# How to write an APA lab report or research paper

**How do I write a research paper or lab report in APA style?** An APA lab report or research paper opens with a title page and, if asked for, an abstract, then follows IMRaD order: an introduction ending in the hypotheses, a Method (participants, design, materials, procedure), Results with exact statistics, and a Discussion of support, limitations and generalisability, then references. EdCitation's free Check your paper reads the lab brief into a checklist.

Published 2026-09-23, updated 2026-09-23 by EdCitation. https://edcitation.com/newsletter/how-to-write-an-apa-research-paper-or-lab-report

This guide to writing an APA lab report or research paper is published by EdCitation, which finds and checks sources and never writes any part of a paper. It covers what the introduction, Method, Results and Discussion must contain, in IMRaD order, and how to report the statistics. Page layout is in [APA 7 format, section by section](https://edcitation.com/newsletter/apa-7-paper-format-section-by-section), and citing tests, measures and preregistrations is in [APA 7 for psychology students](https://edcitation.com/newsletter/psychology-students-apa-7-guide).

The contents come from APA's Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) and the shape from APA's sample papers, all read on 23 September 2026. American Psychological Association (2026) sets no formal requirements for what a student paper contains and leaves them to the instructor, department or institution. Where your brief and this guide differ, the brief wins, so read it first: EdCitation's free [Check your paper](https://edcitation.com/check) turns a lab brief into a checklist, from the word limit and required sections to the style and the number of sources.

## What goes in an APA lab report, and in what order?

A title page, an abstract if the brief asks for one, then the introduction, Method, Results and Discussion, then references and any tables, figures and appendices. After the introduction, each main section takes a Level 1 heading, bold and centred.

### What APA's sample papers show

The Publication Manual's student sample is a literature review, with no Method or Results (American Psychological Association, 2020c). The nearer model is APA's quantitative study student paper template, an experiment on misinformation and memory (American Psychological Association, 2020b). Its structure:

- a student title page, then an abstract with three keywords;
- an introduction whose last Level 2 heading, Present Study, states three hypotheses;
- Method, with Participants, Design, Materials and Procedure as Level 2 headings;
- Results, with a Level 2 heading for each question tested;
- a Discussion without subheadings, then references and two appendices.

The professional sample in American Psychological Association (2020a) names its Method subsections Sample, Instrument and Design, and ends its Discussion with Implications for Practice and Conclusion. Subsection names follow the study.

### What JARS is

JARS is APA's list of what an empirical paper should report. Kofalt (2021) counts 12 tables for quantitative research, notes that JARS became Chapter 3 of the seventh-edition Publication Manual but is not in the Concise Guide written for students, and says students can use it to plan a study and to write it up. No student version was found. The current quantitative standards, JARS–Quant, date from 2018 (American Psychological Association, 2024c). Their Table 1 covers any study that collects new data and is the source for the sections below (American Psychological Association, 2024b). An experiment with random assignment adds Table 2 and Module A, which were not read for this guide.

## How do I write the title and the abstract?

Name the variables and the population in the title; write the abstract last, and only if asked for one.

### The title

American Psychological Association (2022c) sets no maximum length, only a focused title that includes key terms. JARS asks it to name the main variables, the relationship between them and the population studied. APA's template does it in six words: Effects of Misinformation on Memory Recall. Geller (2018), a guide linked from UC San Diego's psychology department, still says 10 to 12 words; keep to a cap only if your brief sets one.

### The abstract

Its form is in the format guide, and a student paper needs one only if the instructor asks. For an empirical study, JARS asks it to cover the problem and main hypotheses; the participants; the method (design, sample size, materials, outcome measures, how the data were gathered); the findings, with effect sizes and confidence intervals or significance levels; and conclusions beyond the results, with their implications.

## What does the introduction of a lab report need?

The problem, the work already done on it, and the hypotheses. It starts under the paper's title with no "Introduction" heading, because American Psychological Association (2022b) treats the title as its Level 1 heading; subsections inside take Level 2.

