formatting a research paper in apa style

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. 

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

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• Last Updated: Aug 19, 2024 4:18 PM
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APA Style is a set of guidelines for effective scholarly communication that helps writers present their ideas in a clear, precise, and inclusive manner. It is used by millions of people worldwide in psychology, social sciences, and many other disciplines for the preparation of manuscripts for publication as well as for writing student papers, dissertations, and theses. APA Style is described in the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , which is a reference book that contains comprehensive guidelines on how to set up a scholarly paper; format a title page, tables, figures, and other paper elements; create references and in-text citations; and write without bias, as well as on punctuation, grammar, and writing style. For more information, please see the APA Style website .

The primary reference for APA Style is the seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . Information on the manual and its companion products, including the student-focused Concise Guide to APA Style and the digital Mastering APA Style Student Workbook , can be found on the APA Style website .

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How to Format Your Research Paper

Writing your paper: apa 7th edition, apa style papers 7th edition.

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APA 7th Edition Resources

• APA Style | Style and Grammar Guidelines The style and grammar guidelines pages present information about APA Style as described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition.
• Purdue OWL: APA Style Guide This Purdue OWL style guide will help you in citing your sources in the APA Style commonly used to cite sources within the area of social sciences.

Things to know before you begin:

• Sans serif fonts: Arial (11-point), Calibri (11-point), or Lucinda Sans Unicode (10-point)
• Serif fonts: Times New Roman (12-point), Georgia (11-point), or Computer Modern (10-point)
• Margins:  1 inch on all sides
• Paragraphs:  All paragraphs (except in the Abstract) should be indented
• Spacing:  All of the text in your paper should be double-spaced (title page included)

Typical APA style papers have four main sections:

See the tabs below for a breakdown of how each portion should be formatted.

• Paper Templates
• Sample Papers
• APA 7 Citations

Below you will find templates for APA Style papers. Click the link to make a copy of the file. 

• Google Docs : To make a copy of these templates you must first sign in to your Google account. After you’re signed in, click "File" and then click “Make a Copy.”
• Microsoft Word : To make a copy of these templates download the file. 

• APA Style Student Paper Template (7th Edition) - Word Download a copy of this Word Doc and change the pre-filled information to your own.

APA Style Report Templates: These templates include multiple heading levels and should be used for report style papers.

• APA Style Student Report Template (7th Edition) - Word Download a copy of this Word Doc and change the pre-filled information to your own.

Below you will find an example of an accurately formatted APA Style student paper. 

• APA Style Student Paper Sample (7th Edition) - PDF Click here to see a sample of an accurately formatted APA style student paper.
• APA Style Student Paper Sample (7th Edition) - Word Click here to see a sample of an accurately formatted APA style student paper.

Place only page numbers in the header. 

Your paper should have the full title in bold. Place an extra space beneath the title and before your name.

Your name, your affiliation, the course title, professor’s name, and due date should be double spaced beneath the title.

All of this should be in the center of the title page.

• Put the word “Abstract” on the top of the page. Be sure it is center-aligned and in bold.
• Do not indent any paragraphs on this page.

Indent all other paragraphs throughout the body of the paper. 

• Place the entire title of your paper in Title Case on the top line of a new page.
• Be sure it is center-aligned and in bold.

• Center-align the word “References” on the first line of a new page, be sure that it is in bold.
• Your citations should be alphabetized.
• Entries are double-spaced with no extra lines between them.
• Be sure to use a hanging indent for any citations that require more than one line.

Need help formatting your APA style citations using the 7th edition of the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ? Click the image or link below to go to the citation guide.

• APA 7th Edition Citations

Need help learning what hanging indents are and how to create them using Google Docs or Microsoft Word? 

• Hanging Indents This page gives a brief description of what they are, where to find information on when and how to properly use them, and also video tutorials on how to create them.
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• Last Updated: Jul 19, 2024 3:41 PM
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To cite this LibGuide use the following templates:

APA : Northern Essex Community College Library. (Date updated). Title of page . Title of LibGuide. URL

MLA : Northern Essex Community College Library. "Title of Page." Title of LibGuide, Date updated, URL.

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APA Style, 7th edition

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APA Style Formatting Steps

Setting up page numbering for apa.

1. Set font as Times New Roman and size 12.

2. Click on Insert.

3. Click on Page Number.

4. Click on Top of Page.

5. Click on Plain Number 3 box.

6. Finish cover page (see pages 11 and 12 of the APA guide).

7. Go to second page.

8. Type your title in bold at the top and centered.

9. Close Header/Footer box.

• APA Style Citations Video [PDF] Video Transcript

Sample Paper

• Purdue OWL: APA Sample Paper [PDF] An example of a correctly formatted APA style research paper. From Purdue University Online Writing Center (OWL).
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• Last Updated: Feb 8, 2024 11:39 AM
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How to Write an APA Research Paper

Psychology/neuroscience 201, v iew in pdf format.

An APA-style paper includes the following sections: title page, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, and references. Your paper may also include one or more tables and/or figures. Different types of information about your study are addressed in each of the sections, as described below.

General formatting rules are as follows:

Do not put page breaks in between the introduction, method, results, and discussion sections.

The title page, abstract, references, table(s), and figure(s) should be on their own pages. The entire paper should be written in the past tense, in a 12-point font, double-spaced, and with one-inch margins all around.

(see sample on p. 41 of APA manual)

• Title should be between 10-12 words and should reflect content of paper (e.g., IV and DV).
• Title, your name, and Hamilton College are all double-spaced (no extra spaces)
• Create a page header using the “View header” function in MS Word. On the title page, the header should include the following: Flush left: Running head: THE RUNNING HEAD SHOULD BE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. The running head is a short title that appears at the top of pages of published articles. It should not exceed 50 characters, including punctuation and spacing. (Note: on the title page, you actually write the words “Running head,” but these words do not appear on subsequent pages; just the actual running head does. If you make a section break between the title page and the rest of the paper you can make the header different for those two parts of the manuscript). Flush right, on same line: page number. Use the toolbox to insert a page number, so it will automatically number each page.

