apa essay set up

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APA 7th Edition Guide

• APA Paper Basics
• Preventing Plagiarism
• Academic Integrity Video
• Setting Up Your Paper

In-Text Citations

• eTextbooks and Course Materials
• Images & Audiovisual Media
• Legal Resources
• Personal Communications & Secondary Sources
• Missing Reference Information
• Citing Sources in PowerPoint Presentations
• Annotated Bibliographies
• Finding Help
• Additional Resources from the APA

APA 7th Edition - The Basics

• APA Paper Mechanics: Three Components
• APA Basics Webinar
• APA Citation Tools

Where to Find Help

Setting up the paper: apa formatting   .

• Double-spaced, one-inch margins
• Six acceptable fonts
• Title page format
• Format of in-text citations for paraphrases or summaries:   (Author, Date) .
• Format of in-text citations for quotations:   (Author, Date, p. #)
• Place in-text citations at the end of a sentence (parenthetical) or in the sentence (narrative) where information from the source material is integrated.
• References are composed of four elements:   Author. (Date).  Title.  Source .
• References appear alphabetically in the reference list, often on the last page of your APA paper.

Citation Tools

Rasmussen University students have access to two resources that can be used to generate APA-style references: 

• NoodleTools Guide Use NoodleTools citation generator to create APA-style references. This tool can be used to create and format the References list as well as annotated bibliographies. View the instructional videos to learn how to create an account, save your work, and use this tool for APA citation needs.

Six Steps to Proper Citation

Follow this process to gather, integrate, and properly cite information found through your research process into your research assignment.

APA Tutoring

• APA Tutoring Rasmussen University offers many ways for you to get help with APA, such as tutoring or paper review

Make an appointment with an APA tutor to review your paper for the following:

• Body of paper formatting
• References list
• In-text citations
• Ask Us Use this form to ask our team a question!

APA Style Experts: Blog & Style and Grammar Guidelines

The APA Style Experts have created two helpful resources, the APA Style Blog and the APA Style and Grammar Guidelines:

• APA Style Blog
• APA Style: Style and Grammar Guidelines
• APA Style: Tutorials and Webinars

Consider bookmarking these helpful websites!

• << Previous: APA 7th Edition
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• Last Updated: May 7, 2024 10:19 AM
• URL: https://guides.rasmussen.edu/apa

APA Citation Guide (7th edition): Paper Formatting

• Book Examples
• Article Examples
• Media Examples
• Internet Resources Examples
• Other Examples
• Quotes vs Paraphrases
• Reference Entry Components
• Paper Formatting

Setting Up and Formatting a Student APA Paper

1. set the margins to one inch, 2. set the spacing to double, 3. create a title for your paper, 4. add page numbers to the header, 5. create the title page, 6. set up the references list, but what about..., figures and images, annotated bibliographies.

If your paper will follow strict APA formatting, follow the steps below. Your paper should have three major sections: the title page, main body, and references list. The Publication Manual covers these guidelines in Chapter 2; the APA website also has a Quick Answers--Formatting page.

These guidelines will cover how to set up a  student paper  in APA format. The 7th edition now has specific formatting for student papers versus a professional paper ( i.e.  one being submitted for publication). If your instructor has requested a different format or additional elements, use your instructor's preferences.

• APA Student Paper Template (.docx)

Official Resources

• APA Style: Sample Papers
• APA Style: Student Title Page Guide [PDF]
• APA Style: Headings Style Template

The margins of the paper should be set to 1" (one inch) all around.

Step-by-Step Directions

• Go to the Page Layout or Layout tab
• Click Margins
• Select the Normal option

The line spacing for the paper should be set to double (2.0).

• Go to the Home tab
• In the Paragraph box, click the icon that looks like two up/down arrows with text to the right
• Alternate Method: You can also press the Control Key along with the number 2 to quickly double space.

Your title should summarize the main topic of your paper. Try not to be too wordy or off-topic. While there is no word limit for titles, "short but sweet" is the goal. The APA Style Blog has further information on titles: Five Steps to a Great Title . Use title case for paper titles.

Example Titles

• Attitudes of College Students Towards Transportation Fees
• Effect of Red Light Cameras on Traffic Fatalities
• Juror Bias in Capital Punishment Cases

Insert the page number in the right area of the header. Use the built-in page numbering system; do not attempt to type each page number manually.

