Parts of APA Manuscript

The parts of an APA manuscript

Title PageAbstractBody

Literature review Method Results Discussion

ReferencesTablesFiguresAppendices

The Title Page - Review Title

Purpose: Quickly identify the purpose/content of

your article Formatting:

Centered in upper half of page Title Caps Line break at logical point if > 1 line long

Content: 10-12 words Stand alone: major variables/issues and

their relationships

Abstract Purpose:

Quickly summarize the contents / findings of the article

Formatting: Next page after title page Center word “Abstract” at top of page (bold) Double-space and begin typing abstract (no

indent) Content:

Cover all major sections of article 150 words Stand alone

Body Purpose:

The “meat” of your article. You want to share your experiences, knowledge, opinions with the world.

Formatting: Title centered at top of first page Double space, indent, and begin your text

Content: Discuss all necessary aspects of your topic {see next slide}

Body – Experimental / Research Paper Introduction

Purpose: Identify previous work in the field relating

to your topic / study Formatting:

NO heading (e.g., “Introduction”) to start May use headings to separate sub-sections

Body – Experimental / Research Paper Introduction (cont’d)

Content Lit review

Cite previous scientific work related to your article

Logical (usually not chronological) order Purpose of study

What are you trying to accomplish / investigate?

Body – Experimental / Research Paper Introduction (cont’d)

Content (cont’d) Theoretical issues

How does your article impact the field? How has previous work in the field influenced

your article? Definitions of variables

What do you mean by, “depression” or “efficient time use”?

Statement of hypotheses What do you expect to find, given the previous

work in the field and your own personal twist?

Body – Literature Review Paper Introduction

Content Theoretical issues

What previous work has been done in this topic?

Is there any controversy / disagreement about this topic?

What are the opposing view points? Definitions of variables

What do you mean by, “depression” or “efficient time use”?

Body – Experimental / Research Paper Other Components of the Body

Method Section Results Section Discussion Section

Body – Method Section

Purpose: To relate the procedures conducted and used to

gather that data for the current study Allows for replication of your work

Content Participants / Subjects Materials, Appartus, and Measures Procedures

Body – Results Section

Purpose To relate the findings of your research Be succinct, concise, no imagination

Guidelines Report results of hypotheses tests in order Describe size and direction of significant results Include all necessary stats to support conclusions (no

RAW data) Report any ad-hoc tests as such

Body – Discussion Section

Purpose To summarize findings and discuss hypotheses (both

supported and unsupported) Place your findings in the larger context of the field.

Content Assessment of hypotheses results Compare / contrast, connect with theory, acknowledge

alternative interpretations, applications, future research

Limitations of study