APA Documentation Style: Formatting
Parenthetical References | References List | Headings | Usage and Style
The appearance of your printed paper may seem like a small detail compared to all of the hard work you've put into writing it, but a well-formatted paper is easier to read, easier to revise, and easier to put a good grade on than a paper that's been typed hurriedly and haphazardly.
To find out more about the particular formatting guidelines established by the APA, click on one of the topics below. You'll get a quick guide to how to format that element of your paper, and a reference to the relevant page(s) in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
If you'd like to learn more about APA style, you may want to begin with some general information about APA style.
Title page
The title page should, naturally, be the first page of your finished document, and it will be numbered as page 1 (see page numbering for how page numbers should appear throughout your paper). It should contain the following information:
- Title, typed with initial capitals (each significant word capitalized)
- Your name
- Class you're writing the paper for
All of this information should be double-spaced, and centered both horizontally (between the margins) and vertically (from top of the page to the bottom). An example:
Effects of Subliminal Messages in Hypertext Instructional Materials Ima Good-Writer Psychology 990
For more information on title pages, see pages 248-250 of the Publication Manual.
Page numbering
All pages, including the title page, will have the following in the upper right corner:
-
First two or three words of the title
-
Five spaces
-
Page number
An example of this, using the paper example given for the title page:
Effects of Subliminal 1
The header appears between the top of the page and the first line of text, approximately half an inch from the top of the page, and an inch from the right margin. Set your word processor to insert the header on each page automatically. For more information on page numbering and page headers, see page 241 of the Publication Manual.
Margins
Leave a 1" (one inch) margin on all sides of the page. The only exception to this is the page header, where the page number and shortened title appear.
Headings
The APA establishes complete guidelines for headings and subheadings within documents. To find out how to format your the headings in your document, see our guide to Headings in the APA Style. You should also consult pages 90-93 and 242-243 in the Publication Manual.
Long quotations
Any quotation longer than 40 words must be set apart from the text of the paper, in its own paragraph. This is called a block quotation. The left margin of the block quotation should be set in from the left margin by the same spacing as the first line of a new paragraph (usually five spaces, or half an inch), as in this example:
Each paragraph of your text begins with an indent of five spaces,
or half an inch, from the left margin. Block quotations are often
introduced with a colon:
The entire block quotation is indented as far as the first line
of a normal paragraph of text. Do not surround block quotations
with quotation marks. If the source you are quoting includes
quotation marks, you should include them "as they appear in the
original." The reference follows the final period. (Smith, 1993,
p. 275)
When you continue your own text after the block quotation, do not indent
the first line unless you begin a new paragraph.
If the block quotation consists of more than a single paragraph in the original source, indent the first line of each paragraph five additional spaces (or an additional half an inch) from the left margin, as in this example:
Each paragraph of your text begins with an indent of five spaces,
or half an inch, from the left margin. Block quotations are often
introduced with a colon:
The entire block quotation is indented as far as the first
line of a normal paragraph of text. Do not surround block quotations
with quotation marks. If the source you are quoting includes
quotation marks, you should include them "as they appear in the
original." The reference appears at the end of the block.
The first line of the second paragraph of a block quotation
will be indented an additional five spaces (or half an inch), just
as the first line of the first paragraph is. The reference, as
before, follows the period. (Smith, 1993, pp. 275-276)
When you continue your own text after the block quotation, do not indent
the first line unless you begin a new paragraph.
For more information on the formatting of long quotations, see pages 95-96 and 245 in the Publication Manual.
Tables and figures
If your paper requires tables and/or figures, you should consult the relevant sections of the Publication Manual for specific formatting guidelines. For tables, see pages 120-141; for figures, see pages 141-163.
Still have questions?
If you have questions about applying the formats prescribed by the APA, consult a Writing Center instructor, who can help you individually with all aspects of your paper.
Parenthetical References | References List | Headings | Usage and Style