This post will provide you with the basic information you need to write an academic paper in the American Psychological Association (APA) style. This will be a great guide for anyone who is new to this style of writing or wants to polish up their skills.

Introduction

This section should include a brief overview of the topic for the paper; a description of the purpose of the paper; an explanation of the significance of the topic; and a general outline of the organization’s or publisher’s point of view on the topic.

Materials And Methods

The materials and methods section should include all the necessary information for the paper. For instance, if you are investigating the effectiveness of different marketing strategies, you should include the type of marketing material you used (print, online, or social media); the sample size; and the findings. Include an explanation for why the sample size was sufficient or why you chose this sample size in the first place.

Results

This is the section that will contain the data or information gathered in the course of the study. In the results section, you should present your findings. For instance, if you are testing the effectiveness of different marketing strategies, you should present the data for each of the strategies and include an explanation for the results you obtained. Your findings should be backed up by suitable numbers to provide the reader with solid evidence. If your study used a control group, you should present the data for the control group along with the data for the experimental group. The results section should be followed by a discussion section in which you will present and respond to the findings of the paper.

Conclusions

This is the final section of the paper. In this section, you will present your findings and discuss the implications of your research. You should also conclude the paper with a short summary of the main points made in the paper.

To begin with, write a conclusion that will summarize the significance of your paper. This should not be longer than two or three sentences. Then, write a separate paragraph for each of the following five points:

• The main points of the paper
• The significance of the paper in terms of theory or research
• The significance of the paper in terms of practice
• The limitations of the paper
• The objectives of the paper

Your conclusions should flow naturally from your paper. It is recommended to write your conclusions last.

To write an academically rigorous paper in the APA style, you should adhere to the following format:

Formatting Guide

This guide will help you style your paper in the proper format:

Title

The title of your paper should be structured in a way that will make the reader interested in your work. It should be very short and sweet. For instance, if you are writing about the psychology of selling online, your title should contain the words �sell� or �marketing� followed by a verb (e.g., �Conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of different marketing methods for retail brands.�).

A good rule of thumb when choosing a title is to think of a question you would ask about the topic of your paper. For example, if your topic is �How can I improve my online store’s performance?�, you could ask yourself �How does my site compare to other online stores?� or �What makes my store special?� Your paper’s title should reflect your thoughts on the matter. 

Abstract

This is a short, one-to-two-paragraph summary of your paper. It should include the following elements:

• A general description of the topic
• An explanation of the significance of the topic (Why is this topic significant?)
• A summary of the major findings
• A discussion of the theoretical and practical significance of the findings (How would this research impact the field, and how can practitioners implement these findings?)
• The methodology used (e.g., theoretical framework, experimental design, sample size, etc.)
• An indication of the limitations of the study (e.g., potential flaws in the methodology, lack of generalizability, etc.)
• The most relevant citations

As with the title of the paper, the abstract should be short and sweet. It should be easy to understand and intriguing enough to make the reader want to learn more. 

Keywords

The keywords section should list the specific words and phrases that should be used to find the paper when it is researched. This section should not contain any words or phrases that are not relevant to the paper. For example, if you are writing about web design, your keywords should include words and phrases such as �HTML,� �CSS,� �jQuery,� �bootstrap,� �creativity,� and �blogging� (without the quotes).

The paper’s keywords should be relevant to the topic and should be used throughout the text of the paper. When using keywords, make sure that you use the appropriate variation of the words; do not use synonyms or homonyms. For example, if you are writing about the psychology of women buying cosmetics, you should include the words �wedding� and �bride� in your keywords because they are not synonyms or homonyms of �cosmetics.�

Introduction

The introduction should provide the reader with the necessary background information on the topic. It should include a short summary of previous research on the topic; brief details on the author(s)’s qualifications; and a concise explanation of the problem or issue the paper will address (the significance of the problem, why this problem affects the field, etc.).

Materials And Methods

The materials and methods section should include all the necessary information for the paper. For instance, if you are investigating the effectiveness of different marketing strategies, you should include the type of marketing material you used (print, online, or social media); the sample size; and the findings. Include an explanation for why the sample size was sufficient or why you chose this sample size in the first place.

Results

This is the section that will contain the data or information gathered in the course of the study. In the results section, you should present your findings. For instance, if you are testing the effectiveness of different marketing strategies, you should present the data for each of the strategies and include an explanation for the results you obtained. Your findings should be backed up by suitable numbers to provide the reader with solid evidence. If your study used a control group, you should present the data for the control group along with the data for the experimental group. The results section should be followed by a discussion section in which you will present and respond to the findings of the paper.

Conclusions

This is the final section of the paper. In this section, you will present your findings and discuss the implications of your research. You should also conclude the paper with a short summary of the main points made in the paper.

To write an academically rigorous paper in the APA style, you should adhere to the following format:

Formatting Guide

This guide will help you style your paper in the proper format:

Title

The title of your paper should be structured in a way that will make the reader interested in your work. It should be very short and sweet. For instance, if you are writing about the psychology of selling online, your title should contain the words �sell� or �marketing� followed by a verb (e.g., �Conducted a clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of different marketing methods for retail brands.�).

A good rule of thumb when choosing a title is to think of a question you would ask about the topic of your paper. For example, if your topic is �How can I improve my online store’s performance?�, you could ask yourself �How does my site compare to other online stores?� or �What makes my store special?� Your paper’s title should reflect your thoughts on the matter.