Abstract (labeled, centered, not bold)

No more than 120 words, one paragraph, block format (i.e., don’t indent), double-spaced.

• State topic, preferably in one sentence. Provide overview of method, results, and discussion.

Introduction

(Do not label as “Introduction.” Title of paper goes at the top of the page—not bold)

The introduction of an APA-style paper is the most difficult to write. A good introduction will summarize, integrate, and critically evaluate the empirical knowledge in the relevant area(s) in a way that sets the stage for your study and why you conducted it. The introduction starts out broad (but not too broad!) and gets more focused toward the end. Here are some guidelines for constructing a good introduction:

• Don’t put your readers to sleep by beginning your paper with the time-worn sentence, “Past research has shown (blah blah blah)” They’ll be snoring within a paragraph!  Try to draw your reader in by saying something interesting or thought-provoking right off the bat.  Take a look at articles you’ve read. Which ones captured your attention right away? How did the authors accomplish this task? Which ones didn’t?  Why not?  See if you can use articles you liked as a model. One way to begin (but not the only way) is to provide an example or anecdote illustrative of your topic area.
• Although you won’t go into the details of your study and hypotheses until the end of the intro, you should foreshadow your study a bit at the end of the first paragraph by stating your purpose briefly, to give your reader a schema for all the information you will present next.
• Your intro should be a logical flow of ideas that leads up to your hypothesis. Try to organize it in terms of the ideas rather than who did what when. In other words, your intro shouldn’t read like a story of “Schmirdley did such-and-such in 1991. Then Gurglehoff did something-or-other in 1993.  Then....(etc.)” First, brainstorm all of the ideas you think are necessary to include in your paper. Next, decide which ideas make sense to present first, second, third, and so forth, and think about how you want to transition between ideas. When an idea is complex, don’t be afraid to use a real-life example to clarify it for your reader. The introduction will end with a brief overview of your study and, finally, your specific hypotheses. The hypotheses should flow logically out of everything that’s been presented, so that the reader has the sense of, “Of course. This hypothesis makes complete sense, given all the other research that was presented.”
• When incorporating references into your intro, you do not necessarily need to describe every single study in complete detail, particularly if different studies use similar methodologies. Certainly you want to summarize briefly key articles, though, and point out differences in methods or findings of relevant studies when necessary. Don’t make one mistake typical of a novice APA-paper writer by stating overtly why you’re including a particular article (e.g., “This article is relevant to my study because…”). It should be obvious to the reader why you’re including a reference without your explicitly saying so.  DO NOT quote from the articles, instead paraphrase by putting the information in your own words.
• Be careful about citing your sources (see APA manual). Make sure there is a one-to-one correspondence between the articles you’ve cited in your intro and the articles listed in your reference section.
• Remember that your audience is the broader scientific community, not the other students in your class or your professor.  Therefore, you should assume they have a basic understanding of psychology, but you need to provide them with the complete information necessary for them to understand the research you are presenting.

Method (labeled, centered, bold)

The Method section of an APA-style paper is the most straightforward to write, but requires precision. Your goal is to describe the details of your study in such a way that another researcher could duplicate your methods exactly.

The Method section typically includes Participants, Materials and/or Apparatus, and Procedure sections. If the design is particularly complicated (multiple IVs in a factorial experiment, for example), you might also include a separate Design subsection or have a “Design and Procedure” section.

Note that in some studies (e.g., questionnaire studies in which there are many measures to describe but the procedure is brief), it may be more useful to present the Procedure section prior to the Materials section rather than after it.

Participants (labeled, flush left, bold)

Total number of participants (# women, # men), age range, mean and SD for age, racial/ethnic composition (if applicable), population type (e.g., college students). Remember to write numbers out when they begin a sentence.

• How were the participants recruited? (Don’t say “randomly” if it wasn’t random!) Were they compensated for their time in any way? (e.g., money, extra credit points)
• Write for a broad audience. Thus, do not write, “Students in Psych. 280...” Rather, write (for instance), “Students in a psychological statistics and research methods course at a small liberal arts college….”
• Try to avoid short, choppy sentences. Combine information into a longer sentence when possible.

Materials (labeled, flush left, bold)

Carefully describe any stimuli, questionnaires, and so forth. It is unnecessary to mention things such as the paper and pencil used to record the responses, the data recording sheet, the computer that ran the data analysis, the color of the computer, and so forth.

• If you included a questionnaire, you should describe it in detail. For instance, note how many items were on the questionnaire, what the response format was (e.g., a 5-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree)), how many items were reverse-scored, whether the measure had subscales, and so forth. Provide a sample item or two for your reader.
• If you have created a new instrument, you should attach it as an Appendix.
• If you presented participants with various word lists to remember or stimuli to judge, you should describe those in detail here. Use subheadings to separate different types of stimuli if needed.  If you are only describing questionnaires, you may call this section “Measures.”

Apparatus (labeled, flush left, bold)

Include an apparatus section if you used specialized equipment for your study (e.g., the eye tracking machine) and need to describe it in detail.

Procedure (labeled, flush left, bold)

What did participants do, and in what order? When you list a control variable (e.g., “Participants all sat two feet from the experimenter.”), explain WHY you did what you did.  In other words, what nuisance variable were you controlling for? Your procedure should be as brief and concise as possible. Read through it. Did you repeat yourself anywhere? If so, how can you rearrange things to avoid redundancy? You may either write the instructions to the participants verbatim or paraphrase, whichever you deem more appropriate. Don’t forget to include brief statements about informed consent and debriefing.

