Essay Format APA Rules and Standards for an Academic Paper

After working hard on a writing assignment and putting in what you believe are the final touches to the perfect paper, you read the last part of the instructions requiring you to use the APA format. This really shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise as many academic assignments – specifically those related to the field of psychology – utilize APA style. If you are unfamiliar with it then you might want to search for an APA format example either in an official guideline book or on the web from a reliable writing resource site. This article does not aim to go in-depth but it will give you a solid start towards understanding the essay paper format APA:

The Basic Page Rules for the Entire Paper

You page margins should be set to 1-inch all the way around; each paragraph should be justified and starts should be indented ½ inch from the margin. Fonts are also standard in the APA; use a font that is easily readable on the screen and on paper – Times New Roman, Ariel work really well – set to 12 pt. size. The entire page should be double spaced (including block quotations). APA usually has a title page as well as a running head throughout – check with your professor before using either one of these to ensure there are no additional or special instructions.

The Basic Outline and Paragraph Format

The entirety of your academic essay format APA should follow the basic principles of excellent educational writing: Your introduction should contain a thesis statement and each subsequent paragraph should include a single principle, supporting evidence, and a transitional statement. You follow this pattern until you’ve reached the conclusion in which you summarize and synthesize all of the major points you have discussed without bringing up any new information. It’s good to vary your sentence length throughout while adhering to the rules of proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

The Basic Book and Article Citation

The basic principle for citing a book or article in research essay format APA is as follows: Last Name, First Initial, Year Published in Parentheses, Title of Book, City, State, and Publisher. Articles are similar save for one point: the name of the article should appear before the book title in quotation marks. When referencing somebody else’s work within the text you need to include the author’s last name, year published, and the page number. Of course, there are more things you should know about citing different kinds of sources, but for this information (which is lengthy) you should consult an official writing guide or a web resource.

Proper college essay format APA requires you to pay attention to a lot of details. In time you will get the hang of it, but it will be certainly be much easier if you have a little professional guidance to begin with. Try checking the web for a reliable writing or editing site where a professional can give assistance. After just a few assignments you just might become a pro yourself.

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