HOW TO FORMAT A PAPER OR PROJECT: APA 7th ed. Specifics

Title page is required for all APA style papers. There are both professional and student versions of the title page.

• Use Upper and Lowercase lettering (title case)
• 12 point Times New Roman
• Center elements
• 2" top margin
• Double space elements
• In order,

STUDENT

1. Title of paper
2. author's name (First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name)
3. institution name
4. course number and name (for which the paper is being submitted)
5. instructors name
6. assignment due date
7. page number

Professioal

1. Title of paper
2. author's name (First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name)
3. institution name
4. author note
5. running head
6. page number

• DO NOT include "Running head" to identify the running head on any page
• Running head appears flush left in the header.
• An abbreviated title of the paper (less than 50 characters)
• The abbreviated title is in all uppercase.
• Page number is flush right.

• The abbreviated title appears in uppercase on all pages, flush left.
• Page number is flush right.

1 - Centered, Boldface, Upper and Lowercase Heading (also called title case)

2 - Flush Left, Boldface, Upper and Lowercase Heading (also called title case)

3 - Flush left, Boldface Italic, Upper and Lowercase Heading (also called title case)

4 - Indented, Boldface, Upper and Lowercase Heading (also called title case), ending with a period.

5 - Indented,  Boldface italicized, Upper and Lowercase Heading (also called title case), ending with a period.

Double space. Single space tables or figures.

Double space.

Double space.

1" margins on all sides.

Exceptions (in instructions by professor)

• 1.5" left margin and .5" right margin - used for binding a document.
• 2" margin on one side - for instructor comments on a rough draft

Papers should be written in a font that is accessible to all users. Historically, sans serf fonts have been preferred.  Check with instructor or institution for any requirements regarding font.

• Times Roman 
• 12 point (10 point in notes or below tables and figures)

1/2" indentation used at beginning of a paragraph

• Both author/s' last name, a comma, and the year of publication appear
• citation is inserted at the appropriate point of the sentence, often at end of sentence, just before final punctuation

• If author's name is mentioned in the text, then only the date needs to be in the parentheses
• If the author and date are mentioned in the text, then no citation within parentheses is needed.

• 40 or more words.
• No quotation marks.
• Double spaced.
• Entire quotation is indented 1/2" from left margin.
• Citation comes after closing punctuation.

• 12 pt Times New Romans
• Title of "References" is bold and centered
• Double space entries
• First line is flush to left margin; subsequent lines indented 1/2"
• Entries arranged alphabetically by first element in citation (typically an author's last name)