• Go to the Insert tab
• Press Tab once or twice to go to the far right
• Click Page Number
• Click Current Position

On the first page you will include the following information:

• Title of Your Paper
• Santa Fe College
• Course Number: Course Name

This information will be centered , and will be a few lines down from the top.

• Go to the top of the first page.
• Press Enter 3-4 times.
• Center your text.
• Type in the title of your paper, in  bold .
• Press  Enter  twice, in order to have one blank line between the title and the next element.
• On the next line, type your full name.
• On the next line, type Santa Fe College.
• On the next line, type your course number, a colon, and your course name.
• On the next line, type your instructor's name.
• On the next line, type the due date of the paper.

The references list should be on a new page, and should be the last section of your paper.

Heading of Reference List

The heading at the top of the reference list should say References at the top ( not Bibliography or Works Cited, unless your instructor tells you otherwise) and bolded .

Hanging Indent

All reference lists should have a hanging indent. An example of a hanging indent is shown below:

George, M. W. (2008). The elements of library research: What every student needs to know . Princeton University Press.

To create a hanging indent in Word, you can press the Control key along with the letter T .

Line spacing in the reference list should be set to double (2.0).

Alphabetizing

When organizing your references list, you must alphabetize your references. Generally, you will organize by the author's last name. Go letter by letter and ignore spaces, hyphens, punctuation etc.

If a work has no author, use the title to alphabetize. You will use the first significant word to alphabetize; this means you skip words like the, a, and an.

Example of Proper Order:

• Alcott, L. M. (1868)...
• Alcott, L. M. (1893)...
• Anonymous. (1998). Beowulf ...
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.).
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017).
• Etiquette in Florida. (n.d.).
• Grammar Girl. (2009, May 21)...
• Johnson, C. L., & Tuite, C. (Eds.). (2009)...
• Johnson, S. K. (2003)...
• Oxford English dictionary (2nd ed.). (1989)...
• A prescription for health care. (2009). Consumer Reports ...
• Southeast Asia. (2003). In The new encyclopaedia Britannica ...

For more information on creating and formatting references, go to the Reference Components page.

Source: Publication Manual , 2.12; 9.44-9.49

APA does not specify a specific font or size, just that it must be legible. Their only guidelines is that the same font should be used throughout the paper. Some suggestions are 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times New Roman, and 11-point Georgia.

If your instructor has specified a font or font size, follow those guidelines.

Source: Publication Manual , 2.19

The Running Head?

Student papers do not need a running head.

Source: Publication Manual , 2.8; 2.18

If you are using an image that does not require attribution , you may provide a figure number and title prior to the image.

Computer Scientist Jean F. Hall with Argonne Version of the Institute's Digital Automatic Computer (AVIDAC)

If your image requires attribution , such as those governed by Creative Commons licenses, include the attribution below the image. You will also need to cite the image in your references list.

Sciurus Carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel)

(https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/4556e4bd-fba4-4b54-b967-3bc912695df4). CC BY 3.0.

Animal Diversity Web. (n.d.).  Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrel) [Photograph]. Creative Commons. https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/4556e4bd-fba4-4b54-b967-3bc912695df4

Source: Clip Art or Stock Image References [APA Style]

APA now has guidelines for an annotated bibliography. Annotations will be a new paragraph directly below the reference, indented 0.5" from the left. Retain the double-spacing.

Delmas, P. M. (2017). Using VoiceThread to create community in online learning. TechTrends, 61 , 595–602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0195-z

This study investigated how VoiceThread could impact online student persistence. It used the Community of Inquiry framework as a guidepost for applying the technology, most specifically by leveraging social presence. The study sought to answer the question "does VoiceThread help create community for online learners?" Researchers surveyed 39 participants in master's and doctoral programs that were either fully online or blended. Based on the data, the researchers concluded that VoiceThread, as perceived by students who have used it, can promote social presence in online learning communities by making students feel more connected to other students and the instructor. Three positive themes for VoiceThread related to student to student interaction included hearing a voice, hearing voice inflection versus text, and learning about peers' professional/educational experience. While positive trends were highlighted succinctly, there was little discussion of negative trends, which challenged validity, and a small sample size ( N =39) makes it difficult to generalize.

• << Previous: Reference Entry Components
• Next: Tutorials >>
• Last Updated: Feb 22, 2024 4:00 PM
• URL: https://simmons.libguides.com/apa

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How to Write an Essay in APA Format

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

What Is APA Format?

