APA (7th Edition) Referencing Guide

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  • ABS AND AIHW
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  • Film / TV / DVD
  • Miscellaneous (Generic Reference)
  • AI software

APA 7th examples and templates

Apa formatting tips, thesis formatting, tables and figures, acknowledgements and disclaimers.

  • What If...?
  • Other Guides
  • EscAPA7de - the APA escape room
  • One Minute Video Series (APA)

apa assignment format 7th edition

You can view the samples here:

  • APA Style Sample Papers From the official APA Style and Grammar Guidelines

Quick formatting notes taken from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th edition

Use the same font throughout the text of your paper, including the title and any headings. APA lists the following options (p. 44):

  • Sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11 point-Arial, 10-point Lucida,
  • Serif fonts such as 12-point Times new Roman, 11-point Georgia or 10-point Computer Modern.

(A serif font is one that has caps and tails - or "wiggly bits" - on it, like Times New Roman . The font used throughout this guide is a sans serif [without serif] font). You may want to check with your lecturer to see if they have a preference.

In addition APA suggests these fonts for the following circumstances:

  • Within figures, use a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points.
  • When presenting computer code, use a monospace font such as 10-point Lucida Console or 10-point Courier New.
  • Footnotes: a 10-point font with single line spacing.

Line Spacing:

"Double-space the entire paper, including the title page, abstract, text, headings, block quotations, reference list, table and figure notes, and appendices, with the following exceptions:" (p. 45)

  • Table and figures: Words within tables and figures may be single-, one-and-a-half- or double-spaced depending on what you decide creates the best presentation.
  • Footnotes: Footnotes appearing at the bottom of the page to which they refer may be single-spaced and formatted with the default settings on your word processing program i.e. Word.
  • Equations: You may triple- or quadruple-space before and after equations.

"Use 1 in. (2.54 cm) margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right) of the page." If your subject outline or lecturer has requested specific margins (for example, 3cm on the left side), use those.

"Align the text to the left and leave the right margin uneven ('ragged'). Do not use full justification, which adjusts the spacing between words to make all lines the same length (flush with the margins).  Do not manually divide words at the end of a line" (p. 45).

Do not break hyphenated words. Do not manually break long DOIs or URLs.

Indentations:

"Indent the first line of every paragraph... for consistency, use the tab key... the default settings in most word-processing programs are acceptable. The remaining lines of the paragraph should be left-aligned." (p. 45)

Exceptions to the paragraph indentation requirements are as follows:

  • Title pages to be centred.
  • The first line of abstracts are left aligned (not indented).
  • Block quotes are indented 1.27 cm (0.5 in). The first paragraph of a block quote is not indented further. Only the first line of the second and subsequent paragraphs (if there are any) are indented a further 1.27 cm (0.5 in). (see What if...Long quote  in this LibGuide)
  • Level 1 headings, including appendix titles, are centred. Level 2 and Level 3 headings are left aligned..
  • Table and figure captions, notes etc. are flush left.

Page numbers:

Page numbers should be flush right in the header of each page. Use the automatic page numbering function in Word to insert page numbers in the top right-hand corner. The title page is page number 1.

Reference List:

  • Start the reference list on a new page after the text but before any appendices.
  • Label the reference list References  (bold, centred, capitalised).
  • Double-space all references.
  • Use a hanging indent on all references (first line is flush left, the second and any subsequent lines are indented 1.27 cm (0.5 in). To apply a hanging indent in Word, highlight all of your references and press Ctrl + T  on a PC, or  Command (⌘) + T  on a Mac.

Level 1 Heading - Centered, Bold, Title Case

Text begins as a new paragraph i.e. first line indented...

Level 2 Heading - Flush Left, Bold, Title Case

Level 3 Heading - Flush Left, Bold, Italic, Title Case

Level 4 Heading Indented, Bold, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Full Stop. Text begins on the same line...

Level 5 Heading, Bold, Italic, Title Case Heading, Ending with a Full Stop.  Text begins on the same line...

Please note : Any formatting requirements specified in the subject outline or any other document or web page supplied to the students by the lecturers should be followed instead of these guidelines.

What is an appendix?

Appendices contain matter that belongs with your paper, rather than in it.

For example, an appendix might contain

  • the survey questions or scales you used for your research,
  • detailed description of data that was referred to in your paper,
  • long lists that are too unweildy to be given in the paper,
  • correspondence recieved from the company you are analysing,
  • copies of documents being discussed (if required),

You may be asked to include certain details or documents in appendices, or you may chose to use an appendix to illustrate details that would be inappropriate or distracting in the body of your text, but are still worth presenting to the readers of your paper.

Each topic should have its own appendix. For example, if you have a survey that you gave to participants and an assessment tool which was used to analyse the results of that survey, they should be in different appendices. However, if you are including a number of responses to that survey, do not put each response in a separate appendix, but group them together in one appendix as they belong together.

How do you format an appendix?

Appendices go at the very end of your paper , after your reference list. (If you are using footnotes, tables or figures, then the end of your paper will follow this pattern: reference list, footnotes, tables, figures, appendices).

Each appendix starts on a separate page. If you have only one appendix, it is simply labelled "Appendix". If you have more than one, they are given letters: "Appendix A", "Appendix B", "Appendix C", etc.

The label for your appendix (which is just "Appendix" or "Appendix A" - do not put anything else with it), like your refrerence list, is placed at the top of the page, centered and in bold , beginning with a capital letter.

You then give a title for your appendix, centered and in bold , on the next line.

Use title case for the appendix label and title.

The first paragraph of your appendix is not indented (it is flush with the left margin), but all other paragraphs follow the normal pattern of indenting the first line. Use double line spacing, just like you would for the body of your paper.

How do I refer to my appendices in my paper?

In your paper, when you mention information that will be included or expanded upon in your appendices, you refer to the appendix by its label and capitalise the letters that are capitalised in the label:

Questions in the survey were designed to illicit reflective responses (see Appendix A).

As the consent form in Appendix B illustrates...

How do I use references in my appendices?

Appendices are considered to be part of your paper for the purpose of referencing. Any in-text citations used in your appendix should be formatted exactly the same way you would format it in the body of your paper, and the references cited in your appendices will go in your reference list (they do not go in a special section of your reference list, but are treated like normal references).

