1

APA
APA Style Summary
Fernando Rodriguez
M00062331
Prof. Elsa Carldalda
Universidad InterAmericana
Social Psychology

2
APA
The APA (American Psychological Association) Style was developed by
scientists in order to standardize writing and is widely used as a writing format. A typical APA
document is divided into sections. For example an APA Style research paper will include the
following: title page, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references, appendices.
Some important details to note when formatting a document in APA style are typeface, line
spacing, margins, and page headers. Before a document is submitted, it should be formatted
according to certain guidelines.
First, a serif typeface is to be used for the text and a sans serif typeface for figure labels.
The text should be aligned to the left margin with the first line of every paragraph receiving an
indentation. The entire document should have double spacing between lines of body text and
titles, headings, block quotations, the reference list, and figure captions. The pages of the
document must be numbered consecutively beginning with the number one on the title page.
The references will begin on a new page as well as tables, figures after the tables, and
appendices. Headings may be used according to the APA Styles five levels of headings. These
will help readers find important points of the document and help track the development of the
authors thoughts.
Next, it is important to retain objectivity within a work. The author must use all available
means to reduce bias and present a fair treatment of individuals and groups with accuracy and
sensitivity. In respect to groups and individuals, the author must be sensitive to labels, describe
the appropriate level of specificity, and acknowledge all participation. Differences should only
be mentioned when they are relevant and the document should be specific when referring to
groups or individuals. Groups and individuals should be mentioned as they prefer to be called
3
and insensitive labels should be avoided. All participants mentioned in a document should be
referred to as active rather than passive participants. The language used in a document should be
consistent with the field in which the work is performed.
All individuals whose ideas, theories, or findings have directly influenced the document
must be cited. Notes may be taken in order to keep track of sources and information to be used in
the document being submitted. A citation will include the authors surname and year of
publication. For direct quotations, a page number or the specific location of the phrase or
sentence from the original source is to be included. If two or more works are cited together, they
are arranged alphabetically in the same order in which they will appear in the reference list.
Last is the reference list. The reference list is used to help the reader locate the sources
used in the document. Common references in scholarly articles are journal articles, entire issues,
chapters from an edited book, entire books, conference proceedings, as well as podcasts, book
reviews, and dissertations. All citations are included in the reference list except personal
communications and classical works. The references are ordered by authors surname or by the
first authors surname if the source contains more than one author. Each reference uses a hanging
indent paragraph style with the entire reference list double spaced. A full reference will contain
the author name or names, publication date, title of the work, and the publication data. When
citing a source from the internet or an electronic database, care must be taken to cite the most
recent version and journal volume number and page numbers should be included if available. A
digital object identifier is used at the end of a reference from an electronic source or a home page
URL if a digital object identifier is not available.
While many individuals may be accustomed to writing documents already, there is a lot
of information that can be easily overlooked. A proper reference list allows the reader to find
4
sources that were cited in the document and also provide the reader with the means to conduct
further research. APA Style guidelines also ensure that the author will do their best to eliminate
language bias and provide proper credit to those who participated in a sensitive way. These APA
Style guidelines ensure that the information presented can be understood in a quick and precise
manner.

















5
References
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Basics of APA Style Tutorial. Retrieved November
2011, from
http://flash1r.apa.org/apastyle/basics/index.htm?__utma=185732729.1510887119.132078
8799.1321718267.1321772748.11&__utmb=185732729.0.10.1321772748&__utmc=185
732729&__utmx=-
&__utmz=185732729.1320788799.1.1.utmcsr=%28direct%29|utmccn=%28direct%29|ut
mcmd=%28n