Writing the Abstract in APA

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Writing the Abstract in APA

The abstract is an essential component of an APA format paper as it provides a brief and comprehensive overview of your research, allowing readers to understand the main points and significance of your study quickly.

When formatting the abstract in APA essay format, follow these guidelines:

A. Placement:

  • The abstract is written on a new page after the title page.
  • Center-align the word “Abstract” at the top of the page, without any formatting (e.g., bold, italics, quotation marks, or underlining).

B. Length:

  • The abstract should be a concise summary of your paper, typically ranging from 150 to 250 words.
  • Ensure that the abstract provides a clear overview of your research, including the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions.

C. Formatting:

  • The abstract should be a single paragraph without any indentation.
  • Must be double-spaced and follow the same font and size guidelines as the rest of your paper (Times New Roman, size 12).
  • Use a clear and concise writing style, avoiding unnecessary details and jargon.
  • Avoid including citations or references in the abstract.

Write the abstract in a structured format, including the following sections (if applicable):

Background or introduction: Provide a brief context or background information for your research topic.

Objective: State the main objective or purpose of your study.

Methods: Briefly describe the research design, participants, measures, or procedures used.

Results: Summarize the key findings or outcomes of your study.

Conclusion: Present the main conclusions or implications of your research.

D. Language and Style:

  • Write the abstract in a formal and objective tone.
  • Use complete sentences and avoid abbreviations, acronyms, or references to figures or tables.
  • Use a third-person perspective (e.g., “The study found” instead of “I found” or “We found”).

E. Keywords:

  • After the abstract, indent and write the word “Keywords” in italics, followed by a colon.
  • List 3 to 5 keywords or phrases that are relevant to your research, separated by commas.

Writing the Main Body

When formatting the main body of your APA format paper, follow these guidelines:

A. Section Headings:

  • Use descriptive headings to divide your paper into sections.
  • Level 1 headings should be centered, bolded, and written in the title case.
  • For Level 2 headings, align them to the left, use a bold font, and capitalize the first letter of major words in the title case.
  • Level 3 headings should also be aligned to the left, presented in bold italics, and written in title case.
  • For Level 4 headings, use a 0.5-inch indentation, bold font, and title case, and conclude with a period before starting the text.
  • Level 5 headings should have a 0.5-inch indentation, be written in bold italics, in title case, and end with a period before the text continues.
  • Maintain consistency in heading formatting throughout your paper.

B. Text Alignment and Spacing:

  • Align the text to the left margin of the page.
  • Use double-spacing for the entire main body of the paper, including text, quotations, and references.
  • Do not add extra spaces between paragraphs or sections.

C. Paragraph Indentation:

  • Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches (or one tab key press).
  • Maintain this indentation throughout the entire main body of the paper.

D. Page Numbers:

  • Place page numbers in the top right corner of each page, one inch from the top and right margins.
  • Use a running head with a shortened version of your paper’s title on the left side of the page (for professional papers).

E. Quotations

  • For short quotations having 40 words or less, enclose them within quotation marks and include them in the text.
  • For longer quotes exceeding 40 words, indent the entire quote by 0.5 inches from the left margin and double-space it, without using quotation marks.
  • Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches from the left margin in case you are quoting 2 or more paragraphs from a source.
  • If you need to omit sections from a quote, use ellipsis (…), and if you’re omitting the end section, use four periods (….).

F. Figures and Tables:

  • Include figures (charts, graphs, images) and tables if necessary.
  • Number and label each figure and table with a descriptive title.
  • Place the figure or table directly after the paragraph where it is first mentioned.
  • Provide a brief explanation or caption for each figure or table.

Also check out our comprehensive article on dissertation topics which is curated to provide you with a complete list of relevant and amazing topics ranging from marketing, business management, sociology, philosophy, psychology, humanities, social science, and various other domains.

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