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APA STYLE
FORMATTING
A Brief Guide
UTT LIBRARIES
BRIEF GUIDE TO FORMATTING A RESEARCH PAPER USING THE APA STYLE
As part of the course requirements at tertiary level , students must submit essays or research papers using a citation and formatting style which has been selected by the institution to
which they are affiliated. Once a particular style has been selected, it must be carefully followed
as it provides specific guidelines for the layout of the paper and the formatting of the references.
This document provides a brief outline of the APA style which is one of the recommended styles
of the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Paper:
Font:
Line spacing:
Margins:
Page Numbers:
Paragraphs:
Title page
Table of Contents
List of Tables and Figures
Abstract
Main Body
References
Appendices
TITLE PAGE
Sample Paper
The title should be placed
in the centre of the upper
half of the page . Do not
bold, italicize or underline.
Authors name
John Smith
The University of Trinidad and Tobago
Institutional Affiliation
ABSTRACT
Running Head to be
included on each page
The word
Abstract is typed
in the centre of the
upper part of the
page. Do not
bold , italicize
Abstract
Do not justify
right margin or
hyphenate words
at the ends of the
line.
The following sequence is followed when putting together the main body of the research paper.
The sections which will be included in your paper will depend on the nature of the research being
done.
Introduction
This section is not labeled as its location at the start of the paper is self explanatory. The title of
the research paper is placed at the top centre of the page before the opening paragraph.
The introduction sets out what the paper is about, the approaches taken and how the subject matter
is treated. It includes the hypothesis or thesis statement.
Literature review
The literature review examines research which has already been done on the topic. The purpose
is to demonstrate an awareness of your subject area, as well as show how your research may contribute to this body of knowledge.
Methodology
This will vary according to the type of research. Issues treated in this section would include the
approaches used to collect the information for the research and the design of the data collection
instrument best suited for these.
Results
This involves a presentation of the results of the data collected. If the research undertaken was not
extensive then it is generally considered more useful to combine the Results section with the Discussion section.
Discussion
The findings of your research are analyzed in relation to the issues highlighted in the introduction.
Indicate whether your results support or disprove your hypothesis and what factors may have affected your results.
Running Head
Sample Paper
using the American Psychological
Association (APA) Referencing Style
The introductory paragraph presents the main
idea, hypothesis or thesis statement of your research
paper. Unlike the abstract, it starts with an indentation.
Sections of text are placed directly after each
other without a break; do not start a new page when
using a new heading.
Quotations
Short quotations of less than 40 words.
Include in double quotations marks as part of the sentence.
E.g.
Individuals need to make themselves more marketable by engaging in continuous professional development as it is now quite usual for employers to ask candidates at job interviews
about the steps they have taken to identify and address their own development needs. (Cottrell,
2003, p.3)
Headings
APA has identified five levels of heading which can be used to organize the layout of the
research paper. These headings which must be used in sequence are :
APA Headings
LEVEL
1
2
3
4
5
FORMAT
The number of headings used will depend on the complexity of your paper.
An example of a layout to be used in a research paper will be as follows :
Engineering in the Twentieth Century (Level 1)
The Impact of Engineering on Society
Urbanization.
Town and country planning.
City Layout.
(Level 2)
(Level 3)
(Level 4)
(Level 5)
Not
Not
References
Always start the list of
references on a new page
Running Head
References
American Psychological Association. (2010)
Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.)
Retrieved from
http://library.curtin.edu.au/local/docs/
referencing/apa.pdf
10
APPENDIX
These are generally used for supplementary material not included in the body of the research
paper for example a copy of a questionnaire or a blueprint.
Each appendix must begin on a separate page.
Running Head
Appendix A
Survey pertaining to the proper use of information
1. Do you generally list your sources at the end of your
research paper ?
Yes
No
Chicago
Harvard
Each appendix
must have a
title which
must be
placed in the
top centre using upper and
lower case.