APA Style is a set of guidelines to ensure consistency and clarity when writing academic papers. It originated through the American Psychology Association but is used for many disciplines now, such as social sciences, education, and health.
To learn the basics of APA style and citations, complete this tutorial.
For more information on in-text citations, see APA In-Text Citations.
For more information on reference list entries for your annotated bibliography or research paper, see APA Reference List.
To see an example, see this interactive APA example paper.
Student papers have slightly different guidelines than professional and academic published papers. So, this resource will focus on student papers and guidelines that are specific to our class. The following has been adapted from the APA Style Guide (7th ed).
Acceptable Fonts
12 point Times New Roman, 11 point Calibri, Arial, or Georgia
Spacing
Double Spaced (including the reference page and title page; title page will have one extra line between title and name, though)
Headings
Headings can be used but are not required for this paper since they are student papers any only 6-8 pages in length. If you choose to use headings, please follow this guide. They can be very helpful in organizing subpoints and ensuring that your sub-points are fully developed.
For a paper of this size, only use Level 1 headings and expect that you will likely only use 3-4 headings throughout, including the conclusion. Headings should cover sub-topics and not be used for every single paragraph. If you have a heading for every paragraph, you may need to look at whether you have developed out your sub-points enough for a research paper. Each sub-topic should be covered with some complexity and multiple sources.
Title Page
The paper should include a title page with the following information: paper title, your name, class, instructor, and date.
More information on formatting in APA Style can be found on the official APA Style website here.
For Project 2, you may find yourself needing to do specific formatting, page layout, or document design in order to write in specific genres beyond essays or research papers. This page contains resources and tutorials for some of the various apps and methods that you can use to help you with laying out and designing a document.
In order to choose the best application or method for your assignment, you'll need to determine a few things:
How much design is needed? If you simply need to add a photograph or two, then Microsoft Word or Google Docs should work fine. If you need to do a more substantial page layout, like for a magazine article or blog, then you will likely find Word and Docs to be time-consuming and frustrating to use. I highly recommend using a different app in that case.
How much time do you have? You can do some really neat things with a lot of various software around page design, but if you're strapped for time or uncomfortable with new technology, I recommend that you use pre-created templates to get started.
What technology do you have access to? If you have spotty internet, you will likely be better off sticking to a program like PowerPoint or something you can download directly to your computer and work offline. If you have access to fast internet and a reliable connection, then using online software, such as Canva, might be easier for you.
Microsoft Word
Best for simple documents, such as essays, research papers, cover letters, and business letters.
Google Docs
Best for simple documents, such as essays, research papers, cover letters, and business letters.
PowerPoint
Best for more complex page layouts where there may be multiple text boxes, such as brochures, newsletters, etc.
A tutorial on how to use PowerPoint for non-presentation use, such as for this class, can be found here: https://youtu.be/Q8oEfRuAPzc
Below are a few PowerPoint templates for commonly chosen genres. Feel free to download these and adjust the template as needed to suit your need. When you click on the link below, it will take you to a preview of the template. Then, you can click "Download" in the upper right-hand corner to download it to your computer so that you can edit it.
This online app also works well for more complex layouts. It has a lot of templates, including a magazine template that can work well for blogs, magazine articles, and other similar genres. Some features are pay-for, so you'll need to choose templates and graphics that don't say "premium."