How_to_Write_a_Research_Proposal_in_the_APA_Style

#How_to_Write_a_Research_Proposal_in_the_APA_Style

The sixth edition of the “Publication
Manual of the American
___________________________
#General_Structure

APA format recommends that you
type your proposal with a highly
legible 12-point font, such as Times
New Roman. It needs to be double-
spaced. When you write a new
paragraph, indent fives spaces or use
the Tab key. Your paper should have
a 1-inch margin on all sides. At the
top of each page, insert a running
head in the header. To format this
correctly, write the title of your
proposal in the upper left hand side
and the page number in the upper
right hand side. Your running head is
limited to 50 characters, including
spaces. If you must shorten your
title, select the keywords.

#Title_Page

For your research proposal, your title
page should include your paper’s
title, your name and your university’s
name. Other information that may
appear on the title page includes
submission date, budget period, total
funds requested or advisor’s name,
depending on your proposal’s
audience. APA style recommends
that your title is no more than 12
words in length. All text on this page
should be double-spaced. When
listing names, do not include any
titles or degrees. The running head
is different on the title page than the
rest of your paper. Format your
running head so it says “Running
head” followed by a colon and your
title.

#Abstract

In APA format, your abstract is the
second page of your paper. Despite
appearing at the beginning of your
paper, plan to write your research
proposal last. This is a brief
summary of your entire paper. In a
150- to 250-word paragraph, state
your problem, and propose a solution
for it. To properly format this page,
center the word “Abstract” without
any additional formatting on the first
line of the page. Following a double-
space, write your paragraph. Do not
indent this paragraph. After your
summary, indent five spaces and
write the word, “Keywords” in italics
followed by a colon. Then list
keywords related to your proposal.

#In_Text_Citations
Every sentence that references
another person’s work must include
an in-text citation. The APA
recommends that you use the author-
date method. Write the author’s name
and the publication year within
parentheses at the end of the
referencing sentence. For example,
“One study found that the most
important element in comprehending
non-native speech is familiarity with
the topic (Gass & Varonis, 1984).”

#References

At the end of your proposal, APA
style advises that you create a
references page that lists citations
for all of your references. Label this
page with the word “References”
centered on the first line of the page.
Then list all the sources used within
your proposal in alphabetical order
by the author’s last name. For any
references that are longer than one
line, indent all subsequent lines by
five spaces.
When writing references, APA style
recommends that you give the
author’s last name and then use
initials for all other names. For a
single author book, write the author’s
last name, a comma, first initial and
a period. Next, write the publication
year in parentheses. Place a period
outside the last parenthesis. Then
write the title of the book in italics
and sentence case, a period, the city,
a comma, the state, a colon, the
publisher’s name and a period. A
reference may look like this:
Zerby, C. (2002). Devil’s details: A
history of footnotes. Montpelier, VT:
Invisible Cities Press.