General Principles of APA 7 Formatting

These guidelines are developed in line with the American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

Check out the guidelines below and become familiar with APA 7 rules and principles!

Basics

• Use Times New Roman 12 pt. (unless the instructions require a different font), double-spaced.
• Set 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins (all sides).
• APA papers contain page headers at the top of every page with page numbers. Page numbers are inserted flush right.
• Papers written in APA style are divided into the following sections:

  • Title Page
  • Outline or Table of Contents (if required)
  • