Here is the conventional arrangement of the major sections of an APA-style paper. Note that although each of the following headings is an active link, the material those links take you to will be covered on other pages of this module)

• Title Page: acts as the first major section of the document
  • Begins the document’s pagination
  • Includes the paper’s full title centered in the upper half of the page
  • Contains the name(s) of the writer(s) and their institutional affiliation
• Abstract: acts as the second major section of the document
  • Presents a single-paragraph summary of the paper’s contents
  • Contains approximately 150 to 250 words
  • Includes select keywords for easy access by researchers
• Main Body: acts as the third major section of the document
  • Presents a report of the writer’s (or writers’) research and findings
  • Includes four sections (typically): the Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion
  • Provides the reader with pertinent information about the paper’s topic
• References page: acts as the fourth major section of the document
  • Presents a compilation of the sources cited in the paper
  • Provides a comprehensive list of works that appear as in-text citations in the paper
  • Details the full source information for each entry