If you have included reproduced matter in your appendices, treat them like an image or a table that has been copied or adapted. Place the information for the source in the notes under the reproduced matter (a full copyright acknowledgement for theses or works being published, or the shorter version used at JCU for assignments), and put the reference in the reference list.

  • Thesis Formatting Guide Our Library Guide offers some advice on formatting a thesis for JCU higher degrees.
  • Setting up a table in APA 7th
  • Setting up a figure in APA 7th

If you are required to include an acknowledgement or disclaimer (for example, a statement of whether any part of your assignment was generated by AI, or if any part of your assignment was re-used, with permission, from a previous assignment), this should go in an author note .

The author note is placed on the bottom half of the title page, so if you are using an author note, you will need to use a title page. Place the section title Author Note in centre and in bold. Align the paragraph text as per a normal paragraph, beginning with an indent. See the second image on this page for an example of where to place the author note: Title Page Setup .

The APA Publication Manual lists several paragraphs that could be included in an author note, and specifies the order in which they should appear. For a student assignment, you will probably only require a paragraph or sentence on disclosures and acknowledgements.

An example author note for a student paper could be:

Author Note

This paper was prepared using Bing Copilot to assist with research and ChatGPT to assist with formatting the reference list. No generative AI software was used to create any part of the submitted text.

No generative AI software was used to create any part of this assignment.

  • If the use of generative AI was permitted for drafting or developing parts of your assignment, you will need to include a description in the methodology section of your paper specifying what software was used, what it was used for and to what extent.
  • If your subject outline has a specific disclaimer to use, use that wording in your author's note.
  • If the use of generative AI software is permitted, you will still need to review the material produced by the software for suitability and accuracy, as the author of the paper is ultimately responsible for all of the content.
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  • Last Updated: Sep 4, 2024 4:17 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/apa

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APA Style (7th ed.)

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Format Your Paper

Download and use the editable templates for student papers below: .

  • APA 7th ed. Template Document This is an APA format template document in Google Docs. Click on the link -- it will ask for you to make a new copy of the document, which you can save in your own Google Drive with your preferred privacy settings.
  • APA 7th ed. Template Document A Microsoft Word document formatted correctly according to APA 7th edition.
  • APA 7th ed. Annotated Bibliography template A Microsoft Word document formatted correctly for an annotated bibliography.

Or, view the directions for specific sections below:

  &

Order of Sections (section 2.17)

  • Title page including Title, Author, University and Department, Class, Instructor, and Date
  • Body (including introduction, literature review or background, discussion, and conclusion)
  • Appendices (including tables & figures)

Margins & Page Numbers (sections 2.22-2.24)

  • 1 inch at top, bottom, and both sides
  • Left aligned paragraphs and leave the right edge ragged (not "right justified")
  • Indent first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch from left margin
  • Use page numbers, including on the title page, 1/2 inch from top and flush with right margin

Text Format (section 2.19)

  • Times New Roman, 12 point
  • Calibri, 11 point
  • Arial, 11 point
  • Lucinda Sans Unicode, 10 point
  • Georgia, 11 point
  • Double-space and align text to the left
  • Use active voice
  • Don't overuse technical jargon
  • No periods after a web address or DOI in the References list.

Tables and Figures In-Text (chapter 7)

  • Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1)
  • Give each table column a heading and use separating lines only when necessary
  • Design the table and figure so that it can be understood on its own, i.e. it does not require reference to the surrounding text to understand it
  • Notes go below tables and figures

Title Page (section 2.3)

  • Include the title, your name,  the class name , and  the college's name
  • Title should be 12 words or less and summarize the paper's main idea
  • No periods or abbreviations
  • Do not italicize or underline
  • No quotation marks, all capital letters, or bold
  • Center horizontally in upper half of the page

Body (section 2.11)

  • Align the text to the left with a 1/2-inch left indent on the first line
  • Double-space
  • As long as there is no Abstract, at the top of the first page, type the title of the paper, centered, in bold , and in Sentence Case Capitalization
  • Usually, include sections like these:  introduction, literature review or background,  discussion, and conclusion -- but the specific organization will depend on the paper type
  • Spell out long organization names and add the abbreviation in parenthesis, then just use the abbreviation
  • Spell out numbers one through nine and use a number for 10 or more
  • Use a number for units of measurement, in tables, to represent statistical or math functions, and dates or times

Headings (section 2.26-2.27)

  • Level 1: Center, bold , Title Case 
  • Level 2: Align left, bold , Title Case
  • Level 3: Alight left, bold italics , Title Case
  • Level 4: Indented 1/2", bold , Title Case, end with a period. Follow with text. 
  • Level 5: Indented 1/2", bold italics , Title Case, end with a period. Follow with text. 

an illustration of the headings -- same detail as is given directly above this image

Quotations (sections 8.26-8.33)

  • Include short quotations (40 words or less) in-text with quotation marks
  • For quotes more than 40 words, indent the entire quote a half inch from the left margin and double-space it with no quotation marks
  • When quoting two or more paragraphs from an original source, indent the first line of each paragraph a half inch from the left margin
  • Use ellipsis (...) when omitting sections from a quote and use four periods (....) if omitting the end section of a quote

References (section 2.12)

Begins on a new page following the text of your paper and includes complete citations for the resources you've used in your writing.

  • References should be centered and bolded at the top of a new page
  • Double-space and use hanging indents (where the first line is on the left margin and the following lines are indented a half inch from the left)
  • List authors' last name first followed by the first and middle initials (ex. Skinner, B. F.)
  • Alphabetize the list by the first author's last name of of each citation (see sections 9.44-9.49)
  • Capitalize only the first word, the first after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns
  • Don't capitalize the second word of a hyphenated compound
  • No quotation marks around titles of articles

Appendices with Tables, Figures, & Illustrations (section 2.14, and chapter 7)

  • Include appendices only to help the reader understand, evaluate, or replicate the study or argument
  • Put each appendix on a separate page and align left
  • For text, do not indent the first paragraph, but do indent the rest
  • If you have only one appendix, label it "Appendix"
  • If you have two or more appendices, label them "Appendix A", "Appendix B" and so forth as they appear in the body of your paper
  • Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1, or Table B1 and Table B2 if Appendix B has two tables) and describe them within the text of the appendix
  • Notes go below tables and figures (see samples on p. 210-226)

Annotated Bibliography

Double-space the entire bibliography. give each entry a hanging indent. in the following annotation, indent the entire paragraph a half inch from the left margin and give the first line of each paragraph a half inch indent. see the template document at the top of this page..

