essay apa format 7th edition

APA Style (7th ed.)

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Format Your Paper

Download and use the editable templates for student papers below: .

• APA 7th ed. Template Document This is an APA format template document in Google Docs. Click on the link -- it will ask for you to make a new copy of the document, which you can save in your own Google Drive with your preferred privacy settings.
• APA 7th ed. Template Document A Microsoft Word document formatted correctly according to APA 7th edition.
• APA 7th ed. Annotated Bibliography template A Microsoft Word document formatted correctly for an annotated bibliography.

Or, view the directions for specific sections below:

Order of Sections (section 2.17)

• Title page including Title, Author, University and Department, Class, Instructor, and Date
• Body (including introduction, literature review or background, discussion, and conclusion)
• Appendices (including tables & figures)

Margins & Page Numbers (sections 2.22-2.24)

• 1 inch at top, bottom, and both sides
• Left aligned paragraphs and leave the right edge ragged (not "right justified")
• Indent first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch from left margin
• Use page numbers, including on the title page, 1/2 inch from top and flush with right margin

Text Format (section 2.19)

• Times New Roman, 12 point
• Calibri, 11 point
• Arial, 11 point
• Lucinda Sans Unicode, 10 point
• Georgia, 11 point
• Double-space and align text to the left
• Use active voice
• Don't overuse technical jargon
• No periods after a web address or DOI in the References list.

Tables and Figures In-Text (chapter 7)

• Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1)
• Give each table column a heading and use separating lines only when necessary
• Design the table and figure so that it can be understood on its own, i.e. it does not require reference to the surrounding text to understand it
• Notes go below tables and figures

Title Page (section 2.3)

• Include the title, your name,  the class name , and  the college's name
• Title should be 12 words or less and summarize the paper's main idea
• No periods or abbreviations
• Do not italicize or underline
• No quotation marks, all capital letters, or bold
• Center horizontally in upper half of the page

Body (section 2.11)

• Align the text to the left with a 1/2-inch left indent on the first line
• Double-space
• As long as there is no Abstract, at the top of the first page, type the title of the paper, centered, in bold , and in Sentence Case Capitalization
• Usually, include sections like these:  introduction, literature review or background,  discussion, and conclusion -- but the specific organization will depend on the paper type
• Spell out long organization names and add the abbreviation in parenthesis, then just use the abbreviation
• Spell out numbers one through nine and use a number for 10 or more
• Use a number for units of measurement, in tables, to represent statistical or math functions, and dates or times

Headings (section 2.26-2.27)

• Level 1: Center, bold , Title Case 
• Level 2: Align left, bold , Title Case
• Level 3: Alight left, bold italics , Title Case
• Level 4: Indented 1/2", bold , Title Case, end with a period. Follow with text. 
• Level 5: Indented 1/2", bold italics , Title Case, end with a period. Follow with text. 

Quotations (sections 8.26-8.33)

• Include short quotations (40 words or less) in-text with quotation marks
• For quotes more than 40 words, indent the entire quote a half inch from the left margin and double-space it with no quotation marks
• When quoting two or more paragraphs from an original source, indent the first line of each paragraph a half inch from the left margin
• Use ellipsis (...) when omitting sections from a quote and use four periods (....) if omitting the end section of a quote

References (section 2.12)

Begins on a new page following the text of your paper and includes complete citations for the resources you've used in your writing.

• References should be centered and bolded at the top of a new page
• Double-space and use hanging indents (where the first line is on the left margin and the following lines are indented a half inch from the left)
• List authors' last name first followed by the first and middle initials (ex. Skinner, B. F.)
• Alphabetize the list by the first author's last name of of each citation (see sections 9.44-9.49)
• Capitalize only the first word, the first after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns
• Don't capitalize the second word of a hyphenated compound
• No quotation marks around titles of articles

Appendices with Tables, Figures, & Illustrations (section 2.14, and chapter 7)

• Include appendices only to help the reader understand, evaluate, or replicate the study or argument
• Put each appendix on a separate page and align left
• For text, do not indent the first paragraph, but do indent the rest
• If you have only one appendix, label it "Appendix"
• If you have two or more appendices, label them "Appendix A", "Appendix B" and so forth as they appear in the body of your paper
• Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1, or Table B1 and Table B2 if Appendix B has two tables) and describe them within the text of the appendix
• Notes go below tables and figures (see samples on p. 210-226)

Annotated Bibliography

Double-space the entire bibliography. give each entry a hanging indent. in the following annotation, indent the entire paragraph a half inch from the left margin and give the first line of each paragraph a half inch indent. see the template document at the top of this page..

• Check with your professor for the length of the annotation and which elements you should evaluate.

These elements are optional, if your professor or field requires them, but they are  not required for student papers: 

Abstract (section 2.9).

• Abstract gets its own page
• Center "Abstract" heading and do not indent the first line of the text
• Summarize the main points and purpose of the paper in 150-250 words maximum
• Define abbreviations and acronyms used in the paper

Running Head (section 2.8 )

• Shorten title to 50 characters or less (counting spaces and punctuation) for the running head
• In the top margin, the running head is aligned left, with the page number aligned on the right
• On every page, put (without the brackets): [SHORTENED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER IN ALL CAPS] [page number] 

More questions? Check out the authoritative source: APA style blog

• << Previous: In-Text Citation
• Last Updated: Jun 17, 2024 12:51 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uww.edu/apa

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.

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.

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 🙂

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.

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.

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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APA 7th ed. Style Guide

• Formatting Your Paper
• In-text Citations
• Textual Works
• Data Sets, Software, Tests
• Audiovisual Media
• Online Media

Formatting guidelines and sample papers are found in chapter 2 of the APA 7th edition Publication Manual

Sample papers.

You can find sample papers from Purdue OWL's website, APA 7th edition Publication Manual, or APA style website.

• APA Style Student Paper with Annotations in the Comments A Word Document featuring an APA 7th edition Style Student Paper that includes annotations as comments.
• APA Style Professional Paper with Annotations in Comments A Word Document featuring an APA 7th edition Style Professional Paper that includes annotations as comments.
• Purdue OWL Sample Papers

General Formatting Guidelines

Follow these guidelines throughout your paper:

• Double space text
• Header for student and professional papers includes the page number in the upper right hand corner
• Single space after ending punctuation
• Font size and style: Times New Roman 12 pt, Arial 11 pt, Calibri 11 pt, or Georgia 11 pt
• Use the same font type and size throughout the paper (exceptions for figure images, computer code, and footnotes - see 2.19 in APA Manual)
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Left align paragraphs and leave ragged (uneven) margins on the right
• Indention: use 0.5 inch indention for the first line of every paragraph (use tab key for consistency)

Formatting Title Page

The 7th edition Publication Manual for APA introduced the student and professional papers. The major difference between these two types of papers is found on the title page. Please, see the guidelines below for formatting the title page of your document. Also note, follow your professors' guidelines for formatting the title page.

