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APA Formatting Guidelines

Margins

  • Use 1-inch margins 

Page Numbers 

  • Each page should include the page number in the upper right corner 

Alignment

  • Align to the left margin
  • Leave right margin uneven
  • Do not use full justification 
  • Do not insert manual breaks

Font

  • Use the same font throughout your paper, unless you are including computer code (use monoscope font) or inserting footnotes (use default settings)
  • Use an easily readable font in a standard size:
    • Calibri (11 point)
    • Arial (11 point)
    • Lucida Sans Unicode (10 point)
    • Times New Roman (12 point)
    • Georgia (11 point)
    • Computer Modern (10 point) 

Indentation

  • Indent first line of each paragraph 0.5 inches from left margin
  • Do not indent the first line of your abstract 
  • Indent all lines of block quotations 0.5 inches from left margin

Line Spacing

  • Generally, your paper will be double-spaced with no extra space before or after paragraphs 
    • Use the most effective layout for tables, figures, and equations
    • Use the default settings for footnotes 

Headings

For more information on APA Style Headings, including how to format your headings, view APA Style Headings. APA Style uses headings to identify the content within sections in a paper. Your headings should be descriptive and concise. APA has five styles of headings:

  • Level 1 is the highest/main level of heading
  • Level 2 is a subheading of level 1, and so on down to Level 5

The number of headings to include depends on the length and complexity of the paper:

  • If only one level of heading is needed, use Level 1
  • If two levels of headings are needed, use Level 1 and 2 
  • If three levels of headings are needed, use Levels 1, 2, 3, and so on

Avoid making these common heading mistakes:

  • Only use the number of headings necessary, shorter papers may not require headings
  • Avoid having only one subsection heading within a section
  • Do not label headings with numbers or letters
  • Make sure your headings are double spaced
  • Do not add blank lines above or below your headings

Title Page

APA requires a title page for all APA Style papers. Make sure you are following the Student Title Page Guidelines. APA has created a Student Paper Setup Guide to walk you through the process. 

Content

  • Title of paper 
    • Bold
    • Write in title case 
    • Place one double spaced blank line between the title and author
  • Author (Place two lines below your title, centered)
  • Course (Formatted as it appears in course material) 
  • Instructor name (Formatted as it appears in course material)
  • Due date (Month, Day, Year) 
  • Header with page number

Format

  • The font and font size should be the same as the rest of your paper 
  • Use 1 inch margins 
  • Place the title three or four lines down from the top of the page, centered, and in bold
  • Double spaced with no added lines
  • Insert a header with the page number in the upper right corner 

In-Text Citations and Reference List 

APA Style uses in-text citations that have two formats. You can cite your sources in-text by using parenthetical or narrative citations. For more guidance, including examples for exceptions, view the APA's information on the Author-date citation system. 

Parenthetical Citations 

  • Include the name of the author(s) and the date of publication in parentheses
  • If a specific fact or quotation is being cited, include the page number 
  • Can be included within a sentence or at the end

Examples

Frederick Douglass spoke to over 1,000 people in Winona, Minnesota in 1867 (Gannaway, 2008, p. 74).

"Douglass stood before a supportive audience of more than a thousand. It was his first visit to Minnesota (Gannaway, 2008, p. 74).

Narrative Citations

  • Include the author's surname in the text with the date in parentheses immediately following
  • You can also include the author's surname and date in the narrative, in this rare case, do not include parentheses 

Examples

Gannaway (2008) noted the details of Frederick Douglass's first visit to Minnesota in 1867.

In 2008, Gannaway noted the details of Frederick Douglass's first visit to Minnesota in 1867.

A reference list is required for APA Style Papers. For guidance on setting up your reference list and examples, view the APA's Reference list setup, Common Reference Examples, and Creating an APA Style Reference List Guide.

Reference List Basics

  • Your reference page starts on a new page immediately following your text 
  • Include References at the top of the page in bold and centered 
  • Type each reference as a single paragraph, justified to the left 
  • Alphabetize your references 
    • Usually this is done with the authors last name, but when a source has no author, you use the title
  • The reference list should have a 0.5 inch hanging indent, which makes the first line of each source flush left 
  • Double space the whole list 
  • DOIs or URLs may be blue and underlined or plain text with no underline
  • Ensure that you have an in-text citation and reference entry for all your sources 
  • Check that your page numbers are displayed in the top right corner