How to Format a Social Work and Human Services Capstone Project in APA Style

by Posted on

Formatting your Capstone project in APA style ensures that your work adheres to the standards for academic writing and is easy to read, professional, and well-organized. APA (American Psychological Association) style is commonly used in social work and human services to ensure consistency, clarity, and credibility in academic and professional writing.

2.1 General Formatting Guidelines

  • Font: Use 12-point Times New Roman font, which is standard in academic writing.
  • Margins: Set your document with 1-inch margins on all sides.
  • Spacing: The entire document should be double-spaced, including the title page, references, and appendices.
  • Page Numbers: Add page numbers in the upper right corner, beginning on the title page.

2.2 Structure of the Paper

The structure of your Capstone project in APA style typically includes:

  1. Title Page: Includes the title of the project, your name, the name of the institution, the course name, and the submission date.
    • Title: Should be concise, clear, and accurately reflect the content of your paper.
    • Running Head: For professional papers, you will include a running head (a shortened title of the paper) aligned to the left of the title page header. On subsequent pages, only the running head and page number appear in the header.
  2. Abstract: A brief summary (150-250 words) of your Capstone project, including the research question, methods, findings, and conclusions.
  3. Introduction: Outlines the background, purpose, and scope of your Capstone project, presenting the problem or issue addressed, its significance, and the research questions or objectives.
  4. Literature Review: A critical review of existing literature on the topic, identifying key themes, gaps, and relevant theories.
  5. Methodology: Describes the research methods you used in your project, including data collection, analysis, and any ethical considerations.
  6. Results/Findings: A summary of the data you collected, presented in an organized manner. This section may include tables, figures, or graphs to illustrate key findings.
  7. Discussion: An analysis of the results, linking your findings to the literature and discussing their implications for social work practice, policy, or future research.
  8. Conclusion and Recommendations: Summarizes the key findings, provides actionable recommendations, and discusses the potential impact of your work.
  9. References: A list of all the sources you cited in your paper, formatted according to APA guidelines.
  10. Appendices (if applicable): Includes any supplementary material, such as surveys, interview questions, or detailed data tables.

2.3 In-Text Citations and References

  • In-text citations: When referencing sources within the text, include the author’s last name and the year of publication in parentheses. Example: (Smith, 2020).
  • References list: At the end of your paper, include a reference list formatted according to APA guidelines. Each entry should include the author(s), year of publication, title of the work, and publication information.

2.4 Additional Formatting Considerations

  • Headings: Use headings and subheadings to organize your content. APA uses a 5-level heading structure.
  • Tables and Figures: When including tables or figures, follow APA formatting rules. Each should be titled and numbered sequentially.

Published by Lisa