One of the efforts to help bring continuity to social science research is the development of the American Psychological Association's (APA) uniform format for publication, frequently referred to as "APA style." Now in its sixth edition, APA's Publication Manual provides specific rules and recommendations for putting together a research article based on findings, analysis, and dicussion of field and historical research in the area of the social sciences.
Review the article below that describes how an APA research article is designed. You should understand this format, not only for any future empirical-based research you may be required to perform, but also for your own information research--used as references, that is-- when preparing projects for your courses. While not always the case, articles written in the APA format, presented below, frequently are peer-reviewed, or at the very least, are considered scholarly.