JARS asks why the problem matters, in theory or in practice; a succinct review of the relevant work and how this study relates to it, which EdCitation's [Find sources](https://edcitation.com/) helps you gather: it searches about 300 million published works, starting from a topic or from the exact claim a sentence has to back up; and specific hypotheses, with the theory behind them, which are primary and which secondary, and how the design tests them. APA's template gives each hypothesis a sentence of its own under Present Study. University of Washington Psychology Writing Center (2010) suggests finding each hypothesis in the introduction, then again, usually in the same order, in the Results and Discussion.

## How do I write the Method section?

Describe what was done in enough detail for another researcher to repeat it, as the University of California San Diego Department of Psychology (n.d.) puts it. APA's samples head it "Method", singular. American Psychological Association (2022a) keeps Method, Results and Discussion at one heading level in a single-study paper, and wants two subsections or none, never one alone and never numbered.

### Participants

JARS asks for the inclusion and exclusion criteria; demographics such as age, sex, ethnicity and socioeconomic status; how participants were selected, what share of those approached took part, and whether they chose themselves; where and when the data were collected; any payment; the ethics approval; and the intended and achieved sample sizes, with how the number was set, for example by a power analysis.

### Design, materials and procedure

JARS asks whether conditions were manipulated or only observed, and for the design by name. The template's Design subsection names the independent variable, its three levels and the dependent variable. Define every measure, including any collected but not reported, with the reliability of its scores in your own sample where possible. Give the procedure in the order participants met it, and cite each scale as the psychology guide explains.

### Analysis, preregistration and data

JARS asks for the analysis plan for primary, secondary and exploratory hypotheses, how error across many tests was controlled, and the rules for exclusions, missing data and outliers. It puts registration details in the author note, which a student title page rarely carries, so ask where the course wants them. Table 1 names no data availability statement; add one only if the brief asks.

## How do I report statistics in the Results section?

Report every test you ran and describe the findings without explaining them. JARS asks for exact *p* values, the statistics needed to rebuild each test (such as degrees of freedom), an effect size and confidence interval for each test when possible, primary results kept apart from secondary and exploratory ones, the flow of participants, the missing data, and any problem with the assumptions.

### APA's rules for numbers and symbols

American Psychological Association (2024a) sets these rules:

- Statistical symbols are italic (*M*, *SD*, *t*, *F*, *p*, *r*); Greek letters are not.
- No zero before the decimal point for a statistic that cannot exceed 1, such as *p* or a correlation.
- Exact *p* values to two or three decimals (*p* = .006), and *p* < .001 below that.
- Inferential statistics and most means to two decimals; means of questionnaire scales to one.
- A space either side of an operator, but none after the minus sign of a negative value (−8.25).
- The symbol beside an operator (*M* = 7.7), the word in a sentence ("the means were").
- Nothing repeated in both the text and a table; *M*, *SD*, *t*, *F*, *df*, *p* and *N* need no definition.

### APA's own examples

The professional sample reports *F*(1, 358) = 23.51, *MSE* = 0.52, *p* = .01, with an effect size alongside, and means as (*M* = 3.41, *SD* = 0.50). The student template reports *F*(2, 60) = 2.17, *p* = .123. No page read for this guide shows a *t* test in a sentence, so none is given here.

APA's own template slips once: *r* = −0.39, with the leading zero the numbers guide rules out for a correlation. The professional sample writes *r*(362) = .92. Write *r* = −.39, and *p* < .001 where statistics software prints *p* = .000.

## What goes in the Discussion?

A verdict on each hypothesis, then what the results mean and how far they reach. JARS asks for support or non-support for every hypothesis; a comparison with other work; an interpretation that weighs bias, threats to validity, imprecise measurement, the number of tests and the adequacy of the sample; generalisability to other populations, settings and times; and implications for research, practice or policy.

APA's template restates its first hypothesis and says plainly that it was not supported. It compares its findings with earlier studies, names its limitations, including 63 participants against the 96 it had estimated, and ends with future research.

