apa format for answering questions example

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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 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

• Purdue Online Writing Lab: APA Stylistics
• American Psychological Association: The Basics of APA Style

Our teacher has posted questions that need to be answered in APA format. Do we re-type the question above the answer?

To format questions and answers in APA format :

• Begin the question on a new line and type number 1. 
• Times New Roman font, 12 point size
• Calibri font, 11 point size
• Arial font, 11 point size
• Georgia font, 11 point size
• Lucida Sans Unicode font, 10 point size
• Computer Modern font, 10 point size
• Use double spacing and one inch margins for the document.
• Separate the answer from the question by beginning the answer on a new line.
• 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.

Example in APA format :

1. What year was slavery abolished in America?

Slavery was officially abolished in the United States in 1865 , although many states abolished slavery for themselves at  various dates between 1777 and 1864 .

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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

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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 Sample Paper

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Note:  This page reflects APA 6, which is now out of date. It will remain online until 2021, but will not be updated. The equivalent APA 7 page can be found here .

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Citation Style: APA 7th Edition: Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

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How to Use This Page

Welcome to the Frequently Asked Questions page for APA. This is where we put the answers to some questions we get asked often.

To see the answer,  just click on one of the questions below. It will expand to reveal the answer.

Do you have a question that is not answered in this guide? Send an email to [email protected] and let us know!

Missing Citation Information

Q: I’m using a section of a website for one of my sources. How do I find out who the author is?

A: Here are a few places you will often find authors and dates of webpages:

• Bottom of the page (scroll all the way down) - but be wary of a copyright date that is the same on every page (it's better to use n.d. for "no date" in that case).
• In the “Contact” or “About Us” sections
• Go to the root or home page.
• Keep in mind that the author could be an organization rather than a person.

Example for navigating to the root or home page:

If you are at this page: https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/617/overview/Green-tailed_Towhee.aspx

Try going to this page: https://identify.whatbird.com/

Q: What if I still cannot find an author or a date?

A: If you still cannot find an author, cite the resource by its title in your references list. For your in-text citation, you will use a shortened version of the title instead of the author’s last name.

See the Purdue OWL example for "Unknown Author" here.

For a source with an unknown date, use the abbreviation “n.d.” instead of the date. (It stands for “no date.”)

Q: What if my source has no page numbers (like an electronic source)?

A: If you are directly quoting a source that is lacking page numbers, try to use some other identifier to help your reader find your original source. Heading titles, section titles, and paragraph numbers can help you identify the section of your source which you quoted.

If your source has no section or heading titles, count the paragraphs from the top to where your quote is, and use that as a paragraph number for your in-text citation. If the source is quite long, it will (hopefully) have headings, which you can use to point to a section, and then count the paragraphs down from that section to the location of your quotation.

For example:

According to Smith (1980), "The engineers’ most productive month of the year was April." (Seasonal Affective Disorder section, para. 4).

For more information, see the following source:

Purdue OWL - Sources Without Page Numbers

Formatting & Basic Rules

Q: What if we are writing the paper as a group (multiple authors)? How do we format the title page in this case?

A: Put all of the authors’ names on one line, in order by contribution, separated by commas, with the last author preceded by the word “and.” Or just use the word "and" in between if there are only two names.

Source and example at: APA Student Title Page Guide

Q: What if I include an image in my paper? How should I present the image and cite the source?

A: Any image you include should have a figure number and title below the image. If you did not take the photo yourself, you must include a citation for the image in a caption beneath the image.

For information on how to cite an image, see: https://libguides.scf.edu/c.php?g=847004&p=6077102

For more information on using Figures, Tables, and Graphs – see the following sources:

Purdue OWL APA Tables & Figures

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) pp.195 - 250

Q: What is common knowledge information and why don’t I need to cite it?

A: Common knowledge means that the information is generally known by professionals in the field of research you are conducting. You don’t need to cite it because you could find this same piece of information in a number of sources, therefore it is not a unique idea to any one source. This is a "gray area" of citation that falls upon the discretion of the writer. The Purdue OWL APA Guide recommends finding the information in at least five different sources before deciding it is common knowledge. When in doubt, cite the source.