General Title Page Guidelines:

• Double space
• The title should summarize the main idea and be focused/succinct (avoid unnecessary words)
• Title written in title case (the first letter of each word is capitalized), bold, centered, and positioned in the upper half of the title page
• Use the author(s) first name, middle initial, and last name as the author's byline

Student Papers:

• title of the paper
• name of the author(s)
• author affiliation (department and institution name)
• course number and name 
• instructor name
• assignment due date (i.e. November 4, 2020)
• page number (in the header)

Professional Papers:

• author affiliation
• author note
• running head (abbreviated title) - Flush with left margin and written in all capital letters

Formatting Headings

Follow this format for headings (see 2.27 of the Publication Manual for additional details):

Level 1 headings are written in bold title case and aligned to the center. The text begins as a new paragraph.

Level 2 headings are written in bold title case and aligned flush to the left. The text begins as a new paragraph.

Level 3 headings are written in bold, italicized title case, and aligned flush to the left. The text begins as a new paragraph.

Level 4 headings are written in bold title case, indented from the left, and end with a period. The text begins after the period and continues like a regular paragraph.

Level 5 headings are written in bold, italicized title case, indented from the left, and end with a period. The text begins after the period and continues like a regular paragraph.

Formatting Reference List

The following are guidelines for formatting your reference list:

• Start on a new page after the last page of text
• Label the page Reference(s) with a capitalized R, written in bold and centered
• Double space all entries
• Use hanging indent for reference entries (first line of the reference is flush with left margin, subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches)
• Order alphabetically (see chapter 9 section 44-49 for additional instructions on entry order)
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• MJC Library & Learning Center
• Research Guides

Format Your Paper & Cite Your Sources

• APA Style, 7th Edition
• Citing Sources
• Avoid Plagiarism
• MLA Style (8th/9th ed.)

APA Tutorial

Formatting your paper, headings organize your paper (2.27), video tutorials, reference list format (9.43).

• Elements of a Reference

Reference Examples (Chapter 10)

Dois and urls (9.34-9.36), in-text citations.

• In-Text Citations Format
• In-Text Citations for Specific Source Types

NoodleTools

• Chicago Style
• Harvard Style
• Other Styles
• Annotated Bibliographies
• How to Create an Attribution

What is APA Style?

APA style was created by social and behavioral scientists to standardize scientific writing. APA style is most often used in:

• psychology,
• social sciences (sociology, business), and

If you're taking courses in any of these areas, be prepared to use APA style.

For in-depth guidance on using this citation style, refer to Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed. We have several copies available at the MJC Library at the call number  BF 76.7 .P83 2020 .

APA Style, 7th ed.

In October 2019, the American Psychological Association made radical changes its style, especially with regard to the format and citation rules for students writing academic papers. Use this guide to learn how to format and cite your papers using APA Style, 7th edition.

You can start by viewing the  video tutorial .

For help on all aspects of formatting your paper in APA Style, see   The Essentials  page on the APA Style website.

• sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, or
• serif fonts such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or normal (10-point) Computer Modern (the default font for LaTeX)
• There are exceptions for the  title page ,  tables ,  figures ,  footnotes , and  displayed equations .
• Margins :  Use 1-in. margins on every side of the page.
• Align the text of an APA Style  paper to the left margin . Leave the right margin uneven, or “ragged.”
• Do not use full justification for student papers.
• Do not insert hyphens (manual breaks) in words at the end of line. However, it is acceptable if your word-processing program automatically inserts breaks in long hyperlinks (such as in a DOI or URL in a reference list entry).
• Indent the first line of each paragraph of text 0.5 in . from the left margin. Use the tab key or the automatic paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program to achieve the indentation (the default setting is likely already 0.5 in.). Do not use the space bar to create indentation. 
• There are exceptions for the  title page ,  section labels ,  abstract ,  block quotations ,  headings ,  tables and figures ,  reference list , and  appendices .

Paper Elements

Student papers generally include, at a minimum: 

• Title Page (2.3)
• Text (2.11)
• References  (2.12)

Student papers may include additional elements such as tables and figures depending on the assignment. So, please check with your teacher!

Student papers generally  DO NOT  include the following unless your teacher specifically requests it:

• Running head
• Author note

For complete information on the  order of pages , see the APA Style website.

Number your pages consecutively starting with page 1. Each section begins on a new page. Put the pages in the following order:

• Page 1: Title page
• Page 2: Abstract (if your teacher requires an abstract)
• Page 3: Text 
• References begin on a new page after the last page of text
• Footnotes begin on a new page after the references (if your teacher requires footnotes)
• Tables begin each on a new page after the footnotes (if your teacher requires tables) 
• Figures begin on a new page after the tables (if your teacher requires figures)
• Appendices begin on a new page after the tables and/or figures (if your teacher requires appendices)

Sample Papers With Built-In Instructions

To see what your paper should look like, check out these sample papers with built-in instructions.

APA Style uses five (5) levels of headings to help you organize your paper and allow your audience to identify its key points easily. Levels of headings establish the hierarchy of your sections just like you did in your paper outline.

APA tells us to use "only the number of headings necessary to differentiate distinct section in your paper." Therefore, the number of heading levels you create depends on the length and complexity of your paper.

See the chart below for instructions on formatting your headings:

Use Word to Format Your Paper:

Use Google Docs to Format Your Paper:

Placement:  The reference list  appears at the end of the paper, on its own page(s). If your research paper ends on page 8, your References begin on page 9.

Heading:  Place the section label References  in bold at the top of the page, centered.

Arrangement:  Alphabetize entries by author's last name. If source has no named author, alphabetize by the title, ignoring A, An, or The. (9.44-9.48)

Spacing:  Like the rest of the APA paper, the reference list is double-spaced throughout. Be sure NOT to add extra spaces between citations.

Indentation:  To make citations easier to scan, add a  hanging indent  of 0.5 in. to any citation that runs more than one line. Use the paragraph-formatting function of your word processing program to create your hanging indent.  

