samples of research papers in apa format

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APA Sample Papers

Ever wonder how to format your research paper in APA style? If so, you’re in luck! The team at EasyBib.com has put together an example paper to help guide you through your next assignment. (Actually, looking for MLA? Here’s a page on what is MLA format .)

The featured example is a research paper on the uses of biometrics to inform design decisions in the tech industry, authored by our UX Research Intern Peace Iyiewuare. Like most APA style papers, it includes an APA title page , tables, and several references and APA in-text citations to scholarly journals relevant to its topic. References are an important aspect of scientific research papers, and formatting them correctly is critical to getting a good grade.

This paper follows the formatting rules specified in the 6th edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the APA is not directly associated with this guide) . We’ve left comments and tips throughout the document, so you’ll know the specific rules around how to format titles, spacing, and font, as well as the citations on the APA reference page .

The reference list needs special care, as it demonstrates to the reader that you have accurately portrayed your outside sources and have given credit to the appropriate parties. Be sure to check our full APA citation guide for more information on paper formatting and citing sources in APA style. There is also a guide on  APA footnotes in case that is your preferred form of citation.

Download the APA Visual Guide

When citations are done, don’t forget to finish your paper off with a proofread—EasyBib Plus’s plagiarism and grammar check can help! Got a misspelled adverb ? Missed capitalizing a proper noun ? Struggling with subject-verb agreement ? These are just a few things our checker could help you spot in your paper.

D. Complete Sample APA Paper

We’ve included a full student paper below to give you an idea of what an essay in APA format looks like, complete with a title page, paper, reference list, and index. If you plan to include an APA abstract in your paper, see the Professional Paper for an example.

If you’re looking for an APA format citation generator, we’ve got you covered. Use EasyBib.com! Our APA format machine can help you create every reference for your paper.

Below is an example of a student APA format essay. We also have PDF versions of both a student paper and a professional paper linked below.

See Student Paper                                 See Professional Paper

Using Biometrics to Evaluate Visual Design

Jane Lisa Dekker

Art Department, Northern California Valley State University

UXAD 272: Strategic Web Design

Professor Juan Liu, PhD

January 29, 2020

      A vast amount of research has been conducted regarding the importance of visual design, and its role as a mediator of user’s experience when browsing a site or interacting with an interface. In the literature, visual design is one aspect of website quality. Jones and Kim (2010) define website quality as “the perceived quality of a retail website that involves a [user’s] perceptions of the retailer’s website and comprises consumer reactions towards such attributes as information, entertainment/enjoyment, usability, transaction capabilities, and design aesthetics” (p. 632).  They further examined the impact web quality and retail brand trust has on purchase intentions. Additional research examining e-commerce sites has shown web quality has an impact on both initial and continued purchase intention (Kuan, Bock, & Vathanophas, 2008), as well as consumer satisfaction (Lin, 2007). Moreso, research on the relationship between visual design and perceived usability (Stojmenovic, Pilgrim, & Lindgaard, 2014) has revealed a positive correlation between the two. As users’ ratings of visual quality increase, their ratings of perceived usability follows a similar trend. Although this research spans various domains, the reliance on self-report measures to gauge concepts like visual design and web quality is prevalent throughout much of the literature.

Although some self-report scales are validated within the literature, there are still issues with the use of self-report questionnaires. One is the reliance on the honesty of the participant. This tends to be more of an issue in studies related to questionnaires that measure characteristics of the participant, rather than objective stimuli. More relevant to this study is the issue of introspection and memory. Surveys are often distributed after a task is completed, and its accuracy is dependent on the ability of the participant to remember their experience during the study. Multiple research studies have shown that human memory is far from static. This can

be dangerous if a researcher chooses to solely rely on self-report methods to test a hypothesis. We believe these self-report methods in tandem with biometric methods can help ensure the validity of the questionnaires, and provide information beyond the scope of self-report scales.

Research Questions

      We know from previous research that the quality of websites mediates many aspects of e-commerce, and provides insight as to how consumers view the webpages in general.  However, simply knowing a webpage is perceived as lower quality doesn’t give insight as to what aspects of a page are disliked by a user. Additionally, it’s possible that the user is misremembering aspects of the webpage or being dishonest in their assessment. Using eye tracking metrics, galvanic skin response, and facial expression measures in tandem with a scale aimed at measuring visual design quality has a couple of identifiable benefits. Using both can potentially identify patterns amongst the biometric measures and the questionnaire, which would strengthen the validity of the results. More so, the eye tracking data has the potential to identify patterns amongst websites of lower or higher quality.

