apa format answering essay questions

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Writing: Essay Questions and APA Style

Introduction, example of formatting, writing strategy, questions within questions.

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Some courses may require you to write application papers that respond to prompts, similar to a question and answer format.  In these cases, use the following formatting rules unless otherwise specified by your instructor:

To format questions and answers in APA format:

• Begin the question on a new line and type number 1 followed by a period. 
• Type the discussion question in an approved font and size.  Use the correct punctuation at the end -- a question mark if the prompt is a question; a period if it is a statement.   
• Use double spacing and one inch margins.
• Separate the answer from the question by beginning the answer on a new line.
• Always answer in complete sentences.  If your answer is lengthy, it is okay to start a new paragraph.
• Incorporate in-text citations as needed, with a references page at the end.
• Continue to use the same format for fonts and spacing for the whole document.
• Continue the list of questions on a new line and align the number 2 under the 1.

If the Instructor has specific instructions about  bold  type, follow their preference, but APA does not require it.

Use an academic tone; avoid "I" statements such as "I think" or "I believe" or "My opinion is..."

These types of papers are typically not essays that require an introduction and conclusion.  However, you will still need to retain the usual APA components:  proper formatting, a title page, a references page, and in-text citations.

When in doubt, ask your instructor!

1.   Discuss the approaches psychologists have taken to understand human perception.

      Psychologists have taken three main approaches in their efforts to understand human perception. First, is the computational approach. These psychologists try to determine the computations that a machine would have to perform to solve perceptual problems in an effort to help explain how complex computations within the human nervous system might turn raw sensory stimulation into a representation of the world. The computational approach owes much to two earlier approaches .... (and so on and so forth).

Imagine that you've been asked to respond to the following question:

A solid writing strategy for responding to essay questions is the following:

Answer the Question + At Least One Reason + Closing Statement

Keep your responses focused, structured, and prove your points with evidence.

Here's how to do it.  

1)  Begin with a direct answer to the question.  The easiest way to do this is to restate the question in a way that incorporates your answer.   If you will give more than one reason or address more than one topic in your response, pre-outline the topics/reasons you will discuss in order.

2)  Address your reason(s) in order.

A.  Use transitions  to move smoothly between reasons.

B.  Incorporate examples to amplify your reasoning.

C.  Use signal phrases and in-text citations to identify your sources. 

3.  End with a closing statement that wraps up your response and reminds the reader of your position on the question.

Thanks to Texas State University for the example here.

Sometimes an instructor will prepare a prompt that is more than one question, and may require a response that tackles more than one topic.  Here's an example:

This is actually two related questions -- a main question and then a subset of that main question.

Adjust your strategy as follows:

1)  Prepare a direct response that focuses on the general main topic or question.  

2)  Respond to each question in the prompt as a separate paragraph under the restatement of the question. Use a transitional sentence to move smoothly from the first paragraph of response to the second.

3)  Wrap it up with a concluding sentence at the end of the final paragraph.

Note:  Latin "Lorem ipsum" text is used in lieu of real responses, as you may encounter this question in one of your courses!

• Answering the Short Answer Essay Exam From the University of Arkansas. Printable document that contains tips for writing effective answers to essay questions.
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How to Write an Essay in APA Format

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

What Is APA Format?

Apa essay format basics.

• Steps to Follow

Frequently Asked Questions

If your instructor has asked you to write an APA format essay, it might at first seem like a daunting task, especially if you are accustomed to using another style such as MLA or Chicago. But you can master the rules of APA essay format, too.

An essay is one type of paper that can be written in APA format; others include lab reports, experimental reports, and case studies. Before you begin, familiarize yourself with some of the basic guidelines for writing a paper in APA format. Of course, it will also be important to follow any other formatting instructions that are part of your assignment.

How do you write an essay in APA format? The basic elements you need to include are:

• A title page
• An abstract
• An introduction, main body, and conclusion
• A reference section
• Proper APA formatting with regard to margins, layout, spacing, titles, and indentations

This article discusses how to write an essay in APA format, including the basic steps you should follow and tips for how to get started.