For more information on Common Knowledge practices, see the following sources:

Purdue OWL - Common Knowledge & Attribution

What is Common Knowledge?

Paraphrasing & Quoting

Q: What is the difference between paraphrasing and quoting?

A: Quoting is when you take a portion of your source and copy it exactly word-for-word into your paper. In this case, you are taking the author’s language and tone along with his/her ideas. Quoting is best for cases when the author's phrasing is the best way to convey the idea to your reader.

Paraphrasing is when you describe someone else’s ideas using your own unique language and tone. Paraphrasing is the best way to keep the paper’s tone your own. Even though you are using your own language to convey the idea, the idea is still the author’s and must be cited.

For more info, see: Purdue Guide to Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

Q: How should I format quotations?

A: If the quotation is less than 40 words long , you can simply put quotation marks around the quote. Often times, writers will use a signal phrase to identify the author and year to begin the quote, then put the page number of the source at the end of the sentence. If you do not identify the author and year in the signal phrase, then you will need to include them at the end-of-sentence citation as you would normally do.

According to Smith (1980), "The engineers’ most productive month of the year was April." (p. 86).

If the quotation is more than 40 words long , you will need to create a block-quotation. To do this, start the quotation on a new line and left-indent it by half an inch. In this case, you will not need quotation marks. The quote will still be double-spaced and have an in-text citation at the end.

Smith’s (1980) study found that:

Seasonal affective disorder decreased the productivity of 86% of the engineers at the lab. My hypothesis is that the decreased levels of sunlight and increased indoor living caused a lack of motivation on the part of the engineers and therefore their productivity decreased. Furthermore, the engineers’ most productive month of the year was April, probably due to the fact that April is the first significantly warm month after several months of a cold and dreary winter. (p. 86)

Keep in mind that whenever you use a quotation in your paper, you must cite the page or range of pages it comes from.

For more information on using quotations, see: https://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/quotations/

Q: My professor says I am paraphrasing / quoting too much in my paper? I am citing everything; what’s the problem?

A: If you are citing everything that comes from another source, that’s great! That means you are avoiding plagiarism. However, you want the majority of your paper to be your ideas. You don’t want to just compile other peoples’ ideas. You want to analyze and make conclusions about those other peoples’ ideas. In this way, your writing adds to the conversation on a topic so that whoever reads your paper will have a better understanding of that topic, and they will be able to add their own voice to the conversation in turn. Make sure no more than 50% of your paper is ideas from other sources.

Q: If I’m paraphrasing a theory or idea somewhere in my paper that takes up an entire paragraph of text, do I have to put an in-text citation for the same source after every single sentence?

A: According to the APA Style Webpage, "A paraphrase may continue for several sentences. In such cases, cite the work being paraphrased on first mention. Once the work has been cited, it is not necessary to repeat the citation as long as the context of the writing makes it clear that the same work continues to be paraphrased."

Tricky Questions

Q: How do I cite a source within a source?

A: A "source within a source" is often referred to as a secondary source. Here are some examples:

• A book quoted in another book.
• An article paraphrased and cited in another article.
• A book paraphrased and cited in an article.
• ...And so on. Anytime a source is cited in another source, that means the source you are using counts as a secondary source for that specific piece of information.

Here is what the APA Publication Manual 7th Edition (p. 258) says about using secondary sources:

In scholarly work, a primary source reports original content; a secondary source refers to content first reported in another source. Cite secondary sources sparingly—for instance, when the original work is out of print, unavailable, or available only in a language that you do not understand. If possible, as a matter of good scholarly practice, find the primary source, read it, and cite it directly rather than citing a secondary source. For example, rather than citing an instructor’s lecture or a textbook or encyclopedia that in turn cites original research, find, read, and cite the original research directly (unless an instructor has directed you to do otherwise).