If found, these patterns can be used to evaluate particular aspects of a page that are impacting the quality of a webpage. Overall, we are interested in answering two questions:

Research Question 1 : Can attitudinal changes regarding substantial website redesigns be captured using biometric measures?

Research Question 2 : How do biometric measures correlate with self-reported measures of visual appeal?

      Answering these questions has the potential to provide a method of justification for design changes, ranging from minor tweak to complete rebrands. There is not an easy way for companies to quantitatively analyze visual design decisions. A method for doing so would help companies evaluate visual designs before implementation in order to cost-justify them. To this end, we hope to demonstrate that biometric measurements can be used with questionnaires to verify and validate potential design changes a company or organization might want to implement.

      By examining data from test subjects during a brief exposure to several websites, we hoped to explore the relationship between the self-reported evaluation of visual design quality and key biometric measurements of a subject’s emotional valence and arousal. Subjects were exposed to ten pairs of websites before and after a substantial visual design change and asked to evaluate the website based on their initial impressions of the site’s visual design quality using the VisAWI-S scale, as shown in Table 1.  

During this assessment we collected GSR, facial expressions (limited by errors in initial study configuration), pupillary response, and fixation data using iMotions software coupled with a Tobii eye tracker, Shimmer GSR device, and Affdex facial expression analysis toolkit. This data was analyzed, in Table 2, to discover relationships between the independent and dependent variables, as well as relationships between certain dependent variables.  

Jones, C., & Kim, S. (2010). Influences of retail brand trust, off-line patronage, clothing involvement and website quality on online apparel shopping intention: Online apparel shopping intention. International Journal of Consumer Studies , 34 (6), 627–637. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00871.x

Kuan, H.-H., Bock, G.-W., & Vathanophas, V. (2008). Comparing the effects of website quality on customer initial purchase and continued purchase at e-commerce websites. Behaviour & Information Technology , 27 (1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290600801959

Lin, H.-F. (2007). The impact of website quality dimensions on customer satisfaction in the B2C e-commerce context. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence , 18 (4), 363–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783360701231302

Stojmenovic, M., Pilgrim, C., & Lindgaard, G. (2014). Perceived and objective usability and visual appeal in a website domain with a less developed mental model. Proceedings of the 26 th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference on Designing Futures: The Future of Design , 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1145/2686612.2686660

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

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APA Style: Basics

Guidelines: paper format.

The APA Style website includes a great section on Paper Format This link opens in a new window . The 7th edition of APA Style has two types of papers: student papers and professional papers. Please consult your assignment or reach out to your professor or instructor to determine which paper format you should use.

For more information see the above page or the sections linked below:

• Order of pages This link opens in a new window
• Title page This link opens in a new window
• Font This link opens in a new window
• Page header This link opens in a new window
• Line spacing This link opens in a new window
• Margins This link opens in a new window
• Paragraph alignment & indentation This link opens in a new window
• Tables setup This link opens in a new window
• Figures setup This link opens in a new window
• Headings This link opens in a new window
• Accessibility This link opens in a new window
• Numbers and Statistics Guide This link opens in a new window

Sample Papers

The APA Style website also includes Sample Papers This link opens in a new window . 

APA Style Sample Papers

• Annotated Student Sample Paper [links to PDF] This link opens in a new window
• Student Sample Paper [links to DOCX] This link opens in a new window
• Annotated Professional Sample Paper [links to PDF] This link opens in a new window
• Professional Sample Paper [links to DOCX] This link opens in a new window

SNHU OWC Sample Papers

• APA 7th Edition Sample Paper (SNHU OWC) [pdf] This link opens in a new window APA 7th Edition Sample Paper from the Academic Support Center
• << Previous: Elements of APA Reference Lists
• Next: APA Reference List Examples >>

APA 7: Sample Paper

• Paper Sections
• Quote & Paraphrase
• Format in Word
• In-Text Citations
• Reference List
• Sample Paper

