This document provides an overview of APA formatting and style for writing academic papers. It explains that APA style is commonly used in the social sciences. The four main sections of an APA formatted paper are outlined as the title page, abstract, main body, and references page. Guidelines are provided for how to format each of these sections, such as including a running head and page numbers on the title page and abstract, and hanging indentation for the references list.

1. APA STYLE
FORMATTING

2. APA FORMAT
American Psychological Association
This style is most commonly used to cite sources within the
social sciences.
Social sciences are academic disciplines that study human aspects
of the world

3. APA ESSAY FORMAT SHOULD INCLUDE
FOUR MAJOR SECTIONS:
 Title Page
Abstract
Main Body
References

4. TITLE PAGE - SAMPLE
Running Head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER 1
The Title of Your Paper
Author’s Name
School Affiliation
SAMPLE
INCLUDES:
 RUNNING HEAD WITH TITLE
OF YOUR PAPER
 TITLE OF PAPER
 AUTHORS NAME
 SCHOOL AFFILIATION

5. ABSTRACT
A CONCISE SUMMARY OF THE KEY POINTS OF YOUR RESEARCH.
TIPS
 Write your abstract last
 Begin your abstract on a new page
 Keep it short
 Should include the page header
 Be between 150 and 250 words
 List keywords from your paper in your abstract
Author should observe the following conventions:
 Summarize your paper’s most important point
 Reflect accurately the purpose and content of your
paper
 Be coherent so that it is easy to read
 Remain objective in its point of view
RULES
 Goes after the title page –always page
two
 Heading: Use the same heading like on
your title page:
– 1 inch from the top
– shortened title in uppercase,
align left
– page number 2, align right
 Title: Enter the title “Abstract”
(without the quotes) below the heading,
centered.

6. ABSTRACT - SAMPLE

7. MAIN BODY (TEXT)
RULES
The title should be centered on the page and not bolded
Typed in 12-point Times New Roman Font
Text should not be bolded, underlined, or italicized
Should be double spaced

8. MAIN TEXT - SAMPLE
VARYING DEFINITIONS OF ONLINE COMMUNICATION 3
Varying Definitions of Online Communication and
Their Effects on Relationship Research
Numerous studies have been conducted on various facets of Internet relationships,
focusing on the levels of intimacy, closeness, different communication modalities, and the
frequency of use of computer-mediated communication (CMC). However, contradictory
results are suggested within this research because only certain aspects of CMC are
investigated, for example, email only. Cummings, Butler, and Kraut (2002)

9. REFERENCE PAGE
RULES
 All lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented
one-half inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation.
 Authors' names are inverted (last name first); give the last name and initials for all
authors of a particular work for up to and including seven authors.
 Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author of
each work.
 Include the "References" list, on a separate sheet, at the end of your paper, with the
word "References," centered at the top (without quotation marks).
 Double-space the "References" list.

10. REFERENCE PAGE - SAMPLE

11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://mypages.valdosta.edu/mwhatley/3600/APAStyl
e6th.pdf
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Abstract-in-APA
http://psychology.about.com/od/apastyle/ht/abstract.h
tm
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/media/pdf/200902120
13008_560.pdf

12. BIBLIOGRAPHY
http://www.kirtland.edu/static/library/APA_rev/APA_rev_print
.html
http://library.laguardia.edu/research/apabasic
http://www2.indwes.edu/ocls/apa/apastylechecklist.pdf