Apa essay format basics.

• Steps to Follow

Frequently Asked Questions

If your instructor has asked you to write an APA format essay, it might at first seem like a daunting task, especially if you are accustomed to using another style such as MLA or Chicago. But you can master the rules of APA essay format, too.

An essay is one type of paper that can be written in APA format; others include lab reports, experimental reports, and case studies. Before you begin, familiarize yourself with some of the basic guidelines for writing a paper in APA format. Of course, it will also be important to follow any other formatting instructions that are part of your assignment.

How do you write an essay in APA format? The basic elements you need to include are:

• A title page
• An abstract
• An introduction, main body, and conclusion
• A reference section
• Proper APA formatting with regard to margins, layout, spacing, titles, and indentations

This article discusses how to write an essay in APA format, including the basic steps you should follow and tips for how to get started.

Whether you’re taking an introductory or graduate-level psychology class, chances are strong that you will have to write at least one paper during the course of the semester. In almost every case, you will need to write your paper in APA format, the official publication style of the American Psychological Association . It is also used for academic journals.

Such rules are generally the same whether you are writing a high school essay, college essay, or professional essay for publication.

APA format is used in a range of disciplines including psychology , education, and other social sciences. The format dictates presentation elements of your paper including spacing, margins, and how the content is structured.

Most instructors and publication editors have strict guidelines when it comes to how your format your writing. Not only does adhering to APA format allow readers to know what to expect from your paper, but it also means that your work will not lose critical points over minor formatting errors. 

While the formatting requirements for your paper might vary depending on your instructor's directions, writing APA essay format means you will most likely need to include a title page, abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, and reference sections.

Your APA format essay should have a title page . This title page should include the title of your paper, your name, and your school affiliation. In some instances, your teacher might require additional information such as the course title, instructor name, and the date.

• The title of your paper should be concise and clearly describe what your paper is about.
• Your title can extend to two lines, but it should be no longer than 12 words.

An abstract is a brief summary of your paper that immediately follows the title page. It is not required for student papers, according to APA style. However, your instructor may request one.

If you include an abstract , it should be no more than 100 to 200 words, although this may vary depending upon the instructor requirements.

Your essay should also include a reference list with all of the sources that were cited in your essay,

• The reference section is located at the end of your paper.
• References should be listed alphabetically by the last name of the author.
• References should be double-spaced.
• Any source that is cited in your paper should be included in your reference section.

When writing in APA essay format, the text will include the actual essay itself: The introduction, body, and conclusion.

• There should be uniform margins of at least one inch at the top, bottom, left, and right sides of your essay.
• The text should be in Times New Roman size 12 font or another serif typeface that is easily readable.
• Your paper should be double-spaced.
• Every page should include a page number in the top right corner.
• The first word of each paragraph in your paper should be indented one-half inch.

For professional papers (usually not student papers), every page of the essay also includes a running head at the top left. The running head is a shortened form of the title, often the first few words, and should be no more than 50 characters (including spaces).

Steps to a Successful APA Format Essay

In addition to ensuring that you cite your sources properly and present information according to the rules of APA style, there are a number of things you can do to make the writing process a little bit easier.

Choose a Topic

Start by choosing a good topic to write about. Ideally, you want to select a subject that is specific enough to let you fully research and explore the topic, but not so specific that you have a hard time finding sources of information.

If you choose something too specific, you may find yourself with not enough to write about. If you choose something too general, you might find yourself overwhelmed with information.

Research Your Topic

Start doing research as early as possible. Begin by looking at some basic books and articles on your topic to help develop it further. What is the question you are going to answer with your essay? What approach will you take to the topic?

Once you are more familiar with the subject, create a preliminary source list of potential books, articles, essays, and studies that you may end up using in your essay.

Remember, any source used in your essay must be included in your reference section. Conversely, any source listed in your references must be cited somewhere in the body of your paper.

Write Your Rough Draft

With research in hand, you are ready to begin. Some people like to create an outline to organize their argument prior to drafting. You may want to start with a very rough outline, and then add details.

Once you have a detailed outline, the next step is to translate it from notes to complete sentences and paragraphs. Remember, this is a first draft. It doesn't have to be perfect.

As you write your paper in APA essay format, be sure to keep careful track of the sources that you cite.