Examples of the Different Paper Sections

• Title Page - APA 7 Example
• References Page
• Student Paper - Example in APA Format Includes title page, body, and references.
• Sample Annotated Student Paper in APA Style
• APA 7 Quick Reference Guide

Optional Paper Sections

• Headings - APA 7 Style Guide
• Accessible Use of Colors in APA 7
• Figures - APA 7 The basics of figure setup, including figure components, principles of figure construction, and placement of figures in a paper.
• Tables - APA 7 The basics of table setup, including table components, principles of table construction, and placement of tables in the paper.
• << Previous: Reference List
• Next: FAQs >>

How to Write a Research Paper in APA Format — A Complete Guide

Completed your research experiments and collated your results? Does it feel like you have crossed a major hurdle in your research journey? No, not even close! What lies next is — publishing your research work for it to reach the science world! The process of publishing a research paper is so intricate, if you miss one aspect, you could end up struggling with revisions and reworks or getting a rejection! Thus, there is a necessity of following an exceptional mode of writing. The APA style research format comes to a researcher’s rescue.

This article discusses how to effortlessly write an APA style research paper and how it is necessary to understand the basic elements of APA style research paper in order to write an article in APA style research format.

Table of Contents

What Is APA Style?

The APA format is the official style of American Psychological Association (APA) and is commonly used to cite sources in psychology, education and social sciences. APA research paper format is widely used in the research publishing industry.

Students and researchers usually get confused with various research paper writing formats and are unclear about the requirements from the research publication journals. Therefore, the best way to deal with beginning to write a research paper is to first know the journal’s requirement and then follow the guidelines accordingly.

Though the reference section may change over the course of time, the information related to the other sections in APA research paper format is similar and could be referred to, for writing an exemplary research paper.

Guidelines for APA Style Paper (7th edition)

An APA style research format is different as compared to a term paper, a creative writing paper, a composition-style paper, or a thought paper. Throughout the paper you need to apply these guidelines while writing the paper –

Page Layout:

Type the content and keep double-space on standard-sized paper (8.5” x 11”), with 1” margins on all sides.

You should indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches

Include a page number on every page.

You could use an accessible font like Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.

APA Research Paper Sections

The APA research paper format is based on seven main components: title page, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references. The sections in APA-style paper are as follows:

1. Title Page

As per the APA research paper format, the title should be between 10-12 words and should reflect the essence of the paper. After writing the title, write your name followed by name of the college. Furthermore, create a page header using the “View Header” function in MS Word and on the title page include a running head — a short title that appears at the top of pages of published articles (flush left) and page number on the same line (flush right). The running head should not exceed 50 characters, including punctuation and spacing. Moreover, you could use the toolbox to insert a page number, so that it automatically numbers each page.

2. Abstract

Abstract should contain no more than 120 words , and should be one paragraph written in block format with double spacing. Additionally, state the topic in a sentence or two. Also, provide overview of methods, results, and discussion.

APA Style – Abstract in APA Style

3. Introduction

An introduction of APA research paper format is the most difficult section to write. A good introduction critically evaluates the empirical knowledge in the relevant area(s) in a way that defines the knowledge gap and expresses your aim for your study and why you conducted it. However, the challenge here is to keep the reader’s interest in reading your paper.

A good introduction keeps readers engaged with your paper. For writing an interesting introduction, researchers should introduce logical flow of ideas which will eventually lead to the research hypothesis . Furthermore, while incorporating references into your introduction, do not describe every single study in complete detail. Summarize the key findings from the article and do not quote from the articles, instead paraphrase the content .

The method section in APA research paper format is straightforward. However, the protocol and requirements should be mentioned precisely. The goal of this section is to describe your study and experiments in detail, so that there is no issue in reproducibility of results and other researchers could duplicate your methods effectively.

This section includes Materials and/or Apparatus and Experiments/Procedures/Protocols. Furthermore, keep the procedures brief and accurate, and make sure to read through so as to not repeat the steps or avoid redundancy.

In this section, you could describe how you analyzed the data and explain your findings. If your data analyses are complex, then break the section into subsections, ideally a subsection for each hypothesis and elaborate the subsections by using statistical analysis and including tables or figures to represent results visually. Most importantly, do not share interpretation of the results here. You can interpret and explain the results in the discussion section.