Results (labeled, centered, bold)

In this section, describe how you analyzed the data and what you found. If your data analyses were complex, feel free to break this section down into labeled subsections, perhaps one section for each hypothesis.

• Include a section for descriptive statistics
• List what type of analysis or test you conducted to test each hypothesis.
• Refer to your Statistics textbook for the proper way to report results in APA style. A t-test, for example, is reported in the following format: t (18) = 3.57, p < .001, where 18 is the number of degrees of freedom (N – 2 for an independent-groups t test). For a correlation: r (32) = -.52, p < .001, where 32 is the number of degrees of freedom (N – 2 for a correlation). For a one-way ANOVA: F (2, 18) = 7.00, p < .001, where 2 represents the between and 18 represents df within Remember that if a finding has a p value greater than .05, it is “nonsignificant,” not “insignificant.” For nonsignificant findings, still provide the exact p values. For correlations, be sure to report the r 2 value as an assessment of the strength of the finding, to show what proportion of variability is shared by the two variables you’re correlating. For t- tests and ANOVAs, report eta 2 .
• Report exact p values to two or three decimal places (e.g., p = .042; see p. 114 of APA manual).  However, for p-values less than .001, simply put p < .001.
• Following the presentation of all the statistics and numbers, be sure to state the nature of your finding(s) in words and whether or not they support your hypothesis (e.g., “As predicted …”). This information can typically be presented in a sentence or two following the numbers (within the same paragraph). Also, be sure to include the relevant means and SDs.
• It may be useful to include a table or figure to represent your results visually. Be sure to refer to these in your paper (e.g., “As illustrated in Figure 1…”). Remember that you may present a set of findings either as a table or as a figure, but not as both. Make sure that your text is not redundant with your tables/figures. For instance, if you present a table of means and standard deviations, you do not need to also report these in the text. However, if you use a figure to represent your results, you may wish to report means and standard deviations in the text, as these may not always be precisely ascertained by examining the figure. Do describe the trends shown in the figure.
• Do not spend any time interpreting or explaining the results; save that for the Discussion section.

Discussion (labeled, centered, bold)

The goal of the discussion section is to interpret your findings and place them in the broader context of the literature in the area. A discussion section is like the reverse of the introduction, in that you begin with the specifics and work toward the more general (funnel out). Some points to consider:

• Begin with a brief restatement of your main findings (using words, not numbers). Did they support the hypothesis or not? If not, why not, do you think? Were there any surprising or interesting findings? How do your findings tie into the existing literature on the topic, or extend previous research? What do the results say about the broader behavior under investigation? Bring back some of the literature you discussed in the Introduction, and show how your results fit in (or don’t fit in, as the case may be). If you have surprising findings, you might discuss other theories that can help to explain the findings. Begin with the assumption that your results are valid, and explain why they might differ from others in the literature.
• What are the limitations of the study? If your findings differ from those of other researchers, or if you did not get statistically significant results, don’t spend pages and pages detailing what might have gone wrong with your study, but do provide one or two suggestions. Perhaps these could be incorporated into the future research section, below.
• What additional questions were generated from this study? What further research should be conducted on the topic? What gaps are there in the current body of research? Whenever you present an idea for a future research study, be sure to explain why you think that particular study should be conducted. What new knowledge would be gained from it?  Don’t just say, “I think it would be interesting to re-run the study on a different college campus” or “It would be better to run the study again with more participants.” Really put some thought into what extensions of the research might be interesting/informative, and why.
• What are the theoretical and/or practical implications of your findings? How do these results relate to larger issues of human thoughts, feelings, and behavior? Give your readers “the big picture.” Try to answer the question, “So what?

Final paragraph: Be sure to sum up your paper with a final concluding statement. Don’t just trail off with an idea for a future study. End on a positive note by reminding your reader why your study was important and what it added to the literature.

References (labeled, centered, not bold)

Provide an alphabetical listing of the references (alphabetize by last name of first author). Double-space all, with no extra spaces between references. The second line of each reference should be indented (this is called a hanging indent and is easily accomplished using the ruler in Microsoft Word). See the APA manual for how to format references correctly.

Examples of references to journal articles start on p. 198 of the manual, and examples of references to books and book chapters start on pp. 202. Digital object identifiers (DOIs) are now included for electronic sources (see pp. 187-192 of APA manual to learn more).

Journal article example: [Note that only the first letter of the first word of the article title is capitalized; the journal name and volume are italicized. If the journal name had multiple words, each of the major words would be capitalized.] 

Ebner-Priemer, U. W., & Trull, T. J. (2009). Ecological momentary assessment of mood disorders and mood dysregulation. Psychological Assessment, 21, 463-475. doi:10.1037/a0017075

Book chapter example: [Note that only the first letter of the first word of both the chapter title and book title are capitalized.]

Stephan, W. G. (1985). Intergroup relations. In G. Lindzey & E. Aronson (Eds.), The handbook of social psychology (3 rd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 599-658). New York: Random House.

Book example: Gray, P. (2010). Psychology (6 th ed.). New York: Worth

Table There are various formats for tables, depending upon the information you wish to include. See the APA manual. Be sure to provide a table number and table title (the latter is italicized). Tables can be single or double-spaced.

Figure If you have more than one figure, each one gets its own page. Use a sans serif font, such as Helvetica, for any text within your figure. Be sure to label your x- and y-axes clearly, and make sure you’ve noted the units of measurement of the DV. Underneath the figure provide a label and brief caption (e.g., “Figure 1. Mean evaluation of job applicant qualifications as a function of applicant attractiveness level”). The figure caption typically includes the IVs/predictor variables and the DV. Include error bars in your bar graphs, and note what the bars represent in the figure caption: Error bars represent one standard error above and below the mean.

