Many of our writers and students don’t take in the APA style while writing. Most of its style and format is not known therefore we end up using the normal traditional way of writing. It’s now time for a change and you need to bring more people to read your work by using a new APA format. Here are some guidelines that will help you improve your writing using the APA style.

Common rules for composing an APA paper

These are rules commonly known to every writer who uses the APA format in writing. Some of the regular rules fall within the format of your writing which includes font style, spacing variation, header and footer and font number.

• You should be using standard-sized paper of 8.5 inches by 11 inches, with a 1-inch margin on all sides.
• The recommended font to use is the times new roman, paper has to be typed, double-spaced and in a 12-point font.
• Each page of your paper has to include a header on the top left of the page as well as a page number on the top right of the page.

Main Sections of an APA paper

There are four major sections that will be present when writing APA paper. The sections are included irrespective of the topic written on by the author.

The Title Page

The title is the first thing that catches the attention of the reader. Titles ought to be interesting, surprising and able to bring the reader to read any material. Therefore the title page should contain a running head, your name and your school affiliation. Use clear titles that your audience will understand and get to read your paper easily.

The Abstract

An abstract appears at the beginning of your paper. The abstract is more like an annotation; it is a very short summary of your paper. It comes next after your title page. As mentioned above it should be very clear and brief.

The main body of your APA paper

The body is an element that gives out more important and detailed information on the topic of your paper. It has longer paragraphs than any other section; it is the part where readers will spend most of the time trying to understand what you are writing is about. The format varies depending on the type of paper you are writing. For instance, if you are writing a lab report, the main body will consist of an introduction, a method section, a results section and a discussion section. If you are writing a periodical report the main body will include an introduction, periodical table section, and periodical annuals. What you put in the body paragraph should be an eye-opener for your reader.

The Reference Section

The final section of your APA paper. A reference section begins on a new page. The reference section is where you note all references that were used. Here is where you will put your earlier mentioned citations, name of the author and in other cases the website from where you have picked your article.

Final tips for writing an APA

Writing an APA paper is just like writing a normal essay paper. Take time to write your paper. Include all the sections required such as the title page, abstract, main body and put the reference section as the last page. Finally, as you are contented with your writing take a few minutes to edit and correct the invisible mistakes.