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Mastering a Research Paper in APA Formatting Style
Research papers become easier once a person has written three or four, but to become a true master of the research paper it takes a lot of practice. Practice and skill, and a set of rules that the student always follows in order to master the research paper, come in handy. APA style requires a set of very special rules when it comes to writing the research paper and once a student gets the main rules memorized, and put into practice often, it becomes second nature.
APA Format Requirements
The paper is divided into four sections.
- Title Page
- Abstract
- Main Body
- References
This page is the first in the packet that the student will turn in. It has the title of the paper, the students’ name, and the institutional affiliation.
The abstract will have the page header that is on every page of the paper. The abstract is a concise summary about what the paper’s research includes. This summary needs to include the research topic, questions, and a list of those who participated, the methods tried, and brief results and conclusions. Though the abstract should not exceed 250 words.
The body will begin on its own page. Again, the header is included on each page.
The paragraphs should be ordered in a way that makes sense using bullets and subtitles if necessary.
Each new idea, topic, thought, source should start a new paragraph.
Once the student has practiced, worked on their skill, and followed all the rules for the research paper in APA format, they will become a master on the task. These guidelines or rules will help anyone with the task of mastering the research paper in APA format.