APA Styling – APA Writing Tips

  1. Always consult with your mentor/advisor/journal for specific guidelines for your paper
    1. Some journals modify APA format
    2. Consider the audience of your paper
  2. The length of any report varies, and is most often determined by the actual topic being researched/discussed
  3. Writing a research paper is much like telling a story:
    1. Start out by explaining a broad question (i.e. discussing the previous literature)
    2. Focus in on your specific project/question (e.g. the Methods section)
    3. Explain the implications/future suggestions for research in the Discussion section, taking the paper to a more broad level again
  4. Avoid jargon
  5. Avoid poetic language
  6. Write clear, concisely, and cohesively
  7. Stay organized
  8. Do not plagiarize
  9. Do not make your own claims – use evidence-based reasoning!
  10. Stay unbiased

 (All information derived from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ and http://www.apastyle.org/index.aspx)