A student or an essay writer has to write a lot of research papers and essays. However, when writing a research paper, you are directed to write it in a specific format. Different writing formats in which a research paper can be written include APA, MLA, ASA, AMA, Chicago, Harvard, etc. Since writing a research paper by following a specific format, writing it in a particular citation style is yet more difficult. In this post, you’ll learn the basics of writing a research paper in APA style. 

All the citation styles have specific formats for writing a paper and adding references. Below is a guide to writing the paper in APA style. 

Formatting Basics

Following are some rules to write any paper in APA format:

• Double spacing in the entire text.
• All sides have one-inch margins.
• The first line of each paragraph is indented.
• Use a 12-point font.
• All the pages are numbered.
• Page numbering is given in the upper right-hand corner in the header.
• Use one space after the punctuation marks.
• ‘Running Head’ or shortened version of the title is written in the upper left-hand corner in the header.
• It Uses in-text citations during the text with a Reference(s) page towards the document’s end.

You will find similar formatting followed in the paper of a reputed essay writer free site also. 

Title Page

The title page in the APA format includes the following components:

• Title of your research paper.
• Author(s) or writer’s name.
• Institutional affiliation(s).
• Title of the course with course code.
• Instructor(s) name(s).
• Submission date.
• A running head.
• Page number.

The First Page after the Title Page

This page contains:

• The page number in the upper right corner.
• The title of the research paper – boldfaced and centered on the top. Not underlined or italicized.
• Start your paper with the introductory paragraph with the first line indented. 

Headings and Subheadings

In APA style, you can use five levels of headings with different formatting for each.

Level 1:

• Title of your paper.

Level 2:

• Flush left. 

Level 3:

• Flush left. 
• Ends with a period.

Level 4:

• It is indented at the left margin.
• Ends with a period.

Level 5:

• Ending with a period.

Referencing Rules

It is always important to acknowledge and cite your sources while writing a research paper. Otherwise, it will be considered plagiarism. I know it is difficult and often makes you consult a college essay writer, but it is not impossible. A reference is given to render all the information about a source, such as a title, author(s) name(s), Publishing year, URL, etc. In APA style, references are given at the end of the research paper after the conclusion. 

            Some guidelines for giving references include:

• Given on the new page after the concluding paragraph(s).
• The word ‘References’ is used, which is centered, not boldfaced or underlined.
• The reference page contains full references of all the in-text citations used in the paper.
• Sources included are left-aligned and are given alphabetically with the last name of the first author. If the name of the author is not known, the title must be arranged alphabetically.

            These were some of the basics of writing a paper in APA format. However, some students find it difficult to format the paper themselves. When I used to write my essay or paper as an undergrad, I always found it challenging. As a result, I tried to find other ways to complete my work. 

            Since it was challenging for me to follow some formatting rules properly, I initially adopted two methods, either requesting my close ones to write my papers or pay for essays to the essay writing service providers. However, with time, I learned the skills and practiced a lot, due to which I was able to write good essays that were properly formatted in a specific writing format.

Therefore, if you are a student, you will find this post and the professional essay writers very helpful in giving you an overview of the basics of writing a paper in APA style.