Categoría: Normas APA

The APA results section reports what you found — nothing more, nothing less. It presents your findings objectively, in enough statistical detail for readers to evaluate them, without interpretation or discussion of what the findings mean. Interpretation belongs in the Discussion section.

Results Section Format

Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Section 3.7.

How to Report Common Statistics in APA

Descriptive statistics

The sleep-deprived group scored significantly lower on the exam (M = 71.3, SD = 12.4) compared to the adequate-sleep group (M = 82.5, SD = 9.3).

Independent samples t-test

Students who slept fewer than six hours performed significantly worse on the examination than those who slept seven or more hours, t(198) = 6.34, p < .001, d = 0.91.

ANOVA

There was a significant main effect of sleep group on exam scores, F(3, 308) = 18.42, p < .001, η² = .15.

Correlation

Sleep duration was positively correlated with exam performance, r(310) = .42, p < .001.

Chi-square

The distribution of pass/fail outcomes differed significantly by sleep group, χ²(3, N = 312) = 14.72, p = .002.

APA Statistical Reporting Standards

Structuring the Results Section

Organize findings to mirror your research questions. A clear structure looks like this:

1. Preliminary analyses — data screening, descriptive statistics, assumption checks
2. Primary analyses — tests for each research question or hypothesis, in order
3. Secondary or exploratory analyses — if any were pre-planned

Start with a brief paragraph that orients the reader to the structure. Then walk through each finding systematically. Use tables and figures for complex data; report simpler statistics in the text.

Using Tables and Figures in the Results Section

Reference every table and figure in the text before it appears: «Table 2 presents descriptive statistics…» or «As shown in Figure 1, scores increased…»

What NOT to Include in the Results Section

Common Results Section Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Should the results section include a summary at the end?

No. The results section presents data without narrative framing. A brief transitional sentence leading into the Discussion is acceptable («These findings are examined in the following section»), but a results summary with interpretation belongs in the Discussion.

How long should the results section be?

Length depends on how many analyses you ran. A simple study with one or two tests might have a one-page results section. A complex multivariate study might require five pages with multiple tables. Length is determined by the data, not by a target word count.

Can I report non-significant results?

Yes — and you should. Report all pre-planned analyses regardless of outcome. Selectively reporting only significant results is a form of reporting bias. Non-significant results are still informative and contribute to the scientific record.

For the full APA paper structure — methods, results, discussion, and reference list — see the APA Format Guide.

The APA methods section describes exactly how you conducted your study. Its purpose is reproducibility: a reader should be able to replicate your study based solely on what you write here. It answers three core questions — who participated, what materials or instruments were used, and what procedure was followed.

Methods Section Structure

Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Section 3.6.

Methods Section Formatting

Participants Subsection: What to Report

Report enough demographic information for readers to assess generalizability:

Example: Participants paragraph

Participants were 312 undergraduate students (Mage = 20.3 years, SD = 2.1; 58% women, 40% men, 2% nonbinary) recruited from the psychology subject pool at a large public university in the southeastern United States. Inclusion criteria required enrollment in at least 12 credit hours and self-reported fluency in English. Participants received course credit for participation. The study was approved by the university’s Institutional Review Board (Protocol #2023-0412), and all participants provided written informed consent.

Materials / Instruments Subsection

For each measure or instrument, report:

• Name of the instrument
• Number of items and response scale
• What construct it measures
• Reliability (Cronbach’s α or other coefficient)
• Citation for the original scale
• Any modifications made for your study

Example: Instrument description

Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI; Buysse et al., 1989), a 19-item self-report instrument that assesses seven components of sleep across the past month. Items use a 0–3 scale; a global PSQI score above 5 indicates poor sleep quality. Internal consistency in the present sample was acceptable (α = .78).

Procedure Subsection

Describe events in the order they occurred. Include:

• Where data collection took place (lab, online, field)
• What participants did, in sequence
• Duration of each task or session
• Any counterbalancing or randomization
• Instructions given to participants (summarized, not verbatim)
• How data were recorded or collected

Common Methods Section Mistakes

For the APA results section — what to write immediately after the Methods — see the APA Format Guide.

APA tables display numerical data and comparisons in rows and columns. Unlike figures, tables use words and numbers rather than visual elements. Every table has a number, a title, and optionally a note — and unlike figures, the label and title appear above the table, not below it.

APA Table Format: The Four Components

Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Sections 7.8–7.21.