How do you start an APA paper? Your paper should begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement that presents your main ideas, points, or arguments. Your introduction should start on the third page of your paper (after the title page and abstract). The title of your paper should be centered, bolded, and typed in title case at the top of the page.

Review and Revise

After you have prepared a rough draft of your essay, it's time to revise, review, and prepare your final draft. In addition to making sure that your writing is cohesive and supported by your sources, you should also check carefully for typos, grammar errors, and possible formatting mistakes.

When citing information or quotations taken from an interview, APA format requires that you cite the source, how the information was collected, and the date of the interview. They should not be included in the reference section, however, because they are not something that can be located by a reader in any published source or searchable database.

Instead, the information should be cited parenthetically in the main body of the text. For example: “There was an increase in the number of college students who screened positive for depression/anxiety” (R. Heathfield, personal communication, May 9, 2021).

If the essay is in a chapter of a book, edited collection, or anthology, APA format states that you should cite the last name, first name, title of essay, title of collection, publisher, year, and page range. For example: Smith, John, "The Light House," A Book of Poems , editing by Peter Roberts, Allworth Press, 2005, pp. 20-25.

According to APA format, a two-part essay is formatted the same as an essay, however, you'll need to create two title pages.

If you're including a short direct quote in your APA-format essay, you will need to cite the author, year of publication, and page number (p.) or page number span (pp.). Quotations longer than 40 words should omit the quotation marks and be put in the text using block quotation formatting, on its own line and indented 1/2 inch from the left margin.

The cover page or "title page" in APA essay format should always include the title of your paper, your name, and school affiliation as well as the course title, instructor name, and date, if requested by your teacher.

Nagda S.  How to write a scientific abstract.   J Indian Prosthodont Soc.  2013;13(3):382-383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-x

American Psychological Association.  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2019.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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• What's New in the 7th Edition?

Setting Up and Formatting a Student APA Paper

1. set the margins to one inch, 2. set the spacing to double, 3. create a title for your paper, 4. add page numbers to the header, 5. create the title page, 6. set up the references list, but what about..., annotated bibliographies.

• Reference Components
• Book Examples
• Article Examples
• Media Examples
• Internet Resources Examples
• Other Examples
• In-Text Citations

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If your paper will follow strict APA formatting, follow the steps below. Your paper should have three major sections: the title page, main body, and references list. The Publication Manual covers these guidelines in Chapter 2; the APA website also has a Quick Answers—Formatting page.

These guidelines will cover how to set up a  student paper  in APA format. The 7th edition now has specific formatting for student papers versus a professional paper ( i.e.  one being submitted for publication). If your instructor has requested a different format or additional elements, use your instructor's preferences.

• Lesley APA Student Paper Template [.docx]

Official Resources

• APA Style: Sample Papers
• APA Student Paper Sample [.docx]
• APA Style: Student Title Page Guide [PDF]

The margins of the paper should be set to 1" (one inch) all around.

Step-by-Step Directions

• Go to the Page Layout or Layout tab
• Click Margins
• Select the Normal option

The line spacing for the paper should be set to double (2.0).

• Go to the Home tab
• In the Paragraph box, click the icon that looks like two up/down arrows with text to the right
• Alternate Method: You can also press the Control Key along with the number 2 to quickly double space.

Your title should summarize the main topic of your paper. Try not to be too wordy or off-topic. While there is no word limit for titles, "short but sweet" is the goal. The APA Style Blog has further information on titles: Five Steps to a Great Title . Use title case for paper titles.

Example Titles

• Attitudes of College Students Towards Transportation Fees
• Effect of Red Light Cameras on Traffic Fatalities
• Juror Bias in Capital Punishment Cases

Insert the page number in the right area of the header. Use the built-in page numbering system; do not attempt to type each page number manually.

• Go to the Insert tab
• Press Tab once or twice to go to the far right
• Click Page Number
• Click Current Position

On the first page you will include the following information:

• Title of Your Paper
• Lesley University
• Course Number: Course Name

This information will be centered , and will be a few lines down from the top.

• Go to the top of the first page.
• Press Enter 3-4 times.
• Center your text.
• Type in the title of your paper, in  bold .
• Press  Enter  twice, in order to have one blank line between the title and the next element.
• On the next line, type your full name.
• On the next line, type Lesley University.
• On the next line, type your course number, a colon, and your course name.
• On the next line, type your instructor's name.
• On the next line, type the due date of the paper.

