APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

  • Basics of APA Formatting
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Standard Format

Formatting rules.

  • Audiovisual
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  • Reference Page

Click on the categories below to see what types of information is included for that reference component for Dissertations and Theses

Basic Format: Who = Author (When = year). What = Title. Where = Name of Institution Awarding Degree

Unpublished Dissertations and Theses

Author Surname, A. A.

Title of dissertation/thesis: Use sentence case [Unpublished doctoral dissertation/master’s thesis].

Name of Institution Awarding the Degree

Published Dissertations and Theses

Title of dissertation: Use sentence case [Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree].

Provide Database or Archive name and URL (if available)

Database Name. https://xxxx...

Archive Name.

Formatting:

  • Italicize the title
  • Identify whether source is doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis in parentheses after the title

Click on categories below to see examples.

Thesis, from a commercial database

Dissertation, from an institutional database, unpublished master’s thesis.

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apa 7 dissertation title page

APA 7th Edition Formatting

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

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

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

Student vs Professional Papers

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

Overview: APA 7th Edition Formatting

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

Structure and Layout

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Generic Page Setup

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

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

Fonts & sizing

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

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

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

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

Line spacing

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

Running header

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

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

The Title Page

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

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

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

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

Example of a title page in APA 7 format

The Abstract

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

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

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

Example of APA 7 abstract

The Main Body

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

Initial set-up

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

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

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

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

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

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

APA 7 editing

Text styling and punctuation

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

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

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

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

In-text citations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Example of APA 7 body text

The Reference List

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

Basic setup

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

The list itself

The reference list should comprise the following:

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

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

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

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

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

The Appendix

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

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

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

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

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

Example of an APA 7 formatted appendix

Wrapping Up

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

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

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  • Subject Guides

EDK 850 Research Design & Proposal Development

  • Formatting your Dissertation in APA Style
  • Getting Started
  • Journal Articles/Databases
  • Books/Reference Materials
  • How to Request Books and Articles from Other Libraries (ILL)
  • Literature Reviews
  • Citation Management Tools
  • Research Methods Resources for Graduate Students
  • Formatting using Microsoft Word
  • Education Websites
  • Info about UM-Dearborn Doctoral Requirements & Deadlines

APA Style Resources

Here are some general APA Style resources. Scroll down further to see more details about citations and paper formatting. 

  • APA Style Website The APA Style Website is the official website for APA 7th edition, and includes formatting guidelines for formatting your overall paper including title page setup, tables and figures, as well as guidelines for formatting reference citations. Sample papers are included.
  • Excelsior Online Writing Lab: APA Style The Excelsior OWL is an excellent resource for how to write and cite your academic work in APA Style. This is a recommended starting point if you're not sure how to use APA style in your work, and includes helpful multimedia elements.

Several print copies of the APA 7th edition Publication Manual are available for checkout at the Mardigian Library.

(Sorry, APA does not provide an eBook version of this for libraries at the present time.)

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APA Style 7th edition Citations (References and In-Text Citations)

If you're new to citation, this brief video will cover an introduction to in-text citations and reference lists in APA 7th edition. Scroll down for more recommended resources about citations. 

More information including examples and sample papers can be found at the recommended websites below: 

  • APA Style Website: Reference Examples Guidelines about references from the official APA Style website.
  • APA Style Website: In-text Citations Guidelines for in-text citations from the official APA Style website.
  • APA 7th edition quick reference handout This quick reference guide to APA 7th edition citations is handy and includes many commonly cited source types and corresponding in-text citations.
  • APA In-text Citation Checklist APA's official In-text citation checklist for the 7th edition.

APA Style 7th edition Formatting for Professional Papers (including Dissertations)

  • APA Style Website: Sample Annotated Professional Paper This is the official sample professional paper from the APA Style website, and includes annotations illustrating the usage of each element.
  • APA Style Website: Paper Format The APA Style website's paper format page includes all of the elements of paper format that you need to follow, including information about the title page, margins and spacing, fonts and headings. Sample papers are included.

CEHHS Formatting Requirements for Ed.D. Dissertations

CEHHS uses the current version of the APA Publication Manual (7th edition) for all matters of format with the exception of some particular requirements for the Title page, pagination (especially of front matter) and top margins. Unless otherwise stated in the CEHHS Ed.D. Dissertation Guide below, defer to APA 7th edition. 

Some formatting aspects to be sure you are following correctly include: 

  • Tables and Figures, including labeling thereof
  • CEHHS Ed.D. Dissertation Guide
  • UM-Ann Arbor Scholarspace Microsoft for Dissertations Guide
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APA Guide: 7th Edition

  • Page Numbers
  • Figures/Images
  • Webpages and Other Online Content
  • Legal Citations
  • Writing Style
  • Summary of Changes

Student Paper Example

  • Student Paper Example This is a student paper example from the 7th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Professional Paper Example

  • Professional Paper Example This is a professional paper example from the 7th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Student Title Page Elements

The title page includes the following elements: Page number, Paper title, Author, Author Affiliation, Course, Instructor, and Due Date .  Remember, your instructor can include other requirements for your assignment.  Refer to their instructions carefully.