Table Structure Rules

Example: Correctly Formatted APA Table

Table 2

Descriptive Statistics for Test Scores by Sleep Duration Group

Note. M = mean; SD = standard deviation. Scores are from the final examination on a 100-point scale.

Types of Table Notes

Numbering and Placement

Tables are numbered sequentially in order of first mention: Table 1, Table 2, Table 3. In appendices, use the appendix letter: Table A1, Table B1.

For student papers, embed tables in the text right after the paragraph that first references them. For manuscript submissions, place all tables after the reference list, each on its own page.

When to Use a Table vs. a Figure

Common Table Mistakes

For figure formatting — which follows different placement and labeling rules — see the APA Format Guide.

In APA 7th edition, figures include any visual display that is not a table: graphs, charts, maps, photographs, diagrams, and drawings. Every figure needs a number, a title, and a note if the source needs attribution. The label, title, and note all appear below the figure — not above it.

APA Figure Format: The Four Components

Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Sections 7.22–7.36.

Correct Label and Caption Layout

All four components appear below the figure, flush left, double-spaced:

Figure 1
Mean Test Scores by Sleep Duration Group

[Figure appears here]

Note. Error bars represent one standard deviation. Data collected from 312 undergraduate participants at a single university. Adapted from «Sleep and Academic Performance,» by Walker and Smith (2023, p. 45). Copyright 2023 by Academic Press.

Types of Figure Notes

Numbering Figures

Number figures sequentially in the order they are first mentioned in the text: Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3. Do not use letters or subsection numbers (not «Figure 2a» or «Figure 3.1» for main text figures).

Figures in appendices use the appendix letter: Figure A1, Figure A2, Figure B1.

Figure Placement in the Paper

Referencing a Figure in the Text

Always mention every figure in the text before it appears:

«Figure 1 shows the distribution of scores across all four conditions.»
«As illustrated in Figure 3, response times decreased significantly with practice.»

Figure Formatting Details

Common Figure Mistakes

For APA table formatting rules — which differ significantly from figure rules — see the APA Format Guide.

An APA appendix contains supplementary material that supports your paper but would interrupt the flow of the main text — survey instruments, raw data tables, lengthy statistical output, stimuli, or detailed procedures. Each appendix starts on its own page and is labeled with a capital letter: Appendix A, Appendix B, and so on.

APA Appendix Format Rules

Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Section 2.14.

How to Label an Appendix

The label and title appear at the top of the appendix page:

Appendix A
Survey Instrument Used in Study 1

If you have only one appendix, label it simply «Appendix» — no letter. If you have two or more, use letters in the order the appendices are first mentioned in the text.

How to Reference an Appendix in the Text

Every appendix must be mentioned at least once in the body of the paper. Reference it by letter:

What Belongs in an Appendix

Tables and Figures Within an Appendix

Tables and figures inside an appendix use the appendix letter in their labels rather than sequential numbers from the main text:

Common Appendix Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an appendix have its own reference list?

No. All sources cited within an appendix must appear in the main reference list. Do not create a separate reference list within the appendix.

Does the appendix need a page number?

Yes. Page numbers continue sequentially through the appendix, just as they do throughout the rest of the paper.

What if my appendix is a form or document created by someone else?

Include it with a note about its source and cite it in the reference list. If it is copyrighted, you may need written permission from the copyright holder before reproducing it in a published work.

For complete APA paper structure including tables, figures, and reference list format, see the APA Format Guide.

The APA reference page is the last section of your paper — a complete, alphabetically ordered list of every source cited in your text. It is titled «References» (not «Bibliography» or «Works Cited»), starts on its own page, and follows strict formatting rules for each source type.

Reference Page Format Requirements

Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Chapter 9.

Reference Format by Source Type

Journal article

Format: Last name, I. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example:
Walker, M. P., & Stickgold, R. (2023). Sleep, memory, and plasticity. Annual Review of Psychology, 74(1), 55–78. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070307

Book

Format: Last name, I. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Example:
Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner.

Book chapter (edited volume)

Format: Last name, I. (Year). Title of chapter. In I. Last name (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Example:
Smith, J. (2022). Memory consolidation during sleep. In R. Brown (Ed.), Handbook of sleep science (pp. 112–145). Academic Press.

Website

Format: Last name, I. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL

Example:
American Psychological Association. (2023, March 15). How to cite sources in APA format. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/learn/quick-guide-on-references

More cases, including pages with no author or no date, are covered in our guide on how to cite a website in APA.

