Overview
These guidelines can be used for annotated bibliographies, essays (cause and effect, comparative, expository, narrative, persuasive, response or reaction papers and thesis and dissertations.
Below you will find examples to help you format your paper in APA Style. Although these guidelines are widely used in educational settings, it is always advised to follow the specific instructions given by your professor.
More detailed information is available in Chapter 2: Paper Elements and Format of the APA Style Manual and on the APA Style website section Paper Format.
Text Formatting
For all the following instructions, always make sure to be consistent throughout your paper.
Font - use a readable font (sans serif) (Examples: Arial or Calibri). The idea is to make your text clearly distinguishable from italics.
Size - choose between 10 and 12 points
Line Spacing - double-space your entire paper (title page, abstract, text, headings, block quotations, reference list, table and figure notes, and appendices).
Indentation - first line of each paragraph should be .5 inches from left margin. Block quotations are .5 inches as well.
Margins
- 1 inch on all sides
- first page (title page) and subsequent pages should include on the top, right side the page number
- alignment
- all pages aligned left (flush left style)
- do not use "justify"
- all pages aligned left (flush left style)
More details in the Student Paper Setup Guide
Title Page
Title page includes, in this order:
- page number, top right side
- the following are all centered
- Title
- Author
- Author affiliation (Department, University)
- Course number and name
- Professor's Full Name
- Date
More details in the Student Title Page Guide