The rough draft of the APA research paper should include all of the elements required for the final paper. The only difference in the grading of the rough draft and the final paper is the weight of the assignments. The rough draft paper is worth 75 points and the documentation is worth 25 points of the total 100 points. The final paper is worth 100 points and the documentation is 50 points.

Following are the requirements for the rough draft research paper.

The first page should have a running header and the title of the paper and student identification information,

The first page of the paper also will have an abstract (a condensed summary of the issue’s background and a brief description of how the paper is organized).

Next the paper will describe in more depth the background of the issue. The background can offer an historical perspective and describe why the issue is important.

The next section should be the longest. In this section of the paper, you present your evidence or arguments for your position on the issue. This section may be the most difficult to write because you must clearly distinguish between your research findings and your own voice in which you connect the research with your linking assumptions.

A smaller section would briefly summarize the opposing arguments against your position with your reasons for why these arguments are not as strong or valid as your position.

The next section is a conclusion that again summarizes your evidence, your counterarguments to other viewpoints and restates your answer to the research question.

Font size should be no more than 12 points.

The paper should be double-spaced.

The page layout should be 1 inch top, sides and bottom margins.

The paper should have a running header with a condensed version of the title and page numbering.

Please, carefully and critically reread your research report looking for a smooth flow of ideas, clear, logical descriptions connecting your research to your claim, and transitions that allow the reader to see that you are beginning a new main point. Ask yourself if each of your main points that support your thesis has enough good evidence with credible research to be persuasive.

1. Next reread your report, looking at each individual sentence. Look for typos, misspelled words, missing words, grammatical errors (especially look at noun/verb and noun/pronoun agreement errors.)
2. Finally, double check that each in-text citation has a matching end References page entry and that all of the entries on the References page/s have been used within the paper and are listed in alphabetical order. Check that all article titles are written correctly and journal, webpage titles are italicized.
3. As you read your report each time, revise where you see a need to expand on or clarify an idea and correct where you see any errors
4. After your final revisions and proofreading, submit an electronic file of the paper to me