APA 7 Style

Paper Sections

An APA-style manuscript should have the following sections, in the following order:
  1. Title page (appears on its own page)
  2. Abstract (appears on its own page)
  3. Introduction/Literature Review (begins on a new page)
  4. Method (no page break)
  5. Results (no page break)
  6. Discussion (no page break)
  7. References (begins on a new page)
  8. Tables (if applicable) (each appears on its own page)
  9. Figures (if applicable) (each appears on its own page)
  10. Appendix (optional) (begins on a new page)
  11. Supplemental Materials (optional) (begins on a new page)
What if My Paper Has Multiple Studies?
Sometimes a paper contains multiple studies. In that case, the typical organization is similar to:
  1. Title Page
  2. Abstract
  3. Introduction/Literature Review
  4. Study 1
    1. Method
    2. Results & Discussion
  5. Study 2
    1. Method
    2. Results & Discussion
  6. General Discussion
  7. References
  8. Tables (if applicable)
  9. Figures (if applicable)
  10. Appendix (optional)
  11. Supplemental Materials (optional)
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Title Page

Title
Give your paper a compelling title. The title should be centered, bold, and in title-case (most words are capitalized, except: articles [e.g., a, the]; short conjunctions [e.g., and, but, for]; and short prepositions [e.g., with, near, by]). The title may be split across two lines, if necessary.
Authors and Affiliations
Put a blank line after your title. Then, list the authors for the paper and their affiliations. This text should be centered. If the authors all share a single affiliation, list their affiliation on the next line, e.g.:
Bob G. Peruna and Robert S. Hyer
Southern Methodist University

If the authors have different affiliations, use superscripted numbers to indicate which organization each author belongs to, e.g.:
Bob G. Peruna1, Pon E. Mustang2, and Robert S. Hyer1
1Southern Methodist University
2Dallas Equestrian College

Insofar as it is possible, the entire block of text containing the title, authors, and affiliations should be vertically centered in the top half of the title page.
Author Note
Start your Author Note with the words "Author Note" bold and center on their own line. Your Author Note should always contain at least the mailing and email addresses for the corresponding author. The bottom of the Author Note should be flush with the bottom of the title page.

The Author Note can also contain other information, including but not limited to: (1) any grants that supported the current research, (2) any people you would like to thank, and (3) extra information about the authors (e.g., department affiliations or online identifiers, such as ORCIDs). Various journals may require that different information be included in the Author Note; so, always check before submitting your paper.
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How Much Do Southern Methodist University Students Love Peruna?

Bob G. Peruna1 and Pon E. Mustang2
1Southern Methodist University
2Dallas Equestrian College









Author Note

This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation (grant #1234567890). The authors wish to thank Robert S. Hyer for his invaluable contribution to this project.

Correspondence regarding this manuscript can be sent to Bob G. Peruna, Department of Pony Studies, Southern Methodist University, P.O. Box 750750, Dallas, TX, 75275. Email: bgperuna@smu.edu

Abstract

The second page of your manuscript should be an Abstract. The word "Abstract" should appear bold and centered at the top of the page.
Note: This is a difference from previous versions of APA-style, where the word "Abstract" was not bolded.
Abstract
The abstract should be a brief summary of (1) the purpose of your study, (2) your methods, (3) your findings, and (4) the implications of your findings. The abstract should be flush left with no indent, and no more than 250 words (although specific journals may have even tighter word limits for abstracts). Do not cite any sources in your abstract.
Keywords
Immediately below your abstract and on the same page, list approximately 3-10 keywords. The list of keywords must be indented and begin with the italicized word "Keywords:". Each keyword should be separated by a comma. Different journals may allow greater or fewer numbers of keywords.

If the keywords wrap to a new line, the new line is not indented.
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Abstract
Most college students love their college's mascot. This study was designed to examine the extent to which students at Southern Methodist University (SMU) in Dallas, Texas love their mascot, a mustang pony named Peruna. To investigate this issue, we recruited 2,000 students from SMU's campus and asked them to rate their love for Peruna. Results indicated that the vast majority of students at SMU love Peruna and would not want to change to a different mascot. Our findings indicate that SMU students also love their mascot, similar to other Universities around the country.

Keywords: college mascots, college life, young adults, loyalty, horses, ponies, mustangs, southern life

Introduction

Title
On the first page after the Abstract, you should repeat the title of your paper bolded and centered (exactly as it appears on the title page). Begin your introduction immediately beneath the repeated title. Do not include another header similar to "Introduction."
Note: Unlike previous versions of APA style, your title should be bold and centered.
Introduction Contents
Your introduction should:
  1. Let readers know what the goals of your study are (e.g., what variables you are studying, what your hypotheses are).
  2. Give readers all of the information they will need to understand your current study (e.g., definitions of any variables).
  3. Let readers know what studies have been previously done on similar topics. Your introduction will cite many previous studies.
  4. Build a compelling argument for why your study is necessary.
Introduction Organization
Make sure your introduction is organized effectively. Use headings to effectively organize your introduction.
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How Much Do Southern Methodist University Students Love Peruna?

