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APA General Format

Summary

APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within

the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the

APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations,

endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication

Manual of the American Psychological Association, (6th ed., 2nd printing).

Contributors: Joshua M. Paiz, Elizabeth Angeli, Jodi Wagner, Elena Lawrick, Kristen Moore,

Michael Anderson, Lars Soderlund, Allen Brizee, Russell Keck

Last Edited: 2016-05-13 12:06:24

Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in APA.

To see a side-by-side comparison of the three most widely used citation styles, including a chart

of all APA citation guidelines, see the Citation Style Chart.

You can also watch our APA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel.

General APA Guidelines

Your essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins

on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt.

Times New Roman font.

Include a page header (also known as the "running head") at the top of every page. To create

a page header/running head, insert page numbers flush right. Then type "TITLE OF YOUR

PAPER" in the header flush left using all capital letters. The running head is a shortened

version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.

Major Paper Sections

Your essay should include four major sections: The Title Page, Abstract, Main Body,

and References.

Title Page

The title page should contain the title of the paper, the author's name, and the institutional

affiliation. Include the page header (described above) flush left with the page number flush right

at the top of the page. Please note that on the title page, your page header/running head should

look like this:

Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER

Pages after the title page should have a running head that looks like this:

TITLE OF YOUR PAPER

After consulting with publication specialists at the APA, OWL staff learned that the APA 6th

edition, first printing sample papers have incorrect examples of Running heads on pages after

the title page. This link will take you to the APA site where you can find a complete list of all the

errors in the APA's 6th edition style guide.

Type your title in upper and lowercase letters centered in the upper half of the page. APA

recommends that your title be no more than 12 words in length and that it should not contain

abbreviations or words that serve no purpose. Your title may take up one or two lines. All text on

the title page, and throughout your paper, should be double-spaced.

Beneath the title, type the author's name: first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Do not use

titles (Dr.) or degrees (PhD).

Beneath the author's name, type the institutional affiliation, which should indicate the location

where the author(s) conducted the research.

SAMPLE ABSTRACT FORMATTING

Begin a new page. The abstract page should already include the page header. On the first line of

the abstract page, center the word “Abstract” (no bold, formatting, italics, underlining, or

quotation marks). Beginning with the next line, write a concise summary of the key points of

your research. (Do not indent.) An abstract should contain at least your research topic, research

questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and conclusions. The abstract should also

include the possible implications of the research and future work that may be connected with the

research findings. An abstract should include single paragraphs and should be double-spaced.

The abstract should be between 150 and 250 words. A list of keywords may also be included

from the paper into the abstract. To do this, indent the paper by starting a new paragraph,

type Keywords: (italicized), and then list keywords. Listing keywords will help researchers find

your work in databases.

Reference

Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderlund, L., & Brizee, A.

(2010, May 5). General format. Retrieved from

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Sample Quantitative Research Question

Scenario: What is the likelihood that consumers are willing to pay higher prices for goods and

services based on product availability, product quality, or the level of expertise of the sales

associated, if it means that the price paid is higher than what is offered by the competition.

Question: Will a consumer pay a higher price for a good or service based on product

availability, product quality, or the level of expertise of the sales associated, compared to a

competitor price?

Sample Hypotheses

The hypotheses for the research question are:

H1. There is a negative relationship between price and the likelihood of winning a bid

for industrial goods.

H2. There is a positive relationship between the importance of lead time and the

likelihood of winning a bid for industrial goods.

H3. There is a positive relationship between quality / specifications and the likelihood of

winning a bid for industrial goods.

H4. There is a positive relationship between the level of knowledge and helpfulness of

the sales people and the likelihood of winning a bid for industrial goods.

APPENDIX OF RESOURCES AND LINKS

• Sample Abstract

• APA Template (online)

• Academic Journals (Links)

• Sample Annotated Bibliographies:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/owlprint/614/

https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/apa/annot_bib

http://library.southcollegetn.edu/course/view.php?id=27

• Sample Research Plan Paper (3rd week of class)

• South College Library Links

• Research—How to Find a Journal

AVOIDING PLAGIARISM

How to Avoid Plagiarism in Writing

Plagiarism is using other people’s words or ideas and not giving them credit. Always give credit

for work that is not your own, and accurately cite your sources. If you have any questions, please

see the Library staff, or visit the Writing Lab.

What is plagiarism?

What is plagiarism?

UCLA library with straight-forward explanations of what constitutes plagiarism.

Paul Robeson Library's YouTube Channel

Rutgers University Library cartoons that cover plagiarism, scholarly sources, Wikipedia, etc.

Plagiarism What It Is and How to Avoid It

Indiana University website gives tools for steering clear of plagiarism.

Plagiarism / Copyright / Paraphrasing

Checklist for Fair Use

Read Write Think tool for evaluating fair use

Quoting, Paraphrasing, Summarizing

Learn the differences between these three concepts, how to use them, and how they benefit your

work.

Consequences of Plagiarism

Ethically Challenged

American Journalism Review article on the rash of journalists being fired for fabricating facts

and/or plagiarism.

New Republic Fires Writer Over `Hoax'

Washington Post article on journalist Steven Glass' firing from New Republic.

Plagiarism in Colleges in the USA

Ronald B. Standler’s essay covers the laws related to plagiarism, cases and litigation concerning

plagiarism policies at colleges.

Technology Yields Plagiarism Bust

CBS News story on 122 University of Virginia students accused of plagiarism.

CITE A SOURCE

APA Citation Resources

Please refer to APA styles Guides below:

EndNote

Register for a personal account in Web of Science for access to EndNote. A personal EndNote

account allows the user to collect and organize references as well as create reference lists and

bibliographies.

