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How to insert page numbers: apa 7th edition guidelines, published by steve tippins on january 17, 2022 january 17, 2022.

Last Updated on: 2nd February 2024, 02:56 am

There are straightforward guidelines for inserting page numbers according to APA 7th edition guidelines. To start with, here are the basics:

• The numbers should be put in a header at the top right of the page.
• They should be the same font and size as the rest of your paper.
• Number the first page, with a 1. Thereafter, each of the subsequent pages will be numbered automatically.
• Do not write “page” or “p.” or “pp.”

Here are step-by-step instructions for inserting APA page numbers, with screenshots to guide your way.

Inserting Numeral Page Numbers

Step 1: Open the “Header & Footer” tab in the header, click on Insert and select “Page Number.”

Step 2: If you want to have a different first page and do not want number 1 to appear on this page, then click on “Different First Page.”

Step 3: From the drop-down list, choose “Top of Page.” Next, choose “Plain Number 3.”

Step 4: Click on “Close Header and Footer” in the ribbon.

Over 50% of doctoral candidates don’t finish their dissertations.

Inserting Roman Numeral Page Numbers

If you need to paginate front matter material, such as an abstract, acknowledgments, or table of contents, the process is a little different.

Step 1: Insert a section break between the front material and Chapter 1.

Step 2: In the “Layout” tab, click on the drop-down arrow beside “Breaks.”

Step 3: Click on “Next Page” in “Section Breaks.”

Step 4: Repeats steps 1 or 2 above. In the drop-down list, open “Format Page Numbers.”

Step 5: Select “Roman” in the “Page Number Format” part of the drop-down list.

Step 6: On the first page of Chapter 1, repeat the above process. This is when you begin to start numbering the pages of your Chapter 1 using numerals 1, 2, 3, etc. To paginate Chapter 1 as page 1, choose “Start at,” and then put in the number 1.

Note : For more information, refer to Section 2.18 of the APA Publication Manual , Seventh Edition.

For help with APA style and much more, check out our Dissertation Editing Services or book a free consultation .

Steve Tippins

Steve Tippins, PhD, has thrived in academia for over thirty years. He continues to love teaching in addition to coaching recent PhD graduates as well as students writing their dissertations. Learn more about his dissertation coaching and career coaching services. Book a Free Consultation with Steve Tippins

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to format APA page numbers

How to format APA page numbers

In an APA style paper, page numbers generally appear in three places:

• On every page in the upper right corner (pagination for the paper)
• APA in-text citations
• The reference list

Let’s review all three.

1. Pagination for the paper

Every page written in APA style needs to have the page number listed at the top right corner of the paper . It also needs to appear on every page. It should also appear on the title page of the paper, as well as every page of the appendices, footnotes, and other supplemental sections.

The page number should be in the same font and size as the rest of your paper. APA provides different font point sizes depending on the font. For example, 12-point for Times New Roman or 11-point for Arial.

To summarize, your APA page number needs to be:

• At the top of every page (including the title page, body, appendices, etc.)
• Placed in the header
• Flush against the right margin
• In the same font and size as the rest of your paper

It’s recommended that you use autogenerated page numbers in the “header” section of your paper. These features are available in most popular word processors.

2. In-text citations

APA style, page number are recommended (but optional) for paraphrasing, and required for direct quotations from sources with page numbers. When citing a website in APA , or other sources without page numbers, you can use paragraph numbers to mark the quote’s location instead.

In-text citation structure and example for one page:

Text (Author Last Name, Year Published, p. #)

“And in our heart—strange are the ways of evil!—in our heart there is the first peace we have known in twenty years.” (Rand, 2019, p. 32)

In-text citation structure and example for a page range:

Text (Author Last Name, Year Published, pp. #-#)

“It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them” (Rand, 2019, pp. 12-13)

Reference list entry for both examples:

Rand, A. (2019). Anthem . Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1250 (Original work published in 1938)

Notice that unlike the in-text citations, the example reference list entry does NOT include page numbers. Whether a reference includes page numbers is not dependent on the in-text citation; it depends on the source type.

3. Reference list

Page numbers are only included in reference list entries when the following happens:

• The source has page numbers.
• The cited source is a smaller, complete work within a bigger work.

Common example sources:

• A journal article (smaller work) from a journal (bigger work)
• A newspaper article (smaller work) that was printed in a newspaper (bigger work)
• A magazine article (smaller work) in a printed magazine (bigger work)
• A chapter (smaller work) in an edited book (bigger work) where each chapter has a different author

Periodical/Article page numbers

Articles in periodicals (e.g., journals, newspapers, magazines, etc.) include page numbers in their references. The page number or page number range are formatted as the following:

Template and examples:

Notice that unlike in-text citations, there is no “p.” or “pp.” preceding the page numbers.

