What is APA Format

What is APA Format?

APA format is the official style of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is commonly used to cite sources in psychology, education, and the social sciences. APA format originated in a 1929 article published in Psychological Bulletin that laid out the basic guidelines. These guidelines were eventually expanded into the APA Publication Manual.

Title Page and Abstract in APA Format

Your title page should contain a running head, title, author name, and school affiliation. Learn more about writing an APA format title page: How to Write a Title Page

An abstract is a brief summary of your paper that immediately follows your title page. According to APA format, your abstract should be no more than 120 words. Learn more about writing an APA format abstract:

In-Text Citations in APA Format

When citing references in the text of your paper, use the author's name followed by the date of publication. For example, if you were to cite Sigmund Freud book The Interpretation of Dreams, you would use the following format: (Freud, 1900). The extended information on the source should then appear in your reference section.

Reference Page in APA Format

• Your references should begin on a new page. Title the new page "References" and center the title text at the top of the page.

• All entries should be in alphabetical order.

• The first line of a reference should be flush with the left margin. Each additional line should be indented (usually accomplished by using the TAB key.)

• Do not press the space bar twice after a period or other punctuation. APA style requires only one space after any form of punctuation.

• Each reference should be single-spaced, but be sure to double space between references.

• All sources cited should appear both in-text and on the reference page. Any reference that appears in the text of your report or article must be cited on the references page, and any item appearing on your reference page must be also incuded somewhere in the body of your text.

• Titles of books, journals, magazines, and newspapers should appear in italics.

While APA format may seem complex, it will become easier once you familiarize yourself with the rules and format. Explore other articles and links in this category to learn more about APA format.

THE TILE PAGE

The title page is the first page of your paper, so it is important to have a well-formatted title page that clearly represents your paper. The following format should be used in both psychology lab reports and research articles. Your instructor may also request that you use a similar format for other types of psychology writing.

Difficulty: Easy

Time Required: Variable

HOW TO WRITE A TITLE PAGE

1. Elements of a Title Page
• Article title
• Authors name
• Authors school affiliation
• Running head
• Page header
• Page number
2. Choosing a Title
   One of the most difficult tasks is choosing a good title. Your title should be as specific as possible. Notice the titles used in the following examples:
• [Specific] "Second-order Beliefs and the Use of Self-Presentational Explanations for Behavior."
• [General] "Cognitive Abilities and Social Understanding"

The best way to structure you title is to look at your hypothesis and experimental variables. For example: "The Effects of [Independent Variable] on [Dependent Variable]."

3. 
   Other Elements
• A running head and page number should be included in the upper right hand corner on all pages, including the title page.

• The first line of your title page should be left-aligned at the top of the page, using the following format:
  
  Running Head: PAGE TITLE
  
  Note that the running head should be listed as the first two words of your title in uppercase letters.

• Your title, name, and school should be double-spaced and centered on the page..

The purpose of an introduction in a psychology paper is to justify the reasons for writing about your topic. Your goal in this section is to introduce the topic to the reader, provide an overview of previous research on the topic, and identify your own hypothesis.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: Variable

HOW TO WRITE A PSCHOLOGICAL LAB REPORT

1. Use 3x5" note cards to write down notes and sources.
2. Look in professional psychology journals for examples of introductions.
3. Remember to cite your sources.

A psychology lab report describes an experiment. Lab reports take the same format used in professional journal articles. If your unsure of how a journal article is organized, look at some examples in psychology journals to get an idea of how your lab report will look.

 

Lab Report Structure:

Your lab report should follow the format below:

Title Page:

The title page should be the first page of your lab report. You can learn more in the following article:
How to Write a Title Page

Abstract:

The abstract should be the second page of your lab report. An abstract is a brief synopsis of your report, usually no longer than a paragraph. According to the American Psychological Association (APA) style guide, your abstract should be no longer than 120 words.

Introduction:

Your paper should begin with an introduction that outlines previous research on the topic, explains the goals of your current research, and provides your hypothesis. This section is usually several pages long and requires significant research in order to provide a sufficient overview of previous research on the topic. Remember to give proper citation to all sources.

Method:

The next section of your lab report will be the method section, in which you describe the procedures used in your experiment. Information you should provide includes number of participants, background of participants, your independent and dependent variables, and the type of experimental design you used.

Results:

The next part of your lab report will be the results section. In your results section, describe statistical data gathered from your experiment. This section is usually quite short and does not include any interpretation of your results. Use tables and figures to display statistical data and results.

Discussion:

Next, your lab report should include a discussion section in which you interpret the results of your experiment. Did the results of your experiment support or refute your hypothesis? You should also suggest possible explanations for the results of your experiment and what these results might mean in terms of future research on the topic.

References:

After your discussion section, your lab report should also include a list of references used in your experiment and lab report. Remember, all references cited in-text must be listed in the references section and vice versa. All references should be in APA format.

Tables and Figures:

Any tables or figures used to display your results should be included in this final section of your lab report. You can see what a table should look like in this example of a table in APA format. For more detailed descriptions and examples of tables and figures, consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition).




TABLE

About:

An example of a table in APA format.

In APA format papers, tables are generally used to describe the results of statistical analysis and other pertinent quantitative data. However, it is important to note that tables are not simply used to replicate data that has already been presented in the text of the paper and not all data should be presented in a table. If you have little numeric information to present, it should be described in the text of your paper.

Basic Rules for Tables in APA Format

• All tables should be numbered (e.g. Table 1, Table 2, Table 3).

• Each table should have an individual title, italicized and presented with each word capitalized (except and, in, of, with, etc.). For example: Correlations Between Age and Test Scores

• Each table should begin on a separate page.

• Horizontal lines can be used to separate information and make it clearer. Do not use vertical lines in an APA format table.

• All elements of the table should be double spaced.

• All tables should be referenced in the text of the paper.

• Tables should be last, after your reference list and appendixes.

Table Headings

• Table headings should be located flush right.

• Each column should be identified using a descriptive heading.

• The first letter of each heading should be capitalized.

• Abbreviations for standard terms (e.g. M, SD, etc.) can be used without explanation. Uncommon definitions should be explained in a note below the table.

Additional Notes to an APA Format Table

If additional explanation is needed, a note can be added below the table. There are three kinds of notes: General notes, specific notes, and probability notes. General notes refer to some aspect of the entire table; specific notes refer to a particular column or row; probability notes specify the probability-level.