In-Text Citations: (see pp. 174-179 of APA manual) When citing sources in your paper, you need to include the authors’ names and publication date.

You should use the following formats:

• When including the citation as part of the sentence, use AND: “According to Jones and Smith (2003), the…”
• When the citation appears in parentheses, use “&”: “Studies have shown that priming can affect actual motor behavior (Jones & Smith, 2003; Klein, Bailey, & Hammer, 1999).” The studies appearing in parentheses should be ordered alphabetically by the first author’s last name, and should be separated by semicolons.
• If you are quoting directly (which you should avoid), you also need to include the page number.
• For sources with three or more authors, once you have listed all the authors’ names, you may write “et al.” on subsequent mentions. For example: “Klein et al. (1999) found that….” For sources with two authors, both authors must be included every time the source is cited. When a source has six or more authors, the first author’s last name and “et al.” are used every time the source is cited (including the first time). 

Secondary Sources

“Secondary source” is the term used to describe material that is cited in another source. If in his article entitled “Behavioral Study of Obedience” (1963), Stanley Milgram makes reference to the ideas of Snow (presented above), Snow (1961) is the primary source, and Milgram (1963) is the secondary source.

Try to avoid using secondary sources in your papers; in other words, try to find the primary source and read it before citing it in your own work. If you must use a secondary source, however, you should cite it in the following way:

Snow (as cited in Milgram, 1963) argued that, historically, the cause of most criminal acts... The reference for the Milgram article (but not the Snow reference) should then appear in the reference list at the end of your paper.

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• Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates

Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates

Published on November 19, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 20, 2023.

The formatting of a research paper is different depending on which style guide you’re following. In addition to citations , APA, MLA, and Chicago provide format guidelines for things like font choices, page layout, format of headings and the format of the reference page.

Scribbr offers free Microsoft Word templates for the most common formats. Simply download and get started on your paper.

APA |  MLA | Chicago author-date | Chicago notes & bibliography

• Generate an automatic table of contents
• Generate a list of tables and figures
• Ensure consistent paragraph formatting
• Insert page numbering

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Formatting an apa paper, formatting an mla paper, formatting a chicago paper, frequently asked questions about research paper formatting.

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in APA Style are as follows:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial.
• Set 1 inch page margins.
• Apply double line spacing.
• If submitting for publication, insert a APA running head on every page.
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch.

Watch the video below for a quick guide to setting up the format in Google Docs.

The image below shows how to format an APA Style title page for a student paper.

Running head

If you are submitting a paper for publication, APA requires you to include a running head on each page. The image below shows you how this should be formatted.

For student papers, no running head is required unless you have been instructed to include one.

APA provides guidelines for formatting up to five levels of heading within your paper. Level 1 headings are the most general, level 5 the most specific.

Reference page

APA Style citation requires (author-date) APA in-text citations throughout the text and an APA Style reference page at the end. The image below shows how the reference page should be formatted.

Note that the format of reference entries is different depending on the source type. You can easily create your citations and reference list using the free APA Citation Generator.

Generate APA citations for free

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

The main guidelines for writing an MLA style paper are as follows:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman.
• Use title case capitalization for headings .

Check out the video below to see how to set up the format in Google Docs.

On the first page of an MLA paper, a heading appears above your title, featuring some key information:

• Your full name
• Your instructor’s or supervisor’s name
• The course name or number
• The due date of the assignment

Page header

A header appears at the top of each page in your paper, including your surname and the page number.

Works Cited page

MLA in-text citations appear wherever you refer to a source in your text. The MLA Works Cited page appears at the end of your text, listing all the sources used. It is formatted as shown below.

You can easily create your MLA citations and save your Works Cited list with the free MLA Citation Generator.

Generate MLA citations for free

The main guidelines for writing a paper in Chicago style (also known as Turabian style) are:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman.
• Use 1 inch margins or larger.
• Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center.

Chicago doesn’t require a title page , but if you want to include one, Turabian (based on Chicago) presents some guidelines. Lay out the title page as shown below.

Bibliography or reference list

Chicago offers two citation styles : author-date citations plus a reference list, or footnote citations plus a bibliography. Choose one style or the other and use it consistently.

The reference list or bibliography appears at the end of the paper. Both styles present this page similarly in terms of formatting, as shown below.

To format a paper in APA Style , follow these guidelines:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman or 11 pt Arial
• Set 1 inch page margins
• Apply double line spacing
• Include a title page
• If submitting for publication, insert a running head on every page
• Indent every new paragraph ½ inch
• Apply APA heading styles
• Cite your sources with APA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a reference page at the end

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in MLA style are as follows:

• Use an easily readable font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Include a four-line MLA heading on the first page
• Center the paper’s title
• Use title case capitalization for headings
• Cite your sources with MLA in-text citations
• List all sources cited on a Works Cited page at the end

The main guidelines for formatting a paper in Chicago style are to:

• Use a standard font like 12 pt Times New Roman
• Use 1 inch margins or larger
• Place page numbers in the top right or bottom center
• Cite your sources with author-date citations or Chicago footnotes
• Include a bibliography or reference list

To automatically generate accurate Chicago references, you can use Scribbr’s free Chicago reference generator .

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.