Example reference (journal article):

Gunn, R., Whear, R., & Douglas, L. (2012, June). A second recent canine burial from the Arnhem Land Plateau. Australian Archaeology , (74), 103-105. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23621527

Chapter in an edited book page numbers

Similar to in-text citations, page numbers are indicated by “p. #” or “pp. #-#” in the reference.

Example reference (chapter in an edited book):

Lisi, G. (2012). Uncalculated risk. In J. Brockman (Ed.), This will make you smarter (pp. 68-73). Harper Perennial.

Published October 28, 2020.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

You need not include page numbers in in-text citations unless you want to cite a particular page or page ranges of the source being cited. In such cases, you need to include the page information after the publication year.

If you want to cite a direct quotation, you do need to include the page information. To indicate you are quoting directly from a single page, use the abbreviation “p.” To indicate you are quoting from a continuous page range, use the abbreviation “pp.” and use an en dash between the page range (e.g., pp. 1-2). If the pages are discontinuous, use “pp.” but separate the page numbers with a comma, not an en dash (e.g., pp. 1, 3).

Below are examples of how to include page numbers in in-text citations when using direct quotations:

Narrative:        

Jones (1999) states, “It is important to study all children” (p. 47).

Neer et al. (2014) agree with his argument that “the behavior of working women changes drastically” (pp. 47, 49).

Blake and Garger (2002) assert “Humans fight for rights” (pp. 32–34).

Parenthetical:

The study performed in Alaska showed that “it is important to study all children” (Jones, 1999, p. 47).

According to the study, “The behavior of working women changes drastically” (Neer et al., 2014, pp. 47, 49).

“Humans fight for rights,” says the study (Blake & Garger, 2002, pp. 32–34).

The abbreviation “p.” refers to a single page, and “pp.” denotes multiple pages. When you want to cite a single page, use “p.” You can use “pp.” if you want to include a page range (e.g., pp. 45–57) or multiple pages that are not in a range (e.g., pp. 37, 39).

APA Citation Examples

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Dissertation & Doctoral Project Formatting & Clearance: APA Style 7th Ed.

• Submitting to the Library
• Formatting Manual & Forms
• APA Style 7th Ed.
• Submitting to ProQuest ETD

SPRING 2024 CHANGES TO THE DISSERTATION CLEARANCE PROCESS

In order to streamline the dissertation clearance process, the following changes have been made, effective 3-1-2024 .

1. The Dissertation Cataloging Form is no longer necessary.

2. The Dissertation Clearance Form is now initiated directly by the student, and only through Adobe Sign - Signed PDFs and scanned forms have been replaced by Adobe Sign.

3. Students completing dissertation clearance are no longer required to schedule a meeting with their DCR (Dissertation Clearance Representative). If they have questions about what to do, they are welcome to schedule a DCR appointment, but it is not required.

If you have questions about these changes or other aspects of the process, contact [email protected] and we will be happy to assist.

Finding It @ Your Library

General APA Style Guidelines

WRITING STYLE

Verb tense. APA style papers should be written in past or present perfect tense:

Avoid: Mojit and Novian's (2013) experiment shows that...

Allowed: Mojit and Novian's (2013) experiment showed  that...

Allowed: Mojit and Novian's (2013) experiment has shown that...

Be concise and clear

• Avoid vague statements
• Present information clearly
• Eliminate unnecessary words

Style matters

• Write objectively
• Avoid poetic or flowery language

AVOIDING BIAS

Be sensitive to labels

• Avoid identifying groups by a disorder Avoid: schizophrenics Allowed: people diagnosed with schizophrenia
• Avoid outdated or inappropriate labels
• When you must label a group, try to use a term that group prefers

Gender pronouns

• Gender refers to a social role
• Sex refers to biological characteristics

What is the APA 7th Edition Publication Manual?

The 7th edition of Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association was created by the American Psychological Assocation (APA), and contains the complete guidelines on how to format material for publication and cite your research .  It is a set of style rules that codifies the components of scientific writing in order to deliver concise and bias free information to the reader. 

This guide provides some of the basics to keep in mind, but it doesn't replace owning or borrowing the actual Publication Manual itself. It should be on your desk by your side throughout your writing process.

APA style, 7th edition requires specific heading formatting.

For Levels 1-3, the paragraph text begins on a new line. For Levels 4-5, the paragraph text begins on the same line and continues as a paragraph.

In Section 4.2 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.), APA (2020) states that you should use verb tenses consistently throughout your work. See a chart of when and how to use past tense (Rodriguez found) and present perfect tense (Researchers have shown) at the APA Style website .

In-Text Citation Basics

Author/Date Citation Method

APA publications use the author/date in text citation system to briefly identify sources to readers.  Each in-text citation is listed alphabetically in the reference list.  All in-text citations referenced in the body of work musr appear in the reference list and vice versa.

