- The introduction in APA 7 style presents the problem, its relevance, the theoretical context and the hypotheses without using the heading “Introduction”.
- It must include a critical and synthetic review of the literature, justifying the objectives and hypotheses and showing their coherence with the methodological design.
- The APA 7 format requires clear presentation standards (typography, indentation, headings, citations, and references) for the entire introduction and the rest of the paper.
- The ethical use of information, proper citation in the text, and the creation of reliable references are essential pillars to avoid plagiarism.
When you're asked to write an introduction in APA 7th edition style , you're actually being asked for much more than just an opening paragraph. The introduction is the gateway to your work, the place where you explain what your research is about, why it matters, and where it's headed. If this part falls short, the reader is very likely to lose interest before even reaching the main content.
In addition to fulfilling its communicative function, the introduction must adhere to the formatting and formal guidelines of APA 7: font type, margins, page numbering, titles, in-text citations, and consistency with the reference list. It's not just about making the work "look nice," but about facilitating readability, preventing plagiarism, and ensuring that anyone can follow your argument and locate the sources you've used.
What is an introduction and what is its purpose according to APA 7
In the American Psychological Association manual , the introduction is conceived as the beginning of the manuscript's body, where the research problem and the strategy used to address it are presented. It is the section in which the reader should clearly understand what is being studied, why it is being studied, and how the study has been designed . It is not a literary prologue, but rather a fully functional part of the article or academic work.
A key feature of APA 7 style is that it's not necessary to include the heading "Introduction" in this section. The introduction is identified by its position immediately after the title of the work, so simply write the manuscript title centered at the top of the page and begin the introductory text directly below it.
A good introduction should succinctly explain the relevance of the problem, the theoretical and empirical context, the hypotheses, the main and secondary objectives, and the implications of the study. While the length may vary depending on the type of work, it typically occupies a few pages and clearly answers the key questions about the topic.
From a structural standpoint, the introduction opens the main body of the work and follows the cover page and, if applicable, the abstract. From there, the subsequent sections (method, results, discussion, etc.) flow seamlessly together without unnecessary page breaks, maintaining continuous page numbering and the same heading.
Key questions that an introduction in APA 7 must answer
A practical way to check if your introduction meets the quality standard set by APA 7th edition is to review it using a series of guiding questions. The idea is that, upon finishing this section, the reader will not be left with any fundamental doubts about the purpose and rationale of the study.
In general terms, a well-written introduction should answer key questions such as the following, in an integrated way within the text, without needing to list them explicitly:
- Why is the problem being investigated important? This explains the theoretical, social, professional, or applied relevance of the topic.
- How does the study connect with previous research? In other words, what is already known, what gaps have been identified, and how your work expands, corrects, or refines that knowledge.
- What are the main and secondary objectives and hypotheses? It should be clear what you want to check or explore.
- What is the study theoretically based on? It is worth mentioning the conceptual frameworks or models that you rely on.
- What are the theoretical and practical implications? What could be derived from the results? Although they are not detailed, it is useful to outline them in general terms.
The challenge lies in articulating all these ideas in a few clear, coherent, and well-structured pages , avoiding both excessive data and empty generalities. The reader should reach the end of the introduction with the feeling that they understand exactly what you are going to do, why you are going to do it, and why your work is worth reading.
Importance of the problem and justification of the research
One of the first sections of the introduction should focus on clearly stating the importance of the research problem . It is not enough to simply state that the topic is relevant; this must be demonstrated with arguments, data, and appropriate references. In basic research, this relevance is often linked to the need to clarify previous contradictory results, expand existing theories, or explore understudied phenomena.
In applied or professional work, the justification may rely more on specific social, educational, health, or organizational problems . For example, you might highlight an increase in certain disorders, regulatory changes, demands on the education or healthcare system, or needs identified in specific groups.
Furthermore, it's advisable to clearly state what your study brings to the table : this could be a different methodological approach, a unique sample, an innovative combination of variables, or a little-explored geographical context. Without this distinctive contribution, your work risks seeming like "just another study on the topic," something that reviewers or faculty will view negatively.
Brief review of relevant literature
After justifying the importance of the problem, the introduction should include a critical synthesis of the most significant scientific literature . APA 7 suggests avoiding an exhaustive review of all existing studies and focusing on those works that truly help to understand the problem and contextualize your research.
