APA Outline Format

The guidelines from the American Psychological Association or APA are used for
writing papers and doing assignments in the social sciences. They have guidelines for
research papers, from the initial title page to the final works cited page. The APA even
provides format examples for outlines to be prepared before the paper is written.

Understanding the APA Outline Format
Topic Point The College Application Process (Basic APA format)
Full Sentence Outline Format
Decimal Outline Format
Tips on Creating an Outline
Use parallelism - Parallelism refers to the structure between headings and sub-
headings. The structure needs to remain consistent throughout all the headings
and sub-headings. For example, this means if you start each heading with a verb,
then all your headings and subheadings should start with a verb.
Example: "Choose Desired Colleges" and "Prepare Application" "Choose" and "Prepare"
are both verbs. However, it is preferable in an outline to use the present tense of the verb.
Example: "Visit and evaluate college campuses" and "Visit and evaluate college
websites"
Example: "1. Note important statistics" and "2. Look for interesting classes"
Use coordination - Coordination is important between headings. In other words,
all the headings should have the same amount of significance or importance. The
rule applies to sub-headings as well, but their information will be less significant
than the headings.
Example:
I. Choose Desired Colleges
A. Visit and evaluate college campuses
B. Visit and evaluate college websites
1. look for interesting classes
2. note important statistics
(College campuses and college websites are equally important.)
Use subordination - Subordination is the relationship between the headings and
the sub-headings. Information in headings is general in nature, and the
information contained in the sub-headings should be more specific, and so on to
the other levels.
Example:
A. Describe an influential person in your life
1. Favorite high school teacher
2. Grandparent
(The category of influential people in your life is general, and a favorite teacher and
grandparent are specific.)
Use division - Division should be accomplished in this manner. Each heading
needs to have at least two parts. It can have more, but if you have too many, then
you may need to put in another heading or sub-heading or combine some of the
divisions.
Example:
A. Compile resume
1. List relevant coursework
2. List work experience
3. List volunteer experience
(The heading "Compile resume" is divided into 3 parts.)
How To Create an Outline

1st Outline Method: Begin the outlining process by creating a thesis statement. This
concise statement will be your guide during the entire research paper writing process.
Create the topic sentences or main points for your papers paragraphs from the thesis
statement. Under each of the topic sentences or main points create a listing of supporting
ideas, examples, and details.
2nd Outline Method: Begin by writing all of your ideas down relating to your research
topic. Categorize those ideas in groups by similarity of meaning. Try to make an even
distribution of facts between those main ideas. Once completed, a thesis statement can be
written pinpointing those main ideas into a statement.
When you look at the basic APA outline format example in this article, you will see that
Roman numerals are used for the main headings in your outline, and capital letters are
used for the sub-headings. Inside the sub-headings you use Arab numerals and lower case
letters, in that order followed by Arab numerals in parenthesis.
he full sentence outline is set up the same way, but with full sentences on each le!el of
the outline.
A less common form is the decimal outline, and your professor will tell you which kind
of outline to use.
he best way to gain an understanding of the APA outline format is to look at examples.
"ollowing are three APA outline format examples. o sa!e space in the examples, only
the first section of the outline will show the proper spacing.
Topic Point Outline format
I#R$%&'I$# WI( ()*I*+ ()*I* ,&)*I$#
I. 'hoose %esired 'olleges
A. -isit and e!aluate college campuses
.. -isit and e!aluate college websites
/. 0ook for interesting classes
1. #ote important statistics
a. *tudent+faculty ratio
b. Retention rate
II. Prepare Application
A. Write Personal *tatement
/. 'hoose interesting topic
a. %escribe an influential person in your life
2/3 "a!orite high school teacher
213 4randparent
1. Include important personal details
a. -olunteer work
b. Participation in !arsity sports
.. Re!ise personal statement
III. 'ompile resume
A. 0ist rele!ant coursework
.. 0ist work experience
'. 0ist !olunteer experience
/. utor at foreign language summer camp
1. 'ounselor for suicide pre!ention hotline
'$#'0&*I$#
Full Sentence Outline Format
I#R$%&'I$# WI( ()*I*+ ()*I* ,&)*I$#
.$%5
I. 6an-made pollution is the primary cause of global warming.
A. 4reenhouse gas emissions are widely identified by the scientific community to be
harmful.
/. he burning of coal and fossil fuels are the primary releasers ha7ardous
greenhouse gases.
2"ull sentence outlines are often accompanied with an APA reference list on a separate
page. ,uotes within the outline must also utili7e APA in-text citations.3
Decimal Outline Format
I#R$%&'I$# WI( ()*I*+ ()*I* ,&)*I$#
.$%5
/.8 'hoose %esired 'ollege
/./ -isit and e!aluate college campuses
/.1 -isit and e!aluate college websites
/.1./ 0ook for interesting classes
/.1.1 #ote important statistics