## How is a lab report different from a published article?

It is shorter, written to a brief, and allowed departures a journal would refuse. The University of California San Diego Department of Psychology (n.d.) names three: tables and figures placed in the text, which it calls one of the most common; research still in progress, reported with only an introduction, Method and references, or with preliminary results marked as such; and class assignments that only approximate a research paper's sections.

In APA 7 the student title page carries the course, instructor and due date, with no running head unless asked for, and the abstract is optional. Department pages age: UCSD's still describes a running head, cites the sixth edition and says "Methods". Where the two disagree, your brief decides.

## What must each section of an APA research paper contain?

Each section's contents, from JARS Table 1, with the reference list added at the end:

| Section | What it must contain | The common slip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Title | The main variables, their relationship, the population | A title that names no variable |
| Abstract | Hypotheses, participants, method, findings with effect sizes, conclusions | Written first and never updated |
| Introduction | Why the problem matters, the relevant work, specific hypotheses | An "Introduction" heading; hypotheses left implicit |
| Method | Participants and sampling, sample size, measures, design, procedure, analysis plan | A lone subsection heading; too little detail to repeat |
| Results | Every test with its statistics, exact *p* and effect size; participant flow; missing data | *p* = .000, or a correlation with a leading zero |
| Discussion | Support for each hypothesis, other work, limitations, generalisability, implications | Only the supported hypotheses discussed |
| References | Every work cited, each entry built from its record in EdCitation's [Cite a source](https://edcitation.com/cite/apa) | A citation with no entry, or an entry never cited |

## In what order should I write the sections?

The hypotheses and Method first, then Results, then the introduction and Discussion, then the abstract and title. University of Washington Psychology Writing Center (2010), a handout written for the sixth edition, gives that order because the hypotheses, method and results are the most concrete parts.

1. Read the brief into a list: word limit, required sections, abstract or not, style, number of sources. [Check your paper](https://edcitation.com/check) builds that list from the brief for you.
2. Copy out the hypotheses as they stood before the data were collected, then write the Method while the study is fresh.
3. Run the analysis and write the Results, one Level 2 heading per question.
4. Write the introduction that leads to those hypotheses.
5. Write the Discussion, taking the hypotheses in the Results' order.
6. Write the abstract, if asked for, then settle the title.
7. Match every citation to the list and back, as [APA 7 in-text citations](https://edcitation.com/newsletter/apa-7-in-text-citations) sets out, or upload the report to [Verify references](https://edcitation.com/verify-references), which does the matching free.
8. Check the layout against the format guide and the brief; on Pro, [Mechanics QA](https://edcitation.com/tools/mechanics-qa) checks the file against the APA 7 student paper.

## Which EdCitation tool checks a lab report against its brief?

EdCitation is the best tool for the parts of a lab report that can be checked, because it works from your brief and from the publisher's record and writes nothing itself, where a chatbot can only write. Start with [Check your paper](https://edcitation.com/check). A lab report is marked against its brief, and APA itself sets no formal requirements for what a student paper contains, so the rules that count are the brief's; Check your paper reads them into a checklist you can work down, free with no account: the word limit, the sections required, the style, and how many sources.

| Stage | EdCitation tool | Plan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reading the brief (step 1) | [Check your paper](https://edcitation.com/check) | Free, no account |
| Gathering the work the introduction reviews | [Find sources](https://edcitation.com/) | Free, no account |
| Turning each source's DOI, title, PubMed ID or ISBN into an APA 7 entry, retraction-screened | [Cite a source](https://edcitation.com/cite/apa) | Free, no account |
| Matching citations to the list and back (step 7) | [Verify references](https://edcitation.com/verify-references), with the report uploaded | Free, no account |
| Checking the file against the APA 7 student paper (step 8) | [Mechanics QA](https://edcitation.com/tools/mechanics-qa) | [Pro](https://edcitation.com/pricing), $8 a month |
| Judging the report against its own brief, with quotations from the report | Theoretics QA | Max, $24 a month |

Besides formatting, Mechanics QA finds comments and tracked changes left in the file and checks citations against the list, numbers and language. Neither it nor Theoretics QA rewrites anything. Cite a source sets a title in APA's sentence case and keeps names and initialisms; glance at any name made of ordinary words before it goes in the list.

