Guides: APA Style Guide: Formatting Your Paper

APA Student Format

The Title Page is page 1
From Microsoft Word, click on "Insert" tab > locate "Page Number" > click on the drop-down icon > select "Top of Page" > select "Plain Number Three" which pages the number "1" in the top right corner
- All subsequent pages will now also be numbered

Positioned in the upper-middle of the page, 3 to 4 lines below the top of the page
Centered in bold
May take up one or two lines
Skip a line before adding elements below

Your first name, middle initial(s), and last name
- Rachel K. Green
If writing with other students, include their names as well
- Rachel K. Green and Chandler M. Bing
- Rachel K. Green, Chandler M. Bing, and Joseph F. Tribbiani Jr.

Include the name of the academic department followed by the name of the institution, separated by a comma
- Geology Department, Lone Star College-CyFair

Use the instructor’s preferred designation (e.g., Dr., Professor) and spelling
- Dr. Ross Gellar

The Main Body is where you will write your essay based on your instructor's specifications for the assignment.
- Be mindful of grammar, style mechanics, and bias-free language when writing.
Begin with an introduction to provide background and context.
Use descriptive headings to identify other sections (e.g., Method, Results, Discussion for quantitative research papers).
- Do not use a heading for the introduction.
- Sections and headings vary depending on paper type and complexity. Refer to the Heading Levels Template above.
When starting a new paragraph, hit the Tab key once to indent the first line.
- Subsequent paragraph lines should be flush left.
Text can also include tables, figures, block quotations, and footnotes.
- Refer to the APA Student Paper Setup Guide above.
Include in-text citations for all ideas, findings, results, or other information that is not your own and is not common knowledge.

Your Reference List is the last section of your paper. It provides information about sources you used and cited within your paper.
- Each source you cite within your paper must appear as an entry in your reference list. Refer to the page in this guide about In-Text Citations for more information and examples.
Begin your reference list on a new page separate from the main body of your paper.
Title this page References in bold, and center at the top of the page (do not underline or use quotation marks for the title).
Double space and use hanging indentation for each entry in your reference list.
- From Microsoft Word, select your text > click the pop-out icon next to "Paragraph" > select "Hanging" from the special indentation dropdown menu > click "Ok" to apply formatting
Alphabetize reference list entries by the last name of the first author of each work.
For multiple sources by the same author(s), list entries in chronological order from earliest to most recent.