An APA-style paper includes the following sections:
• Title page
• Abstract
• Introduction
• Literature Review
• Methodology
• Findings/Results
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• References
Your paper may also include one or more of the following: tables and/or figures. Different parts of your research are
addressed in each of these sections, as described above.
General formatting rules are as follows:
Do not apply page breaks in between the introduction, method, results, discussion, and conclusion sections.
The title page, abstract, references, table(s), and figure(s) must be on their pages.
The entire paper must be written in past tense, in a 12-point font, double-spaced, and with one-inch margins all around.
Title page (refer to APA Manual 7th edition)
The title should be between 10-12 words and should reflect the content of your paper.
Title, your name, and California State University, Dominguez Hills are all double-spaced (no extra spaces)
Add page numbers to start on the first page after the title page.
Abstract (labeled, centered, not bold)
No more than 120 words, one paragraph, block format (i.e., don’t indent), double-spaced.
State the topic, preferably in one sentence. Provide an overview of the method, results, and discussion.
Introduction (Do not label as “Introduction.” The title of the paper goes at the top of the page—not bold)
The introduction of an APA-style paper is the most difficult to write. A good introduction will summarize, integrate, and
critically evaluate the qualitative/quantitative knowledge in the relevant area(s) in a way that sets the stage for your
study and why you pursued it. The introduction starts broad (but not too broad!) and gets more focused toward the end.
Your introduction should be a logical flow of ideas that leads up to your hypothesis/research question. Try to organize it
in terms of ideas rather than who did what and when.
The introduction will end with a brief overview of your study and finally, your specific hypotheses. The hypotheses
should flow logically out of everything that’s been presented so that the reader has the sense of “Of course. This
hypothesis makes complete sense, given all the other research that was presented.”
When incorporating references into your introduction, you do not necessarily need to describe every single study in
complete detail, particularly if different studies use similar methodologies. You should summarize key articles, though,
and point out differences in methods findings, or relevant studies when necessary. DO NOT quote from the articles,
instead paraphrase by putting the information in your own words.
Remember that your audience is the broader academic community in CJA and CBAPP, not other students in your class.
Literature Review (labeled, centered, bold)
Incorporate your literature review inclusive of a minimum of seven, and a maximum of 10 academic, peer-reviewed,
scholarly articles. Your literature review must include the introduction, body, and conclusion for each source included in
the culminating research paper.
Methodology (labeled, centered, bold)
The Method section of an APA-style paper is the most straightforward to write but requires precision. Your goal is to
describe the details of your study in such a way that another researcher could duplicate your methods exactly. The
Method section typically includes Participants, Materials, and/or Apparatus, and Procedure sections.
Findings/Results (labeled, centered, bold)
In this section, describe how you analyzed the data (from the articles) and what you found. Do not spend too much time
interpreting or explaining the results; save that for the Discussion section.
Discussion (labeled, flush, bold)
Through your analysis of the articles read for this research endeavor, you will present well-organized and well-supported
arguments grounded in criminal justice research (Effective Communication). Communicate the basis of the research
conducted specifically related to the criminal justice problems and potential solutions informed by the empirical
(qualitative/quantitative) research (Critical thinking).
Integrate diversity and multicultural perspectives into explanations of the research process and its outcomes as it applies
to criminal justice research (Diversity).
Conclusion (labeled, flush, bold)
Provide a brief overview and significance of the study. DO mention the limitations and their implications and why this
study is important. Offer suggestions/recommendations on how your research can be expanded or improved without
introducing new information.
DO NOT introduce new information. Instead, your conclusion should restate your main points and provide closure.
Links to articles are in the literature review, feel free to add.