Embedded Files
Format Basics
Format Basics
APA Paper Formatting Basics
APA Paper Formatting Basics
All text should be double-spaced
Use one-inch margins on all sides
All paragraphs in the body are indented
Make sure that the title is centered on the page with your name and school/institution underneath
Use 12-point font throughout
All pages should be numbered in the upper right hand corner
The manual recommends using one space after most punctuation marks
A shortened version of the title (“running head”) should be placed in the upper left hand corner
Title Page
Title Page
The APA format title page for student papers includes six main components:
the title of the APA format paper
names of all authors
institutional affiliation
course number and title
instructor’s name
due date
Reminder: Some teachers will ask for specific information in their assignments. Students should always defer to their teachers' requirements.
Sample of an APA format title page:
Sample of an APA format title page:
Image Source: Chegg, 2022
In-text Citations
In-text Citations
Basic Structure for Citing a Book:
Author, F. M. (Year of Publication). Title of work. Publisher.
Corresponding In-Text Citation:
(Author Last Name, Publication Year)
Basic Structure for Citing a Webpage:
Author, F.M. (date). Title of webpage/document. Website. https://someaddress.com/full/url
Corresponding In-Text Citation:
(Author Last Name, Publication Year)
How do I cite a work with no author?
No author, source title italicized: (Source title, Year Published)
No author, source title in quotes: (“Source title,” Year Published)
Watch this video from Humber Libraries for a clear look at APA style.
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
0:31 What is an in-text citation?
0:39 Information Required
0:51 Quoting
1:21 Paraphrasing
1:58 Parenthetical in-text citations
2:12 Narrative in-text citation
2:37 Two authors
2:52 Three or more authors
3:01 Unknown author
3:09 No page number
3:20 Reference Page
Reference List & Source Citations
Reference List & Source Citations
Last page of essay
Alphabetical order
Author’s last name, first initial
Double-spaced
Hanging indent
Capitalize only first word of title and subtitle
Full URL for electronic sources
Include Digital Object Identifier (DOI) instead of database
Basic Rules for Formatting the Sources
Basic Rules for Formatting the Sources
All authors' names should be inverted (i.e., last names should be provided first).
Authors' first and middle names should be written as initials.
For example, the reference entry for a source written by Jane Marie Smith would begin with "Smith, J. M."
If a middle name isn't available, just initialize the author's first name: "Smith, J."
For multiple articles by the same author, or authors listed in the same order, list the entries in chronological order, from earliest to most recent.
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.
Italicize titles of longer works (e.g., books, edited collections, names of newspapers, and so on).
Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around the titles of shorter works such as chapters in books or essays in edited collections.
Reliable APA Resources
Reliable APA Resources
Scribbr's YouTube Channel: This video will go through what to include in an APA in-text citation, where to place it in a sentence, and how to deal with missing information.
Dr. David Taylor's PeakWriting YouTube Channel: APA Playlist
Zoom in and out of this APA poster to answer all of your basic APA questions!
Hover over the "Style and Grammar Guidelines" button to switch between topics like Paper Format and In-text Citations.
Be sure to add as much information to each source citation as possible. Remember: this is a machine calculation! You need to check the citation before copying it into your References page.
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