  • Check with your professor for the length of the annotation and which elements you should evaluate.

These elements are optional, if your professor or field requires them, but they are  not required for student papers: 

Abstract (section 2.9).

  • Abstract gets its own page
  • Center "Abstract" heading and do not indent the first line of the text
  • Summarize the main points and purpose of the paper in 150-250 words maximum
  • Define abbreviations and acronyms used in the paper

Running Head (section 2.8 )

  • Shorten title to 50 characters or less (counting spaces and punctuation) for the running head
  • In the top margin, the running head is aligned left, with the page number aligned on the right
  • On every page, put (without the brackets): [SHORTENED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER IN ALL CAPS] [page number] 

More questions? Check out the authoritative source: APA style blog

  • << Previous: In-Text Citation
  • Last Updated: Aug 19, 2024 4:18 PM
  • URL: https://libguides.uww.edu/apa

apa assignment format 7th edition

APA 7th Edition Formatting

A Simple, Step-by-Step Guide + Free Template

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | June 2023

Formatting your paper in APA 7th edition can feel like a pretty daunting task , and understandably so. In this post, we’ll walk you through the APA 7 requirements, step by step. We’ll also share our free APA template , which you can use to fast-track your writing.

Student vs Professional Papers

First things first, it’s important to clarify that APA 7th edition has slightly different requirements for two different types of papers: student papers and professional papers . In this post, we’ll focus on the requirements for student papers. This will cover pretty much any paper you’ll need to submit as part of a degree program, including a dissertation or thesis (although those can require some small tweaks – more on that later).

Overview: APA 7th Edition Formatting

  • APA structure and layout
  • General page setup
  • The title page
  • The abstract
  • The main body
  • The reference list
  • The appendices
  • Free APA template

Structure and Layout

Let’s start by looking at the overall structure of a student paper formatted for APA 7th edition, before diving into the details of each section. APA requires that your paper follows a very specific, standardised structure , consisting of the following parts:

The title page : this will include the title of your paper, as well as a subtitle (if required by your university). It will also contain some information about yourself, your department and the course you’re writing the paper for.

The abstract : depending on the length of your paper and the requirements of your university, you may be required to present a brief abstract, summarising the core takeaways from your paper.

The main body : this section is the “heart” of your paper, containing the bulk of your word count. This is where you’ll present your A-grade writing!

The reference list : this section is where you’ll detail all the reference information corresponding to the in-text citations in the main body of your paper (the previous section).

Tables and figures: in the vast majority of cases, universities require that tables and figures are included in the main body of the paper, but if that’s not the case, the alternative is to have a dedicated section for the tables and figures. This is uncommon though, but we’ve mentioned it just in case.

The appendices : depending on the length of your paper and the specific requirements of your university, you may be required to include an appendix or a set of appendices containing supplementary information, such as data sets or evidence of some sort of fieldwork.

These core sections form the standard structure and order of a student paper using APA 7th edition. As we mentioned, not all of these sections are always required (specifically, the abstract, tables and figures section, and the appendix are less common), so be sure to check what your university expects from you before submitting.

Now that we’ve got a big-picture view, let’s look at the specific formatting requirements for each of these sections, step by step.

Generic Page Setup

Before you jump into writing up your paper, you’ll need first set up your document to align with APA 7th edition’s generic page requirements. Alternatively, you download our APA template (which comes fully preformatted) to fast-track your writing.

APA 7th edition requires a 1-inch margin on all sides of your document, for all pages. That said, if you’re writing a dissertation, thesis or any document that will ultimately be bound, your university will likely require a larger left margin to accommodate for binding.

Fonts & sizing

You’ll need to use a specific font and font size consistently throughout your student paper. The approved options for APA 7th edition are as follows:

  • Sans serif fonts: 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode
  • Serif fonts: 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or normal (10-point) Computer Modern (the default font for LaTeX)

Within figures , you will need to use a sans serif font, typically between 8 and 12 points in size. It’s best to check with your university what their preference is in this regard. For footnotes , you can use whatever the default settings are in your word processor.

In general, all text other than headings needs to be left-aligned and should not be justified . We’ll cover the formatting of headings a little later.

Line spacing

APA 7th edition requires double line spacing throughout the document . There should also be no extra space before and after paragraphs . One exception to this rule is that text within figures or tables can utilise single or 1.5-line spacing. Again, it’s a good idea to check with your university what their specific preference is.

Running header

Last but not least, you’ll need to set up a running header for your document. This should contain the page number and should be positioned in the top right corner of all pages (including the first page). There is no need for footer content unless your university specifically requests it.

With these generic formatting considerations out of the way, let’s dive into the specific requirements for each section of your paper.

The Title Page

The title page is the shop window of your paper; it’s where you make the all-important first impression to your reader. Therefore, it’s really important to make sure your format this exactly as required for APA 7th edition.

Here’s the process you can follow to set up your title page for success.

  • Centre-align your curson and create 4 empty lines
  • On a new line, type the title of your paper in boldface, using title case
  • On a new line, type the subtitle of your paper in boldface, using title case
  • Add one blank line, then write your full name on the next line
  • On a new line, type your affiliation (your department and university or school name)
  • On a new line, type your course code and course name (match the format used by the institution)
  • On a new line, type your professor or course instructor’s name
  • On a new line, type the due date for your paper

Remember to centre align all of this text and do not use justification . If you’re unsure about how to write using title case, here’s a useful title case converter . To make it all a little more tangible, below is an example of a title page formatted according to APA 7th edition specifications.

Example of a title page in APA 7 format

The Abstract

As we mentioned earlier, an abstract is not always required for student papers, but if your university has indicated that they require one, you’ll need to follow a specific format for APA 7th edition. Here’s how you can set it up:

  • Start your abstract on a new page
  • On the first line, type “Abstract”. This should be boldface and centred
  • On a new line, write the abstract. This should be aligned flush left (no indentation) and is typically 150 – 250 words in length.
  • On a new line, type “Keywords:”. This should be indented a half inch and italicized
  • On the same line, include 3 – 5 relevant keywords. These should all be written in lowercase and should not be italicised. They should be separated by commas and there should be no period after the final keyword.

Here’s an example of an abstract page formatted according to APA 7th edition specifications.