When citing a secondary source, provide a reference list entry for the secondary source that you used. In the text, identify the primary source and then write “as cited in” the secondary source that you used. If the year of publication of the primary source is known, also include it in the text.

For example, if you read a work by Lyon et al. (2014) in which Rabbitt (1982) was cited, and you were unable to read Rabbitt’s work yourself, cite Rabbitt’s work as the original source, followed by Lyon et al.’s work as the secondary source. Only Lyon et al.’s work appears in the reference list.

(Rabbitt, 1982, as cited in Lyon et al., 2014)

If the year of the primary source is unknown, omit it from the in-text citation.

Allport’s diary (as cited in Nicholson, 2003)

For more examples, visit the following links:

• Purdue OWL's "Work Discussed in a Secondary Source"
• Walden University "Citing a Source within a Source"

Q: How do I cite a famous quote?

A: The APA Style Blog discusses how you would cite a famous speech in a paper, so you would use the same rule for citing a quote by a famous person. In both cases, you don’t reference the speech or quote directly- instead, you find an authoritative (reliable) source where that quote or speech is located and cite that. So for example, if you found one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s speeches in a book about great 20th century speeches, you would cite that book in your reference list. The key is to find that quote in a reliable source—don’t just use some random website without some idea of who created it. (Please note that this entry from the APA Style Blog was written for APA 6th edition, so please don't use the reference citation examples given in the link above. However, the concepts described above are still the same.)

If you need to find a source on the web with the quote, we recommend using the Advanced Google Search to find it. Go into Advanced Google and type in keywords from the quote you want to cite in your paper. Then, under “Search within a site or domain,” specify either “.gov,” “.edu” or “.org.” (Stay away from “.com’s.”) This way, you can cite a reliable website published by an organization or an educational or governing entity. For example, you could go to www.winstonchurchill.org to try and find a quote by Winston Churchill, instead of a .com site. Your citation would then be the same as citing a specific page on a website (see the Purdue OWL Example for "Webpage or Piece of Online Content" for the proper citation example).

Q: How do I cite the results of an online personality test I took?

A: This one is definitely tricky. If you need to cite the results of an online test you took, do it the same as you would any other website if you took the test online. Cite it as a book if you got the test from a book, and so on. List the author as whoever issued the test -- was it an organization? Institute? Then, try to find the latest copyright date—or preferably a date that will tell you the last time the test was updated if it is online. The title is going to be whatever is listed at the top of the test or test results. Finally, put a retrieval web address for the test site, and include the date that you retrieved the test results. Here is an example for you to follow:

Enneagram Institute. (2011). Title of test. Retrieved December 3, 2011 from http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/discover.asp/

Q: How do I cite the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)?

A: This information is found in Section 10.2 (example 32, p. 324) of the APA Publication Manual, 7th edition, and the APA Style and Grammar Guidelines

Citing the complete work:

Reference List:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

In-Text citation: (American Psychiatric Association, 2013)

Citing individual chapters:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Cautionary statement for forensic use of DSM-5. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.CautionaryStatement

For more examples, please visit the following link:

• APA Style and Grammar Guidelines

Reference Librarian

Need More Quick Answers?

• APA Quick Answers - Formatting This page from the official APA website has links to quick answers on a number of APA-related topics.
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• Last Updated: Jan 18, 2024 3:36 PM
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How to Format Discussion Questions in APA Format

Rebecca renner, 15 aug 2018.

If you’re writing a paper for your psychology class, you will probably need to use APA format. APA stands for American Psychological Association, and APA formatting is primarily used for academic work in psychology and other social sciences, like sociology. Having to use APA format isn’t just an arbitrary rule to make your teacher happy. APA formatting makes communication among social science professionals easier because they’re all using a consistent style to share their ideas.

If your psychology teacher asks you to answer questions from the book, you will need to use APA question and answer format. You can do a Q and A format paper in the same way. However, longer assignments may need additional components, such as a title page or abstract. In APA format for discussion questions, you may also be required to cite your sources. Check with your teacher to make sure you understand the guidelines.

