Formatting Your Paper
APA Style is not just in-text citing and a list of references. It also includes the formatting of your paper. Here are some of the basics elements.
APA provides an example of a student paper and an example of a professional paper (such as an article to submit to a journal).
For more details, consult the APA Paper Format page. Ask your professor about including a title page because they may not require it. If you are formatting your thesis or dissertation, you must use the Graduate School's template.
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- Double spacing of all text on all pages, including the References list
- Each paragraph begins with a First Line indent of .5 inches
- Each reference is a Hanging indent of .5 inches
- Font should be a common font like Times New Roman, Arial, Helvetica, Garamond, Open Sans, etc.; size should be 10pt or 12pt
- Page numbers in the upper right corner on each page, 1/2 inch from top and 1-inch from the right side
- Shortened title on each page (called a running head) except the title page, in ALL CAPS, flush left, and on the same line as the page number (1/2 inch from top and 1-inch from the left side)
Student Paper Example
(click image to display full example)
Professional Paper Example
(click image to display full example)