Example of APA 7 abstract

The Main Body

Now we can move on to the important stuff – the body section of your paper. There are quite a few things you need to know about formatting this section for APA 7th edition – let’s unpack it step by step.

Initial set-up

To kick things off, insert a page break and start your main body on a new page . You can then copy and paste the title (and subtitle, if you have one) from your title page onto the first line of your body page.

With your title (and subtitle) in place, you can start your write-up on a new line . This should be left-aligned and the first line of each paragraph should have a half-inch indent . As with the rest of your paper, this section should use double-line spacing.

The first paragraph of your main body does not require a heading as it’s generally assumed that the first paragraph will be introductory in nature. For the rest of the body, you can use headings as you see fit. However, it’s important to understand the specific formatting requirements for APA headings . Here’s a quick overview:

Level 1: Centered, boldface, title case (paragraph text starts on a new line) Level 2: Flush left, boldface, title case (paragraph text starts on a new line) Level 3: Flush left, boldface, italic, title case (paragraph text starts on a new line) Level 4: Indented, boldface, title case, end the heading with a period (paragraph text starts on the same line) Level 5: Indented, boldface, italic, end the heading with a period (paragraph text starts on the same line)

It’s also important to note that headings shouldn’t be labelled with any numbers or letters. For example, “1. Potential Causes”, “2. Consequences”, etc. Instead, you can stick to purely descriptive headings.

Related to this, you should avoid using an excessing number of headings – less is more when it comes to headings. Don’t feel the need to use multiple headings or heading levels, especially for shorter papers. Just keep it simple 🙂

APA 7 editing

Text styling and punctuation

APA 7th edition has specific requirements with regard to text styling and punctuation. Here are some of the most important requirements you’ll need to follow:

  • Use a single space (as opposed to a double space) at the end of each sentence (i.e., after the period)
  • Use an Oxford comma when listing out 3 or more items
  • Use words to write any number less than 10 , as well as when starting a sentence
  • Write out all fractions in text format (e.g., two-thirds, three-quarters, etc.)
  • Use numerals for any numbers that represent time , dates , age or money

There are a few important rules to follow in terms of language use when writing your paper using APA format. Most importantly, you’ll need to:

  • Use active voice (as opposed to passive voice) as much as possible
  • Stick to one verb tense throughout the same and adjacent paragraphs
  • Avoid using contractions , colloquial language or excessive jargon
  • Use bias-free language – you can learn more about this here

In-text citations

APA 7th edition has a very specific set of requirements regarding how to reference resources within your paper. Here are some of the most important things you need to be aware of:

Author-date system: in-text citations consist of (at a minimum) the lead author’s last name, followed by the date of publication. APA does not use numbers or footnotes to denote citations.

Types of citations: APA allows two types of in-text citations – parenthetical (non-integrative) and narrative (integrative). Parenthetical citations feature the author and date in parentheses (brackets) at the end of the respective sentence. Here’s an example:

APA 7th edition is easy to grasp if you visit the Grad Coach blog (Jansen, 2023).

Narrative citations weave the author into the flow of the sentence and only include the date in parentheses at the end of the sentence. Here’s an example:

Jansen states that APA 7th edition is easy for students to grasp if they visit the Grad Coach blog (2023).

Both of these citation formats are acceptable and, in general, it’s a good idea to utilise a mix of both in your writing.

Quotations: when quoting text verbatim from a source, you’ll need to include the page number of the original text in your citation. This number needs to be placed after the date portion of the citation, whether it’s a narrative or parenthetical citation. Here’s an example:

APA 7th edition is easy to grasp if you visit the Grad Coach blog (Jansen, 2023, p.45).

Multiple authors: when citing resources that were created by three or more authors, you only need to state the lead author’s last name, followed by “et al.”. Here’s an example:

APA 7th edition is easy to grasp if you visit the Grad Coach blog (Jansen et al., 2023).

As we mentioned, APA has an extensive set of requirements regarding how to format and structure in-text citations and references, so please keep in mind that this is not an exhaustive list. If you’d like to learn more, you can visit the referencing section of the APA site here . Below you can find an example of a portion of body content from our free template , which demonstrates the different types of citations.

Example of APA 7 body text

The Reference List

With your body content taken care of, the next item on the agenda is the reference list . Again, APA has a notably large set of requirements regarding the content and formatting of the reference list. Nevertheless, we’ll cover the basics here to help you get started.

Basic setup

As with all sections, your reference list needs to start on a new page and should be titled “References”. The title should be boldfaced and centred . The reference list should then start on the next line. As with the rest of the document, the reference list should have double line spacing throughout.

The list itself

The reference list should comprise the following:

  • All sources cited in the body of your document should feature in the reference list. Make sure that every citation is accounted for in your reference list.
  • The references should be ordered alphabetically , according to the lead author’s last name .
  • Each entry must include (at a minimum) information regarding the author (s), publication date , the title of the article and the source (e.g., an academic journal).
  • All references should be left-aligned and should use a hanging indent – in other words, the second line of any given reference (if it has one) should be indented a half inch.

We have to stress that these are just the basics. APA 7th edition requires that all of your references must be structured and formatted in a very specific way , depending on the type of resource. For example, the content and formatting requirements for a journal article will be significantly different from that of a blog post or magazine article (you can see some examples in our template ).

Simply put, if you plan to draft your reference list manually, it’s important to consult your university’s style guide or the APA manual itself. This leads us to our next point…

In general, it is a terrible idea to try to write up your reference list manually . Given the incredibly high level of detail required, it’s highly likely that you’ll make mistakes if you try to write this section yourself. A much better solution is to use reference management software such as Mendeley or Zotero. Either of these will take care of the formatting and content for you, and they’ll do a much more accurate job of it too. Best of all, they’re both completely free.

If you’re not familiar with any sort of reference management software, be sure to check out our easy-to-follow explainer videos for both Mendeley and Zotero .

The Appendix

Last but not least, we’ve got the appendix (or appendices). The appendix is where you’ll showcase any supporting data for your student paper. This section is not always required , especially for shorter papers, so don’t worry if it sounds unfamiliar. If you’re unsure, check with your university if they require (or even allow) appendices.