Explore this article

• How to Do APA Question and Answer Format in a Paper
• Q and A Format the Paper
• APA Format for Discussion Questions

1 How to Do APA Question and Answer Format in a Paper

To start using APA question and answer format, you will need to format your paper in APA style first. Start off by changing your font to black Times New Roman. Make sure you use size 12 font. Double space the text. This doesn’t mean you should hit the space key twice after every word. It means there should be twice as much space between the lines as usual. There should be a button in the top bar of your word processor that can toggle line and paragraph spacing. In this format, there is no need to hit enter twice after every paragraph. That would quadruple the space between them. Also, adjust the margins of your paper so that there is only one inch of space between the text and the edge.

2 Q and A Format the Paper

For a Q and A format paper, start your first question with the numeral “1” and then a period. This is the proper way to indicate the numerical position of the question, but if your teacher has designated a different way, follow those instructions.

Type the question and after you finish, hit enter. This will give you enough space to differentiate the question from the answer visually. After you finish writing your answer, hit enter again. Start your next question with the numeral “2” and then a period. There is no need to make your questions bold or to differentiate them from the answers in any other way, unless your teacher has requested that you do so.

3 APA Format for Discussion Questions

To use APA format for discussion questions, copy the question as described above. Always answer with complete sentences unless your teacher has informed you otherwise. For example:

1. Which scientist is known for his experiment with salivating dogs?

Ivan Pavlov is known for the experiment he performed with dogs. In the experiment, he conditioned them to salivate on the cue of a bell.

• 1 Purdue Online Writing Lab: In-Text Citations: The Basics
• 2 EasyBib: APA Paper Formatting
• 3 APA Style Blog: Lists, Part 4: Numbered Lists
• 4 Chron: How to Write an Interview in APA Format

About the Author

Rebecca Renner is a teacher and freelance writer from Daytona Beach, Florida. Her byline has appeared in the Washington Post, New York Magazine, Glamour and elsewhere.

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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.

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• How to write an APA methods section

How to Write an APA Methods Section | With Examples

Published on February 5, 2021 by Pritha Bhandari . Revised on June 22, 2023.

The methods section of an APA style paper is where you report in detail how you performed your study. Research papers in the social and natural sciences often follow APA style. This article focuses on reporting quantitative research methods .

In your APA methods section, you should report enough information to understand and replicate your study, including detailed information on the sample , measures, and procedures used.

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Table of contents

Structuring an apa methods section.

Participants

Example of an APA methods section

Other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about writing an apa methods section.

The main heading of “Methods” should be centered, boldfaced, and capitalized. Subheadings within this section are left-aligned, boldfaced, and in title case. You can also add lower level headings within these subsections, as long as they follow APA heading styles .

To structure your methods section, you can use the subheadings of “Participants,” “Materials,” and “Procedures.” These headings are not mandatory—aim to organize your methods section using subheadings that make sense for your specific study.

Note that not all of these topics will necessarily be relevant for your study. For example, if you didn’t need to consider outlier removal or ways of assigning participants to different conditions, you don’t have to report these steps.

The APA also provides specific reporting guidelines for different types of research design. These tell you exactly what you need to report for longitudinal designs , replication studies, experimental designs , and so on. If your study uses a combination design, consult APA guidelines for mixed methods studies.

Detailed descriptions of procedures that don’t fit into your main text can be placed in supplemental materials (for example, the exact instructions and tasks given to participants, the full analytical strategy including software code, or additional figures and tables).

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Begin the methods section by reporting sample characteristics, sampling procedures, and the sample size.

Participant or subject characteristics

When discussing people who participate in research, descriptive terms like “participants,” “subjects” and “respondents” can be used. For non-human animal research, “subjects” is more appropriate.

Specify all relevant demographic characteristics of your participants. This may include their age, sex, ethnic or racial group, gender identity, education level, and socioeconomic status. Depending on your study topic, other characteristics like educational or immigration status or language preference may also be relevant.

Be sure to report these characteristics as precisely as possible. This helps the reader understand how far your results may be generalized to other people.