Your title page and paper is double-spaced. Use 1-inch margins. 

Acceptable Fonts:

  • 11-point Calibri 
  • 11-point Arial
  • 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode 
  • 12-point Times New Roman
  • 11-point Georgia
  • 10-point Computer Modern 1 
  • Should summarize the main idea in a succinct way .
  • Include strong keywords so that readers can find your work in a database or by using a search engine.
  • Avoid using abbreviations in a title.
  • The title should be provided in title case .  This means that all major words are capitalized. 
  • Be bolded, centered, and begin 3-4 lines down from the top margin of the paper.
  • Put a double-spaced blank line between the title and the byline.
  • The paper title also appears at the top of the first page of your paper.

Author Name(s) (Byline)

  • Beneath the title, type the  author's or authors' full name(s) .
  • Do not use titles or degrees.
  • ​Order the names of authors based on their contributions.
  • Write all of the names on the same line.
  • Center the names in a standard font.
  • Smith and Doe
  • Smith, Doe, and Jones

Author Affiliation

  • Identify where you worked or studied when the body of work was completed.
  • Include no more than two affiliations for each author.
  • Example:  College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington
  • Include the department or division.
  • Include the name of the institution.
  • Include the location of the institution.
  • Example:  Hematology/Oncology, Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
  • Include the location.

Locations should include the city, state, province, and country.

Course Name

  • Put the course number and name below the Author Affiliation.
  • Check with your instructor on the preferred name.
  • Place the month, date, and year after the Instructor(s) name(s).

See the example title page below:

Student Title Page Example

All content on this guide comes from the 7th edition of the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and from the APA Style Blog.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association ( 7th ed.).  https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000  

American Psychological Association. (2020, October). Blog .  https://apastyle.apa.org/blog

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

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  • APA Style 7th Ed.
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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.

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apa 7 dissertation title page

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.

1


2


3


4

5

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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APA Style, 7th edition - Citing Sources

  • Getting Started
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Dissertation & SPP Format Pieces

Creating a toc in apa, dnp spp toc examples, edd toc examples, important: signature page, the abstract & keywords.

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  • APA Paper Review (Regis Students Only)

If you are on this tab, you have probably been asked to format a dissertation or Scholarly Practice Project paper using APA format. Use the below information to help you format the different pieces of your paper.  Please check with your academic department to see if they have an official dissertation/SPP format template for your program.

A note on Table of Contents: Most APA papers do not require a Table of Contents (TOC). If you are writing a Dissertation or Scholarly Practice Project, you may be asked to include one. Please note: the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association does not have an official stance on formatting a Table of Contents page .

Below, you will find some general information and examples of Table of Contents (TOC), Abstracts and Keywords, and the Signature page that you may find helpful.

  • Scribbr Creating an APA-style Table of Contents This tutorial from Scribbr is extremely helpful in formatting your APA Table of Contents.

Scribbr APA Table of Contents

Use the below examples as a reference point for forming your Table of Contents. These should be used as a baseline for formatting-- yours will be more specific to your headings and subject-matter.

  • DNP SPP TOC Example 1
  • DNP SPP TOC Example 2
  • EdD Dissertation TOC Example 1
  • EdD Dissertation TOC Example 2

Your signature page is one of the most important pieces of your final product. It proves that you completed the dissertation!  Below is an example of what your signature page should look like (names blanked out for privacy).

If you have any questions about the signature page or how to get it signed, please contact your program director.

apa 7 dissertation title page

ABSTRACT : An abstract is required for your Dissertation or Scholarly Practice Project and must be included before submitting your final copy to Proquest.  An abstract is a brief, comprehensive overview of your paper. Generally, it should not exceed 250 words.

KEYWORDS : You should also include keywords. Keywords are descriptive terms that encompass the themes of your paper. Think about what terms you used when searching for your topic in the databases. This is what researchers will use to find your paper!

  • APA Style Abstract and Keywords Handout For more information on creating an Abstract and Keywords, please use this handout from the APA Style site.
  • Professional Paper sample with Abstract Example See page one of this document for an example of an Abstract and Keywords, with annotations on where to find more information in APA Manual. From the APA Style site.
  • << Previous: Formatting the Paper
  • Next: Student vs. Professional >>
  • Last Updated: Jun 18, 2024 10:51 AM
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APA Format Quick Guide

Additional Navigation

Note to students using Grammarly: See this resource on Grammarly’s Place in the Writing Process

APA-7 delineates two versions: the student version and the professional version. Formatting elements except the title page, running head, and abstract are the same across both versions. At Liberty University, all undergraduate must use the student version and all graduate and doctoral students must use the professional version. Sample papers and templates in each version are linked below.