Whether you’re taking an introductory or graduate-level psychology class, chances are strong that you will have to write at least one paper during the course of the semester. In almost every case, you will need to write your paper in APA format, the official publication style of the American Psychological Association . It is also used for academic journals.

Such rules are generally the same whether you are writing a high school essay, college essay, or professional essay for publication.

APA format is used in a range of disciplines including psychology , education, and other social sciences. The format dictates presentation elements of your paper including spacing, margins, and how the content is structured.

Most instructors and publication editors have strict guidelines when it comes to how your format your writing. Not only does adhering to APA format allow readers to know what to expect from your paper, but it also means that your work will not lose critical points over minor formatting errors. 

While the formatting requirements for your paper might vary depending on your instructor's directions, writing APA essay format means you will most likely need to include a title page, abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, and reference sections.

Your APA format essay should have a title page . This title page should include the title of your paper, your name, and your school affiliation. In some instances, your teacher might require additional information such as the course title, instructor name, and the date.

• The title of your paper should be concise and clearly describe what your paper is about.
• Your title can extend to two lines, but it should be no longer than 12 words.

An abstract is a brief summary of your paper that immediately follows the title page. It is not required for student papers, according to APA style. However, your instructor may request one.

If you include an abstract , it should be no more than 100 to 200 words, although this may vary depending upon the instructor requirements.

Your essay should also include a reference list with all of the sources that were cited in your essay,

• The reference section is located at the end of your paper.
• References should be listed alphabetically by the last name of the author.
• References should be double-spaced.
• Any source that is cited in your paper should be included in your reference section.

When writing in APA essay format, the text will include the actual essay itself: The introduction, body, and conclusion.

• There should be uniform margins of at least one inch at the top, bottom, left, and right sides of your essay.
• The text should be in Times New Roman size 12 font or another serif typeface that is easily readable.
• Your paper should be double-spaced.
• Every page should include a page number in the top right corner.
• The first word of each paragraph in your paper should be indented one-half inch.

For professional papers (usually not student papers), every page of the essay also includes a running head at the top left. The running head is a shortened form of the title, often the first few words, and should be no more than 50 characters (including spaces).

Steps to a Successful APA Format Essay

In addition to ensuring that you cite your sources properly and present information according to the rules of APA style, there are a number of things you can do to make the writing process a little bit easier.

Choose a Topic

Start by choosing a good topic to write about. Ideally, you want to select a subject that is specific enough to let you fully research and explore the topic, but not so specific that you have a hard time finding sources of information.

If you choose something too specific, you may find yourself with not enough to write about. If you choose something too general, you might find yourself overwhelmed with information.

Research Your Topic

Start doing research as early as possible. Begin by looking at some basic books and articles on your topic to help develop it further. What is the question you are going to answer with your essay? What approach will you take to the topic?

Once you are more familiar with the subject, create a preliminary source list of potential books, articles, essays, and studies that you may end up using in your essay.

Remember, any source used in your essay must be included in your reference section. Conversely, any source listed in your references must be cited somewhere in the body of your paper.

Write Your Rough Draft

With research in hand, you are ready to begin. Some people like to create an outline to organize their argument prior to drafting. You may want to start with a very rough outline, and then add details.

Once you have a detailed outline, the next step is to translate it from notes to complete sentences and paragraphs. Remember, this is a first draft. It doesn't have to be perfect.

As you write your paper in APA essay format, be sure to keep careful track of the sources that you cite.

How do you start an APA paper? Your paper should begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement that presents your main ideas, points, or arguments. Your introduction should start on the third page of your paper (after the title page and abstract). The title of your paper should be centered, bolded, and typed in title case at the top of the page.

Review and Revise

After you have prepared a rough draft of your essay, it's time to revise, review, and prepare your final draft. In addition to making sure that your writing is cohesive and supported by your sources, you should also check carefully for typos, grammar errors, and possible formatting mistakes.

When citing information or quotations taken from an interview, APA format requires that you cite the source, how the information was collected, and the date of the interview. They should not be included in the reference section, however, because they are not something that can be located by a reader in any published source or searchable database.

Instead, the information should be cited parenthetically in the main body of the text. For example: “There was an increase in the number of college students who screened positive for depression/anxiety” (R. Heathfield, personal communication, May 9, 2021).