The APA guidelines emphasize writing about participants using bias-free language , so it’s necessary to use inclusive and appropriate terms.

Sampling procedures

Outline how the participants were selected and all inclusion and exclusion criteria applied. Appropriately identify the sampling procedure used. For example, you should only label a sample as random  if you had access to every member of the relevant population.

Of all the people invited to participate in your study, note the percentage that actually did (if you have this data). Additionally, report whether participants were self-selected, either by themselves or by their institutions (e.g., schools may submit student data for research purposes).

Identify any compensation (e.g., course credits or money) that was provided to participants, and mention any institutional review board approvals and ethical standards followed.

Sample size and power

Detail the sample size (per condition) and statistical power that you hoped to achieve, as well as any analyses you performed to determine these numbers.

It’s important to show that your study had enough statistical power to find effects if there were any to be found.

Additionally, state whether your final sample differed from the intended sample. Your interpretations of the study outcomes should be based only on your final sample rather than your intended sample.

Write up the tools and techniques that you used to measure relevant variables. Be as thorough as possible for a complete picture of your techniques.

Primary and secondary measures

Define the primary and secondary outcome measures that will help you answer your primary and secondary research questions.

Specify all instruments used in gathering these measurements and the construct that they measure. These instruments may include hardware, software, or tests, scales, and inventories.

• To cite hardware, indicate the model number and manufacturer.
• To cite common software (e.g., Qualtrics), state the full name along with the version number or the website URL .
• To cite tests, scales or inventories, reference its manual or the article it was published in. It’s also helpful to state the number of items and provide one or two example items.

Make sure to report the settings of (e.g., screen resolution) any specialized apparatus used.

For each instrument used, report measures of the following:

• Reliability : how consistently the method measures something, in terms of internal consistency or test-retest reliability.
• Validity : how precisely the method measures something, in terms of construct validity  or criterion validity .

Giving an example item or two for tests, questionnaires , and interviews is also helpful.

Describe any covariates—these are any additional variables that may explain or predict the outcomes.

Quality of measurements

Review all methods you used to assure the quality of your measurements.

These may include:

• training researchers to collect data reliably,
• using multiple people to assess (e.g., observe or code) the data,
• translation and back-translation of research materials,
• using pilot studies to test your materials on unrelated samples.

For data that’s subjectively coded (for example, classifying open-ended responses), report interrater reliability scores. This tells the reader how similarly each response was rated by multiple raters.

Report all of the procedures applied for administering the study, processing the data, and for planned data analyses.

Data collection methods and research design

Data collection methods refers to the general mode of the instruments: surveys, interviews, observations, focus groups, neuroimaging, cognitive tests, and so on. Summarize exactly how you collected the necessary data.

Describe all procedures you applied in administering surveys, tests, physical recordings, or imaging devices, with enough detail so that someone else can replicate your techniques. If your procedures are very complicated and require long descriptions (e.g., in neuroimaging studies), place these details in supplementary materials.

To report research design, note your overall framework for data collection and analysis. State whether you used an experimental, quasi-experimental, descriptive (observational), correlational, and/or longitudinal design. Also note whether a between-subjects or a within-subjects design was used.

For multi-group studies, report the following design and procedural details as well:

• how participants were assigned to different conditions (e.g., randomization),
• instructions given to the participants in each group,
• interventions for each group,
• the setting and length of each session(s).

Describe whether any masking was used to hide the condition assignment (e.g., placebo or medication condition) from participants or research administrators. Using masking in a multi-group study ensures internal validity by reducing research bias . Explain how this masking was applied and whether its effectiveness was assessed.

Participants were randomly assigned to a control or experimental condition. The survey was administered using Qualtrics (https://www.qualtrics.com). To begin, all participants were given the AAI and a demographics questionnaire to complete, followed by an unrelated filler task. In the control condition , participants completed a short general knowledge test immediately after the filler task. In the experimental condition, participants were asked to visualize themselves taking the test for 3 minutes before they actually did. For more details on the exact instructions and tasks given, see supplementary materials.

