APA Format

APA format is important because it ensures your academic writing is organized and easy to follow.

Clear instructions (using Microsoft Word), practical tips and examples are provided by apaword.com to raise your academic writing to the required APA standard.

APA format requires the following:

• 1 inch (2.54 centimeter) margins
• font of your choice subject to APA guidelines
• header which has the page number. A running head is required for professional papers but not student papers unless requested by the instructor.
• title page
• abstract page
• main body of work (headings, paragraphs, figures, tables, quotations)
• reference list

Your instructor may modify the above (e.g., not have an abstract page) or add other things like a Table of Contents, List of Figures, and a List of Tables.

By formatting ypur work according to APA guidelines, your ideas will be effectively and credibly understood.

Also, citing references in APA format will ensure you correctly credit your sources of information thus avoiding plagiarism.

Layout in APA Format

Margins

Top, bottom, left and right margins should be 1 inch or 2.54 centimeters which is the default setting in Microsoft Word.

Often you will not have to change the margin size.

However, margin sizes may be different if your paper is to be printed and bound.

See margins in APA format if you want to check the margin size or change it.

Font Type and Size

The current APA guidelines (seventh edition) allow for a range of font types and sizes.

Note: This is different to the sixth edition which recommended Times New Roman size 12.

Often your instructor will specify a font to use because there is a standard for the school or faculty, or that they prefer a particular font.

So, first check the assignment guidelines.

The APA seventh edition suggests various font types and sizes (opens in new window).

Header

There are two types of headers for a paper in APA format. They are:

• page number only: This is usually for student papers (those not to be published, normally undergraduate papers).
• running head and page number: This is usually for professional papers (those to be published).

Your instructor may vary these guidelines. Ask if in doubt.

Page Number Only

A page number is required on every page, including the title page.

However, guidelines provided sometimes vary this.

The following options are presented:

• Page Number Beginning on the Title Page (APA format)
• Page Number Not Displayed on the Title Page
• Page Number Beginning at 1 After the Title Page
• Page Numbers in Both Roman and Arabic Numeral Form

See page number in APA format on every page for instructions on how to insert the page number.

See page number not displayed on title page for instructions on how to display a page number on every page after the title page.

Note: This format is a deviation from the APA guidelines.

See title page without a page number for instructions on how to begin page numbering after the title page.

Note: This format is a deviation from the APA guidelines.

See table of contents in APA format for instructions on how to use both Arabic numerals and Roman numerals for page numbers.

Note: This format is a deviation from the APA guidelines. If a table of contents was to be included, the page numbers would be Arabic numerals.

Running Head and Page Number in the Header (Professional Paper)

The header for a professional paper contains the following:

• Running Head which is an abbreviation of the paper's title
• Page number

See Figure 5 for an example of a header in APA format for a professional paper.

See how to create a Running Head in APA format using Microsoft Word.

Title Page

APA guidelines has two different formats for the title page. They are:

• student title page: This is for papers not to be published, normally undergraduate papers.
• professional title page: This is for professional papers such as theses and journal articles

Your instructor may vary these guidelines. Ask if in doubt.

Abstract Page

An abstract page is not normally required for a student paper but is for a professional paper (for example a thesis).

However, your instructor may vary this requirement, for example, for a longer student paper.

Ask if you are not sure if an abstract is required.

See how to make an abstract page in APA format using Microsoft Word.

Text in APA Format

Headings

Your paper may contain several headings including subheadings.

The APA guidelines identify five levels of headings:

• Level 1
• Level 2 (subheading of Level 1)
• Level 3 (subheading of Level 2)
• Level 4 (subheading of Level 3)
• Level 5 (subheading of Level 4)

Figure 6 gives an example of three levels of headings.

See headings in APA format on how to format your headings using Microsoft Word.

Paragraphs

To format a paragraph, you should:

• use a font type and size of your choice within APA guidelines 
  (see font types for recommended fonts),
  
• align the paragraph against the left margin,
• indent the first line of the paragraph (0.5 in or 1.27 cm),
• double space lines within a paragraph, and
• not hyphenate a word over two lines.

See paragraphs in APA format on how to create your paragraphs using Microsoft Word.

Quotations

Quotations shorter than 40 words are written within the sentence. There is no special formatting apart from enclosing the quotation in double quotation marks.

Quotations of 40 or more words are written as a separate block of text with the following format:

• indented 0.5 inches (1.27 centimeters) from the left margin
• double line spaced
• the first line of any subsequent paragraphs is indented another 0.5 inches (1.27 centimeters)

See quotations in APA format on how to format your quotation using Microsoft Word.

Footnotes

Footnotes are not used for citations but can be used to provide extra information or copyright attribution.

See how to organize footnotes in APA format using Microsoft Word.

Figures

Figures, which include images and diagrams, have specific formatting guidelines.

See how to create a figure in APA format using Microsoft Word.

Table of Contents

While there is not an official guide for a Table of Contents, you might consider adding one to your APA-formatted paper.

See how to create a Table of Contents in APA format using Microsoft Word.

Tables

Tables have specific formatting guidelines.

See how to create a table in APA format using Microsoft Word.

Citations

Citations and reference list entries have specific APA formatting guidelines.

Citing sources can be quite time consuming. However, citation generators can save you a lot of time.

See how to cite in APA format using Zotero, a free citation generator.

Summary

Correct use of the APA format is crucial for organizing and enhancing the clarity of your academic writing.

The instructions, practical tips, and examples provided in apaword.com will help you write to the required standard.

Important elements in your writing, including margins, font, headers, title page, abstract, main body, and citations are covered in apaword.com.

Following APA guidelines ensures your ideas are effectively communicated, sources are credited correctly, and your writing meets professional standards (see what is apa format for more information).

From layout to citations, this apaword.com shows you how to produce exceptional academic work using Microsoft Word.

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