Format APA Report

Format APA Report

Create an APA 7th edition formatted report using Quarto (apaquarto) or R Markdown (papaja).

When to Use

• Writing an academic paper in APA format
• Creating a psychology or social science research report
• Generating reproducible manuscripts with embedded analysis
• Preparing a thesis or dissertation chapter

Inputs

• Required: Analysis code and results
• Required: Bibliography file (.bib)
• Optional: Co-authors and affiliations
• Optional: Manuscript type (journal article, student paper)

Procedure

Step 1: Choose Framework

Option A: apaquarto (Quarto, recommended)

install.packages("remotes")
remotes::install_github("wjschne/apaquarto")

Option B: papaja (R Markdown)

remotes::install_github("crsh/papaja")

Expected: The chosen framework package installs successfully and is loadable with library(apaquarto) or library(papaja).

On failure: If installation fails due to missing system dependencies (e.g., LaTeX for PDF output), install TinyTeX first with quarto install tinytex. For GitHub installation failures, check that the remotes package is installed and that GitHub is accessible.

Step 2: Create Document (apaquarto)

Create manuscript.qmd:

---
title: "Effects of Variable X on Outcome Y"
shorttitle: "Effects of X on Y"
author:
  - name: First Author
    corresponding: true
    orcid: 0000-0000-0000-0000
    email: author@university.edu
    affiliations:
      - name: University Name
        department: Department of Psychology
  - name: Second Author
    affiliations:
      - name: Other University
abstract: |
  This study examined the relationship between X and Y.
  Using a sample of N = 200 participants, we found...
  Results are discussed in terms of theoretical implications.
keywords: [keyword1, keyword2, keyword3]
bibliography: references.bib
format:
  apaquarto-docx: default
  apaquarto-pdf:
    documentmode: man
---

Expected: File manuscript.qmd exists with valid YAML frontmatter containing title, shorttitle, author affiliations, abstract, keywords, bibliography reference, and APA-specific format options.

On failure: Verify YAML indentation is consistent (2 spaces) and that author: entries use the list format with name:, affiliations:, and corresponding: fields. Check that bibliography: points to an existing .bib file.

Step 3: Write APA Content

# Introduction

Previous research has established that... [@smith2023; @jones2022].
@smith2023 found significant effects of X on Y.

# Method

## Participants

We recruited `r nrow(data)` participants (*M*~age~ = `r mean(data$age)`,
*SD* = `r sd(data$age)`).

## Materials

The study used the Measurement Scale [@author2020].

## Procedure

Participants completed... (see @fig-design for the study design).

# Results

```{r}
#| label: fig-results
#| fig-cap: "Mean scores by condition with 95% confidence intervals."
#| fig-width: 6
#| fig-height: 4

ggplot(summary_data, aes(x = condition, y = mean, fill = condition)) +
  geom_col() +
  geom_errorbar(aes(ymin = ci_lower, ymax = ci_upper), width = 0.2) +
  theme_apa()
```

A two-way ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of condition,
*F*(`r anova_result$df1`, `r anova_result$df2`) = `r anova_result$F`,
*p* `r format_pvalue(anova_result$p)`, $\eta^2_p$ = `r anova_result$eta`.

# Discussion

The findings support the hypothesis that...

# References

Expected: Content follows APA section structure (Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, References) with inline R code for statistics and proper cross-references using @fig- and @tbl- prefixes.

On failure: If inline R code does not render, verify backtick-r syntax is correct (`r expression`). If cross-references show as literal text, check that the referenced chunk labels use the correct prefix and that the chunk has a corresponding caption option.

Step 4: Format Tables in APA Style

#| label: tbl-descriptives
#| tbl-cap: "Descriptive Statistics by Condition"

library(gt)

descriptive_table <- data |>
  group_by(condition) |>
  summarise(
    M = mean(score),
    SD = sd(score),
    n = n()
  )

gt(descriptive_table) |>
  fmt_number(columns = c(M, SD), decimals = 2) |>
  cols_label(
    condition = "Condition",
    M = "*M*",
    SD = "*SD*",
    n = "*n*"
  )

Expected: Tables render with APA formatting: italicized column headers for statistical symbols, proper decimal alignment, and a descriptive caption above the table.

On failure: If gt table does not render in APA style, ensure gt package is installed and that cols_label() uses markdown-style italics (*M*, *SD*). For papaja users, use apa_table() instead of gt().

Step 5: Manage Citations

Create references.bib:

@article{smith2023,
  author = {Smith, John A. and Jones, Mary B.},
  title = {Effects of intervention on outcomes},
  journal = {Journal of Psychology},
  year = {2023},
  volume = {45},
  pages = {123--145},
  doi = {10.1000/example}
}

APA citation styles:

• Parenthetical: [@smith2023] -> (Smith & Jones, 2023)
• Narrative: @smith2023 -> Smith and Jones (2023)
• Multiple: [@smith2023; @jones2022] -> (Jones, 2022; Smith & Jones, 2023)

Expected: references.bib contains valid BibTeX entries with all required fields (author, title, year, journal) and citation keys match those used in the manuscript text.

On failure: Validate BibTeX syntax with an online validator or bibtool -d references.bib. Ensure citation keys in the text exactly match .bib keys (case-sensitive).

Step 6: Render

# Word document (common for journal submission)
quarto render manuscript.qmd --to apaquarto-docx

# PDF (for preprint or review)
quarto render manuscript.qmd --to apaquarto-pdf

Expected: Properly formatted APA document with title page, running head, and correctly formatted references section.

On failure: For PDF rendering failures, verify TinyTeX is installed (quarto install tinytex). For DOCX output issues, check that apaquarto's Word template is accessible. If references do not appear, ensure the # References heading is present at the end of the document.

Validation

• Title page formatted correctly (title, authors, affiliations, author note)
• Abstract present with keywords
• In-text citations match reference list
• Tables and figures numbered correctly
• Statistics formatted per APA (italicized, proper symbols)
• References in APA 7th edition format
• Page numbers and running head present (PDF)

Common Pitfalls

• Inline R code formatting: Use backtick-r syntax for inline statistics, not hardcoded values
• Citation key mismatches: Ensure .bib keys match exactly in the text
• Figure placement: APA manuscripts typically place figures at the end; set documentmode: man
• Missing CSL file: apaquarto includes the APA CSL; papaja users may need to specify csl: apa.csl
• Special characters in abstracts: Avoid markdown formatting in the YAML abstract block

Related Skills

• create-quarto-report - general Quarto document creation
• generate-statistical-tables - publication-ready tables
• build-parameterized-report - batch report generation