The references list should be on a new page, and should be the last section of your paper.

Heading of Reference List

The heading at the top of the reference list should say References at the top ( not Bibliography or Works Cited, unless your instructor tells you otherwise) and bolded .

Hanging Indent

All reference lists should have a hanging indent. An example of a hanging indent is shown below:

George, M. W. (2008). The elements of library research: What every student needs to know . Princeton University Press.

To create a hanging indent in Word, you can press the Control key along with the letter T .

Line spacing in the reference list should be set to double (2.0).

Alphabetizing

When organizing your references list, you must alphabetize your references. Generally, you will organize by the author's last name. Go letter by letter and ignore spaces, hyphens, punctuation etc.

If a work has no author, use the title to alphabetize. You will use the first significant word to alphabetize; this means you skip words like the, a, and an.

Example of Proper Order:

• Alcott, L. M. (1868)...
• Alcott, L. M. (1893)...
• Anonymous. (1998). Beowulf ...
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.).
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017).
• Etiquette in Florida. (n.d.).
• Grammar Girl. (2009, May 21)...
• Johnson, C. L., & Tuite, C. (Eds.). (2009)...
• Johnson, S. K. (2003)...
• Oxford English dictionary (2nd ed.). (1989)...
• A prescription for health care. (2009). Consumer Reports ...
• Southeast Asia. (2003). In The new encyclopaedia Britannica ...

For more information on creating and formatting references, go to the Reference Components page.

Source: Publication Manual , 2.12; 9.44-9.49

APA does not specify a specific font or size, just that it must be legible. Their only guidelines is that the same font should be used throughout the paper. Some suggestions are 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times New Roman, and 11-point Georgia.

If your instructor has specified a font or font size, follow those guidelines.

Source: Publication Manual , 2.19

The Running Head?

Student papers do not need a running head.

Source: Publication Manual , 2.8; 2.18

APA now has guidelines for an annotated bibliography. Annotations will be a new paragraph, indented 0.5" from the left.

Online Learning: Annotated Bibliography

Delmas, P. M. (2017). Using VoiceThread to create community in online learning. TechTrends, 61 , 595–602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0195-z This study investigated how VoiceThread could impact online student persistence. It used the Community of Inquiry framework as a guidepost for applying the technology, most specifically by leveraging social presence. The study sought to answer the question “does VoiceThread help create community for online learners?” Researchers surveyed 39 participants in master’s and doctoral programs that were either fully online or blended. Based on the data, the researchers concluded that VoiceThread, as perceived by students who have used it, can promote social presence in online learning communities by making students feel more connected to other students and the instructor. Three positive themes for VoiceThread related to student to student interaction included hearing a voice, hearing voice inflection versus text, and learning about peers’ professional/educational experience. While positive trends were highlighted succinctly, there was little discussion of negative trends, which challenged validity, and a small sample size (N=39) makes it difficult to generalize.

• << Previous: What's New in the 7th Edition?
• Next: Reference Components >>
• Last Updated: Oct 31, 2023 11:24 AM
• URL: https://research.lesley.edu/apa

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Writing Center: How to Set up an APA Paper

• How to Set Up an Appointment Online
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How to Set up an APA Paper

• How to Set up an MLA Paper
• Adapt to Academic Learning
• Audience Awareness
• Learn Touch Typing
• Getting Started
• Thesis Statement
• The First Draft
• Proofreading
• Writing Introductions
• Writing Conclusions
• Chicago / Turabian Style
• CSE / CBE Style
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Cross-Cultural Understanding
• Writing Resources
• Research Paper - General Guidelines
• Annotated Bibliographies
• History Papers
• Science Papers
• Experimental Research Papers
• Exegetical Papers
• FAQs About Creative Writing
• Tips For Creative Writing
• Exercises To Develop Creative Writing Skills
• Checklist For Creative Writing
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• GRE Essay Writing FAQ
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APA: Step by Step for Newcomers to the Style

How to Set up a Paper  

Basic Rules:

1)       Set the margins of your paper to be 1 inch on all sides (go to Margins under Page Layout )

2)       Use the font: Times New Roman

3)       The font size should be 12 point .

4)       Make sure your paper is double-spaced and that the Before and After boxes both read 0 (go to Paragraph and then look under Spacing .)

5)       You text should be aligned left (also go to Paragraph and look under General .)