Caulfield, J. (2023, January 20). Research Paper Format | APA, MLA, & Chicago Templates. Scribbr. Retrieved September 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/research-paper/research-paper-format/

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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
• Two Authors
• Three or More Authors
• Group Authors
• Missing Author
• Chat GPT and other AI Large Language Models
• Secondary Sources
• Block Quotations
• Fillable Template and Sample Paper
• Government Documents and Legal Materials
• APA Style 7th ed. Tutorials
• Additional APA 7th Resources
• Grammarly - your writing assistant
• Writing Center - Writing Skills This link opens in a new window
• Brainfuse Online Tutoring

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.
• APA 7th Sample Papers from Purdue Owl
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APA Citation Style Guide

• Getting Started with APA
• Audiovisual & Images
• Books & Chapters
• Reference Works
• Legal Documents
• Course & LMS Resources
• Personal Communications
• Social Media
• Webpages & News Sites
• Indigenous Knowledge Keepers

General format

Title page (student paper), lists (seriation), tables and figures, long quotes, repeated citations, citing specific parts of a source, other examples.

Please consult the 7th edition of the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  for additional formatting instructions and examples not listed on this page.

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association provides guidance for formatting your essay, paper or manuscript. The following information was taken from the 7th edition of the Manual . Please refer to pages 44-45 of the manual for more formatting information.

Page Header and Numbers: All pages in your essay should contain page numbers at the top right of every page. Only manuscripts being submitted for publication need to contain a running head which is an abbreviated version of the paper's title in the header.

Font: Options for the types of font APA recommends include 12-pt Times New Roman as well as Calibri and Arial in 11-pt, Please use the same font and font size throughout your essay (except for tables and figures - see below). . 

Line Spacing : Double spacing should occur throughout the entire document, including title page, reference list, and quotations of 40 or more words (see below). There should not be additional spacing before or after headings. There are a few exceptions to double spacing such as in tables and figures (see below).

Margins: Please use 2.54-cm (1-in) margins on all sides, including top, bottom, left and right.

Paragraph Alignment and Indentation: Paragraphs should be aligned to the left of the page (left justified). The text on the right margin will be uneven (i.e. do not use full justification). The first line of each paragraph should be indented 1/2 in. For consistency throughout your paper, click your Tab key one time

(APA, 2020, pp. 44-45)

The title page for a student paper includes the following elements: page number, the title of your paper, the names of all authors of the paper, the name of the university attended, the course abbreviation and name, instructor name, and assignment due date. Your instructor can include other requirements for your assignment such as a student number so it is best to check with them. Please refer to pages 30-37 of the manual for more title page information including what elements to include on a professional paper submitted for publication.

• Should be bolded, centered, and be 3-4 lines (double spaced) down from the top margin of the paper.
• Put a double-spaced blank line between the title and the author(s) names.
• The paper title also appears at the top of the first page of your paper.

Author Name(s):

• Should be centered, beneath the title, and one double-spaced blank line, and be in the format of first name, middle initial, and last name.
• Do not include titles, honorifics, or degrees.
•     ​Order the names of authors based on their contributions (i.e. the one that did the most work should be listed first).
•     Write all of the names on the same line (flowing onto additionally lines if needed).

Author Affiliation:

• Should be centered, beneath the author(s) names and identify where they worked or studied when the paper was written.
• Example:  School of Nursing, University of British Columbia

Course Name:

• Include the course abbreviation, number, and full course name name centered and below the Author Affiliation.

Instructor:

• Include the full name (first, any middle initial that they use, and last) of the course instructor(s) centered and below the Course Name. Include the instructor's title and /or degree (i.e. Dr., Professor, or PhD) if that is their preference.
•     Place the month, date, and year after the Instructor(s) name(s) of the date the assignment was due.

Heading Levels: Headings in your paper can help organize and develop your argument as well as signal to your reader what type of information will be presented in a given section. Do not start you paper with the heading Introduction as it it assumed that the beginning of your essay is already the introduction. APA provides formatting guidance for 5 levels of headings. These levels correspond to subheadings for instance you would use a level 2 heading if you wanted to put headings under a level 1 heading.

(APA, 2020, pp. 47-49)

Additionally, see the Headings Levels Template: Student Papers , created by the APA to demonstrate what each heading would look like in an APA paper.

Section Labels: Special headings called section labels are used for certain parts of a paper. These labels start on a new page, are on their own line at the top of the page where the section starts, and are in bold and centered. Common sections include:

The Title of your Paper References Appendix A (and so on for subsequent appendices)

(APA, 2020, p. 49)

APA provide guidelines on how to present lists to help the reader see the organization of key elements within sections, paragraphs and/or sentences in a paper. APA allows for three types of seriated lists: (a) lettered lists, (b) numbered lists, and (c) bulleted lists. In general, when a list is in a sentence use commas to separate items but if any item already contains a comma use semicolons.

Lettered Lists: Use a lettered list when you want to present a series within a sentence or paragraph. Each item is preceded with a letter within parentheses.  Note that this form or seriation may not draw as much of the reader's attention as a bulleted or numbered list.

Articles were included if they met all of the following criteria: (a) based on empirical research, (b) included an abstract, (c) targeted new graduates within one year of graduation, (d) contained sufficient detail describing the formal new graduate nurse transition program, (e) focused on acute care settings, and (f) published in English.

Numbered Lists: Use a numbered list to display complete sentences or paragraphs where a specific order or numbered procedure is necessary. In terms of format, use a number (Arabic numeral directly followed by a period, then the first word of the entry should be capitalized and then end each sentence with a period or other punctuation.

EXAMPLE The recipe said to: 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 2. Mix together the brown sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. 3. Add the almond flour, salt, baking soda, chocolate chips and mix.

Bulleted Lists: Numbered lists may imply unwanted chronology or priority among the items (i.e. is #1 may be seen as more important than #2), to order items without these implications use bullets instead. Bullets may take the form of small circles, squares, or dashes - be consistent throughout. There are some formatting rules depending on if the items in your list are complete sentences or not or if they are long and complex. 

Complete sentences: If items in your bulleted list are complete sentences begin them with capital letters and end with a period.

