Key Guidelines for Writing APA Research Papers

Obligation of Scientists

Scientists have an obligation to conduct well designed studies and to communicate the results.

APA Publication Manual

The APA Publication Manual is used by psychology students and researchers for standardized formatting of research manuscripts.

Research Submission Criteria

You should submit your research for publication if you think the study is scientifically significant and you think the study was soundly designed and executed.

Abstract Definition

The 'abstract' appears before the body of the report and summarizes the entire article in approximately 200 words.

Introduction Structure

The 'introduction' should begin broadly with a general introduction to the problem.

Funnel-Shaped Introduction

The 'introduction' should be funnel-shaped in that you start with a broad description of the problem and end with the specific statement of the problem.

Literature Citation in Introduction

The 'introduction' should cite as much literature as needed to show continuity between what has been done and what you are going to do.

Method Section Definition

The 'method' section is complete if it meets the 'criterion of replication.'

Excluded Method Section Content

The 'method' section would NOT include implications.

Procedure Subsection Definition

The 'procedure' subsection of 'method' should specify what was done from first encounter between the researcher and the participant until the last.

Participants Subsection Exclusion

The 'participants'' subsection of 'method' should include all of the following EXCEPT how the participants were instructed.

Results Section Exclusion

The 'results' section should include all of the following EXCEPT a full discussion of the implications of the statistical tests.

Discussion Section Exclusion

The 'discussion' section should include all of the following EXCEPT any data not mentioned in the results section.

Hypothesis Development Section

The section of an APA-formatted article that should develop the hypothesis is the introduction.

Participant Selection Section

The section of an APA-formatted article that should present the way participants are selected is the method.

Introduction section

Cites the relevant literature.

Discussion section

Interprets the data.

Results section

Specifies how the data were analyzed.

Prior research discussion

Can usually be found in the introduction and discussion sections.

Proper order of sections

Abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, tables, figures.

Introduction organization shape

Useful to organize in terms of a funnel.

Introduction content

Should NOT include describing how the research was conducted.

Method section

Describes exactly how the experiment was conducted, including participants, materials, and procedures used.

End of research report

Contains references and tables.

Statistical analysis section

Contained in the results section.

Title page information

All of these should be included on the title page.

Introduction start page

Should begin on page three.

Researcher's hypothesis location

Found at the end of the introduction section.

Avoiding plagiarism

Be sure to use quotation marks for others' words, give a citation to the original source, and substantially reword what others have said, giving credit for the ideas.

Biased terms in participants description

Species is NOT one of the areas to be careful about.

Starting to write a research paper

It is frequently helpful to start writing the method section since that is the easiest to write.

Clear communication in research report

Achieved through an orderly presentation of ideas, continuity of words, concepts and thematic development, and smoothness and economy of expression.

Economy of expression in writing

Means to be clear and succinct, avoid redundancy of words and the use of jargon, and eliminate overly detailed descriptions.

Clear and succinct writing

Writing that is straightforward and to the point, avoiding unnecessary words.

Redundancy of words

The unnecessary repetition of words or phrases in writing.

Jargon

Specialized terminology that may not be understood by a general audience.

Respectful participant labels

Using terms like 'participants with the diagnosis of mania' instead of stigmatizing labels.

Active voice

A writing style where the subject performs the action of the verb.

Labels for sexual orientation

Terms that should not be used include 'homosexual'.

People first language

A way of speaking that emphasizes the person before their disability.

APA style

A set of guidelines for writing and formatting research manuscripts.

Plagiarism

Representing another author's ideas or statements as your own.

Short quotes

Quotes that are fewer than 40 words and should be inserted in the text with quotation marks.

Long quotes

Quotes that should be displayed in a freestanding block without quotation marks.

Writing out numbers

Numbers should be written out when beginning a sentence.

Statistical results presentation

Providing enough information to allow the reader to corroborate the results.

Table necessity

A question to consider when deciding to include a table in a manuscript.

Figures in manuscripts

Graphs, photographs, or drawings presented as figures.

Legends and captions

Legends are placed within the figure while captions are placed below the figure.

Font size in figures

The font should be between 8 and 14 point font in figures.

In-text citations

Correctly formatted citations according to APA style for paraphrasing findings.

Paraphrasing

Rewording findings from research while maintaining the original meaning.

Citing multiple studies

Correctly formatting citations for multiple sources in APA style.

Column headings in tables

Important elements to include when using tables in research manuscripts.

Avoiding overly detailed descriptions

Keeping descriptions concise and relevant to the topic.

Using abbreviations infrequently

According to APA style, abbreviations should be used sparingly.

Avoiding equating a person with their disability

Using language that respects the individuality of a person with a disability.

Age of research participants

The age of the participants ranged from 66 to 84.

Reporting of race and ethnicity

Your descriptions should be as specific as possible.

Use of 'et al.' in citations

It is appropriate to use 'et al.' if there are more than 6 authors.

Level 1 heading format

A 'level 1' heading should be centered, boldface, in upper and lower case letters.

Reference listing of a journal article

The correct form is Hernandez, J. & Briscoe, J. (2002). The role of bedtime stories on children's nightmares. The Journal of Dreaming, 88, 35-42.

Final manuscript preparation

You should double space the body of the paper and use a 12-point font.

Prestigious journals acceptance rate

They accept only 15% of the articles submitted.

Cover letter contents for manuscript submission

All of the above: if the manuscript has been presented at a scientific meeting, statement verifying ethical treatment of participants, your name, phone number, and email address.

DOI system

It is used to identify information on digital records.

Time limit for oral presentations

Typically, the time limit is 12 to 15 minutes.

Oral presentation style

You should strive for a conversational style rather than reading your presentation.

Poster presentation recommendations

All of the above are good recommendations: expect to remain with your poster during the entire session (usually about an hour), use a large font that is readable from about 10 feet, bring copies of your research paper to give to anyone who is interested.