Page Layout
- Double space throughout
- Use one-inch margins on all sides
- Font should be clear and readable, 11 or 12 pt. size depending on instructor requirements
- Page numbers should appear in the right-hand corner of every page, half an inch from the top of the page
Elements of an APA Paper
Title Page
Three or four lines from the top of the first page, center the following:
- Title, using bold type and title case (capitalize first word and all important words)
- Name of student
- Department and college name
- Course name and number
- Name of instructor
- Date of submission
Note: Add an additional line space between the title and the student’s name
Text of the Paper
- Center the title at the top of the first page of text using bold type and title case
- Do not use a sub-heading for the introduction
- Use appropriate sub-headings for major divisions in the text (see p. 8)
References List
- Center the word References in bold at the top of the page
- Use a hanging indent to format entries
- List sources in alphabetical order by authors’ last names
- Alphabetize unsigned sources by the first word of the title (except A, An, The)
Note on 7th Edition
APA no longer recommends running heads or abstracts for student papers, but some instructors may still require them.
Writing in APA Style
Abbreviations
Abbreviations are used for:
- Words that appear as word entries in the dictionary, such as ESP
- Terms that are familiar to the reader as abbreviations; on first use write out the full term followed by the abbreviation in parentheses
- Units of measurement accompanied by numerals: 18 kHz
- Chemical compounds
- Some units of time: hr (hour); min (minute); ms (millisecond); s (second)
Capitalizing Titles
APA uses two different styles of capitalization:
- Title case: Capitalize the first word of the title, every important word thereafter (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs), and every word of four or more letters. Use for:
- The title of your paper
- Headings throughout your paper
- The title of any work (book, article, name of website) used within the text of your paper, including in-text citations
- Names of periodicals in the text of the paper and on the references list
- Sentence-style case: Capitalize only the first word of the title, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns. Use on the References list for titles of works, including books, periodical articles, web pages, etc.
Italics
Use italics for:
- Key terms used within the paper
- Genus and species
- Non-English words which do not appear in the dictionary and are likely to be unfamiliar to the reader
- Letters used as statistical symbols or algebraic variables
- Titles of self-contained works, such as books, magazines and journals, webpages, websites, plays, movies, tv series, etc.
Levels of Headings
- Level 1: centered, bold, title case; text begins on next line as a new paragraph
- Level 2: flush left, bold, title case; text begins on next line as a new paragraph
- Level 3: flush left, bold italics, title case; text begins on next line as a new paragraph
- Level 4: indented, bold, title case, ends with a period; text begins on same line
- Level 5: indented, bold italics, title case, ends with a period; text begins on same line
Numbers
- Write out numbers from zero to nine, numbers at the beginning of a sentence, common fractions, and numbers in common expressions (e.g. twelve-step programs).
- Use numerals for numbers 10 and above, numbers preceding units of measurement, numbers used in statistical or mathematical contexts, and numbers referring to time, dates, ages, scores, and sums of money.
Paraphrasing and Summarizing
Paraphrase or summarize source material whenever possible; that is, put the material in your own words. Always identify the source by name and date; locations (page, section or paragraph numbers) are not usually required for paraphrases and summaries.
Quotation Marks
Use quotation marks for:
- Direct quotes under 40 words long
- Titles of short works contained within a longer works, such as periodical articles, book chapters, reference book entries, tv episodes, songs/poems, etc., when these titles appear within the text of your paper, including in-text citations.
According to “10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s” (2020) . . .
(“10 Early Signs of Alzheimer’s,” 2020).
Verb Tense in Signal Phrases and Summaries
Use past tense verbs in signal phrases and summaries:
Williams (2016) argued that . . .
Williams (2016) stated, “No evidence of misconduct was presented” (p. 124).