If an appendix is required, here’s how you’ll set it up:

  • Start the appendix on a new page
  • Title the page “Appendix” if there is only one appendix , or “Appendix A”, “Appendix B”, etc. if there are multiple appendices . This title should be boldfaced and centred.
  • On a new line, write the title of the appendix . Again, this should be boldfaced and centred.
  • On a new line, start your appendix content . As with the body content, the first line of each paragraph should be indented.

An important point to remember is that you need to refer to your appendix within your main body section . This typically means including a line that reads something like “(see Appendix A for more information)”. In other words, your appendix should never be an orphan.

Another important thing to keep in mind is that appendices don’t typically earn marks (at least not directly). To be clear, your appendix can help support the claims you make in your body content (which would have a positive impact on its mark-earning potential), but, in most cases, markers will not award marks to the appendix content itself. If you’re unsure, check with your university what their policy is.

Example of an APA 7 formatted appendix

Wrapping Up

In this post, we’ve provided a primer covering the core requirements for student papers using APA 7th edition . To recap, we’ve looked at the following:

One last thing to point out; it might be obvious but it’s important to mention it – if your university has specified anything that contrasts what we’ve discussed here, do follow their guidance . Some universities and/or programmes will have slight variations on the standard APA requirements, and you want to make sure you follow them.

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apa assignment format 7th edition

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APA 7th Edition: Download/Edit APA Paper Template

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Monroe College & APA Style

Monroe college uses  apa 7 style guidelines for all student papers. , you can download our detailed apa 7 formatting tutorial here ., if your instructor's directions conflict with any apa rules, follow the instructor's directions., apa 7th edition template.

  • APA 7 Student Paper Template (.docx) Download this 7th-edition template, and use it to format your APA-style Research Paper. Simply download and save a new copy of the document and paste the contents of your paper into the appropriate fields within the template.
  • APA 7 Paper Template WITH ABSTRACT This version of the template includes the ABSTRACT page. Ask your instructor whether the Abstract is required for your paper.
  • APA 7 Student Paper Template PDF

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APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.)

  • What's New in the 7th ed.?
  • Principles of Plagiarism: An Overview
  • Basic Paper Formatting
  • Basic Paper Elements
  • Punctuation, Capitalization, Abbreviations, Apostrophes, Numbers, Plurals
  • Tables and Figures
  • Powerpoint Presentations
  • Reference Page Format
  • Periodicals (Journals, Magazines, Newspapers)
  • Books and Reference Works
  • Webpage on a Website
  • Discussion Post
  • Company Information & SWOT Analyses
  • Dissertations or Theses
  • ChatGPT and other AI Large Language Models
  • Online Images
  • Online Video
  • Computer Software and Mobile Apps
  • Missing Information
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  • Three or More Authors
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APA 7th ed. Fillable Word Template and Sample Paper

  • APA 7th ed. Template Download this Word document, fill out the title page and get writing!
  • Sample Paper APA 7th ed. Our APA sample paper shows you how to format the main parts of a basic research paper.
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APA 7th Edition Style Guide

  • Format Your Paper
  • About APA Style
  • In-Text Citations
  • Reference List
  • Practice Your APA Style Skills!

A variety of fonts are permitted in APA Style papers. Font options include:

  • 12-point Times New Roman
  • 11-point Georgia
  • 11-point Calibri
  • 11-point Arial
  • 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode

Paragraph Alignment & Indentation

  • Paragraphs are to be aligned to the left margin, with the right alignment being rugged. 
  • Do not use full justification setting.
  • Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5 inches.
  • Use tab key for best result.

Formatting and Page Setup

  • Getting Started

All papers typically include a title page, text, and references. They may also include other elements such as tables, figures, appendices, or abstracts. Check your syllabi or ask your professors to determine what elements are required in your papers. 

Arrange the pages of an APA Style paper in this order:

Use the tabs above and boxes on this page for more information on formatting your papers.

Title pages are to be formatted in the same way as the entire paper, including the font, spacing, and margins. The page number is to be at the top right corner. the page should be double spaced and the title will begin 3-4 lines down from the top of the page. Alignment should be centered, and there should be an extra line space between the title and author.

The title page includes the following elements:  

  • paper title
  • author name(s) 
  • author affiliation (your department and university) 
  • course number and name
  • instructor name
  • assignment due date 

image depicting the page setup of a title page in APA style.

image from: https://apastyle.apa.org/

The text of your paper will begin on a separate page after the title page. The page should be double spaced. The title of the paper will repeated on the first page of text, centered and bolded. Starting with the first paragraph, the text should be left aligned, with rugged right alignment. 

You will typically begin with an introduction, and your following sections will include descriptive headings (see Headings page for more information). 

image depicting the text setup in APA style

Video: Set up an APA Format Paper in 6 Minutes

Spacing & Margins

  • Use 1-in. margins on all sides of the page (top, bottom, left, and right).
  •  Use double-spacing for the entire paper. Do not add extra spacing between paragraphs or headings.

Page Numbers

Page numbers should be at the top right corner of every page, including the title page.

Handout: Student Paper Setup Guide

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Concise Guide to APA Style

Available formats, also available from.

  • Table of contents
  • Book details
  • Instructor resources

Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition is the official APA Style resource for students.

Written for high school and undergraduate students, instructors, and writers learning APA Style, this easy-to-use pocket guide is adapted from the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . It provides complete guidance for new writers on effective, clear, and inclusive scholarly communication and the essentials of formatting papers and other course assignments.

The seventh edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect best practices in scholarly writing and publishing.

  • Full color throughout
  • Content relevant to a range of majors and courses, including psychology, social work, criminal justice, communications, composition, education, business, engineering, and more 
  • New chapter focused on student papers
  • Sample student title page, paper, and annotated bibliography
  • Streamlined APA Style headings and in-text citations
  • New chapter on writing style and grammar
  • Chapters on punctuation, lists, italics, spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, numbers, and statistics
  • Latest bias-free language guidelines
  • More than 20 new sample tables and figures
  • Comprehensive guidelines on citation to help writers credit their sources appropriately and avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism 
  • More than 100 new reference templates and examples, including traditional sources (e.g., journal articles, books, dissertations, and reports) plus many others (e.g., social media, webpages and websites, legal)

1. Student Paper Types, Elements, and Format

General guidelines for student papers.