6. Discussion

Results are interpreted and understood in this section. Discussion section helps understand the research hypothesis better and places the results in the broader context of the literature in the area. This section is the reversal of introduction section, wherein you begin with the specifics and explain the general understanding of the topics.

In discussion, you start with a brief of your main findings, followed by explaining if your research findings support your hypothesis. Furthermore, you could explain how your findings enhance or support the existing literature on the topic. Connect your results with some of the literature mentioned in the introduction to bring your story back to full circle. You could also mention if there are any interesting or surprising findings in your results. Discuss other theories which could help you justify your surprising results.

Explain the limitation of your study and mention all the additional questions that were generated from your study. You could also mention what further research should be conducted on the topic and what are the knowledge gaps in the current body of research. Finally, mention how your results could relate to the larger issues of human existence and highlight “the big picture” for your readers.

7. References

Provide an alphabetical listing of the references. Do not keep extra spaces between references and double-space all the references. The second line of each reference should be intended. You could refer to the examples (mentioned below) to know how to format references correctly.

I. Journal Article:

Only first letter of the first word of the article title is capitalized; the journal name and volume are italicized. If the journal name had multiple words, each of the major words are capitalized.

Example: Ebner-Priemer, U. W., & Trull, T. J. (2009). Ecological momentary assessment of mood disorders and mood dysregulation. Psychological Assessment, 21 , 463-475. doi:10.1037/a0017075

II. Book Chapter:

Only the first letter of the first word of both the chapter title and book title are capitalized.

Example: Stephan, W. G. (1985). Intergroup relations. In G. Lindzey & E. Aronson (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (3rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 599-658). New York: Random House.

Example: Gray, P. (2010). Psychology (6th ed.). New York: Worth

There are various formats for tables, depending upon the information you wish to include. So, be thorough and provide a table number and title (the latter should be italicized). Tables can be single or double-spaced.

Be sure to mention x- and y-axes clearly. Underneath the figure provide a label and brief caption. The figure caption typically includes variables and units of measurements. Also, include error bars in your bar graphs, and note what the bars represent in the figure caption – Error bars represent one standard error above and below the mean.

VI. In-Text Citation:

• Mention the authors’ names and publication date while citing sources in your paper.
• When including the citation as part of the sentence, use AND: “According to Jones and Smith (2003), the…”
• When the citation is written in parentheses, use &: “Studies have shown that priming can affect actual motor behavior (Jones & Smith, 2003; Kiley, Bailey, & Hammer, 1999). The studies in parentheses should appear alphabetically by first author’s last name, and separate it with semicolons.
• You should avoid quoting directly, but in case you do – along with the name and date, include the page number.
• For sources with three or more authors, once you have listed all the authors’ names, you may write “et al.” on subsequent mentions: “Klein et al. (1999) found that…”.
• Meanwhile, when source has six or more authors, the first author’s last name and “et al.” are used every time the source is cited.

VII. Secondary Source:

It is a term used to describe material that is cited in another source. Avoid using secondary sources in your papers. Try to find the primary source and read it before citing in your work. However, if you must mention a secondary source, refer to the APA style paper example below:

Primary source author’s last name (as cited in secondary source author’s last name, year) argued that…

7 Tips for Writing an Error-free APA Style Research Paper

• Although there are exceptions, minimize using first person while writing.
• Avoid including personal statements or anecdotes.
• Although there are exceptions, use past tense while writing.
• Do not use contractions. (e.g., “it does not follow” rather than “it doesn’t follow”)
• Avoid biased language – Be updated with appropriate terminologies, especially if you are writing a paper that includes gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc.
• Be certain to cite your sources.
• Try to paraphrase as much as possible, and do not directly quote from source articles.

This article contains only a few aspects of an APA research paper format. There are many APA style rules which can be explored before you begin to write an APA style research paper. Many of the APA research paper format rules are dynamic and subject to change, so it is best to refer to 7 th edition (latest) of the APA Publication Manual and be thorough with every section’s format before writing a research paper.

Have you used an APA research paper format to write your article? Do write to us or comment below and tell us how your experience writing an APA style paper was?

Frequently Asked Questions

The APA format is the official style of American Psychological Association (APA) and is commonly used to cite sources in psychology, education and social sciences.

APA stands for the American Psychological Association. It is a professional organization that focuses on the field of psychology and related disciplines.