See Sample References Page (from APA Sample Student Paper):

Elements of Reference List Entries: (Chapter 9)

References generally have four elements, each of which has a corresponding question for you to answer:

• Author:   Who is responsible for this work? (9.7-9.12)
• Date:   When was this work published? (9.13-9.17)
• Title:   What is this work called? (9.18-9.22)
• Source:   Where can I retrieve this work? (9.23-9.37)

By using these four elements and answering these four questions, you should be able to create a citation for any type of source.

For complete information on all of these elements, checkout the APA Style website.

This infographic shows the first page of a journal article. The locations of the reference elements are highlighted with different colors and callouts, and the same colors are used in the reference list entry to show how the entry corresponds to the source.

To create your references, you'll simple look for these elements in your source and put them together in your reference list entry.

American Psychological Association.  Example of where to find reference information for a journal article  [Infographic]. APA Style Center. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/basic-principles

Below you'll find two printable handouts showing APA citation examples. The first is an abbreviated list created by MJC Librarians. The second, which is more comprehensive, is from the APA Style website. Feel free to print these for your convenience or use the links to reference examples below:

• APA Citation Examples Created by MJC Librarians for you.
• Common References Examples (APA Handout) Printable handout from the American Psychological Association.
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Edited Book Chapter
• Webpage on a Website

Classroom or Intranet Sources

• Classroom Course Pack Materials
• How to Cite ChatGPT
• Dictionary Entry
• Government Report
• Legal References (Laws & Cases)
• TED Talk References
• Religious Works
• Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Archival Documents and Collections

You can view the entire Reference Examples website below and view a helpful guide to finding useful APA style topics easily:

• APA Style: Reference Examples
• Navigating the not-so-hidden treasures of the APA Style website
• Missing Reference Information

Sometimes you won't be able to find all the elements required for your reference. In that case, see the  instructions in Table 9.1 of the APA style manual in section 9.4 or the APA Style website below:

• Direct Quotation of Material Without Page Numbers

The DOI or URL is the final component of a reference list entry. Because so much scholarship is available and/or retrieved online, most reference list entries end with either a DOI or a URL.

• A  DOI  is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. DOIs can be found in database records and the reference lists of published works.
• A  URL  specifies the location of digital information on the internet and can be found in the address bar of your internet browser. URLs in references should link directly to the cited work when possible.

When to Include DOIs and URLs:

• Include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version.
• If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI.
• For works without DOIs from websites (not including academic research databases), provide a URL in the reference (as long as the URL will work for readers).
• For works without DOIs from most academic research databases, do not include a URL or database information in the reference because these works are widely available. The reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work.
• For works from databases that publish original, proprietary material available only in that database (such as the UpToDate database) or for works of limited circulation in databases (such as monographs in the ERIC database), include the name of the database or archive and the URL of the work. If the URL requires a login or is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), provide the URL of the database or archive home page or login page instead of the URL for the work. (See APA Section 9.30 for more information). 
• If the URL is no longer working or no longer provides readers access to the content you intend to cite, try to find an archived version using the Internet Archive , then use the archived URL. If there is no archived URL, do not use that resource.

Format of DOIs and URLs:

Your DOI should look like this: 

https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040251

Follow these guidelines from the APA Style website.

APA Style uses the  author–date citation system , in which a brief in-text citation points your reader to the full reference list entry at the end of your paper. The in-text citation appears within the body of the paper and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication. This method enables your reader to locate the corresponding entry in the alphabetical reference list at the end of your paper.

Each work you cite  must  appear in the reference list, and each work in the reference list must be cited in the text (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix) except for the following (See APA, 8.4):

• Personal communications (8.9)
• General mentions of entire websites, whole periodicals (8.22), and common software and apps (10.10) in the text do not require a citation or reference list entry.
• The source of an epigraph does not usually appear in the reference list (8.35)
• Quotations from your research participants do not need citations or reference list entries (8.36)
• References included in a statistical meta-analysis, which are marked with an asterisk in the reference list, may be cited in the text (or not) at the author’s discretion. This exception is relevant only to authors who are conducting a meta-analysis (9.52).

Formatting Your In-Text Citations

Parenthetical and Narrative Citations: ( See APA Section  8.11)

In APA style you use the author-date citation system for citing references within your paper. You incorporate these references using either a  parenthetical   or a  narrative  style.

Parenthetical Citations

• In parenthetical citations, the author name and publication date appear in parentheses, separated by a comma. (Jones, 2018)
• A parenthetical citation can appear within or at the end of a sentence.
• When the parenthetical citation is at the end of the sentence, put the period or other end punctuation after the closing parenthesis.
• If there is no author, use the first few words of the reference list entry, usually the "Title" of the source: ("Autism," 2008) See APA 8.14
• When quoting, always provide the author, year, and specific page citation or paragraph number for nonpaginated materials in the text (Santa Barbara, 2010, p. 243).  See APA 8.13
• For most citations, the parenthetical reference is placed BEFORE the punctuation: Magnesium can be effective in treating PMS (Haggerty, 2012).

Narrative Citations 

In narrative citations, the author name or title of your source appears within your text and the publication date appears in parentheses immediately after the author name. 

• Santa Barbara (2010) noted a decline in the approval of disciplinary spanking of 26 percentage points from 1968 to 1994.

In-Text Citation Checklist

• In-Text Citation Checklist Use this useful checklist from the American Psychological Association to ensure that you've created your in-text citations correctly.

In-Text Citations for Specific Types of Sources

Quotations from Research Participants

Personal Communications

Secondary Sources  

Use NoodleTools to Cite Your Sources  

NoodleTools can help you create your references and your in-text citations.

• NoodleTools Express No sign in required . When you need one or two quick citations in MLA, APA, or Chicago style, simply generate them in NoodleTools Express then copy and paste what you need into your document. Note: Citations are not saved and cannot be exported to a word processor using NoodleTools Express.
• NoodleTools (Login Full Database) This link opens in a new window Create and organize your research notes, share and collaborate on research projects, compose and error check citations, and complete your list of works cited in MLA, APA, or Chicago style using the full version of NoodleTools. You'll need to Create a Personal ID and password the first time you use NoodleTools.

See How to Use NoodleTools Express to Create a Citation in APA Format

Additional NoodleTools Help

• NoodleTools Help Desk Look up questions and answers on the NoodleTools Web site
• << Previous: MLA Style (8th/9th ed.)
• Next: Chicago Style >>
• Last Updated: Jul 10, 2024 5:03 PM
• URL: https://libguides.mjc.edu/citeyoursources

Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and CC BY-NC 4.0 Licenses .

APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.) for Student Papers

• What's New in the 7th ed.?
• Principles of Plagiarism: An Overview
• Basic Paper Formatting
• Basic Paper Elements
• Punctuation, Capitalization, Abbreviations, Apostrophes, Numbers, Plurals
• Tables and Figures
• Powerpoint Presentations
• Reference Page Format
• Periodicals (Journals, Magazines, Newspapers)
• Books and Reference Works
• Webpage on a Website
• Discussion Post
• Company Information & SWOT Analyses
• Dissertations or Theses
• ChatGPT and other AI Large Language Models
• Online Images
• Online Video
• Computer Software and Mobile Apps
• Missing Information
• Two Authors
• Three or More Authors
• Group Authors
• Missing Author
• Chat GPT and other AI Large Language Models
• Secondary Sources
• Block Quotations
• Fillable Template and Sample Paper
• Government Documents and Legal Materials
• APA Style 7th ed. Tutorials
• Additional APA 7th Resources
• Grammarly - your writing assistant
• Writing Center - Writing Skills This link opens in a new window
• Brainfuse Online Tutoring

APA 7th ed. Fillable Word Template and Sample Paper

• APA 7th ed. Template Download this Word document, fill out the title page and get writing!
• Sample Paper APA 7th ed. Our APA sample paper shows you how to format the main parts of a basic research paper.
• APA 7th Sample Papers from Purdue Owl
• << Previous: Block Quotations
• Next: Government Documents and Legal Materials >>
• Last Updated: May 3, 2024 2:22 PM
• URL: https://national.libguides.com/apa_7th

APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

• Basics of APA Formatting
• In Text Quick View
• Block Quotes
• Books & eBooks
• Thesis/Dissertation
• Audiovisual
• Conference Presentations
• Social Media
• Legal References
• Reports and Gray Literature

Mechanics of Style

Standard formatting quick guide, abbreviations.

• Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
• Additional Resources
• Reference Page

Refer to Ch. 6 Mechanics of style in the APA Publication Manual 7th ed. regarding specific guidelines regarding the mechanics of style for writing.

• Use 1" margins for the entire document.
• Use a 1/2" indent for every paragraph and footnote.
• Indent set-off quotations 1/2" from the left margin.

Text Formatting

• Should be accessible to all users
• The same font should be used throughout paper
• San serif fonts preferred for online works (Recommend 11pt Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10pt Lucida Sans Unicode)
• Serif fonts preferred for print works (Recommend 12pt Times New Roman or 11pt Georgia)
• Figure images- use a sans serif font with a type size between 8 and 14
• Computer code- use a monospace font (ex. 10pt Lucida Console or 10pt Courier New)
• Footnotes- default footnote settings of word-processing program acceptable
• Do not justify the text or use hyphenation.
• One space after a period

Page Header

• Doesn't have to be same as title, but limited to 50 characters and conveys the idea of the title
• If title is less than 50 characters, can be used as running head
• Avoid using abbreviations in the running head
• Appears flush left in all-capital letters
• Page number should be flush right.
• If title is longer than one line, separate the title and subtitle on double-spaced lines if desired
• Center the author's/authors' name directly under the title.
• Format the name omitting titles (Dr, Prof, etc.) and degrees: First name, middle initial, last name.
• Center the institutional affiliation directly under the author's/authors' name.
• Author's note (not applicable to student papers)
• Course number and name of course
• Instructor name
• Assignment due date
• Running head in page header, flush left (not applicable to student papers)
• Page number in page header, flush right

Introduction

• Begin introduction on a new page.
• Type the title in title case, bold, centered and positioned at the top of the first page of text
• Do not type the heading "Introduction," title will act as de facto Level 1 heading
• Use Level 2 heading for any subsections within introduction, Level 3 for subsections of Level 2, and so on
• Use Level 1 heading for next main section of paper

References (Reference Page)

• Starts on new page
• The word " References " should appear (without quotation marks) centered at the top of the page, bold
• Double-space all reference entries
• Use a hanging indent for reference- first line of each reference is flush with the left margin while subsequent lines are indented.
• Use footnotes to provide additional content or acknowledge copyright permission
• Content footnotes convey just one idea and only include simple, relevant or essential information
• Use a footnote to acknowledge the source of lengthy quotes, scale and test items, and figures or tables that have been reproduced or adapted
• Number all footnotes consecutively in the order they appear, use superscript Arabic numerals within the text
• For separate page- Label section "Footnotes" in bold, centered at the top of the page.  Write footnotes as double-spaced indented paragraphs which begin with superscript footnote number.
• Begin each appendix on a new page following references and footnotes (if applicable).
• If single appendix, label page "Appendix."
• If there is more than one appendix, label each with with a capital letter (ex. "Appendix A," "Appendix B" and so forth) in the order they're mentioned in the text
• If text appendix contains tables, figures, footnotes and/or display equations, give each one a number preceded by the letter of the appendix in which it appears (ex. Figure A2 for the second figure in Appendix A).
• If appendix "consists of only a table or figure, then the appendix label takes the place of the table or figure number and the appendix title takes the place of the table or figure title."

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

• APA Paper Format Find quick answers to basic APA formatting directly from APA Style
• Annotated Sample Student Paper

The correct form of abbreviation must be used in reference lists:

• << Previous: Reports and Gray Literature
• Next: Headings >>
• Last Updated: Jun 13, 2024 1:51 PM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/APA7th

• Introduction

Formatting Your Paper

• In-Text Citations
• Books and eBooks
• Business Reports
• Conference Presentations and Publications
• Dissertations and Theses
• Government Documents, Statutes, and Court Cases
• Images and Advertisements
• Missing Information
• Multiple Authors
• Personal Communications (E-mails, Interviews, etc.)
• Previous Coursework
• Religious Works
• Secondary Source/Indirect Citation (as cited in)
• Social Media
• Video and Audio
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Annotated Bibliographies
• Get Help Now

APA 7th Edition Citation Guide Formatting Your Paper

Using a consistent format enables your readers to focus on your content, instead of the presentation of your paper. 

APA formatted student essays typically contain the following elements in the order listed:

Individual instructors may require other elements not listed above, such as an abstract, table of contents, tables, or appendices. If you are unsure of which elements to include in your essay, read your assignment's guidelines or ask your instructor. 

