MLA and APA are 2 different formats of writing research papers. Every first student has an ultimate question what type they should choose and how to follow all academic requirements in the writing format they preferred. In general, they differ from each other with date, author’s name location, the list of literature and references, and other particularities.
But in most cases students get the exact task to write in MLA or APA so they have no troubles in making choice. Their main problem is to execute the task in the right way. In this case everyone should understand how to write paper in APA style.
What is APA Paper Formatting?
APA formatting is used all over the world including USA, Canada, and other countries. It is well-known in most colleges and universities but still provokes difficulties for students. As you can see this paper has numerous rules on how to express your ideas and describe a topic. That’s why young students are not very keen on writing such a responsible task.
By this reason students may need services of professional writer. It is okay to ask for help if you are not sure in own powers and don’t want to risk your reputation in front of the professor. But if you feel enough powers to create cool paperwork in APA formatting then do it!
No matter what part of your paper you are writing it should be done in traditional format. For instance, use the 12-sized font called Times New Roman. It looks so simple but there are so many students who miss this part. The most frequent mistake is to use in your paper different colors and fonts. In such case the tutor will not probably accept your paper no matter how cool the content is.
General APA Research Paper Format Guidelines
General APA style paper guidelines include requirements about formatting and content. So the student must combine both excellent ideas and right structure to impress his professor. Of course, you shouldn’t worry about your paperwork if there is no influence on your studying. But in a real student life every paper task influences a lot on your marks, scholarship, and even graduation. So try to follow all APA requirements to create your best research paper.
Here are several important tips to write in right manner:
- use double-spaced with traditional paper 8.5″ x 11″ and 1″ margins on its sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable;
- well-known font Times New Roman in size 12 is required to allow tutors read your essay in a clear way;
- use running header the upper side of every page and mark it with your short version of the paper title (it should contain up to 50 symbols);
- write your paper according to traditional APA structure which includes title page, the abstract, the body, and list of references.
APA Style Papers Main Sections
So the most important thing in writing your essay in APA formatting is to follow the right structure. It is more complicated than MLA style and has several traps and pitfalls which can prevent you from getting a high mark. So remember the right structure of APA paper:
Title page
This is the first part of every research paper except MLA (it could be or not according to the author’s decision). But notice, that APA formatting has numerous rules for making this page. Here are they:
- always place title in the center of the page;
- you should use less than 12 words to describe the title;
- use double-spaced fields to make boundaries between lines;
- place your name beneath the title and do not add formalities such as student, Ph.D., etc;
- use a capitalized short name in the running head.
These rules must be used in making your APA paper. According to the theory, such hard work with title is approved to bring more attention to the paper.
Abstract
The abstract is not used very often. This part is made to introduce the basic ideas of the paper and short summary of problems which were discovered by author.
Here is the list of important requirements:
- in this part you need to describe all unusual words, abbreviation, special terms, etc;
- start with the word ‘Abstract’ to define your paperwork;
- use 12 font in Times New Roman to center the title;
- explain your ideas in 250 words but not more.
So the abstract page is really helpful. It allows getting a short overview of its content.
Body
The part in body has not so many rules as it was in previous parts. Author is free to use as more headlines, paragraphs, lists, and sections as he like. The only one requirement is to write about important topics and answer questions about your subject. Don’t add information which doesn’t belong to your paperwork.
You also should start the first headline in body with the name of your survey and do not mark it with bold or other type of font formatting. You may center every new title and make it bold.
Results and discussion
These parts are short but the most difficult to write. You need to make analysis of your man part, use your thesis in introduction, and make final thoughts. This is a kind of conclusion for APA research paper. It consists of 2 parts: results and discussion. Results section shows your final ideas and allows reader knowing the summary of your job. The discussion demonstrates its substantiation so you must answer such questions as:
- Did you get the results which you predicted before? If it is not, then answer why?
- How your results match to your previous theory and professional literature?
- Are your final ideas consistent or inconsistent with those results which have been found in the past? If they are not, why did it happen?
As a result the explanation of your results will probably be the most difficult and long part of the complete paperwork.
Text citation and references
You should use citation and references regarding traditional rules. It is highly important to make honest marks and place each sentence according to the source you used.
Citation are usually used as an in-text style which means placing such statements in parenthesis. When you gather together all references in the list you need to sort them in alphabetical line using the writer’s last name and the first letter of the first name. Then add the year when material had been published. This is an obvious rule to identify each source with its mentioning in the body.
Well yes, there are a lot of things you must know to write essay in APA format papers. But don’t forget about free time and good content, because it is impossible to get high mark without real reasons for this. Unfortunately, not everyone can handle situation and use both talent in writing and skills in formatting. That’s why you may ask writer for professional help. Experts at writemypapers4me are keen on making paperwork in any style, topic, genre, and so on. Use their services to make your student life better and valuable!