Have a formatting question?

Online students.

See a list of all services available to  online students at  www.liberty.edu/onlinewritingcenter

Residential Students

See a list of all services available to  residential  students at  www.liberty.edu/writing

Undergraduate Students

  • Will follow APA-7’s “Student Version”
  • Simplified title page
  • No running head
  • No abstract

Detailed sample APA-7 paper with visual aids, indexed by topic for Undergraduate Students APA-7 template for Undergraduate Students

Graduate & Doctoral Students

  • Will follow APA-7’s “Professional Version”
  • Expanded title page
  • Running head required (same on all pages)
  • Abstract required (unless specified in instructions)

Detailed sample APA-7 paper with visual aids, indexed by topic for Graduate/Doctoral Students APA-7 template for Graduate/Doctoral Students

Helpful Resources

  • Comprehensive APA-7 Reference List (PDF)
  • APA-7 References to Legal Materials – Bluebook (PDF)
  • Sample Annotated Bibliography for  Undergraduate  Students (PDF)
  • Sample Annotated Bibliography for  Graduate/Doctoral  Students
  • Choosing Appropriate Resources for Academic Papers (PDF)
  • Citing Artificial Intelligence (AI) when permitted to use (PDF)
  • Use active voice, rather than  passive voice (PDF) .
  • Be specific and concise.
  • Avoid poetic or figurative language; scientific writing is the most appropriate for APA.
  • Use past or present perfect tense (e.g., researchers have shown) for a literature review and description, and past tense when referring to results and experiments previously conducted.
  • Title case = all significant words, usually those with 4+ letters, must be capitalized. Title case is used for titles of works mentioned in the body of your paper, and for the names of journals in your reference list.  All five heading levels also use title case.
  • Sentence case = only the first letter of the first word, proper nouns, and the word following a colon, if any, should begin with capital letters. Sentence case is used for all resource titles in the reference list (i.e., book or article titles, webpages, etc.).
  • Use quotation marks around the titles of shorter works (i.e., articles or poems) and italics for the names of larger words (i.e., books or plays) mentioned in the body of your paper.
  • APA-7 allows a wide array of fonts and sizes but Liberty University prefers all course assignments to be completed in  12-point Times New Romans or 11-point Calibri font .
  • APA papers use headings to separate paper sections and establish a hierarchy of information. Short papers (usually five pages or less in the body of the paper) may not have any headings unless required, but longer papers benefit from the organizational aspects of headings.
  • Always begin with Level 1 headings and apply the appropriate heading and subheading levels from there. Do not simply progress from Level 1 to Level 2 to Level 3.
  • For each heading, include at least two subsection headings or none at all. This follows the same principle as an outline: Section one would be divided into sections A and B or more; A cannot stand alone.
  • As such, heading levels align with outline levels: Capital Roman letters in an outline become Level 1 headings, Capital Arabic letters become Level 2 headings, etc.
  • Please note that some of the sample papers published by APA to demonstrate proper APA-7 format (including the “professional” version on pp. 50-60 of the APA-7 manual) depict the “Conclusion” section with a Level-2 heading. This is limited to empirical papers that are being submitted for publication in scholarly journals, as those conclusions pertain to the “Discussion” sections in such papers and are not conclusions of the overall papers themselves. Conclusions in academic papers at Liberty University will be Level 1 headings (including dissertations and theses, which are divided by chapters, unlike journal article manuscripts).
  • A paper may only have Level 1 headings if it is not divided into smaller subsections — or the content under some Level 1 headings may include two or more Level 2 headings (and some content under Level 2 headings may include two or more Level 3 headings).
  • Level 1 : centered, boldface, in title case, with the content beginning on the line below
  • Level 2 : left-aligned, boldface, in title case, with the content beginning on the line below
  • Level 3 : left-aligned, boldface, italicized, in title case, with the content beginning on the line below
  • Level 4 : indented, boldface, in title case with a period, then one space, and begin your content on the same line
  • Level 5 : indented, boldface, italicized, in title case with a period, then one space, and begin your content on the same line
  • An in-text citation is used whenever another author’s work is directly quoted or paraphrased.
  • Citations for paraphrases use an author/date format: (Author, Publication Year), e.g. (Smith, 2007).
  • The citation for a direct quote should also include the page number: (Author, Year, p. #). If no page number is available (as in the case of an online webpage), list the paragraph: (Author, Year, para. 11). APA-7 expands this to including descriptive location details to get your reader to that content in longer non-paginated electronic resources such as e-books.  In such cases, provide a heading or section name. If the heading or section name is brief (generally four words or less) include the full name, without quotation marks (i.e., Owen, 2020,  Attachment Disorders section, para. 8).  If the heading or section name is too long (generally, more than four words), use an abbreviation of the heading or section, encapsulated in quotation marks. For example, for a section named “Peace and Power in Modern Day Relationships,” the citation would be (Owen, 2020, “Peace and Power” section, para. 3).
  • You can move information from the in-text citations to other parts of the sentence that the quote is part of as long as all required elements are present: e.g. Smith (2007) says, “arrows are sharp” (p. 8). However, the date follows the author’s/authors’ name(s), unless APA’s exception applies for subsequent citations of the same resource in a paragraph in which the first such citation was narrative in-text (not parenthetical; discussed further in Liberty University OWC’s sample APA papers).
  • The page number   follows a direct quote, even if these elements are split within your sentence. For example, Smith and Harlow (2011) elaborated on this by suggesting that “paper planes can float” (p. 8).  Owen (2017) posited that “foxes can fly” (p. 17) in her dream analysis.
  • Any quotation longer than 39 words should be made into a freestanding “block” of text, with  no quotation marks (see Liberty University OWC’s sample APA papers due to formatting limitations of this webpage ).
  • The entire left margin of block quotes should be indented one-half inch as a whole “block” (with no extra indent on the first line).
  • The parenthetical citation with the page number on block quotes follows the quote and period, with no additional punctuation after it (unlike shorter quotes, where the parenthetical citation falls within the sentence itself with the period following it).