Below are several templates to help get you started, including a basic template and a sample paper with more detailed instructions.

• APA Template (Google Doc) A Google Docs template for a simple APA setup.
• APA Template (Word Doc) A Microsoft Word template for a simple APA setup.
• APA Sample Paper (Google Doc) A Google Docs template that helps explain the rules and best practices of APA.
• APA Sample Paper (Word Doc) A Microsoft Word template that helps explain rules and best practices of APA.

For more detailed information on how to format your title page, see this guide from APA . You can also use a template from above.

For more detailed information on formatting headings, see this guide from APA .

Reference List

For more detailed information on formatting reference lists, see this guide from APA .

Formatting Student Papers

Always use the specifications determined by your instructor in addition to these guidelines.

Note : Individual instructors may require other elements not listed above, such as an abstract, table of contents, tables, or appendices. If you are unsure of which elements to include in your essay, read your assignment's guidelines or ask your instructor. 

Order of Elements: APA Professional Essays

APA formatted manuscripts that are submitted for publication should include the following elements in the order listed:

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• Next: In-Text Citations >>
• Last Updated: Jul 11, 2024 4:11 PM
• URL: https://library.csp.edu/apa

• Find Resources

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APA Citation and Format

• APA Format, 7th Edition
• Tutorials for APA 7th ed.
• Formatting Basics
• In-Text Citations
• References List
• HU Writing Lab This link opens in a new window
• Citation Managers
• Citing and Using Images
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Check Your Knowledge

APA Manual, 7th edition

Guides to Using APA Style

• Style and Grammar Guidelines from the APA
• APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th ed.) from Purdue OWL

APA Style, 7th edition

• Introduction
• Presentation Slides

The  Introduction to the 7th edition of the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association   provides a more detailed summary. 

These are the chapters with important changes for students and faculty:

• Paper Formatting (Chapter 2):  New student title page, simplified Running Head, and updated formats for Headings.
• Writing Style and Grammar (Chapter 4):  The manual now advises the pronoun “they” for a person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant.
• Bias-Free Language (Chapter 5):  Updates guidelines for writing about “age, disability, gender, racial and ethnic identity, and sexual orientation.”
• Mechanics of Style (Chapter 6): Minor changes to punctuation, spacing, and capitalization.
• Tables and Figures (Chapter 7): Updated guidelines for presenting data in tables and figures.
• In-Text Citations (Chapter 8):   All sources with three or more authors are now attributed using the name of the first author followed by “et al.”
• Reference List (Chapter 9): New guidelines for using DOIs and URLs 
• APA Slides Used for In-Class Presentations

APA Sample Student Paper, 7th edition

• APA Student Paper (7th ed.) from APA Annotated sample student paper from the APA website.
• APA Professional Paper (7th ed) from APA Annotated sample professional paper from the APA website.
• APA Student Paper (7th ed.) from Purdue Owl Annotated paper from Purdue Owl.

APA Citation Examples, 7th edition

• Reference List Examples (APA 7th ed.) from APA Citation examples from the APA website.
• In-Text Citations (APA 7th ed.) from Purdue OWL
• Reference List (APA 7th ed.) from Purdue OWL
• Next: Tutorials for APA 7th ed. >>
• Last Updated: Jul 19, 2024 9:41 AM
• URL: https://library.harrisburgu.edu/apa

APA Citation (7th edition): Paper Formatting

• Reference Entry Components
• Book Examples
• Article Examples
• Media Examples
• Internet Resource Examples
• Other Examples
• 7th Edition Updates
• (...) In-Text Citations
• Quotes vs Paraphrasing
• Paper Formatting
• NoodleTools

Setting Up and Formatting a Student APA Paper

• 1. Set the Margins to One Inch

2. Set the Spacing to Double

3. create a title for your paper, 4. add page numbers to the header, 5. create the title page, 6. set up the references list, but what about..., figures and images, annotated bibliographies.

If your paper will follow strict APA formatting, follow the steps below. Your paper should have three major sections: the title page, main body, and references list. The  Publication Manual  covers these guidelines in Chapter 2; the APA website also has a  Paper Format  page.

These guidelines will cover how to set up a  student paper  in APA format. The 7th edition now has specific formatting for student papers versus a professional paper ( i.e.  one being submitted for publication). If your instructor has requested a different format or additional elements, use your instructor's preferences.

• APA Student Paper Template

Official Resources

• APA Style: Sample Papers
• APA Style: Student Title Page Guide [PDF]
• APA Style: Headings Style Template

1. Setting Up and Formatting a Student APA Paper

The margins of the paper should be set to 1" (one inch) all around.

Step-by-Step Directions

• Go to the  Page Layout  or  Layout  tab
• Click  Margins
• Select the  Normal  option

The line spacing for the paper should be set to double (2.0).

• Go to the  Home  tab
• In the  Paragraph  box, click the icon that looks like two up/down arrows with text to the right
• Pick  2.0
• Alternate Method: You can also press the Control Key along with the number 2 to quickly double space.

Your title should summarize the main topic of your paper. Try not to be too wordy or off-topic. While there is no word limit for titles, "short but sweet" is the goal. The APA Style Blog has further information on titles:  Five Steps to a Great Title . Use title case for paper titles.

Example Titles

• Attitudes of College Students Towards Transportation Fees
• Effect of Red Light Cameras on Traffic Fatalities
• Juror Bias in Capital Punishment Cases

Insert the page number in the right area of the header. Use the built-in page numbering system; do not attempt to type each page number manually.

• Go to the  Insert  tab
• Press  Tab  once or twice to go to the far right
• Click  Page Number
• Click  Current Position

On the first page you will include the following information:

• Title of Your Paper
• Santa Fe College
• Course Number: Course Name

This information will be  centered , and will be a few lines down from the top.

• Go to the top of the first page.
• Press  Enter  3-4 times.
• Center your text.
• Type in the title of your paper, in  bold .
• Press  Enter  twice, in order to have one blank line between the title and the next element.
• On the next line, type your full name.
• On the next line, type Santa Fe College.
• On the next line, type your course number, a colon, and your course name.
• On the next line, type your instructor's name.
• On the next line, type the due date of the paper.

The references list should be on a new page, and should be the last section of your paper.

Heading of Reference List

The heading at the top of the reference list should say References at the top ( not  Bibliography or Works Cited, unless your instructor tells you otherwise) and  bolded .