EXAMPLE There are several formatting tips that APA provides for the essay title on the title page: ●  Your title should be bolded, centered, and be 3-4 lines (double spaced) down from the top margin of the paper. ●  There should be a double-spaced blank line between the title and the author(s) names. ●  The paper title should also appear at the top of the first page of your paper.

Incomplete sentences: If items in your bulleted list are incomplete sentences, sentence fragments or short phrases, begin each item with a lowercase letter and use no punctuation after the items (see below). Please see page 191 of The Manual for additional guidance on how to format lists with longer phrases or a mix of phrases and complete sentences.

EXAMPLE Each child at the birthday party received the following: ●  a large soft drink ●  three slices of pizza ●  a small tummy ache

(APA, 2020, pp. 189-191)

Only include tables and figures in your essay if the information can not be communicated in the text of your paper. Tables are generally used to show numerical or textual information while figures tend to be more graphical representations such as a chart, graph, photograph, or drawing. The APA Manual devotes a considerable amount of the manual to providing formatting guidance for tables (see pages 195-224) as well as figures (see pages 225-250). See below for some common formatting tips.  

Numbers and Titles: Each table and/or figure that you place in your paper is numbered consecutively (Table 1., Table 2., etc). Number your tables and figures in the order they are first mentioned in your text beginning with Table (or Figure) 1. Table or figure numbers should be in bold and flush to the left one double-spaced line above the table or figure title. Titles for tables and figures should be brief, clear, and explanatory. The titles of table and figures are italicized and flush left and in title case (e.g. Reasons Why Individuals Like Wine ).

Referring to Them in the Text: In your paper refer to every table or figure that you have inserted. Do not write "the figure above" or "the table below" or "the figure on page 4." Instead refer to the table or figure number and use this as an opportunity to tell your reader what to look for eg. "as shown in Figure 1 there is a clear correlation ..." or "... of the results of the testing (see Table 1)." In general only refer to the table or figure number and not the title.

Reprinting or Adapting: If you did not create the table or figure yourself, for instance if you found it on the internet, you must include a copyright attribution in a note below the table or figure. A copyright attribution is used instead of an in-text citation. In addition, each work should also be listed in the reference list. Please see pages 390-391 in the Manual for example copyright attributions.

Placement: Figures and tables may be placed either within the text of your paper or all together at the end of your document after the reference list. In either location tables and figures should be aligned to the left margin (not centered). When embedding in the text position them after a paragraph break, preferably the paragraph in which they are referred to, with a double spaced blank line between the table or figure and the text. If you are choosing to include figures and tables after your reference list place each one on a separate page.

Notes: Notes are placed flush left below the table or figure. Introduce notes with an italicize Note followed by a period. These notes contain information to clarify the contents of the figure or table. Notes can be general, specific, and probability. Please refer to page 203 in the Manual for more information regarding table notes and page 229 for figure notes. 

Table Formatting: Ensure each column in your table has a heading. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of all headings. Headings should not be much wider than the widest entry. In general you would include solid horizontal;lines in your table above and below the headings and after the last row. Do not include vertical lines between the columns or boxes around individual cells.

Figure Formatting: Use a simple sans serif font such as Arial or Calibri with font size no smaller than 8 points and no larger than 14. Axis labels on graphs should be parallel to their axes in title case. You may use colour but try to limit the number of different shades. Avoid the use of grid lines and 3-D effects. Figure legends explain symbols, line styles, etc., and are integral to understanding the figure and should use the same lettering that appear in the rest of the figure. Legends should be within or below the image and words in the legend should use title case.

Please see the Sample Tables and Sample Figures pages from the APA Style website for specific examples of how to format different types of tables and figures.

If you are using a direct quote from a source and the quote is 40 or more words in length there are special formatting considerations. You will need to treat it as a block that is not enclosed by quotation marks within the body of your narrative. Instead, the block should start on a new line and be indented 0.5 in. from the left margin. The block quote should be double spaced with no additional space before or after the block. As you would for a shorter quotation you should cite either the author and year before the quotation in your narrative with the page number(s) appearing after, or cite the author, year, and page number(s) in a parenthetical citation after the quotation. An important difference between short quotes and quotes over 40 words is that whatever element of the citation you place after the quote it is placed after the quotation's final punctuation.

Block Quotation with Parenthetical Citation:

Researchers have investigated the effects of new graduate nurse transition programs:

While the quality of existing evidence was quite variable, it was clear that new graduate nurse transition programs ease the move from student to practitioner. Perhaps the most significant finding of this review was the strong influence of bundled strategies that enhanced the quality of preceptor support and positively influenced the new graduate nurse transition experience. (Rush et al., 2019, p. 156)

Block Quotation with Narrative Citation:

Rush et al., (2019) described the evidence regarding the effects of new graduate nurse transition programs:

While the quality of existing evidence was quite variable, it was clear that new graduate nurse transition programs ease the move from student to practitioner. Perhaps the most significant finding of this review was the strong influence of bundled strategies that enhanced the quality of preceptor support and positively influenced the new graduate nurse transition experience. (p. 156)

(APA, 2020, pp. 272-273)

As a rule you should include author(s) and the date for every in-text citation. However, if you are citing from the same source within the same paragraph repeatedly you do not need to repeat the year in subsequent narrative citations. Please note that this does not apply to parenthetical citations where you must continue to include the year. In the example below note that the first time the source is cited in the paragraph as part of the sentence, the citation of the author’s name and year are used but when it is used a second time the year is not included.

In a comprehensive review of the literature Pesut et al. (2020) identified a relative lack of literature in light of the expansion of euthanasia internationally. However, Pesut et al. did report that of the literature available a broad range of positions for nurses to consider as they reflect on their own participation in medical assistance in dying was available.

