APA Documentation

• A title page

• Page numbers

• Written text (main body)

• In-text citations

• A reference list

• May include tables and figures as an appendix or in the written text

Running heads are not necessary unless your teacher specifically asks for you to include them!

** Note: you should always follow the guidelines provided by your teacher as to what they want included in your writing task.

The title page is a separate page to start an assignment.

Place the title of the assignment ⅓ of the way down the page.

Half way down the page include your name, affiliation (the name of the school you attend), the name of the course, the name of the instructor and the due date of the assignment.

Don’t forget to number your title page in the top right hand corner

(See the example provided below.)

• The main body starts on a new page after the title page.

• The title of the assignment (as included on the title page) should be repeated on the first line of the first page of the written text. This title should be capitalized, bolded and centered on the page.

• The text should be justified to the left side of the page, double spaced with the line of each new paragraph indented one tab key.

• Depending on the type of writing assignment assigned, headings can be used to organize writing. If using headings, DO NOT start a new page for a new heading or add a page break. Headings should be capitalized, bolded and centered on the page. Subheadings should be capitalized, bolded and justified to the left of the page.

• The entire writing assignment should be double spaced.

• Use an easy to read font (Arial, Calibri, New Times Roman) in a size 11 - 12. Use the same font throughout the entire assignment.

(See the example provided below.)

YES! A reference list is an important part of any academic work. It allows readers to locate the sources you used to complete your work and gives credibility to your writing.

How do you format your reference list?

• Start your reference list on a new page. It should be the very last page of your writing but should come before any tables, figures or appendices you include at the end of your work.

• Number your reference list in the top right hand corner.

• Include the title References; it must be centered and bolded.

• Double space all references, as well as between references.

• The first line of each reference must be justified to the left margin; all subsequent lines must be indented by one tab (or five spaces). This is called a hanging indentation.

• References must be listed in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Author's first and middle names should be written as initials.

• When referring to the titles of books, chapters, articles, reports, webpages, or other sources, capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or a dash in the title, and proper nouns.

• Include a retrieval date in your reference when using a source where the information is unarchived, or in other words, the information is likely to change over time. Sources with unstable information include social media sites and websites that are updated often. The majority of references do not need retrieval dates.

(See the example provided below)

Headings are used to help identify content in your writing. There are five levels of headings that can be used in APA 7.

Level 1 is the highest or main level of heading. The assignment title placed at the top of the first page of writing is considered a Level 1 heading. A Level 2 heading is a subheading of Level 1; a Level 3 heading is a subheading of Level 2. A Level 4 heading is a subheading of Level 3 and a Level 5 heading is a subheading of Level 4.

There are specific formatting rules for each level of heading (See table below).

Regardless of the number of headings you use, always start by using a Level 1 heading. Depending on the length of your work, you may only use Level 1 headings in your writing, or you may use a combination of Level 1 and Level 2 headings.

Never include a heading for your introduction. Also, do not number or letter your headings.

Tables and figures are included in writing to help the writer include a large amount of information in a concise, easy to understand manner.

Tables usually show numerical data and information.

Figures could include charts, graphs, photographs, drawings - anything illustrating an idea or information.

To include a table or figure in your work:

• Include a table number and title for tables; a figure number and title for figures.

• Refer to tables and figures in the body of your writing by their number (known as a callout). Do not include a table or figure in your work if you do not intend to call out the significance of the information to your work.

• Tables and figures can be placed on separate pages after the reference page OR embedded in the body of your work.

• Include notes at the bottom of tables and figures to explain or clarify information.

• Include a copyright attribution for each table/figure that has been copied from a source (similar to a reference) below notes listed.

• Don't forget to include a full reference for all tables and figures included in your work in your Reference List. Reference each table and figure based on the type of source the information was located in, i.e. website.

(See example provided below)

Citations are an important part of scholarly writing. Each citation you include in your writing shares with the reader important information about the research you used to complete your work and is a key way to avoid plagiarism.

The number of citations you include in your writing will depend on a number of factors including the type and purpose of your writing. The general rule is to cite one or two sources for each key point being stated in your work.

APA format uses the author-date citation system to cite references in writing. There are two parts to using this system correctly: an in-text citation that appears in the body of your writing and a corresponding reference list entry. This means any sources used to in-text cite must be listed in your reference page.

There are two types of in-text citations that can be used in APA 7: Parenthetical Citation and Narrative Citation.

• a Parenthetical citation is when the author name and publication date of a source you are citing appear in brackets within, or at the end of a sentence. (See example below)

• a Narrative citation is when the author's name and publication date are incorporated into the text as part of the sentence. (See example below)

Explore the following links to learn more about formatting your work in APA 7.

Student Paper Setup Guide

Student Paper Checklist

Sample Student Paper

Explore the following links to learn more about Referencing and Citing Sources in your work using APA 7 format.

Reference Examples