For, E.g. “quote” (Davis 1989)(p. 189)

Same Exists for Paraphrasing

As we all know, paraphrasing is the meaning of any quote presented on the paper, an amalgamation of thoughts and words, that depicts the accurate quote.

9. References

All the previously cited content, i.e., quotations, paraphrases, summaries, etc., deserve recognition for their respective authors.

Reference is executed with the help of mentioning the author’s last name, year of publishing, page number, and verified electronic retrieval information in alphabetical order.

10. Footnotes

Footnotes are a different page again. Footnotes as a heading are centrally aligned and mentioned in standard form. (No Italics, Underlining or Quotations)

• Superscripts mentioned in the previous citations in the research paper are all mentioned with detailed sources or explanations.

• APA Format was previously, set down in the Passive voice, but as and when the updated version of the style guide was published, the writing format changed to the Active voice

• APA Format helps the discipliners or the instructor scan the main pointers in the research very quickly with the help of this format. 

• Well, APA Format holds a record in various forms over 80 years. However, this is still one of the most identified formats for writing essays and research papers nationally and internationally.

Interestingly, MLA Format was the discovery done in the 8^th Edition of the particular association, and APA Format is the outcome of the 7^th Edition of the assigned association. Fun Fact is that both these formats are used to write books, research papers, write-ups, essays but in two different styles and two different genres. MLA Format is allocated to Humanities, and English Subjects, and on the other hand, APA Format is designated to Sociology and Psychology.

Also, both formats hold Equal Importance.

I will get back to you with lots more Interesting topics and fun facts about them for you to know and discover more about Essays.

It’s always fun to write and read great gripping and captivating stuff.

Must Read: How To Write a Research Paper

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