APA Writing Style

1
APA Writing Style

• American Psychological Association. (2001).
  Publication manual of the American Psychological
  Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC APA.

2
Method Section (1.09)

• Method section always follows Introduction
  section immediately, do not begin a new page
• Method heading is centered and not italicized
  (3.32)

3
Method Continued (1.09)

• The Method section describes in detail how the
  study was conducted. Such a description enables
  the reader to evaluate the appropriateness of
  your methods and the reliability and the validity
  of your results. It also permits experienced
  investigators to replicate the study if they so
  desire.

4
Method Cont.

• Generally, a Method section is divided into 3
  subsections Participants or Subjects, Apparatus
  or Materials, and Procedure
• The subsections titles are left justified and
  italicized

5
Participants or Subjects (1.09)

• Appropriate identification of research subjects
  and clientele is critical
• The procedure for selecting and assigning
  Participants or Subjects should be thoroughly
  described, and in the case of human participants
  any agreements or payments should be disclosed.

6
Participants or Subjects (1.09)

• For humans, Report major demographic
  characteristics such as sex, age, and
  race/ethnicity, and, where possible and
  appropriate, characteristics such as
  socioeconomic status, disability status, and
  sexual orientation. If a particular demographic
  characteristic is important for interpretation of
  results, describe the characteristic
  specifically.

7
Participants or Subjects (1.09)

• When animals are the subjects, report the genus,
  species, and strain number or other specific
  identification, such as the name and location of
  the supplier and the stock designation. Give the
  number of animals and the animals sex, age,
  weight, and physiological condition. Also
  specify essential details of treatment and
  handling.

8
Apparatus or Materials

• Briefly describes the apparatus or materials used
  and their function in the experiment.
• Identify specialized equipment obtained from a
  commercial supplier by the model number of the
  equipment and the suppliers name and location.
• Complex or custom-made equipment may be
  illustrated by a drawing or photograph.
• A detailed description of complex equipment may
  be included in an appendix.

9
Procedure

• Procedure summarizes each step in the execution
  of the research. Include the instructions to the
  participants, the formation of the groups, and
  the specific experimental manipulations. Describe
  randomization, counterbalancing, and other
  control features in the design.
• Procedure should tell the reader in sufficient
  detail so that the reader could reasonably
  replicate the study.

10
Examples

• An excellent example of a method section of a
  sample paper can be found in APA section 5.29,
  beginning on page 308.