APA Style Guides

APA Style.org

A free tutorial on the basics of APA style.

APA Style.org

Frequently Asked Questions: Answers questions about APA style.

APA from OWL at Purdue University

Using American Psychological Association (APA) Format: Covers basic paper format and

provides citation examples for a variety of sources.

How to Cite Social Media

APA Style for citing social media post

Evaluate a Website

Evaluating Websites – Cornell University Library

It can often be difficult to determine the quality of the information found on websites. Cornell

University Library has compiled some of the best guides available to help you determine what

kind of information a website contains.

Evaluating Websites – Lesley University Library

The Lesley University Library explains the criteria to use when evaluating websites.

Website Credibility

Examples of credible, maybe credible, and not credible websites from EasyBib.

FIND A JOURNAL ARTICLE:

How to Find Scholarly Journal Articles

Places to look:

Search the Periodicals

All library print journal titles and their holdings are searchable in the Library Catalog. You may

search for journals by title or subject.

Print Indexes

Most periodicals provide an annual index in the last issue of each volume, usually the December

issue. Each journal differs in the subject terms it uses so if you cannot find the topic you are

looking for, try other similar terms.

Indexes/Databases

These sources allow you to search for citations and sometimes full-text articles as well by topic.

Often the index or database is devoted to a specific subject area. See the list of indexes and

databases here. If you need help in using these sources, please see a librarian or use the source’s

built-in help features.

How can I tell if an article is a research article?

Many assignments require you to use research articles. Research articles are peer-reviewed and

often contain bibliographies and information about the author’s professions. Research articles are

often broken down into sections such as the abstract, methods, and conclusion. Research articles

report on the results of an experiment of some sort. If you need further assistance to determine if

an article is appropriate for a certain assignment, please see your instructor or a librarian for help.

How to recognize peer-reviewed journals

A helpful resource from Angelo State University on identifying peer-reviewed journals.

HighWire

List of journals through HighWire from Stanford University with full text access. Access varies

by title.

If you need help in using these sources, please see a librarian or use the source’s built-in help

features.

TABLES AND FIGURES

Tables and Figures

Students are responsible for properly formatting Tables and Figures in APA style tables and

figures. Examples are show below.

Sample Tables 1 and 2 illustrate correctly formatted tables. The Insert Table feature in Word is

very helpful in constructing tables.

Sample Tables

To create Tables in APA style, include three horizontal lines: one above the heading, one below

the heading, and one at the bottom of the table.

Table 1

Table 1 lists the average score assigned to each survey question where all respondents

noted that a contract had been awarded to TEK and where all respondents noted that a contract

had not been awarded to TEK.

Table 1

Average score for survey questions Question Awarded a bid Not awarded a bid

1 3.92 4.00

2 3.92 3.40

3 4.15 3.65

4 3.38 3.25

5 1.46 1.95

6 4.46 4.15

7 4.38 4.10

8 4.15 3.60

9 3.92 3.45

10 3.85 3.80

Table 2 lists the correlational analysis for the survey questions asked. Questions 2, 3, and

4 were taken together; questions 6 and 7 were taken together; and questions 8, 9, and 10 were

taken together. The statistical correlation is listed for each question; as well as statistical

significance of each correlation and the probability of statistical significance.

Table 2

Correlational Analysis for Survey Questions

1 2-4 3 4 5 6-7 8-10

Correlation -0.06 0.28 0.31 0.07 -0.29 0.18 0.26

t = -0.33 1.62 1.84 0.41 -1.70 1.05 1.51

p = 0.63 0.06 0.04 0.34 0.95 0.15 0.07

Exceptions to this include a table that exceeds one full page. In that case, see refer to examples

pages. This table illustrates the beginning of a table that extends over more than one page. At the

bottom of the page, place a right justified (continued) note. At the top of the following page,

repeat the table title followed by (continued). Table titles go above the table (see, for

example, Tables 2 and 3).

Figures

Figures should be included to enhance the text, and they should concentrate information.

The APA Manual defines types of figures and has examples illustrating correct APA

format for differing figure types. The most critical information covered in this section is the

direction to place your figure in the text, not at the end of the document. The figure can appear

on the page where it is first mentioned or on the next page. Figures are numbered consecutively

throughout your document. Figure captions are placed below the figure. When looking at the

examples listed in the APA Manual, note that many of the figures have footnotes listing the

reference for the source of the figure. Many of the examples are figures that were used in

published material and are good examples of proper copyright permission footnotes.resea

INDEX OF AVAILABLE LINKS & RESOURCES FOR RESEARCH

APA Resources

APA 6th Edition Guide Online: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Owl of Purdue Online Writing Lab: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/

Online Scholarly Journals

Journal of Business Research: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-business-

research

Journal of Marketing Management: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rjmm20

International Journal of Business Analytics (IJBAN): https://www.igi-

global.com/gateway/journal/67141

International Journal of Information Technology: https://link.springer.com/journal/41870

South College Online Library: http://library.southcollegetn.edu/

http://library.southcollegetn.edu/course/view.php?id=15

Tennessee Electronic Library: http://tntel.tnsos.org/

General Databases (South College)

EBSCO/host: http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/search/basic?vid=0&sid=ce71750b-03d3-40ff-

8981-d754d52f32e3%40sessionmgr102

ProQuest: https://search.proquest.com/index?accountid=30659

Harvard Business Review: https://hbr.org/

Sample Management and Leadership Topics for Research:

Management and Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace

Leadership and Employee Perception

Ethical Leadership

Organizational Performance and Productivity

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Satisfaction