APA Basic Format/ Sections

Basic Paper Format

• 1" Margins/ top, bottom, right, left

• Double-spaced

• 10-12 pt.

• Times New Roman font or a similar font.

• Page header at the top of every page

• (including Title page) / page numbers flush right, "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" flush left (Title is all capital letters!)

Sample Cover Page

Include the page header/ Please note that on the title page the words "Running head" followed by a colon, precede the title and the title is all capital letters.

The following are Centered, Double Spaced, One Under Another in the upper half of the page

-Title of the paper/ upper and lowercase letters. APA recommends that your title be no more than 12 words in length and that it should not contain abbreviations or words that serve no purpose. It may take up 1 or 2 lines.

-Your Name/ first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Do not use titles (Dr.) or degrees (Ph.D.).

-Institutional affiliation/ location (school) where the author(s) conducted the research.

-Author note, if required(The author note is used primarily for publication purposes. If you have a question about whether to use an author note, consult your instructor.

Abstract

One-paragraph, self-contained summary of the most important elements of the paper.

Pagination:

The abstract begins on a new page (page 2).

Heading:

“Abstract” (centered on the first line below the running head)

Format:

The abstract (in block format) begins on the line following the Abstract heading. The abstract word limit is set by individual journals. Typically, the word limit is between 150 and 250 words. All numbers in the abstract (except those beginning a sentence) should be typed as digits rather than words.

Main Body

1. Pagination: The body of the paper begins on a new page (page 3). Subsections of the body of the paper do not begin on new pages.

2. Title: The title of the paper (in uppercase and lowercase letters) is centered on the first line below the running head.

3. Introduction: The introduction (which is not labeled) begins on the line following the paper title.

4 . Headings: 5 levels of headings are available to be used to organize the paper and reflect the relative importance of sections. For example, many empirical research articles utilize two levels of headings: Main headings (such as Method, Results, Discussion, References) would use Level 1 (centered, boldface, uppercase and lowercase letters), and subheadings (such as Participants, Apparatus, and Procedure as subsections of the Method section) would use Level 2 (flush left, boldface, uppercase and lowercase letters).

*How to use the 5 headings in APA

References

All sources included in the References section must be cited in the body of the paper (and all sources cited in the paper must be included in the References section).

1. Pagination: The References section begins on a new page.

2. Heading: “References” (centered on the first line below the running head)

3. Format: The references (with hanging indent) begin on the line following the References heading. Entries are organized alphabetically by surnames of first authors. Most reference entries have the following components:

4. Authors: Authors are listed in the same order as specified in the source, using surnames and initials. Commas separate all authors. When there are eight or more authors, list the first six authors followed by three ellipses (…) and then the final author. If no author is identified, the title of the document begins the reference.

5. Year of Publication: In parentheses following authors, with a period following the closing parenthesis. If no publication date is identified, use “n.d.” in parentheses following the authors.

6. Source Reference: Includes title, journal, volume, pages (for journal article) or title, city of publication, publisher (for book). Italicize titles of books, titles of periodicals, and periodical volume numbers.

7. Electronic Retrieval Information: Electronic retrieval information may include digital object identifiers (DOIs) or uniform resource locators (URLs). DOIs are unique alphanumeric identifiers that lead users to digital source material.

Footnotes

Content footnotes are occasionally used to support substantive information in the text. A content footnote may be placed at the bottom of the page on which it is discussed or on a separate page following the References.

1. Pagination: Footnotes begin on a separate page.

2. Heading: “Footnotes” is centered on the first line below the running head.

3. Format: Indent the first line of each footnote 5-7 spaces and number the footnotes (slightly above the line) as they are identified in the text.

How to do Different Footnotes

Tables

A common use of tables is to present quantitative data or the results of statistical analyses (such as ANOVA). See the Publication Manual (2010, pp. 128-150) for detailed examples. Tables must be mentioned in the text.

1. Pagination: Each Table begins on a separate page.

2. Heading: “Table 1″ (or 2 or 3, etc.) is typed flush left on the first line below the running head. Double-space and type the table title flush left (italicized in uppercase and lowercase letters).

OWL's Guide to APA Tables

Figures

A common use of Figures is to present graphs, photographs, or other illustrations (other than tables). See the Publication Manual (2010, pp. 150-167) for detailed examples.

1. Pagination: Figures begin on a separate page.

2. Figure Caption: “Figure 1.” (or 2 or 3, etc.) is typed flush left and italicized on the first line below the figure, immediately followed on the same line by the caption (which should be a brief descriptive phrase).

Appendixes (APA does not call plural Appendices)

A common use of appendixes is to present unpublished tests or to describe complex equipment or stimulus materials.

1. Pagination: Each Appendix begins on a separate page and follows the Reference section.

2. Heading:If there is only one appendix, “Appendix” is centered on the first line below the manuscript page header. If there is more than one appendix, use Appendix A (or B or C, etc.). Double-space and type the appendix title (centered in uppercase and lowercase letters).

3. Format: Indent the first line 5-7 spaces.

APA Sample Paper