Special Rule Regarding Repeat Cit ations

  • APA-7 allows writers to cite their source only once per paragraph,  provided   the reader can discern where the other sentence(s) derived from. This requires specific structuring. For example: Owen (2020) claimed that “foxes can fly” (p. 17). She detailed their nocturnal habits. Her research gave critical insight into this population.
  • In each of the second and third sentences above, the sentences were structured in such a way that the content clearly refers back to Owen’s work. In the case of Bible verses, it is easy for the reader to understand that subsequent citations of those came from whichever Bible version was cited earlier in that paragraph. For any subsequent verses cited in a paragraph that already has a full Bible citation, you can just use the verse itself. In each new paragraph (or if you change versions in the same paragraph), you will need to include the full citation.
  • For example: God calls each of us to witness to others to “make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel” ( New American Standard Bible , 1971/1995, Ephesians 6:19-20). Mark 13:10 and Matthew 28:19 command us to preach to all nations and make disciples… There is no need to add the Bible version in that second sentence because the reader knows both of those verses refer to the same version of the Bible cited in the previous sentence.
  • The rules for Bible citations have changed completely; you must now cite the Bible version in the body of the paper and include it in your reference list. Please see the appropriate sample APA-7 paper for your level of study for a detailed discussion of this .
  • Note that APA-7 specifies to cite Bibles in “book formats” (p. 302) that are “treated as having no author.” Below are some examples of the hard copy references versus online references of some common versions. The citations are the same for both, as they contain the version name and the year(s) of publication. If you are using a different version, you will format it by following the examples given below (be sure to include a hanging indent, which this webpage cannot feature).
  • Scripture should be cited from one of the mainstream Bible versions (see list of some below). Study Bibles are generally NOT considered scholarly, as the notes within can be quite biased depending on the author of those notes, and thus Study Bibles should only be used sparingly by Divinity students as to exegetical projects.
  • When including a verse, place it in the locator position after the year (in place of the page number). For example, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” ( New American Standard Bible , 1971/1995, John 3:16). You can also introduce it in the text of the sentence itself: John 3:16 proclaims that “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” ( New American Standard Bible , 1971/1995).
Christian Standard Bible ( , 2017) . (2017). Holman Bible Publishers.
English Standard( 2001/2016) . (2016). Crossway Bibles. (Original work published 2001)   

. (2016). Literal Word. (Original work published 2001)
King James( , 1769/2017). ( , 1769/2017, John 3:16). . (2017). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published 1769)   

. (2017). King James Bible Online.  (Original work published 1769)
New American Standard( , 1971/1995) . (1995). Thomas Nelson. (Original work published 1971)   

. (1995). Literal Word.  (Original work published 1971)
New International( , 1978/2011) . (2011). Zondervan. (Original work published 1978) 

. (2011). The NIV Bible.   (Original work published 1978)
New King James( , 1982) . (1982). Thomas Nelson.
New Living Translation( , 1996/2015) . (2015). Tyndale House Publishing. (Original work published 1996)

Liberty University Class Lectures

Since the purpose and function of APA references is to ensure the reader has sufficient information to be able to locate the original source if necessary, include course details and credit Liberty University when referencing class lectures and PowerPoint presentations since the URL does not provide sufficient locator details itself. Italicize the name of the lecture itself. If the course has multiple lectures per week, you can include the week and lecture numbers; otherwise omit those elements.

