APA Outline

More Detailed Info about APA style

One the most popular academic formats used in writing is APA style (American Psychological Association style). The history of this style dates back to 1929. It was invented by a group of scientists with the aim to simplify scientific writing creating a specific set of regulations and methods.

Analogously to the other kinds of editorial styles, the APA outline has its specific requirements that the writer must fulfill in order to present the written material in a clear and coherent way. There are some key elements that should be included in an APA style paper:

• Selection of tone, length and headings

• Punctuation and abbreviations

• Construction of tables and figures

• Statistics and numbers

• Reference citations

• Other important elements of the document

As a rule, APA outline format requires four main parts including a title page, abstract, body and the reference page.

Title Page

This part must contain the running head, title, author’s name, page number, and the author’s school affiliation.

Abstract Page

This part includes the research topic, data analysis and summary of the paper. It should be a logical continuation of the title page. It must contain from 150 to 200 words. Yet, you must consider all specific professor’s instructions.

Main Body

This part is the heart of your essay.

Reference List

This part contains information about the sources that were used in your essay.

In-Text Citations

Certainly, the APA format outline also has specific citation requirements. It must be produced with the author’s last name first and then with the year of publication.

Writing the Reference Pages

• It is necessary to include all aspects such as the author, the title, the publication date and information in a right order.

• Adhere to all regulations of the 6th edition.

• Each entry of this section should be double-spaced, whereas APA recommends using 12 pt Times New Roman font.

• Remember that reference list must begin on a new page.

• Alphabetize your list.

• No additional spaces should be placed between entries.

• Page numbers must be included in the full citation.

• Write out the last name and initials for all authors of a certain work (in APA authors' names are inverted).

• The sources cited must appear in both in-text and the reference page. It means that the reference you can find in the text of the paper must be cited properly in the reference page. Moreover, the item that is in the reference list must also be present in the body.

• The titles of books, journals, newspapers and magazines articles must always be written in italics.

Here is an example of some components and their locations that you can find in an APA paper writing:

1. Title Page
   • Title is centered at the top of the paper
   • Title of the paper
   • The name of a student
   • School affiliation (also centered)
2. Reference List or List of Citations
   • Running head (left part on top)
   • References (with page heading and also centered)
   • Reference list or list of citations
3. Table Section
   • Table 1, 2… (found at the left part on top)
   • Figures of the table
   • Periodicals Page
   • Resource used after author’s name and initials

This page, as well as all others, must be performed in accordance with the precise requirements of APA format.

APA Format in the Page of Electronic Sources

The reference list entry for an e-book includes the author, date, title, and source (URL or DOI). For a chapter in an e-book, include the chapter title and page numbers (if available).

Useful Tips:

Many students still face some difficulties in academic writing using APA style. However, it is not relevant if you are a beginner, and after a few papers written, you will get some experience and will be good enough to deal with it on your own. To simplify the process of formatting, you can always utilize an APA citation machine, which is available online. With the help of this tool, it will be easier for you to cope with the APA style of referencing. We insist to double check the paper before submission to be sure it is of appropriate quality.

If you lack time or skills, you can always hire a writing company. Online experts are capable of dealing with any desired style of writing. All you have to do is to provide all necessary instructions regarding the task and they will do all the hardest work. You will save your time ordering a high quality academic work performed by a true professional.

You can also find a lot of APA format templates on the web. Use online manuals to get more detailed information and learn to write better!

Be patient and soon you will see that APA style is not that difficult, as it seems. After all, we all know that practice makes perfect!