Study tutorial on how to write a paper using APA format
One of the many types of papers you will be asked to write in school is an APA format paper. But you might not be familiar with this style or know much about how to use it or format your paper with it as a guide. But have no fear as every student struggles from time to time.
Are you unfamiliar with this style of writing?
If you have never written in this particular discipline or style before, it can be challenging to get started. If you have only ever produced lab reports, you may not know how to start a thesis paper. To solve this, you can review some course and department websites on the academic institution’s website. Look for examples there, or on any other academic department website. You can look for explanations too. Don’t be afraid to review handbooks or guides related to this discipline. There are also many online resources that offer examples for you to review. If nothing else, you can always approach the professor and ask for guidance. They can help direct you toward other examples from previous students or online samples.
Are you struggling to find the words?
It is normal to have trouble finding the right words or to be rendered unable to precisely express your ideas in a first draft. But this does not mean you need to paralyze yourself or the progress of your paper. Below are some tips on overcoming this struggle:
- Avoid using words with which you are unfamiliar. You might want to sound smart, but this is not going to convince your readers that you are. Try and get your ideas across clearly and in a simple manner rather than run the risk of accidentally using a word that does not quite fit.
- Get something, anything, down on paper. Try free writing exercises to free your mind from any distractions and to make room for creative thoughts. Avoid stopping for spelling or punctuation issues with your free write, just do it for five solid minutes. Once the five minutes is up, look over what you have and find any recurring themes or important themes.
- You will have lots of time later for revisions and for editing. So get all of your thoughts formulated into a draft that you can then revise to change sentence structure as needed. You can change your tone, integrate keywords, and improve word choice later.