This involves selecting and discussing the most relevant research, highlighting key results, methodological limitations, and main conclusions . It's not about listing studies one after another without any connection, but about establishing a line of reasoning that leads the reader from what we already know to what remains unresolved and justifies your study.
When summarizing the literature, it's important to avoid excessive detail regarding the procedures of each study, unless they are directly relevant to your design. Instead, highlight patterns of findings, discrepancies, theoretical gaps, and measurement or sampling problems you identified in the sources consulted.
When there is a large volume of literature on the topic, it is helpful to refer the reader to review articles, meta-analyses, or synthesis reports that offer a broad overview. This will allow you to focus on the aspects that truly connect with your argument, avoiding writing a "mini-book" within the introduction.
A fundamental point, always under the umbrella of APA 7, is that all ideas, data, or words from other sources must be accompanied by properly formatted in-text citations (author/year, and page or paragraph if it is a direct quote) and that the complete references must be included in the final list. Any use of information without citation constitutes plagiarism, something that is expressly prohibited by academic and legal regulations.
Hypothesis and objectives in the introduction APA 7
When the time comes, the introduction should naturally lead to the statement of objectives and hypotheses . These are usually presented at the end of this section, after the problem, the theoretical context, and the empirical background have been outlined. It is not advisable to state them abruptly without first establishing the conceptual framework that justifies them.
The objectives state what you intend to achieve with the study: they can be general (broader) and specific (more concrete). For example, you might want to analyze the relationship between two variables in a particular group or describe behavioral patterns in a specific population.
Hypotheses , on the other hand, are propositions that anticipate results, usually in terms of relationships between variables (prediction, association, differences between groups, etc.). They must be clear, consistent with the theory, and directly derived from the literature review . It is also advisable to distinguish between primary hypotheses (those essential to your main objective) and secondary or exploratory hypotheses.
In the text, you can include phrases such as "the study aims to determine, analyze, compare, or evaluate a phenomenon," and then explicitly state the hypotheses that will be tested. This way, the reader knows exactly what will be investigated later in the methods and results sections.
Relationship between hypothesis and research design
Another aspect that APA style considers key, although sometimes overlooked, is demonstrating coherence between the hypotheses and the methodological design . In other words, it should be clear that your method of collecting and analyzing data makes sense in relation to the questions you are asking.
The introduction itself can briefly indicate whether the study is quantitative, qualitative, or mixed ; and whether it employs an experimental, quasi-experimental, correlational, descriptive, case-control, longitudinal, cross-sectional, or other design. It is not necessary to detail all the procedures, but the reader should be able to infer that you have chosen an approach appropriate to the proposed hypotheses.
You can also refer to particular samples or contexts (e.g., students at a specific stage, clinical population, healthcare personnel, professionals from an organization) as long as this information helps to understand the scope of the study and its possible limitations.
The idea is that, by the end of the introduction, the reader will already have a general idea of the project in mind: what will be studied, with whom, from what perspective, and why in that way . The methodology section will develop all these elements in detail, but the foundation of the argument is built here.
Theoretical, practical and ethical implications
One section that often makes the difference between a good introduction and an outstanding one is the one in which you discuss, even briefly, the potential theoretical and practical implications of your work. This demonstrates that you not only know the existing literature, but also understand the gap your research fills.
On a theoretical level, you can indicate how your results could contribute to refining existing models, proposing new relationships between variables, or challenging previous assumptions . In the applied field, it is common to mention potential applications in areas such as education, clinical practice, social intervention, business, or public policy.
Furthermore, in accordance with the ethical principles emphasized by APA 7, it is recommended to demonstrate sensitivity toward the responsible use of information . This implies avoiding plagiarism, respecting the confidentiality of participants, being careful in how vulnerable groups are described, and using inclusive language that does not discriminate based on gender, ethnicity, age, or other personal characteristics.
This ethical approach also connects to the need to properly cite and reference all sources used, whether in print or digital format. The reference list, following APA 7 style, must include the necessary information so that others can easily locate the books, articles, reports, laws, audiovisual material, or social media content you have used.
Formal format of the introduction in APA 7th edition
In addition to the content, the introduction must adhere to a series of formal requirements specific to APA style 7. These formatting details are consistent throughout the work and help make the reading experience smoother and more professional.
