APA 7th Edition Guide Overview

The Author's Note provides supplementary information about the authors, funding sources, conflict of interest, and study registration. Readers can contact the authors through this note.

The preferred font style is Times New Roman at 12 points. This follows the conventional APA font style and size.

The Abstract summarizes the main points of the research paper. It should include the research topic, questions, participants, methods, results (key findings), and conclusions. It usually does not exceed 250 words.

In APA style, Hanging Indentation refers to the formatting of the reference list entries. The first line of each entry is aligned left, while subsequent lines are indented half an inch from the left margin.

Page numbers are consecutively numbered throughout the whole research paper, starting with 1 on the Title Page. They are placed in the upper right corner, flush right.

The Title Page includes the title, author(s) name(s), institutional affiliation, course name, research advisor, and completion date. These elements are centered and formatted in a specific order.

The five levels of headings are used to structure a research paper. Each level has a specific format for capitalization, alignment, boldness, and italics. They help to organize and visually distinguish sections and subsections.

'et al.' is used in citations when there are three or more authors. It stands for 'and others' and is used to shorten the citation.

The 'References' section provides a list of all sources cited in the research paper. It follows a specific format with hanging indentation and alphabetical order by the first author's last name.

This section presents previous research and theories relevant to the current study. It summarizes key findings and highlights the gaps in knowledge that the current research aims to address.

The 'Method' section provides a detailed account of how the research was conducted. It describes participants, research design, data collection procedures, and data analysis techniques.

The 'Results' section objectively presents the findings of the research without interpretation. It uses tables, figures, and text to summarize the data.

The 'Discussion' section interprets and analyzes the findings presented in the 'Results' section. It discusses the implications of the findings, compares them to existing literature, and examines limitations of the study.

The 'Conclusion' section summarizes the main findings and their significance. It restates the main argument and highlights the key contributions of the research.

The 'Recommendations' section provides suggestions for future research, applications, or improvements based on the findings of the study. It offers practical advice for addressing the issues explored in the research.

Direct quotations are used to reproduce exact words from a source. They are enclosed in quotation marks and include the author, year of publication, and page number.

A paraphrase rephrases an idea from a source in your own words, while a direct quotation reproduces the exact words of the source.

For two authors, list both names in the signal phrase or parenthetical citation. For three or more authors, use the first author's name followed by 'et al.' in all instances.

In the signal phrase, use the first few words of the title (italicized) or use the title in the parenthetical citation, followed by the year of publication.

Tables are used to present data in a structured format. They are numbered consecutively and have a clear title. The font size, spacing, and borders should be adjusted to ensure clarity.

Figures are used to display visual information such as graphs, charts, and images. They are numbered consecutively and have a clear caption. They should be clear and easy to understand.

Appendices contain supplementary materials that are not essential for the main text but provide additional information for the reader.

Tables and figures in appendices are labeled with the appendix letter (e.g., A, B, C) followed by a number (e.g., A1, A2). They are numbered sequentially within each appendix.

When citing specific sections, like paragraphs, chapters, or tables, use the relevant identifier (e.g., 'paras. 4-5', 'Table 3') in the parenthetical citation.

The entire manuscript should be double-spaced, with no extra spaces between paragraphs. Use one space after a period at the end of a sentence.

A one-inch margin is needed on all sides of the paper. For hardbound copies, the left margin is modified to 1.5 inches.

The 'Preliminaries' section precedes the main body of the research paper and includes elements such as the Approval Sheet, Certificate of Authentic Authorship, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents, List of Tables, List of Figures, and List of Appendices (if applicable).

For NDMU student papers, 'Introduction' can be used as the title of the first section. For publication papers, the full research title is used as the title of the first section.

NDMU student papers are required to include a 'References' section that follows the standard APA 7th Edition format. The formatting guidelines include hanging indentation and alphabetical order by first author's last name, ensuring comprehensive citations for all referenced sources.

The 'Appendices' section presents supplementary information that supports the research, such as questionnaires, interview transcripts, and data analysis details. It is optional for NDMU research and is only included if there are five or more appendices.

This section describes the statistical procedures and techniques used for analyzing the collected data, outlining the specific methods chosen for examining and interpreting the research results.

While NDMU student research includes 'Results' to present findings, it also allows for basic analysis of data within this section, focusing on highlighting the main findings, but avoiding interpretations.