'$#'0&*I$#
A well-written outline is a !aluable tool in presenting a well-written research paper. he
outline is the first step in creating the structure for what will be said in the paper as well
as how it will be said.
An outline is usually re9uired when writing a paper for a college course. .e sure and ask
your professor for the re9uired format for your particular course.
An outline is an all-purpose plan of what you are going to write. he writing of the paper
and the paper itself will be more organi7ed if you create a plan. If the plan is followed,
your body paragraphs will stay focused on your thesis statement ideas.
If your teacher has gi!en you a specific outline format, you should follow his or her
instructions. $therwise, use one of the methods and forms presented here. hey are the
most common ways to outline any type of paper. )ither way, you end up with a step-by-
step planning guide for your research paper.
here are two suitable methods to creating an outline : the first relies on the idea that
your thesis statement is already written. The second suggests for you to write down all of
the ideas relating to your topic first, organi7ing those ideas, and then creating a thesis
statement.
he two ma;or forms of outlines are the topic outline and the sentence outline. All of the
headings and sub-headings within a sentence outline are complete sentences. he topic
outline headings and sub-headings are specified by a signal short phrase or word.
)xample< $utlines are normally labeled in the following order.
Introduction
Body
I. First Main Point
II. Second Main Point (not less important, that the heading above, but equally relevant to
support the overall paper)
. Supporting point (ny supporting point may be bro!en as in supporting point B)
B. nother supporting Point
". #ategory
$. #ategory
a. speci%ic
b. another speci%ic
(") detail o% speci%ic
($) another detail o% speci%ic
# nother Supporting Point (ny supporting point may be bro!en as in supporting point
B)
III. &hird Main Point
#onclusion
'heck your word processing program to see if there is a built-in outline function. 6ost
programs ha!e outline functions along with a help section referring to outline creation.
* Keep in mind that a heading or subheading cannot be divided into one section; if there
is an A there must be a B, and if there is a 1= there must be a 2.
Examples of Full Sentence Outline
&hesis' In today(s society, everyone ta!es some type o% medicine %or some reason.
Because o% this, the number o% people addicted to drugs are on the rise. )rugs are so
main stream that most thin! they are immune to becoming addicts. *hen they do reali+e
that there may be a problem, most o% the time it is too late.
I#R$%&'I$# WI( ()*I*+ ()*I* ,&)*I$#
B,)-
I. )rugs are more harm%ul to your health than you might thin!
. Studies have sho.n that drugs can cause damage to ma/or organs.
". -our brain %unctions can be stalled by continued mari/uana use.
$. Meth is also a drug that can cause damage is the brain. It can a%%ect your
short and long term memory.
B. )rugs can continue to have a negative a%%ect on your body ever a%ter you
discontinue use.
". Studies sho. that a%ter prolonged meth use, your brain does not %unction
properly.
$. &he brain damage is irreversible.
II. 0ven a%ter initial e1posure to drugs, some become immediately addicted.
. Many meth users report that the high you get %rom meth last a lot longer than
the high you get %rom other mainstream drugs.
". &hese users also report that you can be high %or up to three days.
$. &he highs last so long that users report that they still %ill high even a%ter they
stop using meth.

B. ddiction is a real disorder and it overta!es every area o% your li%e.
". )rugs became the main %i1ation %or an addict.
$. 2obs no longer matter, %amilies are none1istent and some even turn to a li%e
o% crime /ust to get the drugs.
III. s time goes on, many addicts need more and more drugs to carry out day3to3day
activities.
. ,ver time the body needs regular doses o% drugs to %unction.
". &he more drugs are used, the .orse the body su%%ers.
B. -our body deteriorates as you give in to the drug cravings.
". &his is .hy the damage su%%ered to the body is irreversible because you
only %ocus on your ne1t hit.
$. -our body su%%ers e1treme physical damage.
#,4#56SI,4
7e%erences
APA Outline Format Examples. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2012, from
http://examples.yourdictionary.com/apa-outline-format-examples.html
APA Style Sister Blog Archive How To Create an Outline. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2012, from
http://apa-format.com/blog/2012/04/30/how-to-create-an-outline/
Full Sentence Outline - Term Paper - Blackdoll38614. (n.d.). Retrieved November 11, 2012, from
http://www.studymode.com/essays/Full-Sentence-Outline-1020788.html
mcleanbuseng-fig07_x005.jpg (JPEG Image, 2608 3256 pixels) - Scaled (12%). (n.d.). Retrieved November
15, 2012, from http://images.flatworldknowledge.com/mcleanbuseng/mcleanbuseng-fig07_x005.jpg