Immediately beneath the title, you should begin typing the main text of your paper. You'll start with an introduction, which explains all the previous research that has been done on the topic that you are exploring in the present study. You should provide extensive citations to previous literature. You should also justify why your study is necessary.

After reading your introduction, readers should be able to completely understand your study and its purpose.

Use Headings to Effectively Organize Your Paper

Headings are a powerful tool that helps you organize your paper into different subsections. Headings help readers follow the flow of your logical arguments. Headings are nested within each other. Fo example, this section of text is nested within the introduction.

Why Do Headings Help Organization?

Headings help organization because they serve as a mental break for readers and help them to realize which blocks of text are organized into different topics. Use headings effectively and your writing will exponentially improve!

Method

Your Method section should give readers enough detail to exactly replicate your study. The Method section typically has several subsections.
Participants
Describe (1) how many participants you recruited, (2) how participants were recruited, (3) whether any participants were excluded from analyses and why, and (4) demographics of your sample (e.g., it is customary to report at the very least the age, gender, and racial composition of your sample).
Measures
Separately list each measure collected in your study. For each measure, make sure to provide: (1) the name and citation of the measure you used, (2) the instructions participants saw, (3) a sample item or two, (4) the response scale, and (5) the internal consistency (α). For example:
Extraversion
Participants provided self-report ratings of their extraversion using the 12-item extraversion subscale from the Big Five Inventory 2 (BFI2; Soto & John, 2017). Items (e.g., "I see myself as someone who is talkative") were rated on a scale from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5). Items were averaged to form a composite (α = .83).
Procedure
Provide a detailed description of your procedure, such that any competent scientist could exactly replicate your study if desired.
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Method
Participants

We recruited 2,000 participants from the SMU psychology subject pool. Participants could complete our study to earn course credit. The sample was 74% female, with an average age of 20.63 years (SD = 4.25). The racial composition of the sample was 75% White, 14% Black, 5% Asian, 3% Hispanic, and 3% other.

Measures
Personality

Extraversion. Extraversion was measured using the 12-item extraversion subscale from the Big Five Inventory 2 (BFI2; Soto & John, 2017). Items (e.g., "I see myself as someone who is talkative") were rated on a scale from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5) and averaged to form a composite (α = .83).

Well-Being

Life Satisfaction. Life satisfaction was measured using the 5-item Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS; Diener et al., 1985). Items (e.g., "I am satisfied with my life") were rated on a scale from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5) and averaged to form a composite (α = .92).

Affect. Affect was measured using the 20-item Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Watson et al., 1988). Participants rated the extent to which they currently felt 10 positive emotions (e.g., excited, active) and 10 negative emotions (e.g., angry, sad) on a scale from not at all (1) to extremely (5). Items were averaged to form separate composites for positive affect (α = .86) and negative affect (α = .63).

Procedure

Participants completed surveys online. The survey always asked participants to rate their extraversion before rating their well-being.

Results

The purpose of a Results section is to describe the results of your statistical analyses alongside very limited interpretation. Your Results section should accomplish several goals:
Describe Your Sample
It is customary to begin Results sections with descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations) and correlations between important study variables. Oftentimes, descriptive statistics and correlations are also presented in a table.
Reiterate Your Hypotheses/Questions
It is generally a good idea to begin your Results section by reminding readers of your hypotheses and/or research questions.
Describe How You Analyzed Your Data
Tell readers precisely how you analyzed your data. Make sure to let readers know which statistical techniques you used (e.g., regression) and whether you included any control variables in your models.
Present Your Findings
Report effect size estimates along with 95% confidence intervals. Click here for more information about reporting statistics in-text. It is oftentimes helpful to illustrate your findings with figures.
Briefly Comment on Your Hypotheses
Very briefly comment on whether your results supported or failed to support your hypotheses. Do not extensively interpret or comment on your findings in the Results section. Extended interpretion of your findings should come in the Discussion.
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Results

As can be seen in Table 1, which contains the descriptive statistics and correlations for all study variables, SMU students expressed high levels of love for Peruna (M = 4.65, SD = 0.45). Men were more likely than women to love Peruna (r = .16, 95% CI [.14, .18]).

Does Age Predict Love for Peruna?

For our primary series of analyses, we examined whether students' age predicted their love for Peruna. We believed that SMU students who were younger would report greater love for Peruna, as compared to older students. To test this idea, we regressed love for Peruna onto students' age. We included no other variables in the model. All variables were standardized prior to being entered into the model (see Ackerman et al., 2011).

Supporting our hypotheses, age was negatively correlated with love for Peruna (β = -0.24, 95% CI [-0.29, -0.19]). The model-predicted love for Peruna as a function of age is depicted in Figure 1. Thus, our findings are consistent with the idea that younger students love Peruna more than do older students.