Newspaper article

Format: Last name, I. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Name. URL

Example:
Carey, B. (2023, October 12). Scientists uncover new findings on sleep deprivation. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/health/sleep-research.html

Government or institutional report

Format: Author or Agency. (Year). Title of report (Report No. XXX). Publisher. URL

Example:
National Institutes of Health. (2023). Sleep disorders research plan (NIH Publication No. 23-7982). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sleep

Alphabetical Ordering Rules

How to Create a Hanging Indent in Word

1. Select all reference entries.
2. Right-click → Paragraph.
3. Under Indentation → Special, select Hanging.
4. Set the By value to 0.5″.
5. Click OK.

Common Reference Page Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

A reference list contains only sources cited in the text. A bibliography may include additional sources you consulted but did not cite. APA uses reference lists — not bibliographies.

Should I include the access date for websites?

Only when the content is likely to change over time — like wikis, social media posts, or frequently updated pages. For stable web pages (reports, articles with a clear publication date), no access date is needed.

What if a source has no publication date?

Use «n.d.» in place of the year: Smith, J. (n.d.). Title. Publisher.

For complete in-text citation rules that correspond to each reference type above, see the APA In-Text Citation Guide.

APA in-text citations use the author-date system: every time you quote, paraphrase, or summarize a source, you include the author’s last name and the publication year in parentheses. For direct quotes, you also add a page number. These brief citations point readers to the full reference in your reference list.

Basic In-Text Citation Format

Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Chapter 8.

Parenthetical vs. Narrative Citations

APA allows two ways to incorporate a citation into your writing:

Both are correct. Narrative citations work well when you want to emphasize who conducted the research. Parenthetical citations keep the focus on the finding itself. Vary your approach to improve readability.

Number of Authors: Citation Rules

APA 7 simplified the rule for 3+ authors — you use «et al.» from the very first citation, unlike APA 6 which listed all authors for the first mention.

Direct Quotes: Format and Examples

Short quotations (under 40 words)

Incorporate into your text with quotation marks:

Smith (2023) concluded that «the relationship between sleep and memory consolidation is stronger than previously understood» (p. 112).

Block quotations (40 words or more)

Start on a new line, indented 0.5 inch from the left margin, no quotation marks. The citation goes after the closing punctuation:

Walker (2023) described the mechanism as follows:

During slow-wave sleep, the hippocampus replays newly encoded memories and transfers them to the neocortex for long-term storage. This process, known as memory consolidation, requires uninterrupted sleep cycles of sufficient duration to complete all necessary transfer operations. (p. 198)

Special Cases

No author

Use the first few words of the title in place of the author. Use quotation marks for article titles, italics for book or report titles:

(«Sleep Study Results,» 2023) — for an article
(Annual Sleep Report, 2023) — for a book or report

No date

Use «n.d.» (no date) in place of the year: (Smith, n.d.)

Organization or government as author

Spell out the full name on first use; use the abbreviation thereafter if one exists:

First citation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023)
Subsequent citations: (WHO, 2023)

Two authors with the same last name

Include first initials to distinguish them, even if the publication years differ:

(J. Smith, 2022) and (R. Smith, 2023)

Two works by the same author in the same year

Add lowercase letters after the year, assigned alphabetically by title:

(Smith, 2023a) and (Smith, 2023b)

Citing multiple sources in one parenthetical

List citations alphabetically, separated by semicolons:

(Brown, 2021; Garcia, 2022; Smith, 2023)

Secondary sources (citing a source you found cited in another source)

Cite only when the original is unavailable. Identify the original work and credit the source where you found it:

Freud (as cited in Smith, 2023)

Only Smith (2023) appears in your reference list — not Freud’s original work.

Common In-Text Citation Mistakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a page number for paraphrases?

APA 7 does not require page numbers for paraphrases, but the manual recommends including them when it would help readers locate the specific passage. For long books with many chapters, a page or paragraph number is helpful even for paraphrases.

What if a source has no page numbers (website, e-book)?

Use a paragraph number (para. 4), a heading name, or a section label to help readers locate the passage: (Smith, 2023, «Results» section, para. 2).

Should I cite every sentence when paraphrasing a long passage?

No. When you are clearly paraphrasing a single source across multiple sentences, APA allows you to cite once at the end of the passage rather than after every sentence. Make it clear from context that the entire passage refers to the same source.

For the complete APA reference list format — how to format books, journals, websites, and more at the end of your paper — see the APA References Guide.

An APA abstract is a 150–250 word summary of your paper that appears on its own page, directly after the title page. It gives readers a complete but concise overview of your paper’s purpose, method, results, and conclusions — enough to decide whether to read the full paper.

