Introduction
When it comes to citation of research paper on social sciences, American Psychological Association (APA) style is most recommended. There are a number of specifications that are expected for any research paper written in APA style. These include:
General/ Basic APA guidelines
There are certain fundamental specifications for citation of a research paper in APA style. These include:
- Page set up
- Page headers
Your research paper should always be typed to make it presentable; it should have a double space at the top of the page and should be on a standard size page of about (8.5″ ×11″) and a margin of 1 inch all over the marginal ends. Be sure to use a clear font size that is easily legible. 12 pt is the recommended font size for any APA style research paper.
At the top of every page of your research paper, it is expected for you to have a page header. In order to insert a page header, you begin by creating a page header and inserting a page number. Then click on the right button.
Main research paper sections
Your research paper is expected to have four portions, sections. These include: title page, the abstract, main body as well as references.
- Title page
- Abstract page
The title page of your research paper should have the paper title, name of author as well as the institutional affiliation. Be sure to include the page header at the flush left and the page number to the flush right. Both should be on the top of the page of your research paper. Note that the title you chose for your running head should appear on all subsequent pages after the title page.
Following the running head should be the author’s name. The name should have the first, middle and last name but without titles such as Dr, Degrees, PhD.
After the name should be the institutional affiliation. This one indicates where the author conducted their research from.
As stated earlier, the title on the running head should also appear on the abstract at the page top. Center the term “Abstract”. It is not allowed to bold, italicize, underline or put quotation marks.
Starting from the next line, put down a brief summary of the points deduced for your research paper. Avoid indenting at all costs. Your research paper should have sections such as: your research paper topic, the questions, participants in research, methodology, results, data analysis and representation as well as conclusion. However, it is also allowed that you include your results implications and intent future work. Note that the abstract should just be one paragraph of between 150-250 words.
In case you want to include keywords in your abstract, assume you are beginning a new paragraph and indent them. Our colleagues from AssignmentGeek are ready to help you if you need it.