What is APA style?
APA style is a set of guidelines for formatting academic papers. It is the most widely used style in nursing and other health sciences. APA style is designed to make papers clear, concise, and easy to read.
Why is APA style important in nursing?
APA style is important in nursing because it ensures that all papers are formatted consistently. This makes it easier for nurses to read and understand each other’s work. APA style is also important for publication purposes. Most nursing journals require that papers be formatted in APA style.
What are the key elements of an APA nursing paper?
The key elements of an APA nursing paper include:
- Title page: The title page includes the title of the paper, the author’s name, the author’s affiliation, and the running head.
- Abstract: The abstract is a brief summary of the paper, no more than 150 words. It should include the research question, methods, findings, and conclusions.
- Body of the paper: The body of the paper is divided into sections, such as the introduction, literature review, methods, results, and discussion.
- Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the main points of the paper and discusses the implications of the findings.
- References: The references list all of the sources that were cited in the paper.
How to write a sample APA nursing paper
To write a sample APA nursing paper, follow these steps:
- Choose a topic.
- Conduct a literature review.
- Develop a research question or hypothesis.
- Design a study.
- Collect data.
- Analyze data.
- Write the paper.
- Format the paper in APA style.
- Proofread the paper.
Title page
The title page of an APA nursing paper includes the following information:
- Title of the paper: The title of the paper should be clear, concise, and informative. It should accurately reflect the content of the paper.
- Author information: The author information includes the author’s name, the author’s affiliation, and the author’s contact information.
- Affiliation information: The affiliation information includes the name of the institution where the author is employed or enrolled.
- Running head: The running head is a shortened version of the title of the paper. It appears at the top of every page of the paper.
Abstract
The abstract is a brief summary of the paper, no more than 150 words. It should include the research question, methods, findings, and conclusions. The abstract is important because it allows readers to quickly get a sense of what the paper is about.
Body of the paper
The body of the paper is divided into sections, such as the introduction, literature review, methods, results, and discussion.
- Introduction: The introduction introduces the topic of the paper and states the research question or hypothesis. It also provides a brief overview of the paper.
- Literature review: The literature review summarizes the relevant research on the topic of the paper. It identifies any gaps in the literature and explains how the study will address these gaps.
- Methods: The methods section describes the design of the study, the data collection methods, and the data analysis methods.
- Results: The results section presents the findings of the study. It should be clear, concise, and objective.
- Discussion: The discussion section interprets the findings of the study and discusses their implications for nursing practice. It also identifies any limitations of the study and suggests directions for future research.
Conclusion
The conclusion summarizes the main points of the paper and discusses the implications of the findings. It should also leave the reader with something to think about.
References
The references list all of the sources that were cited in the paper. It is important to cite all of your sources correctly to avoid plagiarism.
FAQs
Q.What are some common APA formatting mistakes?
Some common APA formatting mistakes include:
- Not including a running head on all pages of the paper
- Not using double spacing throughout the paper
- Not using the correct font and font size
- Not citing sources correctly
- Not indenting paragraphs correctly
Q.How do I cite a source in APA style?
There are two main ways to cite a source in APA style: in-text citations and reference list entries.
- In-text citations: In-text citations are used to indicate where you have used information from another source in your paper. They are placed within the text of your paper, in parentheses, after the sentence or phrase that contains the borrowed information.
There are two types of in-text citations: parenthetical citations and narrative citations.
- Parenthetical citations: Parenthetical citations are the most common type of in-text citation. They include the author’s last name and the year of publication of the source. For example:
(Smith, 2023)
If you are citing a source with two authors, include both last names and a comma in parentheses. For example:
(Smith & Jones, 2023)
If you are citing a source with more than two authors, list the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” and the year of publication. For example:
(Smith et al., 2023)
- Narrative citations: Narrative citations are used to cite a source that is mentioned in the text of your paper. In a narrative citation, you include the author’s last name and the year of publication in the text of your paper, rather than in parentheses. For example:
Smith (2023) found that…
If you are citing a source with two authors, include both last names and a comma in the text of your paper. For example:
Smith and Jones (2023) found that…
If you are citing a source with more than two authors, list the first author’s last name followed by “et al.” and the year of publication in the text of your paper. For example:
Smith et al. (2023) found that…
Reference list entries: Reference list entries are used to provide full bibliographic information for all of the sources that you have cited in your paper. They are placed at the end of your paper, on a separate page labeled “References.”
The format of a reference list entry will vary depending on the type of source. For example, the format for a book reference will be different from the format for a journal article reference.
For more information on how to cite sources in APA style, please consult the APA Publication Manual (7th edition).
Q.Where can I find more information on APA style?
The American Psychological Association (APA) website provides a wealth of information on APA style, including a style guide, tutorials, and FAQs. Many libraries also offer workshops and other resources on APA style.