APA Abstract Format Requirements

Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Chapter 2, Section 2.9.

Do Student Papers Need an Abstract?

Not always. APA 7th edition states that student papers do not require an abstract unless the instructor or institution requests one. For short course papers (5–10 pages), an abstract is typically not needed. For longer research papers, theses, and dissertations, it is generally expected.

When in doubt, check your syllabus or ask your professor before spending time writing an abstract.

Structured vs. Unstructured Abstracts

Example: Unstructured Abstract

This study examined the relationship between sleep duration and academic performance among undergraduate students at a large public university. A survey of 312 students collected data on self-reported sleep hours, grade point average, and study habits over one semester. Students sleeping fewer than six hours per night showed significantly lower GPAs compared to those sleeping seven or more hours (p < .001). Perceived stress mediated the relationship between sleep and GPA in approximately 40% of cases. These findings suggest that institutional sleep health interventions may produce measurable academic benefits at relatively low cost.

Keywords: sleep duration, academic performance, undergraduate students, GPA, stress

Example: Structured Abstract

Objective: To examine whether mindfulness-based interventions reduce test anxiety in high school students.

Method: A randomized controlled trial with 180 students assigned to an 8-week mindfulness program or a waitlist control condition. Anxiety was measured using the Test Anxiety Inventory at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up.

Results: Intervention students showed significantly lower test anxiety at post-intervention (d = 0.72) and at follow-up (d = 0.58) compared to controls.

Conclusions: Mindfulness training produces meaningful reductions in test anxiety that persist at 3-month follow-up. School-based implementation is feasible within existing curriculum structures.

How to Format the Keywords Line

The keywords line appears directly below the abstract paragraph, on the same page. Format it as follows:

• Start with the label Keywords: in italics, followed by a colon.
• List 3–5 keywords in lowercase, separated by commas.
• No period at the end of the keywords line.
• Keywords should reflect the main concepts of your paper — the terms someone would search to find your work.

Correct format:
Keywords: academic writing, APA format, citation style, student papers, reference list

What to Include in Each Part of the Abstract

Abstract Word Count by Paper Type

Common Abstract Mistakes

APA 6 vs APA 7: Abstract Changes

The core abstract requirements stayed the same between editions. The main change in APA 7 is that student papers are no longer required to include an abstract (it was previously expected for all papers). The keywords line was also formalized in APA 7 — in APA 6, keywords were sometimes placed before the abstract rather than after.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should the abstract mention the title of the paper?

No. The title already appears on the title page and as a header on the first page of the body. The abstract should stand on its own — a reader who sees only the abstract should understand the paper’s purpose, method, and findings without needing the title.

Can I use abbreviations in the abstract?

Define abbreviations on first use within the abstract itself, even if you define them again in the body. The abstract is read independently and cannot rely on definitions from the body of the paper.

Does the abstract count toward the paper’s word limit?

It depends on your instructor’s instructions. Most course assignments with a word limit refer to the body text only. When in doubt, ask. Professionally submitted manuscripts typically count abstract and body words separately.

For the complete APA paper structure — title page, abstract, headings, references, and appendices — see the APA Format Guide.

El formato APA 2026 define cómo debe presentarse un trabajo académico: márgenes, fuente, interlineado, numeración de páginas, estructura de secciones, citas y referencias. Esta guía reúne todos los parámetros de la 7.ª edición del Manual de Publicaciones de la APA en un solo lugar, con los valores exactos para cada elemento.

Parámetros de formato APA 2026: tabla resumen

Estructura de un trabajo en formato APA

Un trabajo académico en formato APA sigue un orden de secciones establecido. No todas son obligatorias en todos los documentos: depende del tipo de trabajo y de las instrucciones del docente o institución.

Formato de la portada APA 2026

La portada es la primera página del trabajo y contiene información distinta según si es un trabajo estudiantil o un manuscrito profesional.

Portada para trabajos estudiantiles

Formato de los encabezados (headings) en APA

APA 7 define cinco niveles de encabezado. Solo se usan los niveles necesarios en orden jerárquico (no se puede usar Nivel 2 sin haber usado Nivel 1):

Formato de citas en el texto

Las citas dentro del texto siguen el sistema autor-fecha. El formato varía según el tipo de cita:

Formato de la lista de referencias

La lista de referencias va en una página nueva, con el título «Referencias» centrado y en negrita. Cada entrada sigue estas reglas:

Ejemplos de referencias frecuentes

Libro:
Apellido, Inicial. (Año). Título del libro. Editorial.