If you have a direct URL, use that (see the Peters reference below); otherwise use the URL to Liberty University’s Canvas homepage (the reference on the left below). If the date is provided (see the Peters reference below), use that; otherwise use the year and semester that you took the course in (the reference on the left below):

When no presenter is named in the video itself, name Liberty University in the author’s position : Liberty University. (2021, Spring). BIOL 102: Human biology. Week one, lecture two:  Name of class lecture . https://canvas.liberty.edu

When a presenter is provided, name that person in the author’s position and include Liberty University in the publisher’s position after the name of the lecture:  Peters, C. (2012). COUN 506, Week one, lecture two:  Defining integration: Key concepts . Liberty University. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/definingintegration-keyconcepts/id427907777?i=1000092371727

 References

  • Center the word “ References ” (in bold font but without quotation marks) on the top line of a new page following your conclusion.  This term is also now regarded as a Level 1 heading.  If you have only one resource to cite in the entire paper, APA authorizes the use of singular “ Reference .”
  • Use hanging indents (the first line of each entry should be left-justified, with lines two+ indented ½” from the left margin).
  • Alphabetize all entries by the first word in each (usually the first author’s last name for each).
  • Note that you must include a comma after the author’s name that precedes the ampersand in the reference list, even when there are only two authors.  This does not apply to citations in the body of the paper.
  • There should only be one space after periods in the reference list entries, just as in the body of the paper.
  • If a work has more than 20 authors, list the first 19 followed by an ellipsis (…).  Include the last author’s name immediately after the ellipsis as the final author mentioned.   Do not include an ampersand (&) in references with 20 or more authors .
  • Note that APA-7 allows writers to superscript the suffixes of ordinal numbers, as long as the writer is consistent throughout (see section 6.35 of the APA-7 manual).  The examples included in the resources in this Quick Guide include superscripted suffixes for all book edition numbers, in accordance with APA-7’s option to do so.
  • Do include reference entries for classical works including the Bible.
  • Do not include reference entries for personal communication.
  • Do not include a period after a URL or DOI.
  • Note that the issue number of a journal article should be connected/attached to the volume number — e.g.,  12 (8).  The volume number should be italicized, but the attached parentheses and issue number should not.
  • Check  Google Scholar or Crossref  for DOIs of all articles published since 2007, if one is not readily denoted on the article itself.
  • Format all DOI entries in URL format (https://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxx).
  • Omit the publisher city and state in most cases (exception: conferences and symposiums).
  • Only include the access date for online content that is likely to change (such as wikis).

apa 7 dissertation title page

  • See the links at the top of this page for expansive reference entry examples.

Discussion Board Posts

The formatting in a discussion board post should be the same as that for a paper except that you will not have a title page or pagination, and the reference list will fall immediately under the body of the text (not on a separate page). A basic template is provided at the link below, with the background formatting elements already programmed in (e.g., line-spacing, font, and hanging indent as applicable). I recommend that students use the template and save their file in case of a glitch when uploading, then click Control-A to select all and Control-C to copy all, then go to Canvas and click Control-V to paste. Some of your formatting may not transfer properly to Canvas, but professors should be aware of the inherent formatting issues within Canvas when copying and pasting content.

Discussion Board template  (basic)

Video Tutorials

There are a number of video tutorials available in the  Online Writing Center channel

  • Top 10 APA Errors and Highlights of OWC APA Resources
  • Using the APA Template (short)
  • Using the APA Template (long)
  • Using the Sample APA Paper to Master APA Format
  • Using the Comprehensive APA-7 Reference Examples
  • Populating the Table of Contents
  • Plagiarism series – Video #1 of 4: Introduction: How often can students quote other sources?
  • Plagiarism series – Video #2 of 4: How and when to cite your sources
  • Plagiarism series – Video #3 of 4: The three kinds of plagiarism
  • Plagiarism series – Video #4 of 4: Proactive and foolproof steps to avoid plagiarism

Material on this page and related links adapted from the Seventh Edition of the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association .

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APA Sample Paper

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

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

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

Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper  ,  APA Sample Professional Paper

This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader

Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student  and  professional  papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.

However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in  student style and one in  professional  style.

Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those authored by [AF] denote explanations of formatting and [AWC] denote directions for writing and citing in APA 7. 

APA 7 Student Paper:

Apa 7 professional paper:.

Generate accurate APA citations for free

  • Knowledge Base
  • How to cite a dissertation in APA Style

How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on December 16, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 27, 2023.

The format for citing someone else’s dissertation or thesis in APA Style depends on whether the thesis is available from a database, published somewhere else (e.g. on a university archive or personal website), or unpublished (only available in print form directly from the author or university).