If the essay is in a chapter of a book, edited collection, or anthology, APA format states that you should cite the last name, first name, title of essay, title of collection, publisher, year, and page range. For example: Smith, John, "The Light House," A Book of Poems , editing by Peter Roberts, Allworth Press, 2005, pp. 20-25.

According to APA format, a two-part essay is formatted the same as an essay, however, you'll need to create two title pages.

If you're including a short direct quote in your APA-format essay, you will need to cite the author, year of publication, and page number (p.) or page number span (pp.). Quotations longer than 40 words should omit the quotation marks and be put in the text using block quotation formatting, on its own line and indented 1/2 inch from the left margin.

The cover page or "title page" in APA essay format should always include the title of your paper, your name, and school affiliation as well as the course title, instructor name, and date, if requested by your teacher.

Nagda S.  How to write a scientific abstract.   J Indian Prosthodont Soc.  2013;13(3):382-383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-x

American Psychological Association.  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2019.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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How to Answer Essay Questions Using APA Format

APA, which stands for American Psychological Association, is a format or editorial style created to standardize scientific writing. It is often used as a format when you are writing reviews, articles, reports and term papers. When writing the answer to essay questions for an exam or assignment, you may be asked to follow a certain writing style guideline, including APA. These guidelines generally refer to style, page formatting and citations.

When typing out the answer to an essay question, follow the general APA guidelines for formatting your page.

Use 1-inch margins on all sides and a 12-point font -- preferably Times New Roman.

Double-space your document and omit a title page, unless you are specifically requested to include it. Instead, place your title at the top of your paper, centered, followed by your name and the course name.

Double-space and begin your essay question answer on the same page, indenting every paragraph.

Style and Voice

APA allows the use of first person point-of-view when discussing research steps. For example, when discussing any conclusion reached, it is appropriate to say, "I found that...”

Answer your essay question in a straightforward manner and avoid using poetic language and devices. For example, try not to use metaphors or analogies in your answer. Precise, clear language that is absent of any bias is preferred.

In-text Citations

When discussing any research via a summary or paraphrase, include an in-text citation following the author-date citation system. Include the last name of the author and year of publication from your research.

You can do this in your sentence or following your sentence in parentheses.

For example:

Brown (2012) states that….

Research suggests that… (Brown, 2012)

Add page numbers any time you include a direct quotation.

Brown (2012) states, "There was a direct correlation between both studies" (p.12).

Following your essay question, include a reference or citation that gives further information about your sources. Include the author's last name, his first initial, the date and the title of the book (in italics) and publication information.

Brown, A. (2012). History of animal kingdoms. New York, NY: Perennial Publishers

If you are using a journal article as a reference, include the journal title (in italics), volume number and page number information.

Smith, B. (2001). Bird species of the Amazon. Birding Monthly. 34 (1): 54-57

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APA Style Guide 7th Edition--Frequently Asked Question and Updates: Introduction and Link to APA 7th

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APA Style Guide--7th Edition --Introduction

The APA (American Psychological Association) Style is used by many researchers,   scholars,  students and publishers around the world.  Fields from psychology, social work, communications, education and other disciplines  used the style for dissertations, theses, research papers and articles.     Using a style guide helps writers present their ideas in a clear, concise and organized manner.  When you learn how to format your papers based on a style guide you are better able to credit sources, present tables and figures consistentl y, and use correct grammar and sentence structure.  The 7th edition of  The Publication Manual of the American  Psychological Association is the  recent revision of the style guide.  This guide attempts to answer some of the Frequently Asked Questions regarding this new edition .  

http://mypanther-lib.pvamu.edu/record=b1453375~S1

• APA 7th edition changes-- short Powerpoint presentation

APA 7th edition Powerpoint presentation

Helpful links

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (2020)

https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition

APA Style Blog

https://apastyle.apa.org/blog?_ga=2.112121158.331217480.1573758839-970069031.1573758839

APA Style--Paper format guidelines

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/

APA Style—In Text Citation guidelines

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/

APA Style--References guidelines

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/

APA Style--Tables and Figures

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/

APA Style—Punctuation

https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/punctuation/

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th Edition--Frequently Asked Questions

When will students need to use the 7th edition of APA?