Citing sources in APA format involves specific guidelines for different types of sources. In-text Citations: For a paraphrased or summarized idea from a source, include the author's last name and the publication year in parentheses. Example: (Smith, 2021) Reference List Entry for a Journal Article: Only first letter of the first word of the article title is capitalized; the journal name and volume are italicized. If the journal name had multiple words, each of the major words are capitalized. Example: Ebner-Priemer, U. W., & Trull, T. J. (2009). Ecological momentary assessment of mood disorders and mood dysregulation. Psychological Assessment, 21, 463-475. doi:10.1037/a0017075

The APA (American Psychological Association) style is primarily used by researchers, scholars, and students in the social sciences, including psychology, sociology, education, and related fields. However, the APA style is not limited to these disciplines and is also used in other academic and scientific fields when writing research papers or scholarly articles.

As per the 7th edition of APA citation (published in 2020), the last name and first/middle initials for all authors (up to first 20 authors) are mentioned in the bibliography. If there are 21 or more authors, an ellipsis (but no ampersand) is used after the 19th author, and then the final author’s name is added. Generic format: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume # (issue number), Pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy Example: Ebner-Priemer, U. W., & Trull, T. J. (2009). Ecological momentary assessment of mood disorders and mood dysregulation. Psychological Assessment, 21, 463-475. doi:10.1037/a0017075

When quoting in APA format, you need to properly incorporate and cite direct quotations from sources. Introduce the Quote: Begin with a signal phrase or an introductory statement to lead into the quote. This helps provide context and relevance for the quotation. Provide In-text Citation: Immediately after the closing quotation mark, include an in-text citation that provides the author's last name, publication year, and, if applicable, page number(s) of the quoted material. Example: (Smith, 2021, p. 25) Cite the Source in the Reference List: Include a corresponding entry in the reference list for the source you are quoting. The format for the reference list entry depends on the type of source being quoted (e.g., book, journal article, website).

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Home » APA Research Paper Format – Example, Sample and Writing Guide

APA Research Paper Format – Example, Sample and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

The APA style is highly respected for its emphasis on accuracy, conciseness, and objectivity, making it an essential tool for researchers and scholars in various fields. This article will briefly overview the APA research paper format and its importance in academic writing.

APA Research Paper Format

The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a widely used format for writing research papers in the social sciences. It provides guidelines for formatting papers, citing sources, and organizing information to ensure clarity and consistency in academic writing.

APA Research Paper Format is as follows:

Page Layout

The paper should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5″ x 11″) with 1-inch margins on all sides. Use a clear and readable font such as Times New Roman, with a font size of 12.

The title page should contain the paper’s title, author’s name, and institution name. The title should be centered, and the author’s name and institution name should be centered and placed below the title. The page header (running head) should be included on the top left corner of the page and contain the paper’s shortened title (50 characters maximum) in capital letters. The page number should be placed on the top right corner of the page.

The abstract is a brief summary of the paper’s main points, and it should be placed on a separate page after the title page. The abstract should be between 150-250 words and should include the research question or hypothesis, methods used, results, and conclusions. It should be written in a single paragraph and without indentation.

The main body of the paper should be organized into sections such as Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Each section should start on a new page and be labeled with the appropriate heading. The Introduction should introduce the research question, provide background information, and explain the significance of the study. The Methods section should describe the research design, participants, measures, and procedures. The Results section should present the findings, including statistical analyses. The Discussion section should interpret the results, discuss the implications, and suggest future research directions.

In-Text Citations

When referring to the work of others within the paper, use in-text citations. In-text citations include the author’s last name and the year of publication, enclosed in parentheses. For example, (Smith, 2019). When citing a direct quote, include the page number in the citation. For example, (Smith, 2019, p. 45).

The reference page should be on a separate page at the end of the paper. All sources cited within the paper should be listed alphabetically by the author’s last name. The first line of each reference should be flush with the left margin, and subsequent lines should be indented. Each reference should include the author’s name, year of publication, title of the work, publisher, and location. Online sources should include the URL or DOI. The reference format varies based on the type of source, such as a book, journal article, or website.

In addition to these elements, there are some general formatting guidelines to follow in an APA research paper:

• Use 12-point Times New Roman font.
• Double-space your text.
• Use 1-inch margins on all sides.
• Include page numbers in the top right corner of each page.
• Use in-text citations to cite sources in your text.