To cite a dissertation or thesis from a database, use the following format. In the square brackets, specify the type of dissertation or thesis and the university. As with other database sources, no URL or DOI is included.

APA format Author last name, Initials. (Year). (Publication No. Number) [Type of dissertation/thesis, University Name]. Database Name.
Ford, L. (2015). (Publication No. 3731118) [Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
(Ford, 2015)

Table of contents

Citing a dissertation published elsewhere, citing an unpublished dissertation in apa style.

To cite a dissertation or thesis published in a university archive (often in PDF form ) or on a personal website, the format differs in that no publication number is included, and you do list a URL.

APA format Author last name, Initials. (Year). [Type of dissertation/thesis, University Name]. Archive Name. URL
Behrens, B. (2020). [Master’s thesis, University of Notre Dame]. CurateND. https://curate.nd.edu/show/9k41zc80w8w
(Behrens, 2020)

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

apa 7 dissertation title page

To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add “Unpublished” to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets.

APA format Author last name, Initials. (Year). [Unpublished type of dissertation/thesis]. University Name.
Smith, J. (2020). [Unpublished master’s thesis]. University of Amsterdam.
(Smith, 2020)

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, December 27). How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 23, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/dissertation/

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APA Citation Style, 7th Edition: Dissertations & Thesis

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Citing Dissertations & Theses in APA Format

Author Date Title (SOURCE) Institution (SOURCE) Database Name (SOURCE) URL
Author, A. A.  (2018).

[Unpublished master's thesis].

[Unpublished doctoral dissertation].

(Publication No. xx) [Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree].

Name of Institution Awarding the Degree.

found in Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global).

Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global.

https://www.xx.xxxx

Dissertations & Theses

Dissertations and theses are formatted the same way in APA 7th edition. Theses are generally the culminating work for a master's or undergraduate degree and dissertations are often original research completed by doctoral students. Here are examples of a dissertation & a thesis, and how they would be formatted: 

Examples: 

Dissertation found in Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global: 

Reference:  

Banks, B. (2020). Addressing institutional racism in healthcare: A case study (Publication No. 28154307) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):  

(Banks, 2020).

In-Text Citation (Direct Quote):

(Banks, 2020, p. 157).

Master's thesis from a University scholarship database: 

Sears, L. B. (2017). The public voice and sustainable food systems: Community engagement in food action plans [Unpublished master's thesis]. University of Kansas.  https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/26899  

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Sears, 2017). 

(Sears, 2017, p. 24). 

Carrie Forbes, MLS

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Pages Referenced

Citation information has been adapted from the APA Manual (7th Edition). Please refer to page 333 of the APA Manual (7th Edition) for more information.

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American Psychological Association

Published Dissertation or Thesis References

This page contains reference examples for published dissertations or theses.

Kabir, J. M. (2016). Factors influencing customer satisfaction at a fast food hamburger chain: The relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Publication No. 10169573) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Miranda, C. (2019). Exploring the lived experiences of foster youth who obtained graduate level degrees: Self-efficacy, resilience, and the impact on identity development (Publication No. 27542827) [Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University]. PQDT Open. https://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/2309521814.html?FMT=AI

Zambrano-Vazquez, L. (2016). The interaction of state and trait worry on response monitoring in those with worry and obsessive-compulsive symptoms [Doctoral dissertation, University of Arizona]. UA Campus Repository. https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/620615

  • Parenthetical citations : (Kabir, 2016; Miranda, 2019; Zambrano-Vazquez, 2016)
  • Narrative citations : Kabir (2016), Miranda (2019), and Zambrano-Vazquez (2016)
  • A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global or PDQT Open, an institutional repository, or an archive.
  • If the database assigns publication numbers to dissertations and theses, include the publication number in parentheses after the title of the dissertation or thesis without italics.
  • Include the description “Doctoral dissertation” or “Master’s thesis” followed by a comma and the name of the institution that awarded the degree. Place this information in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title and any publication number.
  • In the source element of the reference, provide the name of the database, repository, or archive.
  • The same format can be adapted for other published theses, including undergraduate theses, by changing the wording of the bracketed description as appropriate (e.g., “Undergraduate honors thesis”).
  • Include a URL for the dissertation or thesis if the URL will resolve for readers (as shown in the Miranda and Zambrano-Vazquez examples).
  • If the database or archive requires users to log in before they can view the dissertation or thesis, meaning the URL will not work for readers, end the reference with the database name (as in the Kabir example).