Data diagnostics

Outline all steps taken to scrutinize or process the data after collection.

This includes the following:

• Procedures for identifying and removing outliers
• Data transformations to normalize distributions
• Compensation strategies for overcoming missing values

To ensure high validity, you should provide enough detail for your reader to understand how and why you processed or transformed your raw data in these specific ways.

Analytic strategies

The methods section is also where you describe your statistical analysis procedures, but not their outcomes. Their outcomes are reported in the results section.

These procedures should be stated for all primary, secondary, and exploratory hypotheses. While primary and secondary hypotheses are based on a theoretical framework or past studies, exploratory hypotheses are guided by the data you’ve just collected.

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This annotated example reports methods for a descriptive correlational survey on the relationship between religiosity and trust in science in the US. Hover over each part for explanation of what is included.

The sample included 879 adults aged between 18 and 28. More than half of the participants were women (56%), and all participants had completed at least 12 years of education. Ethics approval was obtained from the university board before recruitment began. Participants were recruited online through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk; www.mturk.com). We selected for a geographically diverse sample within the Midwest of the US through an initial screening survey. Participants were paid USD $5 upon completion of the study.

A sample size of at least 783 was deemed necessary for detecting a correlation coefficient of ±.1, with a power level of 80% and a significance level of .05, using a sample size calculator (www.sample-size.net/correlation-sample-size/).

The primary outcome measures were the levels of religiosity and trust in science. Religiosity refers to involvement and belief in religious traditions, while trust in science represents confidence in scientists and scientific research outcomes. The secondary outcome measures were gender and parental education levels of participants and whether these characteristics predicted religiosity levels.

Religiosity

Religiosity was measured using the Centrality of Religiosity scale (Huber, 2003). The Likert scale is made up of 15 questions with five subscales of ideology, experience, intellect, public practice, and private practice. An example item is “How often do you experience situations in which you have the feeling that God or something divine intervenes in your life?” Participants were asked to indicate frequency of occurrence by selecting a response ranging from 1 (very often) to 5 (never). The internal consistency of the instrument is .83 (Huber & Huber, 2012).

Trust in Science

Trust in science was assessed using the General Trust in Science index (McCright, Dentzman, Charters & Dietz, 2013). Four Likert scale items were assessed on a scale from 1 (completely distrust) to 5 (completely trust). An example question asks “How much do you distrust or trust scientists to create knowledge that is unbiased and accurate?” Internal consistency was .8.

Potential participants were invited to participate in the survey online using Qualtrics (www.qualtrics.com). The survey consisted of multiple choice questions regarding demographic characteristics, the Centrality of Religiosity scale, an unrelated filler anagram task, and finally the General Trust in Science index. The filler task was included to avoid priming or demand characteristics, and an attention check was embedded within the religiosity scale. For full instructions and details of tasks, see supplementary materials.

For this correlational study , we assessed our primary hypothesis of a relationship between religiosity and trust in science using Pearson moment correlation coefficient. The statistical significance of the correlation coefficient was assessed using a t test. To test our secondary hypothesis of parental education levels and gender as predictors of religiosity, multiple linear regression analysis was used.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Measures of central tendency
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles

Methodology

• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Thematic analysis
• Cohort study
• Peer review
• Ethnography

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Conformity bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Availability heuristic
• Attrition bias
• Social desirability bias

In your APA methods section , you should report detailed information on the participants, materials, and procedures used.

• Describe all relevant participant or subject characteristics, the sampling procedures used and the sample size and power .
• Define all primary and secondary measures and discuss the quality of measurements.
• Specify the data collection methods, the research design and data analysis strategy, including any steps taken to transform the data and statistical analyses.

You should report methods using the past tense , even if you haven’t completed your study at the time of writing. That’s because the methods section is intended to describe completed actions or research.

In a scientific paper, the methodology always comes after the introduction and before the results , discussion and conclusion . The same basic structure also applies to a thesis, dissertation , or research proposal .

Depending on the length and type of document, you might also include a literature review or theoretical framework before the methodology.

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