APA Writing Format - Coursework Example

APA Writing Format Page The Page in the APA format consists of a Running head followed by a colon after which the header is mentioned incapital letters like it shows on the top of every page on the rest of the paper. The fundamental difference between the header of the tile page and those of the rest of the pages is that only the title page shows Running head and colon before the header. The page number is not shown in the title page. Title is mentioned in the “Capitalize Each Word” format in the center of the Title Page. The title is what catches the readers’ attention, so it should be catchy. In the subsequent line, the author’s name is mentioned in the same format as above, followed by other specific details in the subsequent lines. All text in the title page is written in the “Capitalize Each Word” format. Abstract The “Abstract” section in the APA format is optional. When included, it provides a quick insight into the content of the paper. The first word of the Abstract is kept flush with the left hand side and there is no indent unlike the paragraphs in the rest of the paper. Word limit for the Abstract ranges from 150 to 250 words. Abstract is always written on the second page since the first page is the Title Page. Page numbers start displaying from the second page onwards. Title The title should be concise and appropriately signify the content of the paper. Words for the title must be chosen with utmost care since it is the fundamental phrase that attracts the audiences to read the paper. Introductory Paragraph The introductory paragraph, as the name indicates, introduces the readers to the subject of the paper and the particular aspect in the vast field that is explored in the paper. The introductory paragraph should contain detailed information about the subject with an intent to inform a reader who is new to the subject. The introductory paragraph is the first paragraph of the paper that is indented, and so are all paragraphs that follow. The introductory paragraph ends with a thesis statement. Usually, past tense is used in the text included in the introductory paragraph. Thesis Statement The thesis statement is a concise summary just a sentence long that plays the role of a roadmap and highlights all main points in the same sequence as they are discussed in the body of the paper. The thesis statement essentially reflects what the author wants the readers to learn by reading the paper. The thesis statement should present a debatable point. It should constitute such words and ideas that one can possibly disagree with. The thesis statement is ideally just one sentence long. Occasionally, it may extend to two sentences but no more than that otherwise it becomes difficult for the readers to tell it from the rest of the sentences in the introductory paragraph. Body The body of the paper is where the author can express every point of the thesis statement in the same sequence in detail. The number of paragraphs included in the body of the paper varies from one paper to another depending upon how complex the paper is and how long it is required to convey the points effectively. Good writing requires logical flow of ideas and smooth transition from one idea to another, without abrupt changes. This requires proper mind-mapping before the writing can be commenced. In APA writing format, headings assist the readers in tracking the argument’s development. No heading is provided in the introduction since the first paragraph is already taken as an introduction. Nevertheless, the title of the paper shows on the very first line of the third page. Headings in the APA format are not labeled with numbers or letters. There are five levels of headings that are used as needed in the body of the paper. In-text citations are incorporated in the body of the paper. There are different ways to use the in-text citations when they are used before the quote or paraphrase than when they are used after the quote or the paraphrased sentence. When the in-text citation is used before the quote or paraphrased sentence, only the year is show in the parentheses whereas the name is shown immediately before it. However, when the reference is mentioned after the quote or paraphrased sentence, both the name and the year are shown in the parentheses with a comma between the name and the bracket. In the APA format, it is important to mention the page number after the year of the reference in the in-text citation. While small direct quotes can be written within the sentences, very long quotations need to be started from a new line and all of the quotation is indented on each line with a full-stop at the end. Such quotations are do not have inverted commas in the start and in the end unlike the quotations that are written within the sentences. Concluding Paragraph The concluding paragraph presents a short summary of the entire paper. The opening sentence of the concluding paragraph reiterates the thesis statement but in different words to avoid repetition. No new information is provided in the concluding paragraph. Likewise, no in-text references make part of the concluding paragraph. Usually, the whole conclusion is written in just one paragraph. Reference Page The Reference Page starts with the title “References” that is placed in the center. In order to maintain honesty in the work and avoid plagiarism, it is imperative that the ideas and quotations of other authors are properly referenced. This is a way of acknowledging the efforts of those authors. “Academic conventions and copyright law require that you acknowledge when you use the ideas of others. In most cases, this means stating which book or journal article is the source of an idea or quotation” (University of Southern Queensland, 2012). APA format has its own distinct standards of formatting the different kinds of resources. The formatting varies from one source to another depending upon the type of source e.g. book, journal, video, or a blog. For academic writing, the reliability of references matters the most. Most of the online sources lack credibility because they are just articles or blogs where people have shared their personal views which are often biased. Credible sources include but are not limited to published books and peer-reviewed journal articles. In the academic writing, the latest sources are preferred over the old ones since the former contain up-to-date information unlike the latter as a result of continuous research. All lines except for the first line of each reference are indented. The first line of each reference in the reference page is kept flush with the left side. Every reference starts with the name of the author. Author’s last name is written first whereas only the initial letters of the first and the middle name are written after the last name and a comma. The year of publishing is written in parentheses after the name. After a comma, full name of month and the day are written within the parentheses. “Date of retrieval is no longer included for materials that are unlikely to be changed or updated (PDF/page images)” (tused.org, 2007). If the reference is a book, its name is written in italics whereas the names of all other references are written otherwise. The name of journals or the websites are written in italics after the name of the article. For online sources, full URL is provided along with the date on which they have been accessed. References: tused.org. (2007). APA Style Reference Formats. Retrieved from http://www.tused.org/internet/tufed/apa.pdf. University of Southern Queensland. (2012, April 27). APA referencing guide. Retrieved from http://www.usq.edu.au/library/help/referencing/apa. Read More