Running head: ALL CAPS SHORT TITLE FEWER THAN 50 CHARACTERS
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APA Style Sixth Edition Template: Catchy Title with Colon
Student Name
Liberty University
ALL CAPS SHORT TITLE FEWER THAN 50 CHARACTERS
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Abstract
An abstract is a single paragraph, without indentation, that summarizes the key points of the
manuscript in 150 to 250 words. The purpose of the abstract is to provide the reader with a brief
overview of the paper; avoid arguing your case. When in doubt about a rule, check the sixth
edition APA style manual rather than relying on this template.
Keywords: writing, template, sixth, edition, APA, format, style, self-discipline
Title of Paper Gets Repeated Here Exactly As It Appears On the First Page
This is where the body of your paper begins. Note that the title of your paper appears at
the top of your introduction even though other sections begin with bolded headings like
“Summary,” “Evaluation,” “Conclusion,” and so on. Also notice that there is no extra spacing
between the paragraphs or sections. Sections can have subsections with headings. For example, a
Method section might have Participants, Materials, and Procedure subsections if there are
enough details to explain that warrant such headings. The sixth edition of the APA manual,
unlike earlier editions, expects that some headings appear in bold fonts; examples are below. The
rest of the text in this template provides hints about properly generating the parts of your APA-
formatted paper.
Although not labeled with a heading on your paper, this first section will introduce your
article and provide information about your specific research focus that will be developed
throughout the paper. It may consist of multiple paragraphs, but for our ENGL 102 assignment,
one paragraph is enough. Discuss what makes the overall topic of the focus article interesting
and worth studying. If you were writing a full literature review of multiple sources, this is where
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you would give a broad overview of the scope of the work you are reviewing. Best practice for
this introductory section is to reference the ideas from the research question (but not the question
itself) at the end of the introduction. In doing so, you are creating a thesis sentence for the rest of
the paper that supports your topic. Notice that a thesis sentence is not a question itself, but you
can take the question and turn it into a statement. The thesis statement should be the last sentence
of the introductory section.
Summary
This section should introduce the focus article and its author(s); plan to devote 250 to 400
words in explaining the gist of the article; it will remain objective (no 1st- or 2nd-person pronouns)
and synthesize the information from the article without bias. This section will mostly comprise
multiple paragraphs and, like the work of a reporter sharing observations of what someone else
has said, it will explain what the author is thinking and what that person has uncovered through
his or her own research. Avoid the temptation to add your own opinions within the summary
section.
Evaluation
Now that you have “joined the conversation” regarding this topic, you are creating the
framework to help others see how your contribution will help to fill in the gaps from this source.
You may choose to use level 2 headings to separate your concepts. If so, an example heading
appears below. This evaluation section may have a formal thesis that keeps the information
centered, like this example: Although Riley (1954) accurately clarified the definition of feelings
and provided the framework for future conversations regarding philosophical insight of the topic,
his omission of the common experiences of such emotions and his failure to explore his own
feelings weakens his definition for emotions are more than just bodily states or mental
sensations.
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Heading Level 2 If Necessary
Although not required, some students find that using Level 2 Headings are helpful in this
section. The best papers use topics for such headings based on the thesis statement and
synthesize information from the various authors who discuss those topics, including the author of
the focus article. Following this method encourages organization of ideas. Note the indent and
period, and note how the capitalization works. This level 2 heading is probably the deepest you
will go for the papers in our class, but APA does have specific rules regarding headings at
additional levels. Consult the sixth edition APA style manual for details.
Conclusion
Wrap up the entire paper after all the individual parts are connected. A good conclusion
will remind without being redundant; do not copy the thesis from the beginning of the paper.
Broaden out by addressing the “so what?” aspect of why filling in the gap is important for
anyone interested in your topic. Remember that you are joining a conversation with like-minded
people who are passionate about the topic you chose to explore. Consider the examples within
the articles you have used in writing this paper.
In the final section below, notice that the sample references have instructions regarding
how to cite such examples. Use the information if it is helpful, but be sure to remove anything
that you do not use. Before submitting, proofread the entire paper for accuracy, remove any
contractions and non-justified first-person pronouns, and consider having the Writing Center
review your paper.
References
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Ajournalarticle, R. H., Spud, P. T., & Psychologist, R. M. (2016). Title of journal article goes
here: Only the first letter of title and subtitle are capitalized. Journal of Research in
Personality, 22(2), 236-252. doi:10.1016/0032-026X.56.6.895
B’Onlinesourcesareconfusing, S. O. (2010). Use online sources sparingly: They are not often
considered academic. Journal of Articles without Digital Object Identifiers, 127(3), 816-
826. Retrieved from http://www.website.com
Cmagazinearticle, B. E. (2009, July 18). Note that some publications will include the month and
day: Each source type has to be formatted in a different way. [Special issue]. Prose
Magazine, 126(5), 96-134. Retrieved from http://www.magazinesite.com
Dbookreference, S. M., Orman, T. P., & Carey, R. (1967). Google scholar’s “cite” feature is
usually accurate and time-saving. New York, NY: Pearson.
Pchapter, P. R., & Inaneditedvolume, J. C. (2001). Scientific research papers provide evidence of
frustration with giant style manuals. In P. Z. Wildlifeconservation, R. Dawkins, & J. H.
Dennett (Eds.), Research papers are hard work but boy are they good for you (pp. 123-
256). New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.
Qosenberg, M. (1994, September 11). This is how you cite an online news article that has an
author. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved from
http://www.chroniclehr.com/dir/subdir/2014/05/11/a-d9-11e3_story.html
