Sample paper in APA style Sample paper in APA style

Writing your first research report is always a challenging task.

Specific rules vary from one discipline to another The variation is usually minor, and the general rules of presentation are much the same across disiplines and situations The format presented here for writing research paper is drawn from the APA style (1994)

Organizing of the paper A research paper is organized into five major parts : Abstract Introduction Method Results Discussion References must be listed using a particular format

Title page/ format It is the first page of a research paper It is a separate page and is numbered page 1 The running head is used by the typesetter as a short title at the top of each page of the printed article. It is so spaces maximum and capitalized

Title, author (s), and affiliation are centered on the page The title is usually no more than 15 words Double – space the entire paper Set margins to at least 1 inch (2.5cm)

Title page Context: The title should inform the reader of the nature of the research Include the names of your variables in the title For example: Effect of anxiety on performing horse riding The 12-minute swim as a test for aerobic endurance in swimming

Sometimes a colon in the title will help to covey The nature of your research or even add a bit of “flair” to your title,as in: Cognitive responses in persuasion Affective and evaluative determinants

Another method of titling a paper is to pose the question that research addresses for example : Do rewards in the classroom undermine intrinsic motivation?

Abstract Format: It begins on a new page The word “Abstract” is centered and not underlined There is no paragraph indentation in the abstract The abstract is usually words in length The abstract is usually printed in italics or boldface The abstract is always typed as a single paragraph with no paragraph indentation

Conference Abstracts You should follow these procedures: 1- write a short introduction to set up the problem statement 2- state the problem

3- describe the methodology briefly, including : A. participant A. participant b. instrumentation b. instrumentation C. procedure C. procedure D. design and analysis D. design and analysis

4- Summariage the result 5- explain why the results are important

Contents: Abstract generally include a sentence or two about each of the four main sections in the body of article

From the introduction section, state the problem under study and the primary hypothesis From the method section include information on the characteristics of the participants (e.g, number, age,sex and any special characteristics ) and a brief summary of procedures

From results section describe the pattern of findings for major variables From the discussion section state the informative comments about your finding

introduction The introduction section begins on a new page (page3) with the title of your report typed at the top of the page

The introduction has these components: The problem under study The titerature review The rational of the present study

After reading the introduction, the reader should know : Why you decide to do the research How you decided to go about doing it

In general, the introduction progresses from broad theories and findings to specifics of the current research In summary, the introduction is critical to understanding the overall meaning and value of a study

This section is after quite short, typically several paragraph, the last paragraph is commonly phrased something like “the purpose of this study is to…” Most of the introduction is written in the past tense because it cites and describes the results of previous studies

Method It begins immediately after you have completed the introduction Include enough information in the method section to allow a reader to replicate your study

The method section is typically divided in to a number of subsections (participant, design, instruments and procedure ) The word “method “ is centered, subsection headings are flush to the left margin, underlined, and stand alone on the line

Results Section of a research paper that reports the outcome Present your results in the same order that your predictions are stated in the introduction section of the paper

State which statistical test was performed on the data (t test, F test, correlation )

The results should be stated in simple sentences For example: As predicted, children who viewed the aggressive model were significantly more aggressive than children in the no-model condition, t(18)= 4.025, p<.01 the mean aggression score in the model group was 5.20 and the no –model group mean was 3.10

Tables are generally used to present large arrays of data Figures are used when a visual display of the results would help the reader understand the outcome of the study Describe the important features of the table or figure rather than use a generic comment such as “see figure 3”

Rules about the placement of tables and figures may vary, check on the proper format before writing your paper Make sure that results section is a brief statement of meaningful findings without any explanation or discussion

The guidelines of APA 2001 for construction of tables are as follows : 1- place the title above the table 2- place the title below the figure 3- use parallel lines to separate column headings from the body of the table, and place one at the bottom of the table

4- indicate units of measure for each variable 5- do not use vertical lines 6- report the sample size in the title of describing only one group

discussion The discussion section immediately follows the results and is an explanation and interpretation of the results The word “discussion “ is to begin by summarizing the results purpose and expectations of the study

One way to organize the discussion is to begin by summarizing the result, purpose and expectations of the study You should discuss the relationship between your results and post research and theory

It is after a good idea to include your own critisms of the study many published articles include limitations of the study The results will probably have implications for future research. If so, you should discuss the direction that research might take

The results, also may have practical implication for instance, improving learning some skills Finally, you will probably wish to have a brief concluding paragraph that provides “closure” to the entire paper

Reference The list of references begins on a new page It must contain complete citation for all sources mentioned in your paper

The general format for references list as follows : 1-The references are listed in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name 2- Elements of a reference (author’s name, article title, publication data) are separated by periods

3- The first line of each reference is indented as if it were the first line of a paragraph, you might think of each references as a different paragraph 4- see your hand-out for complete descriptions

Thank you for your attention