7th Edition
Abstract and Keywords Guide
NOTE: Abstracts and keywords are not typically required for student papers. Students should consult their instructor or institution to
determine whether to include an abstract and/or keywords.
ABSTRACT: The abstract needs to provide a brief but comprehensive summary of the contents of your paper.
It provides an overview of the paper and helps readers decide whether to read the full text. Limit your abstract
to 250 words.
1
Abstract Content
The abstract addresses the following
(usually 1–2 sentences per topic):
• key aspects of the literature review
•
problem under investigation or research
question(s)
• clearly stated hypothesis or hypotheses
•
methods used (including brief descriptions of the
study design, sample, and sample size)
• study results
•
implications (i.e., why this study is important,
applications of the results or ndings)
Abstract Format
• recommended fonts: 11-point Calibri, 11-point
Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point
Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point
Computer Modern
2
• 1-in. margins on all sides
• placement: second page of the paper
• section label: “Abstract”
°
centered and in bold
°
written on the rst line of the page
• text:
°
one line below the section label
°
not indented and written as a single paragraph
°
double-spaced
1
Unless requested otherwise; consult your instructor for appropriate formatting guidelines. In academic journals, abstracts typically are limited to no more than
250 words. However, some instructors or journals have different abstract length and formatting requirements.
2
Other fonts are also acceptable so long as they are legible and widely available.
KEYWORDS: Keywords need to be descriptive and capture the most important aspects of your paper. They
are used for indexing in databases and as search terms for readers. Include three to ve words, phrases, or
acronyms as keywords.
Keywords Content
Keywords address essential paper elements,
such as the following:
• research topic
• population
• method
• application of results or ndings
Keywords Format
• recommended fonts: 11-point Calibri, 11-point
Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point
Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or 10-point
Computer Modern (see Footnote 2)
• placement: second page of paper
• written one line below the abstract
• label: “Keywords:”
°
indented (like a regular paragraph)
°
italic (but not bold)
• text:
°
written on the same line as and one space after
the label
°
lowercased (but capitalize proper nouns)
°
not italic or bold
°
each keyword separated by a comma and a
space
°
no ending punctuation after the nal keyword
°
listed in any order (not necessarily alphabetical)
°
if the keywords run onto a second line,
double-space the two lines and do not
indent the second line
More information on how to write and format an abstract and keywords can be
found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.)
Sections 2.9 to 2.10 and in the Concise Guide to APA Style (7th ed.) Section 1.10.
SOURCE: American Psychological Association. (2020).
Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
CREDIT: ST. LOUIS UNIVERSITY PSYCHOLOGY DEPARTMENT
