apa formatting for research papers

APA Style (7th ed.)

Cite: Why? When?
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Format Your Paper

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.

an illustration of the headings -- same detail as is given directly above this image

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]

APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

Apa 7th edition, what is the purpose, quick links.

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APA Publications in the Library

This guide pertains to the 7th edition of the APA Manual.

This guide is designed to support the citation and reference needs of USC students, staff, and faculty. The 7th edition of the manual does make distinctions between formatting certain components for academic use over publication. This guide will distinguish student/academic formatting where applicable.

This guide is designed as a "quick" reference to common APA citation, reference and formatting criteria. When in doubt, we encourage users to consult with the APA publication manual or APA website for further clarification as the authority on formatting.

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

What is the purpose of citations?

Citations help readers locate your sources. They help to continue the scholarly conversation. To learn more about how citations can help you avoid plagiarism, view this interactive tutorial:

USC Library Lessons: Avoiding Plagiarism through Citations

When considering citations and references for your papers, you can ask yourself, "could someone find this information in the future?"

A client's personal file would not need a citation because your reader cannot go find that information again. Census statistics would require a citation because your reader could go locate that information again.

APA requires FOUR ELEMENTS of every citation:

Who- Author of content
When- Date content was published
What- Title of content
Where- Publication information. This can be the website you got it from or the journal or book's publication information.

If any of the elements listed above are unavailable, check out "Missing Reference Information" from APA for more information.

APA Style Website As part of our Style and Grammar Guidelines, we explain the basics of paper format, grammar, punctuation, in-text citations, references, bias-free language, and more. Much of what you used to find on the sixth edition blog, you can now find on the APA Style website.
Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper by Robert V. Labaree Last Updated Apr 11, 2024 469861 views this year
Owl Purdue 7th Edition Style Guide and Formatting Writing guide from Owl Purdue covering the 7th edition of the APA Manual
Quick Reference Guide Quick guide on how to identify components to configure a reference for Journal article, book, and chapter from an edited book.
Annotated Sample Student Paper Sample student paper with formatting annotations.
Sample student paper
Annotated Sample Professional Paper Sample professional paper with formatting annotations
Sample professional paper
USC Libraries APA Style Quick Guide
Next: In Text Citations >>
Last Updated: Apr 22, 2024 9:37 AM
URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/APA7th

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APA Style, 7th edition

What is APA?
APA Style Citation Guide
Formatting Your Paper
Reference List

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APA Style Formatting Steps

Setting up page numbering for apa.

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

2. Click on Insert.

3. Click on Page Number.

4. Click on Top of Page.

5. Click on Plain Number 3 box.

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

7. Go to second page.

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

9. Close Header/Footer box.

APA Style Citations Video [PDF] Video Transcript

Sample Paper

Purdue OWL: APA Sample Paper [PDF] An example of a correctly formatted APA style research paper. From Purdue University Online Writing Center (OWL).
<< Previous: APA Style Citation Guide
Next: Reference List >>
Last Updated: Feb 8, 2024 11:39 AM
URL: https://libguides.randolph.edu/apa

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: Apr 17, 2024 2:30 PM
URL: https://national.libguides.com/apa_7th

COMMENTS

Paper format
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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)
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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).
A step-by-step guide for creating and formatting APA Style student papers
This article walks through the formatting steps needed to create an APA Style student paper, starting with a basic setup that applies to the entire paper (margins, font, line spacing, paragraph alignment and indentation, and page headers). It then covers formatting for the major sections of a student paper: the title page, the text, tables and ...
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.
General Format
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How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition)
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Format Your Paper
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 ...
APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association 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 ...
Research Guides: APA Style, 7th edition: Formatting Your Paper
APA Style Formatting Steps. 1.Set font as Times New Roman and size 12. 2.Click on Insert. 3.Click on Page Number. 4.Click on Top of Page. 5.Click on Plain Number 3 box. 6.Finish cover page (see pages 11 and 12 of the APA guide). 7.Go to second page. 8.Type your title in bold at the top and centered.
APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.) for Student Papers
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: Apr 17, 2024 2:30 PM;
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APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page.
APA Headings and Subheadings
Headings and subheadings provide structure to a document. They signal what each section. is about and allow for easy navigation of the document. APA headings have five possible levels. Each heading level is formatted differently. Note: Title case simply means that you should capitalize the first word, words with four or more letters, and all ...
APA Style Introduction
This resource, revised according to the 7 th edition of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, (7 th ed.). APA Poster. This poster ...
Research Paper Format
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PDF APA 7 Student Sample Paper
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APA Title Page (7th edition)
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