Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAPA FormatMajor SectionsIn-Text CitationsImportant TipsHelpful Resources

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

APA Format

Major Sections

In-Text Citations

Important Tips

Helpful Resources

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Are you writing a paper for a psychology class? If so, you will likely need to use APA format to organize your paper and list the sources you used.

APA format is quite different from some of the other typical academic writing styles and guidelines you may used in the past. And, while it may take some getting used to, learning how to write an APA paper is a useful skill for anyone, whether you are a psychology major or just taking some social science classes for fun.

What Is APA Format?

APA format is the official style of theAmerican Psychological Association(APA) and is commonly used to cite sources inpsychology, education, and the social sciences. APA style originated in a 1929 article published inPsychological Bulletinthat laid out the basic guidelines for academic writing in this genre. These guidelines were eventually expanded into theAPA Publication Manual.

If you have never taken a psychology or social science class before, then you are probably accustomed to using a different style guide, such as MLA or Chicago style.

New college students are often surprised to find that, after spending years having another formatting style drilled into their heads, many university-level classes instead require APA style.

It can be a difficult transition, especially if you have to bounce back and forth between different styles for different classes. However, getting a solid grasp of the basics and bookmarking a few key resources can make this new format a bit easier.

50+ Research Topics for Psychology Papers

How to Section Your Paper

In most cases, your paper should include four main sections: a title page, abstract, main section, and reference list.

Title Page

Abstract

An abstract is a brief summary of your paper that immediately follows your title page. According to APA format,your abstractshould be about 100 to 200 words although this can vary depending upon the specific publication or instructor requirements.

A Table of Contents in APA Format

Main Body

For an essay type paper, the main body of your paper will include the essay itself. If you arewriting a lab report, then your main body will be broken down into further sections. The four main components of a lab report include theintroduction,method,results, and discussion sections.

References

The reference section of your paper will include a list of all of the sources that you used in your paper. If you cited information anywhere in your paper, it needs to be properly referenced in this section.

One rule of thumb to remember is any source cited in your paper needs to be included in your reference section. And any source listed in your reference section must also be mentioned somewhere in your paper.

How to Handle In-Text Citations

For example, if you were to cite Sigmund Freud’s bookThe Interpretation of Dreams, you would use the following format: (Freud, 1900). The extended information on the source should then appear in your reference section.

Important Tips for Reference Pages

The exact format of each reference will vary depending on whether you are referencing anauthor or authors, abookorjournal article, or anelectronic source.

It pays to spend some time looking at the specific requirements for each type of reference before formatting your source list. Here are some useful tips for incorporating reference pages into your document.

Any reference that appears in the text of your report or article must be cited on the reference page, and any item appearing on your reference page must be also included somewhere in the body of your text.

How to Find Psychology Sources for Research Papers

If you are struggling with APA format or are looking for a good way to collect and organize your references as you work on your research, consider using a freeAPA citation machine. These online tools can quickly generate an APA style for most sources but should be double-checked for accuracy.

Purchasing a copy of the officialPublication Manual of the American Psychological Associationis a great way to learn more about APA format and to have as a resource when writing in APA format. Looking atexamples of APA formatcan also be very helpful.

While APA format may seem complex, it will become easier when you familiarize yourself with the rules and format.

It is also important to remember that, while the overall format may be similar for most papers, your instructor may have specific requirements. These can vary depending on whether you are writing anessayor a research paper. Your instructor may also require you to maintain and turn in anAPA format bibliography.

Tips for Writing Psychology Papers

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.About APA Style.Nagda S.How to write a scientific abstract.J Indian Prosthodont Soc.2013;13(3):382-383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-xMasic I.The importance of proper citation of references in biomedical articles.Acta Inform Med.2013;21(3):148-55. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.148-155Additional ReadingAmerican Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2019.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.About APA Style.Nagda S.How to write a scientific abstract.J Indian Prosthodont Soc.2013;13(3):382-383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-xMasic I.The importance of proper citation of references in biomedical articles.Acta Inform Med.2013;21(3):148-55. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.148-155Additional ReadingAmerican Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2019.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.About APA Style.Nagda S.How to write a scientific abstract.J Indian Prosthodont Soc.2013;13(3):382-383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-xMasic I.The importance of proper citation of references in biomedical articles.Acta Inform Med.2013;21(3):148-55. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.148-155

American Psychological Association.About APA Style.

Nagda S.How to write a scientific abstract.J Indian Prosthodont Soc.2013;13(3):382-383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-x

Masic I.The importance of proper citation of references in biomedical articles.Acta Inform Med.2013;21(3):148-55. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.148-155

American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2019.

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