(APA, 2020, p. 265)

To cite parts of sources where page numbers are not readily available include an author-date citation plus information about the specific part you are referring to. Sources without page numbers include, but are not limited to: paragraphs on webpages, tables, figures, footnotes, timestamp of videos or podcasts as well as slide numbers in PowerPoint presentations. For religious works with numbered parts (e.g. chapters, verses, etc.) cite the part instead of a page number.

(Lomness, 2020, para 2) (King James Bible, 1769/2017, 1 Cor. 13:1) (Nancy Holmes, 2020, 9:32) (Shakespeare, 1623/1995, 1.3.36-37).

(APA, 2020, p. 264)

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APA 7th Edition: Download/Edit APA Paper Template

• Download/Edit APA Paper Template
• Abstract Page
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• Cite a YouTube Video or Website
• Missing Information from Source
• Reference Page
• Sample APA Paper
• APA Step by Step Guide
• APA Format Checklist
• Citation Generators
• Glossary of Terms

Monroe University & APA Style

Monroe university 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

A Monroe University Research Guide

                 THIS RESEARCH OR "LIBGUIDE" WAS PRODUCED BY THE LIBRARIANS OF MONROE UNIVERSITY              

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APA Document Formatting (7th Edition)

Apa paper formatting, apa references list formatting, hanging indents for references list, formatting a powerpoint using apa style, additional resources.

Headings - APA Style Tips for formatting headings and using the automatic headings function of their word-processing program to create headings.

Sample Papers in APA Format Includes student and professional papers.

Paper Pre-Submission Checklist (APA Style)   A checklist to use before submitting your paper to ensure it follows proper APA formatting.

• Last Updated: Aug 8, 2023 11:22 AM
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WRITING 322W Advanced Business Writing Karas

• Recommended Readings on AI
• Recommended Resources for Researching Topics
• Sources of Industry Graphics
• Recommended Databases for Finding Graphics
• Recommended Websites for Finding Graphics
• Evaluating Graphics
• Citing Research Materials Using APA
• Citing Graphics using APA
• Writer's Studio

Citing Research Materials using APA

• APA Reference Formats
• APA Reference Examples
• In-Text Citations

It may help to know why you are required to cite sources and why you are using the APA style guide for this course.

  Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the Power, “To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.”  Those writing and discoveries are known as "intellectual property." Merriam-Webster defines "intellectual property" as, "property (such as an idea, invention, or process) that derives from the work of the mind or intellect."  The U.S. government protects intellectual property. With some limits, you can draw on the ideas and words of others for use in your own work as a student and as a teacher as long as you credit sources appropriately. 

There are many citation styles including APA, MLA, and Chicago. This class uses APA. Citation styles lend themselves to use in specific disciplines. Read this article from Yale University to learn why scholars in different academic disciplines tend to prefer certain styles over others. 

Please call or email the library anytime you need help with references and citations.  The Reference Librarians will return your email within three business days with the information that you need or will set up an in-person appointment or a zoom appointment to provide further assistance.

Contact us:   [email protected]

"References" is the correct title for your list of sources. This list is arranged alphabetically by author last name. The first line of each reference is not indented. All other lines are indented. References should be double spaced.

Online Journal Article, including articles found in databases

Author Last name, First initial. (Publication Year). Article title.  Journal Title, Vol( Issue #), Page range. DOI 

Author Last name, First initial. (Year, Month, Day).  Page   Title.  Website title.   URL

Podcast Episode

Last name of host, First initial of host. (Host). (Year).  Title  [Audio podcast]. Producer. URL

Online Newspaper Article

Author Last name, First initial. (Year, Month, Day). Title of article.  Title of newspaper . URL

Author Last name, First initial. (Year).  Title and subtitle.  Publisher.

Author Last name, First initial. (Year). Title [eBook edition]. Publisher .  URL if applicable

Print Journal Article

Author Last name, First initial. (Publication Year). Article title.  Journal Title, Vol( Issue #), Page range. 

Photographer Last name, First initial. (Year photograph was taken).  Title or short description of      

       photograph  [Photograph]. Publication or name of website where you found the photograph. URL

Personal Communications

Interviews, emails, and other personal communications that can't be retrieved by the reader aren't included in the reference list, but they should be cited in-text.

(First initial Last name, personal communication, date).

If you state the name of the author in your narrative, the author name is omitted in the in-text citation.

(personal communication, date).

Click here  for further information about APA.  Source: George Mason University Writing Center

SadatHoseini, A., Shareinia, H., Pashaeypoor, S., & Mohammadi, M. (2023). A cross-cultural concept analysis of

    healing in nursing: a hybrid model.  BMC Nursing ,  22 (1), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01404-8

Example with a named author:

Gilmore, Tayler. (2023, August 5).  NASA researchers measure sinking land in American Samoa.  NASA.       

    https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/goddard/nasa-researchers-measure-sinking-land-in-american-samoa/

Example with a group author:

American Psychological Association. (n.d.)  Disaster and response.   https://www.apa.org/topics/disasters-response

Podcast Episode 

Natisse, K.M. (Host). (2022).  Freedom diving   [Audio podcast]. NPR. 

      https://www.npr.org/2022/09/29/1126052986/freedom-diving

Smith, M. (2024, March 5). Jury selected for bounty hunt homicide trial in Butte.  Butte

Standard.  https://mtstandard.com/news/local/crime-courts/jury-selected-bounty-hunt-homicide-trial-

butte/article_cb77ddde-da76-11ee-a186-57c1a7d8cb1f.html

Example with one author:

French, S. (2016). Philosophy of science: key concepts. Bloomsbury Academic. 

Example with multiple authors:

Jackson, J., Mehl, J.P., & Neuendorf, K.E. (2005).  Glossary of geology.  American Geological Institute.

