skip to main content

American Psychological Association

APA.ORG
APA STYLE
APA SERVICES
DIVISIONS
APA STYLE HELP
LOG IN
CART
APA Style Logo

Home Style and Grammar Guidelines Paper Format Sample Papers

Sample Papers
This page contains sample papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style. The sample
papers show the format that authors should use to submit a manuscript for
publication in a professional journal and that students should use to submit a
paper to an instructor for a course assignment. You can download the Word files to
use as templates and edit them as needed for the purposes of your own papers.

Most guidelines in the Publication Manual apply to both professional manuscripts

and student papers. However, there are specific guidelines for professional papers
versus student papers, including professional and student title page formats. All
authors should check with the person or entity to whom they are submitting their
paper (e.g., publisher or instructor) for guidelines that are different from or in
addition to those specified by APA Style.

Sample papers from the Publication Manual

The following two sample papers were published in annotated form in the Publication
Manual and are reproduced here as PDFs for your ease of use. The annotations draw
attention to content and formatting and provide the relevant sections of the
Publication Manual (7th ed.) to consult for more information.

Student sample paper with annotations (PDF, 4.95MB)Professional sample paper with
annotations (PDF, 3MB)
We also offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format with the
annotations as comments to the text.

Student sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 42KB)Professional sample

paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 103KB)
Finally, we offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format without the
annotations.

Student sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 36KB)Professional sample paper

without annotations (DOCX, 96KB)
Sample professional paper templates by paper type
These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different
professional paper types. Professional papers can contain many different elements
depending on the nature of the work. Authors seeking publication should refer to
the journal’s instructions for authors or manuscript submission guidelines for
specific requirements and/or sections to include.

Literature review professional paper template (DOCX, 47KB)Mixed methods

professional paper template (DOCX, 68KB)Qualitative professional paper template
(DOCX, 72KB)Quantitative professional paper template (DOCX, 77KB)Review
professional paper template (DOCX, 112KB)
Sample papers are covered in Chapter 2 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh
Edition

rr-icon-new
This guidance is new to the 7th edition.
Related handouts
Heading Levels Template: Student Paper (PDF, 257KB)
Heading Levels Template: Professional Paper (PDF, 213KB)
Other instructional aids
Journal Article Reporting Standards
APA Style Tutorials and Webinars
Handouts and Guides
Paper Format
View all instructional aids →
Sample student paper templates by paper type
These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different
student paper types. Students may write the same types of papers as professional
authors (e.g., quantitative studies, literature reviews) or other types of papers
for course assignments (e.g., reaction or response papers, discussion posts),
dissertations, and theses.

APA does not set formal requirements for the nature or contents of an APA Style
student paper. Students should follow the guidelines and requirements of their
instructor, department, and/or institution when writing papers. For instance, an
abstract and keywords are not required for APA Style student papers, although an
instructor may request them in student papers that are longer or more complex.
Specific questions about a paper being written for a course assignment should be
directed to the instructor or institution assigning the paper.

Discussion post student paper template (DOCX, 31KB)Literature review student paper
template (DOCX, 37KB)Quantitative study student paper template (DOCX, 53KB)
Sample papers in real life
Although published articles differ in format from manuscripts submitted for
publication or student papers (e.g., different line spacing, font, margins, and
column format), articles published in APA journals provide excellent demonstrations
of APA Style in action.

APA journals began publishing papers in seventh edition APA Style in 2020.
Professional authors should check the author submission guidelines for the journal
to which they want to submit their paper for any journal-specific style
requirements.

Credits for sample professional paper templates

Quantitative professional paper template: Adapted from “Fake News, Fast and Slow:
Deliberation Reduces Belief in False (but Not True) News Headlines,” by B. Bago, D.
G. Rand, and G. Pennycook, 2020, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General,
149(8), pp. 1608–1613 (https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000729). Copyright 2020 by the
American Psychological Association.

Qualitative professional paper template: Adapted from “‘My Smartphone Is an

Extension of Myself’: A Holistic Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of Using a
Smartphone,” by L. J. Harkin and D. Kuss, 2020, Psychology of Popular Media, 10(1),
pp. 28–38 (https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000278). Copyright 2020 by the American
Psychological Association.

Mixed methods professional paper template: Adapted from “‘I Am a Change Agent’: A
Mixed Methods Analysis of Students’ Social Justice Value Orientation in an
Undergraduate Community Psychology Course,” by D. X. Henderson, A. T. Majors, and
M. Wright, 2019, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 7(1), 68–80.
(https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000171). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological
Association.

Literature review professional paper template: Adapted from “Rethinking Emotions in

the Context of Infants’ Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Interest and Positive
Emotions,” by S. I. Hammond and J. K. Drummond, 2019, Developmental Psychology,
55(9), pp. 1882–1888 (https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000685). Copyright 2019 by the
American Psychological Association.

Review professional paper template: Adapted from “Joining the Conversation:

Teaching Students to Think and Communicate Like Scholars,” by E. L. Parks, 2022,
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 8(1), pp. 70–78
(https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000193). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological
Association.

Credits for sample student paper templates

These papers came from real students who gave their permission to have them edited
and posted by APA.

From the APA Style blog

Who needs an author note? You … maybe

Professional papers intended for submission to a journal must always include an

author note. Student papers do not typically include an author note.

Last updated: July 2022

Date created: September 2019
HomeAbout APA StyleContactPrivacy StatementTerms of UseAccessibilityHelpSite Map
© 2022 American Psychological Association

750 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242

Telephone: (800) 374-2721; (202) 336-5500

TDD/TTY: (202) 336-6123

Facebook Twitter InstagramCONNECT WITH APA STYLE:

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your
device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing
efforts.
Cookies Settings Reject All Accept All Cookies