The American Psychological Association anticipates that most people will start using the 7th edition in the spring of 2020 or thereafter. It’s best to check with your professor or check the website of the journal you want to get published in to see which APA guidelines you should follow.

What if I already started a paper in 6 th edition?

The publishers realize it make take a while to get everyone accustomed to using the new edition.  If you have started a paper using the 6 th edition, generally speaking, you should finish it with the same style.  However, always ask your professor or publisher if you need to make an adjustment.  

What are some of the changes in the 7 th edition?

• New guidance on research methods, ethical compliance and data sharing.
• The title page, running head and heading formats are changed, as well as font specifications for accessibility.
• Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) are updated.
• Inclusive and bias-free language is the new standard, and APA’s new publication manual contains a separate chapter on this topic.
• Changes to the mechanics of style, including the placement of periods, quotation marks, abbreviations, more flexibility for lettered, numbered and bulleted lists.
• More than 40 new samples of tables and figures are included.
• The accessible use of color in figures is discussed.
• There is more guidance on plagiarism, self-plagiarism, levels of citation and unethical writing practices.
• There are over 100 examples of APA style references, with detailed explanations.
• Chapter 11 presents expanded legal reference guidelines from The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.
• Chapter 12 provides guidance on the publication process for new researchers and authors.

Introducing the APA 7th Ed.

What's New with APA 7th Edition

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APA Style FAQs

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How can I learn about APA style? This Libguide has answers to frequently asked questions about APA style, but there is no replacement for a hard copy of the APA publication manual , which is available in the reference sections of several Vanderbilt libraries , and wherever fine books are sold. In this FAQ , where appropriate, reference is made to the relevant section of the print APA manual. See also the Purdue OWL site, the main APA style page , and the APA Style Blog for more information and advice on APA style. You can also contact the Peabody Librarians to ask questions on APA style or to suggest additions to this page.

What’s a style? APA style is a citation and formatting style , a set of guidelines for how a paper looks and how it credits its sources. Using a consistent style makes your papers easier to read and ensures that you are giving proper credit to those whose work you have engaged with in your own research and writing.

Many citation styles are on offer, and different academic disciplines use different styles. In the humanities, the Modern Language Association (MLA) or Chicago / Turabian styles are more commonly used. In medicine the American Medical Association (AMA) style predominates. In the social and behavioral sciences, including education, the American Psychological Association (APA) style is most common. Many other styles are used in other disciplines, so check your local listings.

Individual journals or publishers may have their own house styles , which are usually modifications of one of the major styles. If you are submitting an article to a journal, you will want to check the journal’s style requirements.

A close cousin of the citation and formatting style is the usage guide . Newspapers and news agencies, such as the New York Times and Associated Press , have often-consulted usage guides. And there are famous usage guides written by, among others, H.W. Fowler , Bryan Garner , and E.B. White , which advise on points of syntax, grammar, spelling, punctuation, diction, and writing style generally. The APA manual also makes recommendations on these points, but it goes beyond them in its guidance on citing sources and on general formatting.

What’s the difference between a citation and a reference? These terms are often used interchangeably and so can become confusing. In APA style, a citation usually refers to the in-text citation that is in the text of the paper and that briefly tells the reader where the information he or she is reading about came from. The reference is the full information (in APA style, at the end of the paper) about that original source. In short: The citation points to the reference, which points to the original source.

Questions on APA Paper Format

Questions on APA Reference Format

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How do I answer midterm questions in APA format?

In general, when instructors say that they want questions answered " in APA format " it means:

• They want the  basic structure of an APA paper, which includes   these things :
• 1-inch margins
• Font size: 12 point
• Font: Times New Roman
• Double-spaced
• A title or cover page
• A References page (if citing any sources).

Since it is not a research paper, an Abstract is not needed.

Visit the  APA Help  guide  for more information.

Thank you for using ASK US. For additional assistance with APA, please contact your Baker librarians .

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• Thanks much. This info on APA format assignment question and submission was very helpful. Cyndi by Cyndi on Oct 31, 2016

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