Can you teach me how to write in the APA format?

Question

I'm a college student, and can't figure out how to write using APA.

Answer 1

APA style refers to a bundle of conventions that require careful attention to detail to master. Even seasoned writers regularly refer back to a style manual to ensure adherence. The Purdue Owl is a trusted name among writers and instructors, and they host style guides that are easy to use and understand. You can access the page by simply searching "Purdue Owl APA." The General Format page explains the primary rules, and I have always found the Sample Paper to be particularly helpful. That being said, you should pay particular attention to the rules for your in-text citations, reference list, and formatting headers/footers.

Answer 2

A full introduction to APA format would take a full-on tutoring session, but here are a couple helpful resources.

This is a google doc template for the APA format, which takes some of the guess work out of title page and bibliography formatting:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vjg9gyZZBMTHUYpFM1JgPVv5NFacS7qukMaIYJDFra0/template/preview?pli=1

This is one citation maker I have used in the past for APA papers. Be careful to select the right sources and follow instructions as far as what information to include:

https://www.citefast.com/?s=APA7

And here is a cheat sheet with an overview of APA requirements, including useful information on in-text citations:

https://www.lwtech.edu/campus-life/learning-lab/resources/docs/lwtech-learning-lab-english-apa-format-quck-reference-sheet.pdf

Good luck!

Answer 3

Some of the most common things you will need in an APA paper are: a title page, quotes with citations, and a references page. These are the concepts you will want to search for first. Just as John said above, the Purdue Owl's "Sample Paper" section is very helpful in understanding what goes where. They provide informational comments on the side that explain what the accepted order is. Just be sure to use the student version and not the professional version below it!