Published dissertation or thesis references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.6 and the Concise Guide Section 10.5

apa 7 dissertation title page

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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
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Reference Page Examples - Dissertations or Theses

  • Published Dissertation or Thesis
  • Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis

 A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

If the database or archive requires users to log in before they can view the dissertation or thesis, meaning the url will not work for readers, end the reference with the database name., author, a. a. (year).  title of dissertation  (publication no. xxxxxxxxx). [doctoral dissertation or masters thesis, name of, institution that awarded the degree]. name of source i.e. proquest dissertations and theses global. url for, the dissertation or thesis., d'arcangelis, g. s. (2009).  the bio scare: anthrax, smallpox, sars, flu and post-9/11 u.s. empire  (order no.,            3388146). [doctoral dissertation, university of california los angeles]. proquest dissertations and theses,            global. , * ** remember: each source listed on the reference page must correspond to at least one in-text citation in the body of the paper; each in-text citation must correspond to a source listed on the reference page., when a dissertation or thesis is unpublished, include the description “[unpublished doctoral dissertation]” or “[unpublished master’s thesis]” in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title., in the source element of the reference, provide the name of the institution that awarded the degree., author, a. a. (year).  title of dissertation  [unpublished doctoral dissertation or unpublished, masters thesis], name of institution that awarded the degree. , johnson, b. (2005). balanced scorecard applications  [unpublished master's thesis]. worthington university..

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APA 7th Edition Citation Examples

  • Volume and Issue Numbers
  • Page Numbers
  • Undated Sources
  • Citing a Source Within a Source
  • In-Text Citations
  • Academic Journals
  • Encyclopedia Articles
  • Book, Film, and Product Reviews
  • Online Classroom Materials
  • Conference Papers
  • Technical + Research Reports
  • Court Decisions
  • Treaties and Other International Agreements
  • Federal Regulations: I. The Code of Federal Regulations
  • Federal Regulations: II. The Federal Register
  • Executive Orders
  • Charter of the United Nations
  • Federal Statutes

Format for dissertations and theses

Dissertations and theses database.

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  • AI: ChatGPT, etc.

Author last name, first initial. (Year).  Title of dissertation/thesis  (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, University]. Database. URL

  • Author:  List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial). See  Authors  for more information.
  • Year:  List the year between parentheses, followed by a period.
  • Title of dissertation/thesis:  In italics. Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns.
  • Publication number: Can be found in Dissertations and Theses database, listed in the item record as “Dissertation/thesis number.”
  • Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis:  List whether it is a dissertation or a thesis.
  • University:  List the university associated with the dissertation/thesis.
  • Database:  List database the dissertation/thesis was found in, if found in a database.
  • URL:  List URL if found on the free Web rather than in a database.

See specific examples below.

Dissertations:

Pecore, J. T. (2004). Sounding the spirit of Cambodia: The living tradition of Khmer music and dance-drama in a Washington, DC community  (Publication No. 3114720) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

Master's Theses:

Hollander, M. M. (2017). Resitance to authority: Methodological innovations and new lessons from the Milgram experiment   (Publication No. 10289373) [Master's thesis, University of Wisconsin - Madison]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

APA calls for the citation to include a unique identifying number for the dissertation, labeling it “Publication No.” That number can be found in Dissertations and Theses database, listed in the item record as “Dissertation/thesis number.”

Karamanos, X. (2020). The influence of professional development models on student mathematics performance in New Jersey public elementary schools [Doctoral dissertation, Seton Hall University]. Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2732

Bordo, V. C. (2011). Making a case for the use of foreign language in the educational activities of nonprofit arts organizations [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1311135640

Caprette, C. L. (2005). Conquering the cold shudder: The origin and evolution of snake eyes  [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University].

Angelova, A. N. (2004). Data pruning  [Master's thesis, California Institute of Technology].

See  Publication Manual , 10.6.

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  1. Dissertation Formatting and APA Style presented by Dr. Scott Zimmer

  2. Open Examination of Doctoral Program in Agricultural Science Agriculture Faculty Universitas Andalas

  3. Dissertation Structure & Layout

  4. Hill Dissertation Defense

  5. How To Structure Your Dissertation (Quick Guide)

  6. APA 7th Edition capitalization rules

COMMENTS

  1. Title Page Setup

    Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the student title page. Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize major words of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired.

  2. PDF APA Style Dissertation Guidelines: Formatting Your Dissertation

    The Title Page . Pagination The title page should not include a page number or header. 4 Dissertation Prefatory Pages . Running head here. Romanette page ... tutorials under the "Resources for Writing Your Dissertation" tab. APA Style, 7 th Edition: A Brief Overview This section provides a very brief overview of APA Style formatting. For ...

  3. APA Title Page (7th edition)

    The student version of the APA title page should include the following information (double spaced and centered): Paper title. Author name. Department and university name. Course number and name. Instructor name. Due date of the assignment. The professional title page also includes an author note (flushed left), but not a course name, instructor ...

