APA STYLE CHECKLIST FOR A RESEARCH (EMPIRICAL) STUDY
The APA Publication Manual, 5th Edition is the standard for APA writing. Most of you already own a copy. Keep it;
you will use it in the future. The purpose of this checklist is twofold. First, it is a guide to enable you to use and become
comfortable with the Manual, and second, it shows some of the criteria that will be used to grade your papers. The page
numbers refer to pages in the Manual.
General Items:
 The entire document is double spaced, from title page through references with no exceptions.
 Margins are 1” on all sides and a standard 10-12 pt font is recommended.
 There are no bold, oversized, or decorative fonts used in the document.
 “I”, “we”, “our” should only be used rarely in a research document. The writing needs to be objective and
impersonal.
 The word “prove” is inappropriate. No single study that you or anyone else performs “proves” anything. It may
support certain ideas, or be consistent with a particular theory, etc.
 Space is always an issue in research documents, thus concepts are never repeated. The concept is placed in the
appropriate section and discussed/described once.
 Past literature (Introduction) is discussed in the past tense. It is history.
 Once your study is completed, it is discussed in the past tense. It is now completed.
 If you are writing a research proposal, your study is described in the future tense.
 Dissertation Abstracts is not an acceptable source since you cannot obtain the original document.
 Magazines are not an acceptable source. Sources need to be peer-reviewed, as you will find in PsycINFO and
APA PsychInfo
 Numbers: pp. 122-129. In general, numbers 10 and up are digits; numbers 0 to 9 are words. Units of
measurement are digits; ages are digits. Numbers that begin a sentence are words.
 A sample document starts on p. 306.
 ¶ is an editing symbol I may use when grading papers. It means to start a new paragraph.
 Reference citations in text: pp. 207-214: Watch how to cite multiple authors and how to cite a work with
multiple authors the first time it appears and how it is cited later in the paper.
 The symbol “&” is used inside parentheses; the word “and” is used in text.
 Cite secondary sources properly, p. 247. Check this if you are referring to a work that you did not actually read
yourself. In the text, “cite” both the article of interest and the source where you read about it. Only the source
you actually read appears in the References. Note: Citation of secondary sources is extremely rare in APA style
and thus is not permitted in Dr. Rager's Psychological Inquiry (PSYC 200) course.
 Quotations in the text: p. 117-122. Note: The use of quotations is extremely rare in APA style. You should use
no more than one or two brief quotes (at most) per paper..
Title Page (pp. 10 - 12; 296 - 298):
 Page header (no more than 3 words) and page number– upper right corner, p. 288.
 Running head: upper left at margin; actual running head is caps and limited in length, p. 12 & 296.
 Title centered on page (both ways); summarizes topic and main variables of study; 10 - 12 words. pp. 10 & 296.
 Your name and institution are below the title and centered, pp. 11 & 296.
Abstract (pp. 12-15; 298):
 It is page 2 of the document and it is on a page by itself. p. 298.
 It does not exceed 120 words.
 The page is titled “Abstract”.
 Do NOT indent the first paragraph.
 All numbers are digits, except at the start of a sentence.
 Summarize the purpose of the study, what was done, and what was found.
Introduction (pp. 15-17; 298):
 It is page 3 of the document and starts a new page, p. 15.
 The title appears at the beginning of the Introduction, p. 298 “Text”.
 It is written in a “funnel fashion”, moving from broad to specific as it relates to your topic and study.
 The last paragraph is a clear statement of the research purpose, variables, and hypotheses, p. 17.
Method (pp. 17-20):
 New section, with heading, center and not underlined or italicized.
 Not a new page, p. 298.
 Subsections are named, italicized, and to the margin.
 Participants: number of participants, age, gender, groups, and how they got into the groups, p.18.
 Materials or Apparatus: (if needed) - pp. 19-20.
 Procedure: Describe the design, IVs, DVs, and how they were operationally defined (measured). In addition,
describe the procedure (what was done, how and where), p. 20.
Results (pp. 20-26):
 New section, with heading, centered and not underlined or italicized, but not a new page, p. 298.
 Describe what data were collected and analyzed.
 Provide descriptive statistics (e.g., group means and standard errors) for each dependent variable (DV).
 Describe what type of inferential statistical analysis was used. State the results and give the supporting statistical
information (e.g., F or t value, df, p) (pp. 138-145).
 Statistical symbols (M, SE, F, t, p, z, etc.) are italicized p. 139 -145.
Discussion (pp.26-27):
 New section, with heading, centered and not underlined or italicized.
 Not a new page, p. 298.
 Start with a description of whether or not your results support your hypotheses, followed by a summary of your
conclusions.
 Show how your research and findings relate to prior research. For example, compare your findings with those
studies cited in your introduction.
 Discuss the implications and applications of your results, problems with your research, and make suggestions for
further research in your area.
References (p. 28) (p. 299):
 Start a new page, p. 299.
 Heading is centered and not underlined.
 Double-spaced; bring each new reference to the margin and indent the remainder of the reference.
 Reference forms appear on p. 215, and beyond.
 Only use last names and first initials, not first names.
 Only references cited in your paper appear in the References. Likewise, anything cited in your paper, must appear
in the References.
 If you did not actually read an article, but read about it (secondary sources), you must cite the article of interest
and the source where you read about it within the text of your paper (p. 247). Only the one you actually read
appears in the References. Note: Remember that because citation of secondary sources is extremely rare in APA
Style, it is not permitted in Dr. Rager's Psychological Inquiry (PSYC 200) course.
Tables and Figures (Graphs) (p. 301 –302) Not required, but often useful:
 Each Table or Figure is on a separate sheet of paper.
 Each Table or Figure has a title and number, e.g., Table 1, Figure 1.
 Tables and then Figures are placed at the end of the document after the References.
 Tables and Figures are referred to in the text of the paper by their number, e.g., See Table 1.
 Information in Tables and Figures is discussed in the text, but not repeated in the text.
Adapted from Document by
Tam M. Spitzer, Ph.D.
St. John Fisher College
Rochester, NY 14618
Email: tspitzer@sjfc.edu
Last updated: February 15, 2016