Hanging Indent

All reference lists should have a hanging indent. An example of a hanging indent is shown below:

George, M. W. (2008).  The elements of library research: What every student needs to know . Princeton University Press.

To create a hanging indent in Word, you can press the  Control key  along with the  letter T .

Line spacing in the reference list should be set to double (2.0).

Alphabetizing

When organizing your references list, you must alphabetize your references. Generally, you will organize by the author's last name. Go letter by letter and ignore spaces, hyphens, punctuation etc.

If a work has no author, use the title to alphabetize. You will use the first  significant  word to alphabetize; this means you skip words like  the, a,  and  an.

Example of Proper Order:

• Alcott, L. M. (1868)...
• Alcott, L. M. (1893)...
• Anonymous. (1998).  Beowulf ...
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.).
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017).
• Etiquette in Florida. (n.d.).
• Grammar Girl. (2009, May 21)...
• Johnson, C. L., & Tuite, C. (Eds.). (2009)...
• Johnson, S. K. (2003)...
• Oxford English dictionary  (2nd ed.). (1989)...
• A prescription for health care. (2009).  Consumer Reports ...
• Southeast Asia. (2003). In  The new encyclopaedia Britannica ...

For more information on creating and formatting references, go to the  Reference Components  page.

Source:  Publication Manual , 2.12; 9.44-9.49

APA does not specify a specific font or size, just that it must be legible. Their only guidelines is that the same font should be used throughout the paper. Some suggestions are 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 12-point Times New Roman, and 11-point Georgia.

If your instructor has specified a font or font size, follow those guidelines.

Source:  Publication Manual , 2.19

The Running Head?

Student papers do not need a running head.

Source:  Publication Manual , 2.8; 2.18

If you are using an image that  does not require attribution , you may provide a figure number and title prior to the image.

Computer Scientist Jean F. Hall with Argonne Version of the Institute's Digital Automatic Computer (AVIDAC)

If your image  requires attribution , such as those governed by Creative Commons licenses, include the attribution below the image. You will also need to cite the image in your references list.

Sciurus Carolinensis (Eastern Gray Squirrel)

(https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/4556e4bd-fba4-4b54-b967-3bc912695df4). CC BY 3.0.

Animal Diversity Web. (n.d.).  Sciurus carolinensis (eastern gray squirrel)  [Photograph]. Creative Commons. https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/4556e4bd-fba4-4b54-b967-3bc912695df4

Source:  Clip Art or Stock Image References  [APA Style]

APA now has guidelines for an annotated bibliography. Annotations will be a new paragraph directly below the reference, indented 0.5" from the left. Retain the double-spacing.

Delmas, P. M. (2017). Using VoiceThread to create community in online learning.  TechTrends, 61 , 595–602. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-017-0195-z

This study investigated how VoiceThread could impact online student persistence. It used the Community of Inquiry framework as a guidepost for applying the technology, most specifically by leveraging social presence. The study sought to answer the question "does VoiceThread help create community for online learners?" Researchers surveyed 39 participants in master's and doctoral programs that were either fully online or blended. Based on the data, the researchers concluded that VoiceThread, as perceived by students who have used it, can promote social presence in online learning communities by making students feel more connected to other students and the instructor. Three positive themes for VoiceThread related to student to student interaction included hearing a voice, hearing voice inflection versus text, and learning about peers' professional/educational experience. While positive trends were highlighted succinctly, there was little discussion of negative trends, which challenged validity, and a small sample size ( N =39) makes it difficult to generalize.

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• Last Updated: Aug 1, 2024 10:40 AM
• URL: https://owhlguides.andover.edu/apa

• Free Tools for Students
• APA Citation Generator

Free APA Citation Generator

Generate citations in APA format quickly and automatically, with MyBib!

🤔 What is an APA Citation Generator?

An APA citation generator is a software tool that will automatically format academic citations in the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

It will usually request vital details about a source -- like the authors, title, and publish date -- and will output these details with the correct punctuation and layout required by the official APA style guide.

Formatted citations created by a generator can be copied into the bibliography of an academic paper as a way to give credit to the sources referenced in the main body of the paper.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an APA Citation Generator?

College-level and post-graduate students are most likely to use an APA citation generator, because APA style is the most favored style at these learning levels. Before college, in middle and high school, MLA style is more likely to be used. In other parts of the world styles such as Harvard (UK and Australia) and DIN 1505 (Europe) are used more often.

🙌 Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Like almost every other citation style, APA style can be cryptic and hard to understand when formatting citations. Citations can take an unreasonable amount of time to format manually, and it is easy to accidentally include errors. By using a citation generator to do this work you will:

• Save a considerable amount of time
• Ensure that your citations are consistent and formatted correctly
• Be rewarded with a higher grade

In academia, bibliographies are graded on their accuracy against the official APA rulebook, so it is important for students to ensure their citations are formatted correctly. Special attention should also be given to ensure the entire document (including main body) is structured according to the APA guidelines. Our complete APA format guide has everything you need know to make sure you get it right (including examples and diagrams).

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's APA Citation Generator?

Our APA generator was built with a focus on simplicity and speed. To generate a formatted reference list or bibliography just follow these steps:

• Start by searching for the source you want to cite in the search box at the top of the page.
• MyBib will automatically locate all the required information. If any is missing you can add it yourself.
• Your citation will be generated correctly with the information provided and added to your bibliography.
• Repeat for each citation, then download the formatted list and append it to the end of your paper.

MyBib supports the following for APA style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

APA : Style and Citation Guide

APA Resources

General websites .

• APA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue OWL)
• APA Style Citation Guide (Seattle)
• APA Citation Guide
• APA Style Guide
• APA Style Help

Formatting Citations and the Works Cited/Reference List 

• In-Text Citations: The Basics
• In-Text Citations: Authors
• APA In-Text Citations
• How to Cite Parenthetical [In-Text] Citations in APA
• APA Reference List: Basic Format (from OWL)
• Writing In-Text Citations in APA Style  &  When and How to Include Page Numbers in APA Style Citations  
• DOI, URL, Database Name, Accession Number or Permalink
• APA style citations handout  from Coates Library at Trinity University. 
• Citing Sources: APA Style
• APA Citation Examples

Formatting the Title Page/Headers

• Formatting Title Page and Headers in APA  from Clark College Libraries

Capitalization and Grammar Formatting

• Capitalization Rules  from the APA Style Blog

Other Resources

• Frequently Asked Questions about APA Style  
• Sample research papers; Skyline College
• APA Style Sample Paper  OWL (Online Writing Lab) at Purdue University

APA Tutorials

APA Tutorials and Webinars :  Various tutorials produced by the American Psychological Association .