6)       Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. (Use Tab key).

APA (American Psychological Association) Style is generally used for disciplines such as Psychology, Sociology, Education, Nursing, Communication, and other social sciences.

General format guidelines:

1)       Follow all basic rules mentioned above.

2)       Your essay should include four major sections: Title Page, Abstract, Main Body, and Reference Page.

3)       Set up a Title Page : include the page header flush left with the page number flush right at the top of the page.

·          Go to Insert → Header → Edit Header → Design → Choose Different First Page

·          Go to Insert → Page Number → Top of Page → Plain Number 3 → Click. (Number all pages consecutively with Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) → Type your page header and click Tab key twice to separate from the page number. (Please note that on the title page, your page header should look like this:

Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER

                        Pages after the title page should have a running head that looks like this:

                                    TITLE OF YOUR PAPER

4)       The Title Page should include:

·          The title of you paper: type your title in upper and lowercase letters centered in the upper half of the page. All text on the title page, and throughout your paper, should be double-spaced.

·          The author’s name (your name) : beneath the title, type the author’s name: first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Do not use titles (Dr.) or degrees (Ph.D).

·          The institutional affiliation : beneath the author’s name, type the institutional affiliation, which should indicate the location where the author(s) conducted the research, such as Mississippi College.

5)       Set up an Abstract Page :

·          Begin a new page.

·          Set up a page header flush left with the page number flush right at the top of the page.

Ø   Go to Insert → Page Number → Top of Page → Plain Number 3 → type your page header and click Tab key twice to separate from the page number.

Ø   Make sure all pages after the title page should have a running head that looks like this:

TITLE OF YOUR PAPER

·          On the first line of the abstract page, center the word Abstract (no bold, formatting, italics, underlining, or quotation marks.)

·          Beginning with the next line, write a concise summary of the key points of your research. (Do not indent.)

6)       The Body of your paper:

·          It should start from the third page of your paper.

·          You should already include the page header (described above)

·          Type your title in upper and lowercase letters centered on the first line.

·          Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. (Use Tab key)

7)       Reference Page :

·          This page begins on a new page.

·          This page should be double-spaced as well.

·          This page should have a running head, too.

·          Center the word References without underlining, bolding, or italicizing it. If there is only one entry, title this page Reference .

·          Create a hanging indention for this page:

Ø   Go to Paragraph and select Special under Indention

Ø   Then select Hanging

Video on Formatting an Essay with APA Sixth Edition

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• Columbia College

APA 7th edition - Resource Guide: Paper Formatting

• What's New?
• Paper Formatting
• Citation Basics
• Other Examples
• In-Text Citations
• Generative AI

Setting Up and Formatting a Student APA Paper

If your paper will follow strict APA formatting, follow the steps below. Your paper should have three major sections: the title page, main body, and references list. The Publication Manual covers these guidelines in Chapter 2; the APA website also has a Quick Answers--Formatting page.

These guidelines will cover how to set up a  student paper  in APA format. The 7th edition now has specific formatting for student papers versus a professional paper ( i.e.  one being submitted for publication). If your instructor has requested a different format or additional elements, use your instructor's preferences.

Official Resources

• APA Style: Sample Papers
• APA Style: Student Title Page Guide [PDF]

1. Set the Margins to One Inch

The margins of the paper should be set to 1" (one inch) all around.

Step-by-Step Directions

• Go to the Page Layout or Layout tab
• Click Margins
• Select the Normal option

2. Set the Spacing to Double

The line spacing for the paper should be set to double (2.0).

• Go to the Home tab
• In the Paragraph box, click the icon that looks like two up/down arrows with text to the right
• Alternate Method: You can also press the Control Key along with the number 2 to quickly double space.

3. Create a Title for Your Paper

Your title should summarize the main topic of your paper. Try not to be too wordy or off-topic. While there is no word limit for titles, "short but sweet" is the goal. The APA Style Blog has further information on titles: Five Steps to a Great Title . Use title case for paper titles.

Example Titles

• Attitudes of College Students Towards Transportation Fees
• Effect of Red Light Cameras on Traffic Fatalities
• Juror Bias in Capital Punishment Cases

4. Add Page Numbers to the Header

Insert the page number in the right area of the header. Use the built-in page numbering system; do not attempt to type each page number manually.