APA Research Paper Example

APA Research Paper Example sample for students:

Title of the Paper

The Effects of Exercise on Mental Health in College Students

This study aims to investigate the effects of exercise on mental health in college students. A total of 100 participants (50 males and 50 females) were recruited from a local university. The participants were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group. The exercise group participated in a 12-week exercise program, while the control group did not engage in any regular exercise. The participants’ mental health was measured using the Beck Anxiety Inventory and the Beck Depression Inventory before and after the intervention. The results showed that the exercise group had a significant decrease in anxiety and depression scores compared to the control group. These findings suggest that regular exercise can have a positive impact on mental health in college students.

Keywords: exercise, mental health, college students, anxiety, depression

Introduction

Mental health issues, including anxiety and depression, are prevalent among college students. According to the American College Health Association (ACHA), approximately one in three college students reported experiencing some level of anxiety in the past year, while one in five reported experiencing depression. While there are several approaches to treating mental health issues, exercise has been identified as a potential intervention that can improve mental health. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of exercise on mental health in college students.

Participants: A total of 100 participants (50 males and 50 females) were recruited from a local university. The participants were between the ages of 18 and 25 and were not engaged in regular exercise.

The participants were randomly assigned to either an exercise group or a control group. The exercise group participated in a 12-week exercise program, which consisted of three 60-minute exercise sessions per week. The exercise sessions included a combination of cardiovascular and strength training exercises. The control group did not engage in any regular exercise during the 12-week period.

The participants’ mental health was measured using the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) before and after the intervention. The BAI and BDI are self-report questionnaires that measure the severity of anxiety and depression symptoms, respectively. The scores on each questionnaire range from 0 to 63, with higher scores indicating greater levels of anxiety and depression.

Data analysis

A repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare the changes in anxiety and depression scores between the exercise group and the control group.

The results showed that the exercise group had a significant decrease in anxiety scores (M = 19.25, SD = 5.87) compared to the control group (M = 23.50, SD = 6.33), F(1, 98) = 13.67, p < .001. Similarly, the exercise group had a significant decrease in depression scores (M = 15.80, SD = 4.91) compared to the control group (M = 18.45, SD = 4.86), F(1, 98) = 9.63, p < .01.

The results of this study suggest that regular exercise can have a positive impact on mental health in college students. The exercise group had a significant decrease in anxiety and depression scores compared to the control group, indicating that exercise can be an effective intervention for improving mental health. These findings support previous research that has identified exercise as a potential treatment for mental health issues.

Limitations and Future Directions

One limitation of this study is that the sample size was relatively small and only included college students from one university. Future research should replicate these findings in a larger and more diverse sample. Additionally, future studies could also investigate the long-term effects of exercise on mental health and explore the optimal duration and frequency of exercise for maximum benefit. Furthermore, it would be interesting to examine the mechanisms by which exercise improves mental health, such as changes in brain chemistry and neural pathways.

This study provides evidence that regular exercise can have a positive impact on mental health in college students. Given the high prevalence of mental health issues among this population, exercise may be an important intervention for improving well-being. Healthcare professionals and educators should consider promoting exercise as a component of mental health management in college students.

• American College Health Association. (2019). American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment II: Reference Group Executive Summary Spring 2019.
• American College Health Association. Beck, A. T., Epstein, N., Brown, G., & Steer, R. A. (1988). An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: Psychometric properties. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56(6), 893-897. Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., & Brown, G. K. (1996). Beck Depression Inventory-II. San Antonio, TX: Psychological Corporation.
• American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Note: This is just a sample example do not copy this as your assignment or research topic.

APA Research Paper Writing Guide

Writing a research paper in APA (American Psychological Association) format can be a challenging task, but it is an essential skill for students and researchers alike. The following guide will provide you with the necessary steps to write an APA research paper.