• APA Tutorials from the Suffolk County Community College Library
• APA Video Tutorials  (from Memorial University of Newfoundland Library

Niche Academy Tutorials

• Find  Academic Coaching  help with APA style and citations
• Log into the Library Catalog  
• Full  Research Guide  list
• Library Homepage
• WNC Homepage

APA Publication Manual

The library has copies of the most recent version of the APA guide available.

Publication Manual (OFFICIAL) 7th Edition of the American Psychological Association

[T]he Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition 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 other fields... More than 100 new reference examples covering periodicals, books, audiovisual media, social media, webpages and websites, legal resources, and many other document types  Guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options

• Last Updated: Aug 2, 2024 11:15 AM
• URL: https://library.wnc.edu/apa_style

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APA In-Text Citations and Sample Essay 7th Edition

This handout focuses on how to format in-text citations in APA.

Proper citation of sources is a two-part process . You must first cite each source in the body of your essay; these citations within the essay are called in-text citations . You MUST cite all quoted, paraphrased, or summarized words, ideas, and facts from sources. Without in-text citations, you are technically in danger of plagiarism, even if you have listed your sources at the end of the essay.

In-text citations point the reader to the sources’ information on the references page. The in-text citation typically includes the author's last name and the year of publication. If you use a direct quote, the page number is also provided.

More information can be found on p. 253 of the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

Citation Rules

Direct quotation with the author named in the text.

Heinze and Lu (2017) stated, “The NFL shifted its responses to institutional change around concussions significantly as the field itself evolved” (p. 509).

Note: The year of publication is listed in parenthesis after the names of the authors, and the page number is listed in parenthesis at the end of the quote.

Direct Quotation without the Author Named in the Text

As the NFL developed as an organization, it “shifted its responses to institutional change around concussions significantly” (Heinze & Lu, 2017, p. 509).

Note: At the end of the quote, the names of the authors, year of publication, and page number are listed in parenthesis.

Paraphrase with 1-2 Authors

As the NFL developed as an organization, its reactions toward concussions also transformed (Heinze & Lu, 2017).

Note: For paraphrases, page numbers are encouraged but not required.

Paraphrase with 3 or More Authors

To work toward solving the issue of violence in prisons begins with determining aspects that might connect with prisoners' violent conduct (Thomson et al., 2019).

Direct Quotation without an Author

The findings were astonishing "in a recent study of parent and adult child relationships" ("Parents and Their Children," 2007, p. 2).

Note: Since the author of the text is not stated, a shortened version of the title is used instead.

Secondary Sources

When using secondary sources, use the phrase "as cited in" and cite the secondary source on the References page.

In 1936, Keynes said, “governments should run deficits when the economy is slow to avoid unemployment” (as cited in Richardson, 2008, p. 257).

Long (Block) Quotations

When using direct quotations of 40 or more words, indent five spaces from the left margin without using quotation marks. The final period should come before the parenthetical citation.

At Meramec, an English department policy states:

To honor and protect their own work and that of others, all students must give credit to proprietary sources that are used for course work. It is assumed that any information that is not documented is either common knowledge in that field or the original work of that student. (St. Louis Community College, 2001, p. 1)

Website Citations

If citing a specific web document without a page number, include the name of the author, date, title of the section, and paragraph number in parentheses:

In America, “Two out of five deaths among U.S. teens are the result of a motor vehicle crash” (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2004, Overview section, para. 1).

Here is a print-friendly version of this content.

Learn more about the APA References page by reviewing this handout .

For information on STLCC's academic integrity policy, check out this webpage .

For additional information on APA, check out STLCC's LibGuide on APA .

Sample Essay

A sample APA essay is available at this link .

Generate accurate APA citations for free

• Knowledge Base
• APA Style 7th edition
• APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals

APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals

Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on January 17, 2024.

APA provides different guidelines for student and professional papers. 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 name, or due date.

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Table of contents

Title page example (student and professional version), institutional affiliation, course information, author note, page header, including an image on the title page.

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

• Missing commas and periods
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• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

Write an informative, striking title that summarizes the topic of your paper. Try to keep the title focused and use relevant keywords.

Place the title three or four lines down from the top of the paper. Center align and bold it. Don’t forget to use title case capitalization (capitalize the first letter of each word, except small words such as articles and short prepositions).

Write the author’s name under the paper title (leave a blank line in between). Give their full names (first name, middle initial(s) and last name), but don’t include titles (Dr., Prof.) or degrees (Ph.D., MSc).

Multiple authors on the title page

List the authors in order of their contribution. If there are two authors, separate their names with the word “and”, like this:

If there are more than two authors, separate their names with a comma. Only write “and” before the last author, like this:

Write the author’s affiliation on the next line under the author names. Students should specify the department and institution where they’re attending school. Professional researchers should specify the department and institution where they conducted their research.

Multiple authors with different affiliations

Use superscript numbers on the author line to indicate which institution they’re affiliated with. Don’t use superscript numbers if all authors are affiliated with the same institution (and department).

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

On a student title page, provide information about the course. List the following information on separate (double spaced) lines under the author’s affiliation:

• Instructor(s)
• Assignment’s due date

For professional papers, you may include an author note. This note may contain the author’s ORCID iD, affiliation changes, disclosures of conflicts of interest, brief acknowledgments, and contact information (in that specific order). Present this information in separate paragraphs.

Place the author note on the bottom half of the page. Center the label “Author note” and apply bold styling. The paragraphs in the author note are left-aligned. The first line of each new paragraph is indented.

For more information about formatting the author note, see section 2.7 of the APA Publication Manual.

For a student title page, the page header consists of just a page number in the top-right corner. There is no need for a running head (as was the case in APA 6th edition).

A professional title page does have a running head. The running head is an abbreviated version of the paper title in all capital letters. The maximum length is 50 characters (counting spaces).

Images are not usually included on an APA title page, and APA does not provide any guidelines for doing so. It’s usually viewed as unprofessional to include an image, since the title page is there to provide information, not for decoration.

If you do decide to include an image on your title page, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image. Include a note directly underneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period):

• If you found the image online or in another source, include a citation and copyright attribution .
• If it’s an image you created yourself (e.g., a photograph you took, an infographic you designed), explain this (e.g., “Photograph taken by the author.”).