  • Application of APA Style to Student Papers
  • Student Essays
  • Annotated Bibliographies
  • Dissertations and Theses

Paper Elements

  • Student Paper Required Elements
  • Author Name (Byline)
  • Author Affiliation
  • Text (Body)
  • Reference List
  • Importance of Format
  • Order of Pages
  • Page Header
  • Special Characters
  • Line Spacing
  • Paragraph Alignment
  • Paragraph Indentation
  • Paper Length

Organization

  • Principles of Organization
  • Heading Levels
  • Section Labels

Sample Student Paper

2. writing style and grammar, effective scholarly writing.

  • Continuity and Flow
  • Transitions
  • Noun Strings
  • Conciseness and Clarity
  • Wordiness and Redundancy
  • Sentence and Paragraph Length
  • Contractions and Colloquialisms
  • Logical Comparisons
  • Anthropomorphism

Grammar and Usage

  • Active and Passive Voice
  • Subject and Verb Agreement
  • First- Versus Third-Person Pronouns
  • Editorial "We"
  • Singular "They"
  • Pronouns for People and Animals ("Who" vs. "That")
  • Pronouns as Subjects and Objects ("Who vs. Whom")
  • Pronouns in Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses ("That" vs. "Which")
  • Subordinate Conjunctions
  • Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
  • Parallel Construction

Strategies to Improve Your Writing

  • Reading to Learn Through Example
  • Writing From an Outline
  • Rereading the Draft
  • Seeking Help From Fellow Students
  • Working With Writing Centers
  • Revising a Paper

3. Bias-Free Language Guidelines

General guidelines for reducing bias.

  • Describe at the Appropriate Level of Specificity
  • Be Sensitive to Labels

Reducing Bias by Topic

  • Participation in Research
  • Racial and Ethnic Identity
  • Sexual Orientation
  • Socioeconomic Status
  • Intersectionality

4. Punctuation, Lists, and Italics

Punctuation.

  • Spacing After Punctuation Marks
  • Quotation Marks
  • Parentheses
  • Square Brackets
  • List Guidelines
  • Lettered Lists
  • Numbered Lists
  • Bulleted Lists
  • Use of Italics
  • Reverse Italics

5. Spelling, Capitalization, and Abbreviations

  • Preferred Spelling
  • Hyphenation

Capitalization

  • Words Beginning a Sentence
  • Proper Nouns and Trade Names
  • Job Titles and Positions
  • Diseases, Disorders, Therapies, Theories, and Related Terms
  • Titles of Works and Headings Within Works
  • Titles of Tests and Measures
  • Nouns Followed by Numerals or Letters
  • Names of Conditions or Groups in an Experiment
  • Names of Factors, Variables, and Effects

Abbreviations

  • Use of Abbreviations
  • Definition of Abbreviations
  • Format of Abbreviations
  • Unit of Measurement Abbreviations
  • Time Abbreviations
  • Latin Abbreviations
  • Chemical Compound Abbreviations

6. Numbers and Statistics

  • Numbers Expressed in Numerals
  • Numbers Expressed in Words
  • Combining Numerals and Words to Express Numbers
  • Ordinal Numbers
  • Decimal Fractions
  • Roman Numerals
  • Commas in Numbers
  • Plurals of Numbers

Statistics and Equations

  • Presentation of Statistics
  • Statistical Symbols and Abbreviations
  • Spacing, Alignment, and Punctuation for Statistics
  • Presentation of Equations

7. Tables and Figures

General guidelines for tables and figures.

  • Purpose of Tables and Figures
  • Design and Preparation of Tables and Figures
  • Graphical Versus Textual Presentation
  • Formatting Tables and Figures
  • Referring to Tables and Figures in the Text
  • Placement of Tables and Figures
  • Reprinting or Adapting Tables and Figures
  • Principles of Table Construction
  • Table Components
  • Table Numbers
  • Table Titles
  • Table Headings
  • Table Notes
  • Standard Abbreviations in Tables and Figures
  • Confidence Intervals in Tables
  • Table Borders and Shading
  • Long or Wide Tables
  • Relation Between Tables
  • Table Checklist
  • Sample Tables
  • Principles of Figure Construction
  • Figure Components
  • Figure Numbers
  • Figure Titles
  • Figure Images
  • Figure Legends
  • Figure Notes
  • Relation Between Figures
  • Photographs
  • Figure Checklist
  • Sample Figures

8. Works Credited in the Text

General guidelines for citation.

  • Appropriate Level of Citation
  • Self-Plagiarism
  • Correspondence Between Reference List and Text
  • Use of the Published Version or Archival Version
  • Primary and Secondary Sources

Works Requiring Special Approaches

  • Classroom or Intranet Sources
  • Personal Communications

In-Text Citations

  • Author–Date Citation System
  • Parenthetical and Narrative Citations
  • Citing Multiple Works
  • Citing Specific Parts of a Source
  • Unknown or Anonymous Author
  • Translated, Reprinted, Republished, and Reissued Dates
  • Omitting the Year in Repeated Narrative Citations
  • Number of Authors to Include in In-Text Citations
  • Avoiding Ambiguity in In-Text Citations
  • Works With the Same Author and Same Date
  • Authors With the Same Surname
  • Abbreviating Group Authors
  • General Mentions of Websites, Periodicals, and Common Software and Apps

Paraphrases and Quotations

  • Principles of Paraphrasing
  • Long Paraphrases
  • Principles of Direct Quotation
  • Short Quotations (Fewer Than 40 Words)
  • Block Quotations (40 Words or More)
  • Direct Quotation of Material Without Page Numbers
  • Accuracy of Quotations
  • Changes to a Quotation Requiring No Explanation
  • Changes to a Quotation Requiring Explanation
  • Quotations That Contain Citations to Other Works
  • Quotations That Contain Material Already in Quotation Marks

Copyright and Permission

  • General Guidelines for Reprinting or Adapting Materials
  • Materials That Require Copyright Attribution
  • Copyright Status
  • Permission and Fair Use
  • Copyright Attribution Formats

9. Reference List

Reference categories.

