While all the formatting and citation styles have their own use and applications, in this chapter we focus our attention on the two styles you are most likely to use in your academic studies: APA and MLA.<\/p>\n
If you find that the rules of proper source documentation are difficult to keep straight, you are not alone. Writing a good research paper is, in and of itself, a major intellectual challenge. Having to follow detailed citation and formatting guidelines as well may seem like just one more task to add to an already-too-long list of requirements.<\/p>\n
Following these guidelines, however, serves several important purposes. First, it signals to your readers that your paper should be taken seriously as a student\u2019s contribution to a given academic or professional field; it is the literary equivalent of wearing a tailored suit to a job interview. Second, it shows that you respect other people\u2019s work enough to give them proper credit for it. Finally, it helps your reader find additional materials if they wish to learn more about your topic.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, producing a letter-perfect APA-style paper need not be burdensome. Yes, it requires careful attention to detail. However, you can simplify the process if you keep these broad guidelines in mind:<\/p>\n\n
- \n \t
- Work ahead whenever you can.<\/strong> keep track of your sources early in the research process, which will save time later on.<\/li>\n \t
- Get it right the first time.<\/strong> Apply APA guidelines as you write, so you will not have much to correct during the editing stage. Again, putting in a little extra time early on can save time later.<\/li>\n \t
- Use the resources available to you.<\/strong> In addition to the guidelines provided in this chapter, you may wish to consult the APA website<\/a>\u00a0or the Purdue University Online Writing lab<\/a>, which regularly updates its online style guidelines.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nGeneral Formatting Guidelines<\/h1>\n
This chapter provides detailed guidelines for using the citation and formatting conventions developed by the American Psychological Association, or APA. Writers in disciplines as diverse as astrophysics, biology, psychology, and education follow APA style. The major components of a paper written in APA style are listed in the following box.<\/p>\n\n
\n\nThese are the major components of an APA-style paper:\n- \n \t
- Title page<\/li>\n \t
- Abstract<\/li>\n \t
- Body, which includes the following:\n
- \n \t
- Headings and, if necessary, subheadings to organize the content<\/li>\n \t
- In-text citations of research sources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n \t
- References page<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nAll these components must be saved in one document, not as separate documents.\n\n<\/div>\n
Title Page<\/h2>\n
The title page of your paper includes the following information:<\/p>\n\n
- \n \t
- Title of the paper<\/li>\n \t
- Author\u2019s name<\/li>\n \t
- Name of the institution with which the author is affiliated<\/li>\n \t
- Header at the top of the page with the paper title (in capital letters) and the page number (If the title is lengthy, you may use a shortened form of it in the header.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
List the first three elements in the order given in the previous list, centered about one third of the way down from the top of the page. Use the headers and footers tool of your word-processing program to add the header, with the title text at the left and the page number in the upper-right corner. Your title page should look like the following example.<\/p>\n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_90\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"500\"]
![\"Sample](\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/accessibilitytoolkit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/385\/2020\/02\/63ec0de7d912d387f9ad6e5e69df81b4-scaled-1.jpg\")
Figure 25.1[\/caption]\n\n<\/div>\nAbstract<\/h2>\nThe next page of your paper provides an abstract, or brief summary of your findings. An abstract does not need to be provided in every paper, but an abstract should be used in papers that include a hypothesis. A good abstract is concise\u2014about one hundred fifty to two hundred fifty words\u2014and is written in an objective, impersonal style. Your writing voice will not be as apparent here as in the body of your paper. When writing the abstract, take a just-the-facts approach, and summarize your research question and your findings in a few sentences.\n
In \"Writing a Research Paper\", you read a paper written by a student, who researched the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets. Read the abstract. Note how it sums up the major ideas in his paper without going into excessive detail.<\/p>\n\n
\nBEYOND THE HYPE: EVALUATING LOW-CARBOHYDRATE DIETS\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a02<\/p>\n
Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\nLow-carbohydrate diets have become increasingly popular. Supporters claim they are notably more effective than other diets for weight loss and provide other health benefits such as lower blood pressure and improved cholesterol levels; however, some doctors believe these diets carry potential long-term health risks. A review of the available research literature indicates that low-carbohydrate diets are highly effective for short-term weight loss but that their long-term effectiveness is not significantly greater than other common diet plans. Their long-term effects on cholesterol levels and blood pressure are unknown; research literature suggests some potential for negative health outcomes associated with increased consumption of saturated fat. This conclusion points to the importance of following a balanced, moderate diet appropriate for the individual, as well as the need for further research.\n\n<\/div>\n