Don’t give the image a label, title, or number. Only images within the text itself are labeled as figures .

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.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, January 17). APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals. Scribbr. Retrieved July 30, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-title-page/

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Citing Sources

• Citation Guide for AMA Style This link opens in a new window
• Vancouver Style/NLM Style
• Citation Tools

Suggested Online Resources

• APA Style Examples from Saskatchewan Health Authority Various examples of citations in APA format
• APA Style and Grammar Guidelines This resource, from the APA, provides a concise reference guide to using APA 7th edition for citations and writing.
• APA Style Introduction and Sample Resources This introduction to APA Style 7th edition, from the Purdue OWL, provides guidance on citations as well as sample papers, presentations, and posters prepared according to APA Style.
• APA Style Tutorials and Webinars From the APA, this site includes a free tutorial on use of APA 7th edition (Academic Writer Tutorial) as well as recorded webinars to reference.
• In-Text Citation Checklist From the APA, this is a link to a PDF of the 7th edition In-Text Citation Checklist.
• Quick Reference Guide to APA 7th Edition From the APA, this links to a PDF of a quick reference guide to APA 7th edition, providing sample citations for a variety of common sources.
• Student Paper Checklist, APA 7th From the APA, this is a link to the PDF of the Student Paper Checklist in APA 7th format. Includes references to the official publication manual.
• APA Style Information from Waggoner Library Includes information about DOIs, citing course resources, annotated bibliographies, and other resources to help learn about APA Style

Publication Manual

In-Text Citations

General information.

• Can be used for a variety of content including text, figures, boxes, and table
• Organizations can be authors

When using direct quotes

• Surname of author and publication year of work
• Direct quotes of 40+ words require a block quote. Block quotes should be indented 5 spaces rather than utilizing quotation marks.

When paraphrasing

• Place the publication year in parentheses after the author's name. Example: Smith (2020) argues...

When using citing  multiple references  at once

• Separate each author with a semi colon, with surnames in alphabetical order. Example: (Jones, 2019; Smith, 2020)

For more special circumstances regarding authors and in-text citations, consult the Purdue OWL linked below.

• Purdue OWL - In-Text Citations/APA 7th

Reference List

Basic Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of the work.  Source   where you can retrieve the work . URL or DOI if available

• The word "References" should be bolded and centered at the top of the page in Title Case.
• Place all references in alphabetical order by the last name (surname) of the first author of the work.
• Both an annotated bibliography and a reference list can be included in one document.
• Double space entries in a reference list.

Annotated Bibliography

• All sources that you do not cite, but that inspired, informed, or influenced your work should be listed in an Annotated Bibliography.
• This may include items like suggested readings.
• Entries in a bibliography should be formatted like entries in a reference list.
• Annotated Bibliography looks like a Reference List but contains an annotation after each source cited.
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• Last Updated: Mar 14, 2024 1:53 PM
• URL: https://medlib.belmont.edu/citation

Title Page Setup

A title page is required for all APA Style papers. There are both student and professional versions of the title page. Students should use the student version of the title page unless their instructor or institution has requested they use the professional version. APA provides a student title page guide (PDF, 199KB) to assist students in creating their title pages.

Student title page

The student title page includes the paper title, author names (the byline), author affiliation, course number and name for which the paper is being submitted, instructor name, assignment due date, and page number, as shown in this example.

Title page setup is covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 2.3 and the Concise Guide Section 1.6

Related handouts

• Student Title Page Guide (PDF, 263KB)
• Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF, 3MB)

Student papers do not include a running head unless requested by the instructor or institution.

Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the student title page.

Professional title page

The professional title page includes the paper title, author names (the byline), author affiliation(s), author note, running head, and page number, as shown in the following example.

Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the professional title page.

APA Title Page

Ai generator.

We know the most common formats like the APA format and the MLA format . There is also the Chicago format, AP format, parenthetical citation  format and BB format, just to name the other few. Of course, when we are tasked to submit projects, research paper summary or even thesis papers , professors tend to task us to use the APA title page format.

1. APA Title Page Sample

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33. APA Title Page for Academic Papers

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What Is an APA Title Page?

An APA title page is a type of format as the term itself is a kind of  APA title   outline format . This kind of formatting for your title page is often used in writing professional papers like research papers, academic papers and even thesis papers when they are published. 

How to Make the APA Title Page Format

To understand the format of an APA title page is important. Especially when you are tasked to use the format in your research paper, in your title pages and even for academic papers. Understanding the use and the format is necessary and to understand the difference that it makes as well. Making the APA title page format is easy, with the following steps below.

Step 1. The Main Words Have to Be Capitalized

Starting with the main words in your title page, they must be capitalized. The first letter of your main words have to follow the capitalization format. Of course, because it is a title, it is expected to be capitalized, but not necessarily all. Only the main point of your title. This follows the exact format of your APA title.

Step 2. Use Double Space Lines for the Main and Sub Title in Your Page

You may have heard of double spacing the main title and your sub title. This is also part of the format, and this must only be done if it is necessary. However, it does not mean that for all your main titles, you will also need to double space lines for your sub titles.

Step 3. Focus Mainly on Your Title

Apart from writing anything in your title, your main focus should be about your main title. How you are going to be writing it must follow the exact format. Any tiny detail should also be looked at. The format like the font size should be 12, the font should be Times New Roman unless told otherwise. Your main title is the most important part of your paper.

Step 4. Remember to Follow the APA Format

Remember, when you are making your title format using the APA title, always check whether or not the format you are using is the same as the APA title format. Since there are a lot of kinds of title formats to use, it is nothing short of being careful whether to see to it that the APA format of your title page fits the exact APA title format.

What is an APA title format?

An APA title format is a type of format that is used for making titles for your academic writing, research papers or even for technical writing. Of course, even student papers can use this kind of formatting for their title page. The difference between the APA title page and the  MLA title page  is that, the APA title page still follows the APA format of writing even if it is for the title page.

What purpose does an APA title format have?

The purpose of an APA title format is to make sure that the main title in your page is clear, concise and is the main point.

What is the standard font of an APA title?

The most standard font of an APA format is Times New Roman. But you may also use Tahoma or Arial. Any other font is often unheard of and should not be used when using the APA title.

Students and scholars know that when it comes to writing papers and writing titles to the papers, there is no denying that there are a lot of ways to do it. It is understandable that it can get confusing which format to use. The most basic of all is using the APA title format.

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