What are the advantages of using APA formatting for academic papers?

Answer 1

APA is very user friendly. I used to teach research. Personally I liked Lester's handbook best because it was so comprehensive, and I wanted my students to be familiar with all aspects of research writing. However, when I worked for my Ph.D., I used APA (required by the university), and it was a manual like no other. It was easy to follow and provided a format that made research focus on the content, not the format of the paper. I think it's even better than the MLA handbook.

Chow!!

Answer 2

APA (American Psychological Association) formatting is used by many fields mostly because of the ease for actually publishing a paper in an academic journal from that format.

That and it is quite simple to follow. There are several rules for formatting that you need to learn (like having 1" margins, and only using 12pt Times New Roman font, etc.), but once you get a few papers out of the way it becomes second nature.

Most university bookstores will carry the APA Guide, which is the comprehensive source which outlines every minute detail on formatting, as well as giving examples of what a paper should look like.

Answer 3

APA is comparatively easier to use than some others. It is well documented and widely used. The choice is usually not the student's. Your instructor or the policy of the institution determines that.