• The author-date method includes the author's surname and the the publication year.  Do not include suffixes such as Jr., Esq., etc. Example : (Jones, 2009)
• The author/date method is also used with direct quotes.  Another component is added in this format: (Jones, 2009, p.19)
• When multiple pages are referenced, use pp. (Jones, 2009, pp.19-21)

Variations of author/date within a sentence Here are some examples of how the author/date citation method are formatted within different parts of a sentence. Please note the author, publication date, and study are entirely fictional.

• Beginning of a sentence: Jones (2009) completed a study on the effects of dark chocolate on heart disease.
• Middle of a sentence: In 2009, Jones's study on the effects of dark chocolate and heart disease revealed...
• End of a sentence: The study revealed that participants who ate dark chocolate bars every day did not develop heart disease (Jones, 2009).

Citing works with more than one author

• One author: Jones (2009) // (Jones, 2009)
• Two authors: Ahmed and Jones (2010) // (Ahmed & Jones, 2010)
• Three or more authors: Tsai et al. (2011) // (Tsai et al., 2011)
• Group/organization author that can be abbreviated: 1st mention: National Institutes of Health (NIH, 2012) // subsequent mentions: NIH (2012)

Sample References

Journal articles

Sharifian, N., & Grühn, D. (2019). The differential impact of social participation and social support on psychological well-being: Evidence from  the Wisconsin longitudinal study. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development , 88 (2), 107-126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415018757213

Shiraev, E. (2017). Personality theories: A global view. SAGE.

Chapter from a book

Ochs, E., & Schieffelin , B. B. (1984). Language acquisition and socialization: Three developmental stories and their implications. In R. A. Shweder & R. A. LeVine (Eds.), Culture theory: Essays on mind, self, and emotion (pp. 276 320). Cambridge University Press.

Webpage from a website

World Health Organization. (2020, June 15) . Elder abuse . https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/elder-abuse

View many more examples in the APA Style Manual or on the APA Style website .

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• Last Updated: May 20, 2024 9:49 AM
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How to Add Page Numbers in APA Style

by Karen Crosby | Feb 25, 2020 | APA 101 , Technical Help | 0 comments

Are you curious to learn how to add page numbers in APA Style? Whether you are writing to meet APA 6 or APA 7, we’ve got you covered!

Page numbering in APA 6 and APA 7

In APA Style, page numbering is (usually) straightforward:

• The first page is numbered page 1.
• Each page is numbered sequentially thereafter.
• Numbers are positioned in the header at the top right of each page.

However, many graduate programs complicate matters by specifying different pagination requirements for thesis and dissertation submissions. The following deviations from the above guidelines are common:

1. No page number on the title page; the abstract is numbered as page 2.

2. The front matter, which includes the abstract, table of contents, and acknowledgements, is paginated in Roman numerals (ii, iii, iv, etc.). Beginning with the first page of Chapter 1, pagination resets to Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, etc.) and continues that way for the remainder of the paper.

3. A combination of both of the above, such that no page number appears on the title page and the abstract is numbered as page ii.

Adding page numbers in MS Word

Word has several ways to add pagination. Here are two easy options.

1. On the ribbon, click on the Insert tab and select Page Number.

2. Or, double click in the header of your document. This action opens the Header & Footer Tools Tab. From here, select Page Number. You can also select Different First Page, if you haven’t already, which you’ll need to  format the running head .

Note : This tab disappears from the ribbon when you are not working in a header or footer. If you want to see it, just double click in a header or footer on any page.

3. Either way, from the drop-down list that opens, choose Top of Page and then the third option, Plain Number 3:

Word will automatically add the page numbers and your cursor will appear next to the page number of the page you’re on, in the header.

• You can exit the header either by double clicking on the page anywhere outside of it or by clicking Close Header and Footer in the ribbon.
• While you’re in the header, you can add the running head.
• You can format the numbering to Roman, if needed, which we cover next.

Formatting page numbers in Roman numerals

If your program calls for you to paginate front matter (abstract, acknowledgements, table of contents, etc.) using Roman numerals, and for Chapter 1 to start on page 1, never fear. We’ve got you covered!

First, you need to insert a section break between the front matter and Chapter 1. Without this break, Word won’t know when to stop one type of pagination and begin another.

1. Go to the Layout Tab on the ribbon and click the drop-down arrow next to Breaks to open the breaks dialogue box. Under Section Breaks, click Next Page.

2. Now that you have a break, let’s start in the first section (the front matter). Follow Steps 1 or 2 above to open the Page Number drop-down list. This time, choose Format Page Numbers:

3. The Page Number Format dialogue box opens. Using the arrow next to Number format, choose the format from the drop-down list. You’ll want to select Roman (i, ii, iii…).

4. Repeat this process on the first page of Chapter 1. Here, you’ll want to select your number format to be 1, 2, 3. At the bottom of the dialogue box, you can choose for numbering to continue or restart. If you need to paginate Chapter 1 as page 1, you would choose Start at: and put 1 in the field.

We’re here to help! Contact us if you have questions or submit your file : one of our experts can complete this work for you quickly and accurately.

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