  • Determining the Reference Category
  • Using the Webpages and Websites Reference Category
  • Online and Print References

Principles of Reference List Entries

  • Four Elements of a Reference
  • Punctuation Within Reference List Entries
  • Accuracy and Consistency in References

Reference Elements (Author, Date, Title, Source)

  • Author Element
  • Format of the Author Element
  • Spelling and Capitalization of Author Names
  • Identification of Specialized Roles
  • Group Authors
  • Date Element
  • Format of the Date Element
  • Updated or Reviewed Online Works
  • Retrieval Dates
  • Title Element
  • Format of the Title Element
  • Series and Multivolume Works
  • Bracketed Descriptions
  • Source Element
  • Format of the Source Element
  • Periodical Sources
  • Online Periodicals With Missing Information
  • Article Numbers
  • Edited Book Chapter and Reference Work Entry Sources
  • Publisher Sources
  • Database and Archive Sources
  • Works With Specific Locations
  • Social Media Sources
  • Website Sources
  • When to Include DOIs and URLs
  • Format of DOIs and URLs
  • DOI or URL Shorteners

Reference Variations

  • Works in Another Language
  • Translated Works
  • Reprinted, Republished, or Reissued Works
  • Religious and Classical Works

Reference List Format and Order

  • Format of the Reference List
  • Order of Works in the Reference List
  • Order of Surname and Given Name
  • Order of Multiple Works by the Same First Author
  • Order of Works With the Same Author and Same Date
  • Order of Works by First Authors With the Same Surname
  • Order of Works With No Author or an Anonymous Author
  • Abbreviations in References

10. Reference Examples

Author variations, date variations, title variations, source variations, textual works.

  • Periodicals
  • Books and Reference Works
  • Edited Book Chapters and Entries in Reference Works
  • Reports and Gray Literature
  • Informally Published Works

Software and Tests

  • Computer Software and Mobile Apps
  • Tests, Scales, and Inventories
  • Audiovisual Works
  • Audio Works
  • Visual Works

Online Media

  • Social Media
  • Webpages and Websites

Legal References

  • Cases or Court Decisions
  • Statutes (Laws and Acts)
  • Constitutions and Charters
  • Treaties and International Conventions

Ancillary instructional materials are available to instructors for the Concise Guide , including lecture slides.

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  • APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals

APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals

Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on January 17, 2024.

APA provides different guidelines for student and professional papers. The student version of the APA title page should include the following information (double spaced and centered):

Paper title

  • Author name
  • Department and university name
  • Course number and name
  • Instructor name
  • Due date of the assignment

The professional title page also includes an author note (flushed left), but not a course name, instructor name, or due date.

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Table of contents

Title page example (student and professional version), institutional affiliation, course information, author note, page header, including an image on the title page.

APA title page - student version (7th edition)

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Write an informative, striking title that summarizes the topic of your paper. Try to keep the title focused and use relevant keywords.

Place the title three or four lines down from the top of the paper. Center align and bold it. Don’t forget to use title case capitalization (capitalize the first letter of each word, except small words such as articles and short prepositions).

Write the author’s name under the paper title (leave a blank line in between). Give their full names (first name, middle initial(s) and last name), but don’t include titles (Dr., Prof.) or degrees (Ph.D., MSc).

Multiple authors on the title page

List the authors in order of their contribution. If there are two authors, separate their names with the word “and”, like this:

If there are more than two authors, separate their names with a comma. Only write “and” before the last author, like this:

Write the author’s affiliation on the next line under the author names. Students should specify the department and institution where they’re attending school. Professional researchers should specify the department and institution where they conducted their research.

Multiple authors with different affiliations

Use superscript numbers on the author line to indicate which institution they’re affiliated with. Don’t use superscript numbers if all authors are affiliated with the same institution (and department).

On a student title page, provide information about the course. List the following information on separate (double spaced) lines under the author’s affiliation:

  • Instructor(s)
  • Assignment’s due date

For professional papers, you may include an author note. This note may contain the author’s ORCID iD, affiliation changes, disclosures of conflicts of interest, brief acknowledgments, and contact information (in that specific order). Present this information in separate paragraphs.

Place the author note on the bottom half of the page. Center the label “Author note” and apply bold styling. The paragraphs in the author note are left-aligned. The first line of each new paragraph is indented.

For more information about formatting the author note, see section 2.7 of the APA Publication Manual.

For a student title page, the page header consists of just a page number in the top-right corner. There is no need for a running head (as was the case in APA 6th edition).

A professional title page does have a running head. The running head is an abbreviated version of the paper title in all capital letters. The maximum length is 50 characters (counting spaces).

Images are not usually included on an APA title page, and APA does not provide any guidelines for doing so. It’s usually viewed as unprofessional to include an image, since the title page is there to provide information, not for decoration.

If you do decide to include an image on your title page, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image. Include a note directly underneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period):

  • If you found the image online or in another source, include a citation and copyright attribution .
  • If it’s an image you created yourself (e.g., a photograph you took, an infographic you designed), explain this (e.g., “Photograph taken by the author.”).

Don’t give the image a label, title, or number. Only images within the text itself are labeled as figures .

image on APA title page

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, January 17). APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals. Scribbr. Retrieved September 9, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-title-page/

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apa assignment format 7th edition

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

APA Headings and Seriation

OWL logo

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

APA Style uses a unique headings system to separate and classify paper sections. Headings are used to help guide the reader through a document. The levels are organized by levels of subordination, and each section of the paper should start with the highest level of heading. There are 5  heading levels  in APA. Regardless of the number of levels, always use the headings in order, beginning with level 1. The format of each level is illustrated below:

1

     Text starts a new paragraph.

2

Text starts a new paragraph.

3

     Text starts a new paragraph.

4

     Paragraph text continues on the same line as the same paragraph.

5

     Paragraph text continues on the same line as the same paragraph.

Thus, if the article has four sections, some of which have subsections and some of which don’t, use headings depending on the level of subordination. Section headings receive level one format. Subsections receive level two format. Subsections of subsections receive level three format. For example:

Method  (Level 1)

Site of Study  (Level 2)

Participant Population  (Level 2)

Teachers  (Level 3)

Students  (Level 3)

Results  (Level 1)

Spatial Ability  (Level 2)

Test One  (Level 3)

     Teachers With Experience.  (Level 4)

     Teachers in Training.  (Level 4)

     Teaching Assistants .  (Level 5)

Test Two  (Level 3)

Kinesthetic Ability  (Level 2)

In APA Style, the Introduction section never gets a heading and headings are not indicated by letters or numbers. For subsections in the beginning of a paper (introduction section), the first level of subsection will use Level 2 headings — the title of the paper counts as the Level 1 heading. Levels of headings will depend upon the length and organization of your paper. Regardless, always begin with level one headings and proceed to level two, etc.