• Go to the Insert tab
• Press Tab once or twice to go to the far right
• Click Page Number
• Click Current Position

5. Create the Title Page

Depending on your instructor's directions, on the first page you may need to include the following information:

• Title of Your Paper
• Course Number: Course Name

This information will be centered , and will be a few lines down from the top.

• Go to the top of the first page.
• Press Enter 3-4 times.
• Center your text.
• Type in the title of your paper, in  bold .
• Press  Enter  twice, in order to have one blank line between the title and the next element.
• On the next line, type your full name.
• On the next line, type Columbia College.
• On the next line, type your course number, a colon, and your course name.
• On the next line, type your instructor's name.
• On the next line, type the due date of the paper.

6. Set Up the References List

The references list should be on a new page, and should be the last section of your paper.

Heading of Reference List

The heading at the top of the reference list should say References at the top ( not Bibliography or Works Cited, unless your instructor tells you otherwise) and bolded .

Hanging Indent

All reference lists should have a hanging indent. An example of a hanging indent is shown below:

George, M. W. (2008). The elements of library research: What every student needs to know . Princeton University Press.

To create a hanging indent in Word, you can press the Control key along with the letter T .

Line spacing in the reference list should be set to double (2.0).

Alphabetizing

When organizing your references list, you must alphabetize your references. Generally, you will organize by the author's last name. Go letter by letter and ignore spaces, hyphens, punctuation etc.

If a work has no author, use the title to alphabetize. You will use the first significant word to alphabetize; this means you skip words like the, a, and an.

Example of Proper Order:

• Alcott, L. M. (1868)...
• Alcott, L. M. (1893)...
• Anonymous. (1998). Beowulf ...
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.).
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017).
• Etiquette in Florida. (n.d.).
• Grammar Girl. (2009, May 21)...
• Johnson, C. L., & Tuite, C. (Eds.). (2009)...
• Johnson, S. K. (2003)...
• Oxford English dictionary (2nd ed.). (1989)...
• A prescription for health care. (2009). Consumer Reports ...
• Southeast Asia. (2003). In The new encyclopaedia Britannica ...

Source: Publication Manual , 2.12; 9.44-9.49

But What About...?

APA does not specify a specific font or size, just that it must be legible. Their only guidelines is that the same font should be used throughout the paper. Some suggestions are 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times New Roman, and 11-point Georgia.

If your instructor has specified a font or font size, follow those guidelines.

Source: Publication Manual , 2.19

The Running Head?

Student papers do not need a running head.

Source: Publication Manual , 2.8; 2.18

Annotated Bibliographies

APA now has guidelines for an annotated bibliography. Annotations will be a new paragraph directly below the reference, indented 0.5" from the left. Retain the double-spacing.

Delmas, P. M. (2017). Using VoiceThread to create community in online learning. TechTrends, 61 , 595–602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0195-z

This study investigated how VoiceThread could impact online student persistence. It used the Community of Inquiry framework as a guidepost for applying the technology, most specifically by leveraging social presence. The study sought to answer the question "does VoiceThread help create community for online learners?" Researchers surveyed 39 participants in master's and doctoral programs that were either fully online or blended. Based on the data, the researchers concluded that VoiceThread, as perceived by students who have used it, can promote social presence in online learning communities by making students feel more connected to other students and the instructor. Three positive themes for VoiceThread related to student to student interaction included hearing a voice, hearing voice inflection versus text, and learning about peers' professional/educational experience. While positive trends were highlighted succinctly, there was little discussion of negative trends, which challenged validity, and a small sample size ( N =39) makes it difficult to generalize.

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• Last Updated: Nov 21, 2023 8:59 PM
• URL: https://library.ccis.edu/apa7

APA Style Guide

• What is APA
• APA Reference Examples
• In-Text Citations
• Set Up Your Paper
• Links To Other Resources
• Citation Generators
• I Need Help
• Sample Papers/Templates

Review the requirements for your paper and then consult the links below for details on formatting a paper. 

This chart provides examples of the formatting to use for headers. See the link below for more details. 

• APA Style - Headings
• APA Style - Paper Format
• APA Style - Sample Papers
• APA Style - Webinars

The below Word documents are sample templates of papers available from APAstyle.org . 

• BC APA Style Student Paper Template
• APA Style Student Paper Template
• APA Style Student Literature Review Template
• APA Style Professional Paper Template
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• Last Updated: Apr 24, 2024 1:50 PM
• URL: https://libguides.broward.edu/apa