  4. Thesis & Dissertation Title Page

    Revised on July 18, 2023. The title page (or cover page) of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper should contain all the key information about your document. It usually includes: Dissertation or thesis title. Your name. The type of document (e.g., dissertation, research paper) The department and institution.

  5. PDF How to Prepare your Dissertation in APA Style

    te.Style ManualIt is recommended that APA Style Seventh. is used. It should be in 12-point type using Times. ew Roman font.SpacingThe test in the manuscript should be double-spaced. The right margin of the text should not be justified, but. -aligned, also known as ragged right, like the test in this guide.

  6. PDF Student Paper Setup Guide, APA Style 7th Edition

    Indent the first line of every paragraph of text 0.5 in. using the tab key or the paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program. Page numbers: Put a page number in the top right corner of every page, including the title page or cover page, which is page 1. Student papers do not require a running head on any page.

  7. PDF Publication Manual, 7th Edition Student Paper Checklist

    If you have questions about formatting your thesis or dissertation, check your institution's guidelines or consult your advisor. Student Title Page Format (Section 2.3): Double-space the title page. Center each element on its own line. Do not use italics, underlining, or different font sizes. Title (Section 2.4): Concise, engaging summary

  8. Thesis/Dissertation

    Click on the categories below to see what types of information is included for that reference component for Dissertations and Theses. Basic Format: Who = Author (When = year). What = Title. Where = Name of Institution Awarding Degree. Unpublished Dissertations and Theses

  9. APA Formatting and Citation (7th Ed.)

    Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines: Set page margins to 1 inch on all sides. Double-space all text, including headings. Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches. Use an accessible font (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.). Include a page number on every page.

  10. APA 7 Formatting: Step-By-Step Guide

    Therefore, it's really important to make sure your format this exactly as required for APA 7th edition. Here's the process you can follow to set up your title page for success. Centre-align your curson and create 4 empty lines. On a new line, type the title of your paper in boldface, using title case.

  11. Formatting your Dissertation in APA Style

    CEHHS uses the current version of the APA Publication Manual (7th edition) for all matters of format with the exception of some particular requirements for the Title page, pagination (especially of front matter) and top margins. Unless otherwise stated in the CEHHS Ed.D. Dissertation Guide below, defer to APA 7th edition.

  12. Subject and Course Guides: APA Guide: 7th Edition : Title Page

    The title should be provided in title case. This means that all major words are capitalized. Be bolded, centered, and begin 3-4 lines down from the top margin of the paper. Put a double-spaced blank line between the title and the byline. The paper title also appears at the top of the first page of your paper.

  13. APA Style 7th Ed.

    The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and ...

  14. APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

    Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.)

  15. PDF Student Title Page Guide, APA Style 7th Edition

    Title Page Content. student title page includes the following elements: title of the paper. author(s) ° include the full names of all authors of the paper; use the form first name, middle initial, last name (e.g., Betsy R. Klein) ° if two authors, separate with the word "and". (e.g., Ainsley E. Baum and Lucy K. Reid)

  16. APA Style, 7th edition

    A note on Table of Contents: Most APA papers do not require a Table of Contents (TOC). If you are writing a Dissertation or Scholarly Practice Project, you may be asked to include one. Please note: the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association does not have an official stance on formatting a Table of Contents page.

  17. APA Format Quick Guide

    Lynchburg, VA 24515. Tel: APA-7 delineates two versions: the student version and the professional version. Formatting elements except the title page, running head, and abstract are the same across ...

  18. APA Sample Paper

    Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper , APA Sample Professional Paper This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader. Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication).

  19. How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style

    To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add "Unpublished" to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets. APA format. Author last name, Initials. (Year).

  20. APA Citation Style, 7th Edition: Dissertations & Thesis

    Dissertations & Theses. Dissertations and theses are formatted the same way in APA 7th edition. Theses are generally the culminating work for a master's or undergraduate degree and dissertations are often original research completed by doctoral students. Here are examples of a dissertation & a thesis, and how they would be formatted: Examples:

  21. Published Dissertation or Thesis References

    A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global or PDQT Open, an institutional repository, or an archive. If the database assigns publication numbers to dissertations and theses, include the publication number in parentheses after the title of the ...

  22. Dissertations or Theses

    Title of dissertation (Publication No. xxxxxxxxx). [Doctoral dissertation or Masters thesis, Name of institution that awarded the degree]. Name of Source i.e. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. URL for the dissertation or thesis. Example: D'Arcangelis, G. S. (2009). The bio scare: Anthrax, smallpox, SARS, flu and post-9/11 U.S. empire ...

  23. Dissertations and Theses

    Format: Author last name, first initial. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, University].Database. URL. Elements: Author: List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial).See Authors for more information.; Year: List the year between parentheses, followed by a period. Title of dissertation/thesis: In italics.