• Choose a topic: Select a topic that is relevant to your field of study or interests. You can browse online academic databases, read relevant journals and books, or brainstorm with peers and mentors.
• Conduct research: Use credible sources to gather information and data that support your thesis statement. You can use online academic databases, books, and peer-reviewed journals.
• Create an outline: Use the information gathered from research to create a detailed outline that outlines the main points of your paper. This outline will serve as a guide as you write your paper.
• Write the introduction: The introduction should provide background information on the topic and a thesis statement that states the purpose of your paper.
• Write the body: The body of the paper should contain your arguments and supporting evidence. Each paragraph should focus on a single idea, and evidence should be cited according to APA format.
• Write the conclusion: The conclusion should summarize the main points of your paper and restate the thesis statement.
• Revise and edit : After completing the first draft, revise and edit your paper to ensure it is well-written, organized, and free from grammatical errors.
• Cite sources: Use APA format to cite sources throughout the paper, including in-text citations and a reference page.

Purpose of APA Research Paper Format

The purpose of the APA research paper format is to provide a standardized format for academic writing in the social sciences. This format includes guidelines for the structure, formatting, and citation of research papers, with the goal of ensuring that papers are clear, concise, and easy to read and understand.

The APA format includes specific guidelines for the title page, abstract, main body, and reference list, as well as guidelines for in-text citations and headings. These guidelines help to ensure that research papers are formatted consistently across different journals and academic disciplines, making it easier for readers to find and understand the information presented.

In addition to promoting consistency and clarity, the APA format also promotes ethical research practices, such as the proper attribution of sources and the accurate reporting of research findings. Overall, the APA research paper format is a valuable tool for promoting clear and effective communication in the social sciences.

When to use APA Research Paper Format

The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used in the social sciences for writing research papers, including psychology, sociology, education, and nursing. It provides guidelines for formatting papers, citing sources, and referencing materials used in the research. Here are some situations when you should use the APA research paper format:

• When writing research papers in social sciences : APA style is commonly used in social sciences research papers such as psychology, sociology, education, and nursing.
• When your professor or institution requires it : APA style may be required by your professor or institution for academic papers.
• When submitting papers to academic journals: Many academic journals in social sciences require authors to follow APA style guidelines when submitting research papers for publication.
• When citing sources in your research paper: APA style provides rules for citing sources within the text of the paper, creating a reference list at the end of the paper, and formatting in-text citations and the reference list.
• When formatting your research paper : APA style provides guidelines for formatting the title page, abstract, headings, font, spacing, margins, and pagination of your research paper.

About the author

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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

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• APA headings and subheadings

APA Headings and Subheadings | With Sample Paper

Published on November 7, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on October 24, 2022.

Headings and subheadings provide structure to a document. They signal what each section is about and allow for easy navigation of the document.

APA headings have five possible levels. Each heading level is formatted differently.

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Table of contents

Additional guidelines for apa headings, how many heading levels should you use, when to use which apa heading level, section labels vs headings, sample paper with apa headings, using heading styles in word or google docs.

As well as the heading styles, there are some other guidelines to keep in mind:

• Double-space all text, including the headings.
• Use the same font for headings and body text (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt.).
• Don’t label headings with numbers or letters.
• Don’t add extra “enters” above or below headings.

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Depending on the length and complexity of your paper, you may not use all five heading levels. In fact, shorter student papers may have no headings at all.

It’s also perfectly fine for some sections in your paper to go as deep as five levels, where others use only heading level 1.

Heading level 1 is used for main sections like “ Methods ”, “ Results ”, and “ Discussion ”. There is no “ Introduction ” heading at the beginning of your paper because the first paragraphs are understood to be introductory.

Heading level 2 is used for subsections under level 1. For example, under “Methods” (level 1) you may have subsections for “Sampling Method” and “Data Analysis” (level 2). This continues all the way down to heading level 5.

Always use at least two subheadings or none at all. If there is just one subheading, the top-level heading is sufficient.

In addition to regular headings, APA works with “section labels” for specific parts of the paper. They’re similar to headings but are formatted differently. Section labels are placed on a separate line at the top of a new page in bold and centered.

Use section labels for the following sections in an APA formatted paper :

• Author note
• Paper title
• Reference page

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Instead of formatting every heading individually, you can use the “Styles” feature in Word or Google Docs. This allows you to save the styling and apply it with just a click.

The first time you use APA Style, you need to update the default heading styles to reflect the APA heading guidelines. Click here for the instructions for Microsoft Word and Google Docs .

An added benefit of using the “Styles” feature is that you can automatically generate a table of contents .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2022, October 24). APA Headings and Subheadings | With Sample Paper. Scribbr. Retrieved April 5, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-headings/

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