The best thing to do when you need to write an academic paper in APA format is to find a good example and use it as your guide. There are numerous rulebooks that explain all the intricacies of this formatting style, and you will need to study them. However, a sample of a good APA format paper is also necessary for you to see the whole picture of what the final piece should look like.
This is the most important step to take for those who have little experience with these academic papers. APA format is not particularly complex in the terms of punctuation and general look of the paper, but its structure and your writing style need to be very specific.
The problem with rulebooks in this case is that they are of little use because the generalized phrases used in them hardly explain how exactly the paper should be written. In order to get a “feel” of the style, you will need to study a few essays. This will not only teach you how to write an APA style paper, but can also give you some ideas about your topic.
Finding some good examples of APA style essays won’t be difficult if you know where to look. There are two great places available to every student:
College libraries often store copies of various essays written by students over the years. They can be real treasures for someone who feels lost and unsure of how to approach this assignment. The quality of these papers will undoubtedly be high.
There is nothing one cannot find on the Internet today. As long as you use the right keywords, you will be able to find plenty of websites that offer free APA paper samples. Be careful when looking for this kind of material online. Some of these essays can contain mistakes, and the quality of writing may not be high.
Regardless of where you look for APA essay samples, you shouldn’t forget that no matter how inspiring the ones you find are, you mustn’t resort to plagiarism. There is nothing wrong with using some of the ideas you find in the essays to prove your point. However, you will need to credit the authors in order to show your respect towards their hard work.
Please note that some professors might have a few personal requirements in terms of formatting. You will need to discuss this with your advisor during or after class.