Regarding the manuscript structure, the introduction begins on a new page identified by the heading and the corresponding page number , which is usually 3 if the work has a cover page and abstract, or 2 if no abstract has been included. On that page, the title of the work is written centered at the top; below it, the text begins, without a heading that says “Introduction”.
Regarding typography, APA 7 allows several options. The most common are Times New Roman size 12, Arial 11, Calibri 11, Georgia 11, or Lucida Sans Unicode 10. The important thing is to always use the same font type and size throughout the document, including the introduction, references, and appendices.
Each paragraph should begin with a first-line indent , typically 1,27 cm from the left margin. Lines should be double-spaced, with no extra spaces before or after paragraphs, and with standard margins (for example, 2,54 cm on all sides of a letter-size or A4 sheet, depending on your school's guidelines).
Subsequent sections of the paper (such as Method, Results, or Discussion) continue on the same page numbers without starting a new page, unless they contain special elements (such as extensive appendices). Level 1 headings and above are formatted according to the APA 7th edition heading hierarchy, but the introduction, as mentioned, does not have a heading with its name.
In-text citation and APA 7 references within the introduction
Anything stated in the introduction that is based on contributions from other authors must be accompanied by an in-text citation and the full reference in the final list. APA style uses a short citation system consisting, at a minimum, of the author's last name and year of publication . If the quotation is a direct quote, the page (p.) or paragraph (para.) should also be included.
For printed books , the reference includes authorship, year, title in italics, and publisher. For e-books, the URL or DOI is added if available. Book chapters, dictionary entries, journal articles, reports, press releases, conference papers, laws, constitutions, international treaties, court rulings, patents, tests, web pages, theses, and datasets each have a specific format that APA 7 details precisely.
In the digital realm, the main difference between a print article and an online one lies in the presence of a DOI or URL. When an article has a DOI, it should be included as a link (e.g., https://doi.org/…), even if the article was read in print, as this greatly facilitates the location of the full text by other researchers.
If the article exists only in digital format and does not have a DOI, the URL of the resource is included. For works with both print and digital versions but without a DOI, APA 7th edition indicates that adding the URL is not mandatory, provided that the volume, issue, and page numbers allow the source to be retrieved. For accepted but not yet published articles, the phrase "in press" is used instead of the year.
The introduction is one of the places where the widest range of sources can appear, from scientific articles to institutional reports, audiovisual material, social media posts , or legislation. All of these must follow the appropriate reference format (APA 7 provides examples for X profiles, tweets, Facebook pages, YouTube videos, films, etc.).
Avoid plagiarism and use information ethically
In any academic work, and especially in the introduction, it is essential to clearly distinguish between ideas borrowed from other sources and original ones . Using someone else's words or ideas without acknowledging their authorship is considered plagiarism, a form of misappropriation of another's intellectual property.
In countries like Spain, copyright is protected by Intellectual Property Law , so in addition to being an academic offense, plagiarism can also have legal implications. Universities, libraries, and student support services often offer specific guides on copyright, citation, and the ethical use of information.
To avoid any suspicion of plagiarism, whenever you take an idea from a book, article, website, thesis, report, law, or audiovisual material, you must cite it within the text and, at the end of the work, include the complete reference in the bibliography or references section. This applies to both direct (verbatim) and indirect (paraphrased) quotations.
When cited correctly, you acknowledge the previous work of other authors, lend credibility and strength to your own research , and make it easier for other readers to locate the same sources. Furthermore, APA 7 emphasizes the importance of using clear, respectful, and inclusive language, avoiding biased or discriminatory expressions toward individuals or groups.
Origin and purpose of the APA style
The APA style didn't appear out of thin air. Its origins date back to 1929, when a group of psychologists decided to establish common guidelines for scientific writing in order to facilitate the understanding and reading of works in the social and behavioral sciences. Since then, the manual has been updated to adapt to new dissemination formats and technologies.
The seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , published in 2020, incorporates updates for citing audiovisual resources, social media, websites , and other digital materials. It also simplifies some reference structures and expands the coverage of examples, including specific chapters for peer-reviewed journal articles and works in progress.
Today, APA style has become the most widely used standard in fields such as psychology, education, nursing, communication, business, and related disciplines , although it can be used in virtually any type of academic work. Other systems exist (Chicago, Vancouver, ICONTEC, etc.), but APA remains the primary reference in many universities and academic journals.