Artículo de revista:
Apellido, Inicial. (Año). Título del artículo. Nombre de la Revista, volumen(número), páginas. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Página web:
Apellido, Inicial. (Año, día de mes). Título de la página. Nombre del sitio. URL

Lista de verificación de formato APA antes de entregar

• Márgenes de 2,54 cm en los cuatro lados
• Fuente de la lista aprobada, tamaño correcto para la fuente elegida
• Interlineado doble en todo el documento, 0 pt antes y después de párrafo
• Sangría de 1,27 cm en la primera línea de cada párrafo
• Número de página en esquina superior derecha en todas las páginas
• Portada con todos los elementos en el orden correcto
• Citas en texto con formato autor-fecha
• Lista de referencias ordenada alfabéticamente con sangría francesa
• Alineación izquierda en el cuerpo del texto

Para ver ejemplos detallados de cada sección, incluyendo portada, resumen y lista de referencias con casos específicos, consulta los artículos individuales de esta guía o descarga la plantilla APA en Word.

APA 7th edition does not require a table of contents for standard research papers or student assignments. A table of contents is appropriate only when your paper is long enough that readers need navigation help — typically theses, dissertations, multi-chapter reports, and book-length manuscripts. For a standard 10–20 page course paper, skip it.

When to Include an APA Table of Contents

The APA manual itself does not include specific formatting instructions for a table of contents because APA-style papers are typically journal articles or short academic papers, not book-length documents. The formatting guidance below reflects best practices consistent with APA style principles, adapted for theses and long reports.

APA Table of Contents Format

Example APA Table of Contents

Here is how a correctly formatted APA table of contents looks:

Table of Contents

Abstract ......................................................................................  2
Introduction ..................................................................................  3
   Background and Context ...............................................................  4
   Research Questions ....................................................................  5
Method ........................................................................................  6
   Participants ..............................................................................  6
   Instruments ...............................................................................  7
   Procedure .................................................................................  8
Results ........................................................................................  9
   Quantitative Findings ..................................................................  9
   Qualitative Themes ..................................................................... 12
Discussion .................................................................................... 15
Conclusion .................................................................................... 18
References .................................................................................... 19
Appendix A: Survey Instrument ......................................................... 22
Appendix B: Consent Form ............................................................... 24

How to Create an APA Table of Contents in Word

Method 1: Automatic (recommended)

1. Apply heading styles to your document sections: select each section title and apply Heading 1, Heading 2, or Heading 3 from the Styles panel in the Home tab.
2. Place your cursor where the table of contents should appear (after the abstract page).
3. Go to References → Table of Contents → Custom Table of Contents.
4. Set Show levels: 3 (to include Levels 1–3).
5. Make sure Show page numbers and Right align page numbers are both checked.
6. Set Tab leader to dots (…).
7. Click OK.

Word generates the table automatically from your heading styles. When you edit the document, right-click the table of contents and select Update Field → Update entire table to refresh page numbers.

Method 2: Manual

Type each entry manually with tab stops set to right-align at the right margin, using dot leaders. This works for short documents but becomes impractical for long ones since page numbers must be updated by hand every time content changes.

Matching Heading Styles to APA Heading Levels

Word’s built-in Heading styles do not match APA formatting by default. You need to modify them:

To modify a heading style: right-click the style in the Styles panel → Modify → adjust formatting to match the APA requirements above.

Table of Contents in Theses and Dissertations

For theses and dissertations, your institution’s formatting guide takes precedence over APA. Common institutional requirements that differ from standard APA:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does APA require a table of contents?

No. The APA manual does not require a table of contents for research papers or student assignments. It is only appropriate for long documents where readers need navigation — primarily theses, dissertations, and book-length manuscripts.

Where does the table of contents go in an APA paper?

When included, the table of contents comes after the abstract and before the introduction. It occupies its own page and continues the sequential page numbering of the document.

Should «Abstract» appear in the table of contents?

For most course papers: no, since a table of contents is not required. For theses and dissertations: typically yes — all front matter including the abstract is listed with its page number.

How many heading levels should appear in the table of contents?

For most academic papers, Levels 1–3 is sufficient. Including Level 4 and 5 headings makes the table of contents unwieldy. For theses with very detailed chapter structures, check your institution’s template — some specify the exact number of levels to show.

For the complete APA paper structure including title page, abstract, and reference list format, see the APA Format Guide.