Discussion

Your Discussion section should serve several purposes:
Summarize and Interpret Your Findings
Summarize your findings in plain English, in a way that even non-experts will understand. Feel free to speculate on why your findings emerge or what your findings mean.
Integrate Your Findings with Prior Research
Discuss how your findings relate to previous research findings. Explain how your study adds to our existing knowledge. Discuss how your findings are similar to or different from previous studies' results.
Discuss the Implications of Your Findings
Describe what your findings mean for real people in real life. Describe what your findings mean for advancing our scientific understanding.
Discuss Strengths and Limitations
Describe positive features of your study (e.g., if appropriate: large sample size, random sampling techniques, generalizable sample, experimental control, use of multiple methods [e.g., self- and observer-reports]). Also make sure to accurately describe any limitations or weaknesses of your study (e.g., if appropriate: small sample size, lack of experimental techniques, non-generalizable sample, reliance on a single type of data [e.g., self-report]).
Recommend Future Research Directions
Describe what you believe are the most important future research questions spurred by your study. Oftentimes, it is a good idea to recommend that future studies overcome limitations of your study (e.g., if you replied exclusively on self-report data, you might suggest that future studies use other types of measures, too). Frequently, your data will also raise new questions. Point out these questions and suggest that future research address them.
Conclusion
Give readers a strong take-home point.
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Discussion

Our findings indicate that, overall, SMU students do, in fact, love Perunas as their mascot. In addition, our study examined several factors that might predict whether or not students love Peruna.

Specifically, we found that, on average, younger students tended to love Peruna more than did their older peers. This may indicate that new college students are more invested in the larger college culture than are older students (Happs, 1974; Keel & Reed, 1992). This is consistent with the idea that as students get older, they begin to mentally prepare to detach from their school and begin their new career-focused lives (Werk & Lyfe, 2012).

Implications, Limitations, and Future Directions

The single largest implication of our study is that SMU students love Peruna—and this appears to be especially true of younger students. That said, our study is limited in that we only sampled students in the psychology subject pool. Thus, SMU students in general may love Peruna to a greater or lesser extent than do psychology students. Future studies should explore this possibility.

Along these lines, our study was limited in that we relied exclusively upon self-report data in a correlational design (see Paulhus & Vazire, 2002). Thus, we cannot comment on causal processes. For example, age is correlated with love for Peruna, but this does not necessarily mean that age causes students to love Peruna less.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our study suggests that, like many other college students, SMU students love Peruna as their official mascot. Our study suggests that age may be a particularly important predictor of the extent to which students love their mascot. We hope future studies will continue to explore these issues.

Other Sections

After your Discussion, your paper should include:
  1. A References list
  2. Tables, if appropriate
  3. Figures, if appropriate
  4. An Appendix or Supplemental Materials, if appropriate
Please see the pages on References and Tables and Figures for more information. Information about Appendicies and Supplemental Materials appears below.

Appendix and Supplemental Materials

At the very end of your paper, you can include sections titled "Appendix" or "Supplemental Materials." Appendices and Supplemental Materials serve extremely similar functions: They contain materials that you did not want to include in your main manuscript—but which may be useful to interested readers.

Examples of items you might include in Appendices/Supplemental Materials include:
  • The text of any items from new scales/measures you created for your study.
  • Additional statistical analyses that you did not want to include in the main manuscript.
  • Additional tables or figures that you did not want to include in the main manuscript.
The difference between an Appendix and Supplemental Materials is that an Appendix is typically published with the main article (e.g., it will be included at the end of the PDF of the main article). In contrast, Supplemental Materials are typically stored online (e.g., on Open Science Framework or on the journal's website) and the article typically includes only a link to the Supplemental Materials.

Whether you include extra materials as an Appendix or as Supplemental Materials is largely a judgment call. If the content is important (such as the items in a new scale you have created), you may wish to include it as an Appendix so that it will be easily available to readers. Alternatively, if the content is either very long or not particularly important (such as many exploratory analyses that are only tangentially related to your article's primary purpose), it may be wise to include it as Supplemental Materials. Journal policies may also dictate whether you must use an Appendix or Supplemental Materials. You can oftentimes include both, as well.

Either way, the Appendix or Supplemental Materials should be formatted identically to the main text. Any text should come first. Then, any tables should appear on their own pages. Finally, any figures should appear on their own pages. (Of course, you may always integrate tables and figures into the text, if you prefer.)

Typically the Appendix or Supplemental Materials must be called out (i.e., mentioned) in the main text of the article, e.g.:
The items in the "Love for Peruna" scale can be found in the Appendix.

Beware: Journal copyeditors—who proofread and format your manuscript before it is published—typically do not proofread or edit your Supplemental Materials at all. Typically, Supplemental Materials will be posted in exactly the format in which you submit them to the journal. So, make sure you are happy with how your Supplemental Materials look before submitting them to a journal.
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Appendix
Items in the "Love for Peruna" Scale

All items should be rated on a Likert-type scale from strongly disagree (1) to strongly agree (5).

  1. I love Peruna
  2. Peruna is the best mascot
  3. Peruna is better than all other mascots
  4. I dislike Peruna (R)
  5. I wish SMU had a different mascot than Peruna (R)

Note. Items should be administered in randomized order. Items marked with (R) must be reversed. All items should be averaged together to form a composite.

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