Citing Sources: Formatting your paper in APA style

APA has recommended journal article reporting standards that specify the formatting and structure of papers submitted for publication in journals.  Your instructor may or may not want you to use this format for assignements so it is always a good idea to check to see if you instructor has any special instructions.

Papers written in APA format have the following recommended features (see right for examples):

GENERAL FORMATTING

• Preferred typeface in Times New Roman with a 12-point font size
• One inch margins at top, bottom, and sides of paper
• Use double-spacing throughout the paper.
  • In Microsoft Word:  Select all text > click Home tab > in Paragraph box, click Line Spacing icon > select 2.0
• Indent the first line of every paragraph, with the exception of the abstract, block quotations, and titles and headings.
• Each section (e.g. abstract, references, tables, figures, and appendices) should start on a separate page

TITLE PAGE

• The title page includes the following elements
  • Running head - abbreviated title placed in the top left corner in the header of every page
  • Page number - placed in the top right corner in the header of every page  
  • Title - centered on top half of page
  • Author of paper
  • Institution
  • Author note - this may include the course, instructor, and date.

ABSTRACT PAGE (ask your instructor if he/she requires and Abstract page)

• This includes the following elements
  • Running head - consistent with title and abstract pages
  • Page number
  • Abstract heading - centered at top of page
  • Abstract text

BODY OF PAPER

• This includes the following elements
  • Running head - consistent with title and abstract pages
  • Page number
  • Title - full title should be centered at the top of the first page of the body of the paper.

See more sample papers:

Sample APA paper from OWL
Sample paper from the APA Style website (PDF)