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Using APA Format
Writing a Paper in APA Format
Jane E. Kovatch
Rutherford B. Hayes High School
April, 2013
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Using APA Format
Abstract
Students going to college need to practice writing papers in American Psychological Association
(APA) format in order to be prepare themselves for the many writing assignments they will be
receiving. APA format is used in many disciplines including history, science, psychology,
education, and social services. Papers include a title, abstract, essay, and reference list. It is
important to cite references using APA format. Citations are in text and include the author and
date. References are listed alphabetically, are double-spaced, and use a hanging indent format.
Electronic sources, such as Son of Citation Machine, are very helpful in this endeavor. The entire
paper is double-spaced and written in Times New Roman, 12 point font. Students are
encouraged to read this document to better understand the basics of using APA format when
writing their Honors Biology Research Paper.
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Using APA Format
This document will help you write the research portion of your Honors Biology Research
Project. The paper has been written using American Psychological Association (APA) format so
that you can use it as a reference as you write your paper. In an interview conducted with Ms.
Misty Swanger, Director of Enrichment for the Delaware City Schools, the need for experiencing
this writing format was discussed. Ms. Swanger gave the following response when asked why
students should write a paper in APA format:
APA format is the most commonly used style for citations at the university level. It is
used for science, history, psychology, and most business majors. Therefore, all students
who intend to go to college should be exposed and have experiences with completing
papers in APA format. (Swanger, 2013)
Learning to write a paper using APA Format is not as hard as you think. The margins
are one inch on all sides of the title page and every page after. APA preferred font is “Times
New Roman”, 12-point size By now you have noticed that APA requires double spacing
throughout the paper – title, abstract, main body, and reference list. Be sure to indent the
first line of every paragraph. Page numbers go in the upper right-hand side of the page. A
header is placed on each page, too – including the title page. Headers are usually a shortened
form of the title. (Association, 2010)
Let’s start with the title page. Notice that the title is written with upper and lower case
letters and is centered between the left and right margins. The title should be placed in the
upper half of the page. Your title should summarize the main idea of your research project.
It should be concise but try to make it interesting and under twelve words. (Association, 2010)
“Author’s Name” is next on the title page. Include your first name, middle initial(s), and
your last name. APA requires the name of the institution in which the author does the research,
be placed on the next line. In place of this, we will be writing, “Rutherford B. Hayes High
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Using APA Format
School”. Under the school’s name, please type the date that you will be presenting your
project to the class.
After the title page comes the abstract page. This should begin on a new page. Type the
word, “Abstract” at the top of the page (below the heading) and center it. An abstract is a brief
and concise summary of the research project. Even though it is the second page of your
document, it should be written last so that the key points made in the paper can be pulled out and
included in it. Write the abstract as a single paragraph with no indentations. Include the four
or five most important concepts or findings. In published papers, the abstract is what readers
look at when they do electronic searches for research. Keep your abstract word length between
100 - 250 words.
The main body of the paper is placed after the abstract and should begin on a new page.
Please begin with an introductory paragraph and follow the writing techniques you have learned
in your language arts classes as you write the body and conclusion of your paper. Refer to the
Project Objectives and Project Rubrics for details on what should be discussed in these 3-4
pages! As you write your paper, remember to use in text citations when discussing information
from your research. Go back to page three of this document and find the in text citation used to
credit Ms. Swanger’s interview comments. Her direct quotation was over 40 words, so I had to
indent the whole quote as a block and quotation marks were not necessary. For quotations less
than 40 words, you can put quotation marks around the quote then cite the source. Parentheses
surround in text citations and include the author and date. “Son of Citation Machine” gives you
the citation for in text citations and for the reference list. When you use ideas
from your research, cite it in text and place it in the reference list. Do not put a resource on your
reference page if you did not cite it in your paper. I will be checking your citations.
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Using APA Format
References
Start the reference list on a new page. Type the word, “References” at the top of the page (under
the heading) and center it. APA requires that the reference list be double-spaced and entries
need to have a hanging indent which means the second line of the reference is indented.
(Association, 2010) Use an electronic resource such as, “Son of Citation Machine”, when citing
sources. List resources, alphabetically, by the author’s last name. (Cherry, 2013)
Association, A. P. (2010). Publication manual of the american psychological association. (6th
ed. ed., p.180). Washington, DC: Amer Psychological Assn.
Cherry, K. (2013). How to write an essay in apa format. Retrieved from
http://psychology.about.com/od/apastyle/a/apa-format-essay.htm?p=1
Swanger, M. (2013, March 3). Interview by J.E. Kovatch [Personal Interview].