\n Exercise 25.1<\/p>\n\n<\/header>\n
\n\nWrite an abstract summarizing your paper. Briefly introduce the topic, state your findings, and sum up what conclusions you can draw from your research. Use the word count feature of your word-processing program to make sure your abstract does not exceed one hundred fifty words.\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nTIP:<\/strong> Depending on your field of study, you may sometimes write research papers that present extensive primary research, such as your own experiment or survey. In your abstract, summarize your research question and your findings, and briefly indicate how your study relates to prior research in the field.<\/div>\n\nMargins, Pagination, and Headings<\/h2>\n
APA style requirements also address specific formatting concerns, such as margins, pagination, and heading styles, within the body of the paper. Review the following APA guidelines.<\/p>\n\n
\n\nUse these general guidelines to format the paper:\n- \n \t
- Set the top, bottom, and side margins of your paper at 1 inch.<\/li>\n \t
- Use double-spaced text throughout your paper.<\/li>\n \t
- Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a legible size (10- to 12-point).<\/li>\n \t
- Use continuous pagination throughout the paper, including the title page and the references section. Page numbers appear flush right within your header.<\/li>\n \t
- Section headings and subsection headings within the body of your paper use different types of formatting depending on the level of information you are presenting. Additional details from Jorge\u2019s paper are provided.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n \n\n\n[caption id=\"attachment_794\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"700\"]
![\"sample](\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/accessibilitytoolkit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/385\/2022\/01\/sampletab.png\")
<\/a> Figure 25.3[\/caption]\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n Exercise 25.2<\/p>\n\n<\/header>\n
\n\nBegin formatting the final draft of your paper according to APA guidelines. You may work with an existing document or set up a new document if you choose. Include the following:\n- \n \t
- Your title page<\/li>\n \t
- The abstract you created in Exercise 25.1<\/li>\n \t
- Correct headers and page numbers for your title page and abstract<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Headings<\/h2>\n
APA style uses section headings to organize information, making it easy for the reader to follow the writer\u2019s train of thought and to know immediately what major topics are covered. Depending on the length and complexity of the paper, its major sections may also be divided into subsections, sub-subsections, and so on. These smaller sections, in turn, use different heading styles to indicate different levels of information. In essence, you are using headings to create a hierarchy of information.<\/p>\n
The following heading styles used in APA formatting are listed in order of greatest to least importance:<\/p>\n\n
- \n \t
- Section headings use centered, boldface type. Headings use title case, with important words in the heading capitalized.<\/li>\n \t
- Subsection headings use left-aligned, boldface type. Headings use title case.<\/li>\n \t
- The third level uses left-aligned, indented, boldface type. Headings use a capital letter only for the first word, and they end in a period.<\/li>\n \t
- The fourth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are boldfaced and italicized.<\/li>\n \t
- The fifth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are italicized and not<\/strong> boldfaced.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n[caption id=\"attachment_795\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"700\"]
![\"a](\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/accessibilitytoolkit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/385\/2022\/01\/t25.1-e1612391220280.png\")
<\/a> Figure 25.4[\/caption]\nVisually, the hierarchy of information is organized as indicated in Figure 25.4 \"Section Headings\".<\/p>\n
A college research paper may not use all the heading levels shown in Figure 25.4 \"Section Headings\", but you are likely to encounter them in academic journal articles that use APA style. For a brief paper, you may find that level 1 headings suffice. Longer or more complex papers may need level 2 headings or other lower-level headings to organize information clearly. Use your outline to craft your major section headings and determine whether any subtopics are substantial enough to require additional levels of headings.<\/p>\n\n
\n Exercise 25.3<\/p>\n\n<\/header>\n
\n\nWorking with the document you developed in Exercise 25.2, begin setting up the heading structure of the final draft of your research paper according to APA guidelines. Include your title and at least two to three major section headings, and follow the formatting guidelines provided above. If your major sections should be broken into subsections, add those headings as well. Use your outline to help you.\n\n
- Get it right the first time.<\/strong> Apply APA guidelines as you write, so you will not have much to correct during the editing stage. Again, putting in a little extra time early on can save time later.<\/li>\n \t
![\"sample](\"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/accessibilitytoolkit\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/385\/2022\/01\/References.png\")
<\/a> Figure 25.4[\/caption]\n\n<\/div>\n