One of the main goals of APA format is to ensure uniformity and consistency in academic work . When readers are familiar with a specific structure, margins, fonts, and citation styles, it becomes much easier to locate key information, follow arguments, and delve deeper into the references if desired.
Uses of APA style beyond the introduction
Although we focus here on the introduction, it's important to remember that APA style affects the entire work : from the cover page to the appendices, including tables, figures, footnotes, and citations. The typical structure of an academic article or report in APA format includes, among other things, a cover page, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, references, and, if applicable, appendices.
Within the references section, APA 7 offers very detailed guidelines for almost any type of document. For example, it explains how to cite printed and electronic books, book chapters, print and online journal articles (with DOI, without DOI, with eLocator), reports, press releases, conference papers, laws, constitutions, international treaties, court rulings, patents, tests, institutional websites, theses, and academic papers.
It also includes guidelines for referencing datasets, audiovisual materials (such as YouTube videos or films), and various forms of social media content (X profiles, tweets, Facebook pages, image posts, etc.). Each of these formats has a specific structure for authorship, date, title, source, and locator (DOI or URL).
In the case of the introduction, these examples are very useful because they allow you to integrate all kinds of sources coherently , always maintaining the same standard. This way, you can move from a definition in the APA's dictionary of psychology to a recent institutional report, including meta-analyses and empirical articles, without losing clarity or formal rigor.
How to write a good introduction in APA 7, step by step
Beyond the more technical prescriptions, there are a number of practical guidelines that can help you organize and write an effective introduction within the APA 7 style. A convenient way to look at it is to think of several "parts" that do not necessarily have to appear with their own subheadings, but rather as logical blocks of content.
In the first section, it's advisable to present the general topic and define the specific problem . Here, you answer questions such as: What is the central phenomenon? What characteristics define it? What specific aspect will be studied in this work? This is the initial introduction, the one that should engage and orient the reader.
In a second section, you can explain the motivations and interest behind the study: why the topic is relevant at an academic, professional or social level, what gaps in the literature have led you to address it, or what previous experience (your own or that of others) suggests that it is worth investigating.
A third section can briefly introduce the general methodology used: type of study, population, data collection techniques (interviews, questionnaires, observations, document review, etc.) and main instruments, as well as any general limitations. This is not the methods section, but rather a brief overview.
In the fourth section, it is time to clearly state the purpose of the work and its objectives , both general and specific. Here you can indicate whether you intend to describe, explain, compare, or predict a phenomenon, and what you hope the reader will gain from reading the work.
Finally, the introduction usually concludes with a brief overview of the document's internal structure , offering a mini-tour of the chapters or sections: a concise and organized summary of what the reader will find in each part. This helps them get their bearings from the start and understand how the content will unfold.
Specific presentation format for the introduction
Within the document, the introduction format must follow the same presentation rules as the rest of the work in APA 7 style. Some key points are easy to overlook, so it is advisable to review them carefully before submitting the manuscript.
First, the introduction is placed on a page with the same page header as the rest of the manuscript (with the abbreviated title in capital letters on the left, if used, and the page number aligned to the right). This page is usually page 3 if there is a cover page and abstract, or the next page depending on your institution's structure.
The title of the work appears centered, in bold, and in heading style (with initial capital letters for main words), and the introductory text begins directly below with indented paragraphs . No additional heading stating "Introduction" is inserted. This absence of a heading is a specific characteristic of APA style that sometimes surprises those familiar with other formats.
Double spacing is maintained throughout the text, including quotations, lists, and references. Bulleted or numbered lists may be used sparingly to present key questions, objectives, or central points, always ensuring that they do not disrupt the flow of the argument.
Finally, it is important to check that any citation included in the introduction is correctly formatted according to APA 7: authors separated by commas, proper use of “and” or “&”, indication of “et al.” based on the corresponding number of authors, and total consistency between the citations in the text and the final references.
By carefully crafting both the content and format of the introduction according to the 7th edition of APA guidelines, the resulting text not only meets academic and ethical requirements but also greatly facilitates the reader's understanding of the work, making it clear from the outset what problem is being addressed, why it deserves attention, and how the research has been designed to provide solid and useful knowledge.