Isermann, R. (2011). Fault-diagnosis applications: model-based condition monitoring: actuators, drives, machinery,

     plants, sensors, and fault-tolerant systems. [eBook edition]. Springer. 10.1007/978-3-642-12767-0 

Smirnov, V. (1968). The sources of ore-forming material. Economic Geology,   63( 4), 380-389. 

Staplekamp, B. (2015). Lion drinking water. [Photograph]. National 

     Geographic.  https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/cecil-african-lion-anniversary-death-trophy-hunting-

     zimbabwe

(K. Carroll, personal communication, March 5, 2024).

(personal communication, March 5, 2024).

Guidance from the APA Style Team

When a prompt is entered into a text-generating tool, the results may vary each time. Predictive text can't be recreated, so the APA Style Team doesn't regard the prompt itself as a useful piece of data. The APA Style Team encourages writers to include their prompts in their narrative text and to include the full text of the generated response in an appendix. 

APA  m odels references and citations of generated text from existing guidelines for referencing and citing software found in Chapter 10 of the 7th edition of the APA Style Guidelines. 

Reference Example

OpenAI. (2023).  ChatGPT  (Sept 1 version) [Large language model].  https://chat.openai.com/chat

In-Text Citation Examples

Parenthetical citation: (OpenAI, 2023) - or-  (OpenAI, 2023; see Appendix A for the full transcript).

Narrative citation: OpenAI (2023)

In addition to a list of references at the end of a paper or presentation, APA format requires in-text citations. 

Paraphrasing:

When paraphrasing an idea from one of your references, you'll include the author and the year from the full reference entry on your reference page. APA does allow for the writer to also include page numbers when creating in-text citations in cases when the page number would be useful in helping the reader to locate the information in the source. Page numbers are generally useful when citing long works.

According to Carroll (2021), Public speaking becomes less stressful with practice.

Public speaking becomes less stressful with practice  (Carroll, 2021).

Quoting: 

When quoting directly from one of your references, you'll include the author, year, and page number (if there is a page number)  from the full reference entry on your reference page. 

According to Carroll (2021), "students often had difficulty sleeping the night before an exam" (p. 199).

Carroll (2021) found "students often had difficulty sleeping the night before an exam" (p. 199).

DOI stands for, "Digital Object Identifier." A DOI is a string of characters that is assigned to a written work or other type of object in order to identify the object.

The APA style guide calls for including a DOI in a reference entry when the DOI can be found. When searching Montana Tech's databases, many articles have a DOI posted in the bibliographic information, often alongside the author, title, and date of publication. 

A DOI is different than a URL in that a DOI is a permanent identifier. URLs can move, but DOIs will remain constant. The long-term goal of the DOI system is to be able to locate objects with one identifying piece of information. 

DOI Guidelines:

• APA reference entries should include a DOI or a URL for any digital content.
• When both the DOI and the URL can be located, use the DOI in the reference entry. Don't include both the DOI and the URL. 
• If a DOI can't be located for digital content, do include the URL in the reference entry.
• The DOI or URL belong at the end of a reference entry.
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Agriculture: APA Paper Format

• Getting Started
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• APA In-Text
• APA Paper Format
• Online Citation Tools

APA Style Manual

A copy of this book is also available at the Help Desk.

APA Style Blog

• APA Style Blog APA Style experts and guests tackle a variety of style topics each week in the APA Style Blog.

Purdue Owl: APA

• Purdue OWL: APA Style Guide This Purdue OWL citation guide will help you in citing your sources in the APA (American Psychological Association) Style commonly used to cite sources within the area of social sciences. You can find written and video instructions with examples on how to format your citations. Click on the title above to see more...

Click on the link above to be taken to the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University. The OWL has information on how to format your papers, craft your citations, and provides tutorials on how to do everything in between. 

APA Format in Word 2016

APA Format in Google Docs

Writing Your Paper: APA

Things to know before you begin:

• Font:  Times New Roman  
• Font Size: 12 point 
• Margins:   1 inch
• Paragraphs:  All paragraphs (except the Abstract) should be indented.
• Spacing:  All of the text in your paper should be double-spaced.

Typical APA style papers have four main sections:

See the boxes below for a breakdown of how each portion should be formatted.

Sample Paper: APA

• Sample APA Paper: 3D Printing An example of an accurately formatted APA-style paper.

Title Page: APA

• APA Quick Answers: Formatting Click the link above for some tips and tricks from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
• Purdue OWL: APA General Format Click the link above for further information on general formatting using APA style.

Abstract: APA

Main Body: APA

References: APA

How to Create a Hanging Indent

• Create a Hanging Indent: Google Docs Learn how to create a hanging indent in Google Docs.
• Create a Hanging Indent: MS Word Learn how to create a hanging indent in Microsoft Word.
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• Last Updated: Sep 13, 2024 2:30 PM
• URL: https://library.wcc.hawaii.edu/ag

• Boston University Libraries

APA Citations (7th edition)

• Citing Books and eBooks
• Citing Journal Articles
• Citing Videos
• Citing Web Resources

Citing Your Sources

Proper citation is an essential aspect of scholarship! Citing allows your reader or audience to locate the materials you have used. Most importantly, citations give credit to the authors of quoted or consulted information. Failure to acknowledge sources of information properly may constitute plagiarism. 

For an explicit definition of plagiarism, see the  Boston University Academic Conduct Code .

In the School of Social Work we use the American Psychological Association (APA) style. This guide features directions on:

• Citing books and ebooks
• Citing journal articles
• Citing videos
• Citing web resources

The website at  http://www.apastyle.org/  offers extensive information on guidelines for citing. An online resource and style guide from Purdue OWL is also  available here.  Or, consult the physical guides at the Mugar Library.

Keeping Track of Your Sources

Why we cite sources.

• Next: Citing Books and eBooks >>
• Last Updated: Sep 12, 2024 11:41 AM
• URL: https://library.bu.edu/apacitations