How to Write a Good Essay in APA
When the student, who is involved into social and psychological fields of study, is asked to complete a good essay, he is expected to do it in APA format. The format was suggested by The American Psychological Association which conducts research on social issues and it is characterized with the original format, technical organization of the paper and manner of presentation of facts. The student is able to see the basic rules of writing an essay in APA format following the tips below.
Step One: Place the Right Settings of the Paper
First of all it is important to place the technical settings for the appropriate writing of the text. One should set all the margins equal to 1" from on all sides – up, down, left and right side of the paper. The size of font is supposed to be 10 or 12 and the text itself should be printed in Times New Roman as it is one of the most visually convenient fonts for reading and perception of information. Finally, the lines should be double-spaced in the paper to provide the professor with the place to write notes and recommendations between the lines. The student has to use headers on the top of the pages of the paper following the rule – the number of the page in the far right side of the header and the title of the paper on the left side.
Step Two: Prepare the Front Page
The front page demonstrates the student’s ability to organize the paper aesthetically and logically, and according to the APA format the front page of the essay should contain the title of the research (but one should remember that it must not be very long – no more than 12 words); below the name and the last name of the student and finally the name of the educational institution the student studies at.
Step Three: Complete an Abstract and Other Sections
One has to start writing from the writing of an abstract, but one must not emphasize the word “abstract” with the help of various options – it should just be capitalized and nothing more. This part of the text is supposed to vary from 150 to 250 words providing the professor with the information about the scope of research and the problem of the essay and its relevance. The next chapters of the text one should complete in the similar way following the settings.
Step Four: Use the Proper Citation Style
It is impossible to prepare a good essay without the use of the smart ideas borrowed from the experienced men of thought. So, one should apply in-text citations providing the professor with the detailed information about the source used for writing. In the end, one is expected to complete a logical bibliography section which would demonstrate the detailed list of the books, journals and encyclopaedias used for the investigation. One has to organize the sources in the alphabetic order starting from the last name of the author, the year of publishing, the title of the book and the publishing house. It is quite important to write the title of the book in italics as it is supposed to be the international standard of bibliography writing. It is also possible to ask the advisor for the additional information about the peculiarities of citation, as it often depends on teacher.
