APA is most commonly used in social sciences for citing sources. Papers should be double-spaced on 8.5" x 11" paper with 1" margins. Title page should include title, author name, and institutional affiliation. Abstract should be 150-250 words summarizing research findings
Reference list appears at paper's end, labeled "References" centered. All text should be double-spaced with hanging indentation. References page must be separate from text, centered without quotation marks
APA references consist of four main elements: author, date, title, and source. Author information is inverted: last name followed by initials, separated by periods. Up to 20 authors can be listed, with first 19 plus ellipsis for more. Organizations as authors should be listed in full without abbreviations
Page margins should be 1 inch on all sides. Double-space text including headings. Use accessible fonts like Times New Roman 12pt. Include page numbers on every page
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APA style was created by American Psychological Association in 1929. Standardizes citation and reference formatting for scientific research. Used in psychology, education, economics, business, and social sciences