Special headings called section labels are used for certain sections of a paper which always start on a new page.

  • Paper title
  • Appendix A (and so on for subsequent appendices)

These labels should be positioned on their own line at the top of the page where the section starts, in bold and centered. 

APA also allows for seriation in the body text to help authors organize and present key ideas. For lists where a specific order or numbered procedure is necessary, use an Arabic numeral directly followed by a period, such as:

On the basis of four generations of usability testing on the Purdue OWL, the Purdue OWL Usability Team recommended the following:

  • Move the navigation bar from the right to the left side of the OWL pages.
  • Integrate branded graphics (the Writing Lab and OWL logos) into the text on the OWL homepage.
  • Add a search box to every page of the OWL.
  • Develop an OWL site map.
  • Develop a three-tiered navigation system.

Numbered lists should contain full sentences or paragraphs rather than phrases. The first word after each number should be capitalized, as well as the first word in any following sentence; each sentence should end with a period or other punctuation.

For lists that do not communicate hierarchical order or chronology, use bullets:

In general, participants found the user-centered OWL mock up to be easier to use. What follows are samples of participants' responses:

  • "This version is easier to use."
  • "Version two seems better organized."
  • "It took me a few minutes to learn how to use this version, but after that, I felt more comfortable with it."

Authors may also use seriation for paragraph length text.

For seriation within sentences, authors may use letters:

On the basis of research conducted by the usability team, OWL staff have completed (a) the OWL site map; (b) integrating graphics with text on the OWL homepage; (c) search boxes on all OWL pages except the orange OWL resources (that is pending; we do have a search page); (d) moving the navigation bar to the left side of pages on all OWL resources except in the orange area (that is pending); (e) piloting the first phase of the three-tiered navigation system, as illustrated in the new Engagement section.

Authors may also separate points with bullet lists:

On the basis of the research conducted by the usability team, OWL staff have completed

  • the OWL site map;
  • integrating graphics with text on the OWL homepage;
  • search boxes on all OWL pages except the orange OWL resources (that is pending; we do have a search page);
  • moving the navigation bar to the left side of pages on all OWL resources except in the orange area (that is pending);
  • piloting the first phase of the three-tiered navigation system, as illustrated in the new Engagement section.

If your bulleted list is part of the sentence and is not preceded by a colon, treat the bullets like a part of the sentence, adhering to standard capitalization and punctuation. This option is helpful for complex or longer bulleted sentences that may be more difficult to read without the aid of punctuation. For items in a bulleted list that are phrases rather than sentences, no punctuation is necessary.

American Psychological Association

Title Page Setup

A title page is required for all APA Style papers. There are both student and professional versions of the title page. Students should use the student version of the title page unless their instructor or institution has requested they use the professional version. APA provides a student title page guide (PDF, 199KB) to assist students in creating their title pages.

Student title page

The student title page includes the paper title, author names (the byline), author affiliation, course number and name for which the paper is being submitted, instructor name, assignment due date, and page number, as shown in this example.

diagram of a student page

Title page setup is covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 2.3 and the Concise Guide Section 1.6

apa assignment format 7th edition

Related handouts

  • Student Title Page Guide (PDF, 263KB)
  • Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF, 3MB)

Student papers do not include a running head unless requested by the instructor or institution.

Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the student title page.

Paper title

Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired. There is no maximum length for titles; however, keep titles focused and include key terms.

Author names

Place one double-spaced blank line between the paper title and the author names. Center author names on their own line. If there are two authors, use the word “and” between authors; if there are three or more authors, place a comma between author names and use the word “and” before the final author name.

Cecily J. Sinclair and Adam Gonzaga

Author affiliation

For a student paper, the affiliation is the institution where the student attends school. Include both the name of any department and the name of the college, university, or other institution, separated by a comma. Center the affiliation on the next double-spaced line after the author name(s).

Department of Psychology, University of Georgia

Course number and name

Provide the course number as shown on instructional materials, followed by a colon and the course name. Center the course number and name on the next double-spaced line after the author affiliation.

PSY 201: Introduction to Psychology

Instructor name

Provide the name of the instructor for the course using the format shown on instructional materials. Center the instructor name on the next double-spaced line after the course number and name.

Dr. Rowan J. Estes

Assignment due date

Provide the due date for the assignment. Center the due date on the next double-spaced line after the instructor name. Use the date format commonly used in your country.

October 18, 2020
18 October 2020

Use the page number 1 on the title page. Use the automatic page-numbering function of your word processing program to insert page numbers in the top right corner of the page header.

1

Professional title page

The professional title page includes the paper title, author names (the byline), author affiliation(s), author note, running head, and page number, as shown in the following example.

diagram of a professional title page

Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the professional title page.

Paper title

Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired. There is no maximum length for titles; however, keep titles focused and include key terms.

Author names

 

Place one double-spaced blank line between the paper title and the author names. Center author names on their own line. If there are two authors, use the word “and” between authors; if there are three or more authors, place a comma between author names and use the word “and” before the final author name.

Francesca Humboldt

When different authors have different affiliations, use superscript numerals after author names to connect the names to the appropriate affiliation(s). If all authors have the same affiliation, superscript numerals are not used (see Section 2.3 of the for more on how to set up bylines and affiliations).

Tracy Reuter , Arielle Borovsky , and Casey Lew-Williams

Author affiliation

 

For a professional paper, the affiliation is the institution at which the research was conducted. Include both the name of any department and the name of the college, university, or other institution, separated by a comma. Center the affiliation on the next double-spaced line after the author names; when there are multiple affiliations, center each affiliation on its own line.

 

Department of Nursing, Morrigan University

When different authors have different affiliations, use superscript numerals before affiliations to connect the affiliations to the appropriate author(s). Do not use superscript numerals if all authors share the same affiliations (see Section 2.3 of the for more).

Department of Psychology, Princeton University
Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University

Author note

Place the author note in the bottom half of the title page. Center and bold the label “Author Note.” Align the paragraphs of the author note to the left. For further information on the contents of the author note, see Section 2.7 of the .

n/a

The running head appears in all-capital letters in the page header of all pages, including the title page. Align the running head to the left margin. Do not use the label “Running head:” before the running head.

Prediction errors support children’s word learning

Use the page number 1 on the title page. Use the automatic page-numbering function of your word processing program to insert page numbers in the top right corner of the page header.

1

COMMENTS

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