By Writing a thesis is a significant milestone in one’s academic career. However, formatting it in APA Style? Very Challenging!
It is like walking a tightrope blindfolded – one misstep in grammar or punctuation and your whole structure wobbles. Hence the reason why many students find it nerve wracking.
The APA is the most common formatting style widely used across education, business, psychology and the social sciences.
If you are required to submit your thesis in this format, don’t worry – this guide will break down the process for you step-by-step, making it easier (dare we say) almost fun.
Let’s dive into the details about formatting your thesis in APA style.
Why Does APA Style Matters?
Think of APA style as a uniform your thesis wears. It makes sure your work is consistent and professional. Furthermore, it helps build credibility.
The APA formatting is not all about learning where to place a comma or how to cite a source. In fact, it is more about clear communication.
Additionally, according to the APA Publication Manual, formatting helps readers:
- Quickly understand your argument.
- Furthermore, it helps locate the references.
- Moreover, it allows you to follow your ideas without any confusion.
Fun Fact: A survey of 2023 reports that 64% of the university writing centres use APA as the formatting style for PhD theses.
Tips for Formatting Your Thesis In APA Style
Here are the top tips for formatting your thesis in the APA style. They include:
- Understand the APA thesis Structure
- Create a perfect title page
- Write an Abstract that hooks
- Follow APA Formatting Throughout
- Cite Like A Pro
- Write Each Section with Clarity
- Add Appendices
- Review, Edit and Proofread
Come on! Let’s have a look in detail.
1. Understand the APA thesis Structure
If you are formatting your thesis using the APA format, there is a particular structure that you need to adhere to. Here is a complete layout that you need to follow:
- Title Page
- Abstract
- Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Literature Review
- Methodology
- Results
- Discussions
- Conclusion
- References
- Appendices
Below, we will talk about each of the sections in detail, so stick to our blog till the end. Also, if you are having trouble understanding the APA structure, connect with the thesis formatting company. They have experts in their team. Thus they can help you with all your queries. Moreover, they can even format the dissertation for you.
Create a perfect title page.
APA 7 has made the title page for students. When creating a page, here is what you need to include:
- Title of the thesis
- Your name
- Institution Name
- Course Name and Number
- Instructor’s name
- Due Date
For Example:
- The Effects of Social Media
- Sarah Atlas
- University of Munich
- PSY 601: Psychology research
- DR Harrison
- May 7, 2025
A Pro Tip: Make sure to use 12-pt Times New Roman or 11-PT Calibri. Furthermore, use double space in everything.
Write an Abstract that Hooks
An abstract is a concise summary of 150 to 250 words of your thesis. Moreover, it should:
- Tell the readers about your research question
- Furthermore, briefly describe your methods
- Summarise the key findings
- Additionally, mention the results and implications.
Tip: Even though it comes right after the thesis, consider writing it at the end after you have completed the thesis.
Follow APA Formatting Throughout
Using APA style is not all about adding commas. Instead, there is a particular format in which your thesis must look:
- The Margins must be 1 inch on all sides.
- Furthermore, there must be double spacing throughout the document.
- Make sure to use the 12-point Times New Roman or 11-PT Calibri font.
- Also page numbers must be mentioned on the top right of each page.
- Additionally, make sure to use headings and subheadings throughout your work. This will help you organise your work.
Here is what it must look like:
Another Example:
Remember that using structured headings helps your reader navigate the thesis more easily.
Cite Like A Pro
Do you know APA has a very specific way of citing both in-text citations and references? Here is what they should know about:
In-text Citations
Make sure to use the author-date format. For example:
- Narrative – According to Bandura (1987), social media affects behaviour.
- Parenthetical – Social media affects behaviours (Bandura, 1987)
If you are adding direct quotes, make sure to include the page numbers.
“Social media affects behaviour” (Bandura, 1987, p.54)
Reference List
When you are done writing the thesis, make sure to add a reference list in alphabetical order. Furthermore, also include the author’s last name.
Ensure that the reference list is double-spaced. Additionally, use hanging indentation in the references. Furthermore, you also should make sure that the cited work appears in the reference list and vice versa.
Write Each Section With Clarity
When tackling each section of your thesis, make sure to maintain clarity. Thus here is how you can do it:
- Introduction: Define the problem clearly, state the objectives and provide background information.
- Literature Review: Summarise the past research. Moreover, identify gaps and show what you found out.
- Methodology: Tell the readers what methods you used for conducting research and why.
- Results: Make sure to present your findings clearly. Furthermore, use APA-style tables and figures.
- Discussion: Make sure to interpret the results. Additionally, compare them with the past studies and discuss the implications.
- Conclusion: Conclude your thesis by summarising the main points.
A Pro Tip: If you are having trouble writing a thesis in the APA format, consider seeking professional guidance. You can even pay someone to write my thesis. They have experience and can help you craft a solid thesis paper.
Add Appendices
This section is optional. However, you can use this to provide supplementary details like survey forms, data tables or consent forms.
Make sure to label them as Appendix A and Appendix B etc. Furthermore, don’t forget to refer to them in your text.
Review, Edit and Proofread
Phew! You are almost done with the thesis. The last step is to review and edit. Make sure to keep the APA checklist from your university and double-check formatting. Furthermore, you can use tools like Grammarly, Quillbolt and Scribber’s citation generator.
Additionally, ask yourself if the thesis is formatted well and if you have followed all the relevant references.
Wrapping Up!
So that is a wrap! Formatting a thesis in APA style is no feat. It requires proper understanding. Furthermore, you need to be consistent and maintain attention to detail. Furthermore, think of the APA as a supportive framework that makes your ideas shine. Hence, it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. By referring to the tips mentioned in this guide, you can easily format your thesis.
So take a deep breath and start formatting.