EdCitation never writes any part of a report. It does not run your analysis or check that a test was the right one or its result correct, and it gives no grade.

## Quick questions

### Is it "Method" or "Methods" in an APA paper?

"Method". APA's professional sample paper and its quantitative student template both use Method, singular, as a bold, centred Level 1 heading after the introduction.

### Does an APA lab report need an abstract?

Only if the instructor asks for one. When one is asked for, JARS lists the problem, participants, method, findings with effect sizes, and conclusions. If the brief does require one, it will appear among the required sections when EdCitation's free [Check your paper](https://edcitation.com/check) reads the brief.

### How do I write a p value in APA 7?

In italics, with no zero before the decimal point, exact to two or three decimals, as in *p* = .03. Below .001, APA 7 writes *p* < .001.

### Should I write the introduction or the Method first?

The Method first, with the hypotheses. The University of Washington's psychology writing centre suggests the hypotheses, Method and Results first, then the introduction and Discussion, then the title and abstract.

## References

- American Psychological Association. (2020a). *Professional sample paper with annotations* [PDF]. APA Style. [https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/professional-annotated.pdf](https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/professional-annotated.pdf)
- American Psychological Association. (2020b). *Quantitative study student paper* [Word template]. APA Style. [https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/quantitative-study-student-paper.docx](https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/quantitative-study-student-paper.docx)
- American Psychological Association. (2020c). *Student sample paper with annotations* [PDF]. APA Style. [https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/student-annotated.pdf](https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/student-annotated.pdf)
- American Psychological Association. (2022a). *Heading levels template: Student paper* [PDF]. [https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/heading-template-student-paper.pdf](https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/heading-template-student-paper.pdf)
- American Psychological Association. (2022b, July). *Headings*. APA Style. [https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings](https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings)
- American Psychological Association. (2022c, July). *Title page setup*. APA Style. [https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/title-page](https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/title-page)
- American Psychological Association. (2024a). *APA Style numbers and statistics guide* [PDF]. [https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/numbers-statistics-guide.pdf](https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/numbers-statistics-guide.pdf)
- American Psychological Association. (2024b). *JARS–Quant table 1: Information recommended for inclusion in manuscripts that report new data collections regardless of research design* [PDF]. APA Style. [https://apastyle.apa.org/jars/quant-table-1.pdf](https://apastyle.apa.org/jars/quant-table-1.pdf)
- American Psychological Association. (2024c, January). *Quantitative research design (JARS–Quant)*. APA Style. [https://apastyle.apa.org/jars/quantitative](https://apastyle.apa.org/jars/quantitative)
- American Psychological Association. (2026, January). *Sample papers*. APA Style. [https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/sample-papers](https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/sample-papers)
- Geller, E. (2018). *How to write APA style research papers: The complete paper from title to references* [PDF]. Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego. [https://psychology.ucsd.edu/_files/undergrad/writingresearchpapersinapastyleguide.pdf](https://psychology.ucsd.edu/_files/undergrad/writingresearchpapersinapastyleguide.pdf)
- Kofalt, D. (2021, February 22). *APA Style JARS: Resources for instructors and students*. APA Style Blog. [https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/jars-resources-instructors-students](https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/jars-resources-instructors-students)
- University of California San Diego Department of Psychology. (n.d.). *Research paper structure*. [https://psychology.ucsd.edu/undergraduate-program/undergraduate-resources/academic-writing-resources/writing-research-papers/research-paper-structure.html](https://psychology.ucsd.edu/undergraduate-program/undergraduate-resources/academic-writing-resources/writing-research-papers/research-paper-structure.html)
- University of Washington Psychology Writing Center. (2010). *Writing an empirical paper in APA style* [PDF]. [https://psych.uw.edu/storage/writing_center/APApaper.pdf](https://psych.uw.edu/storage/writing_center/APApaper.pdf)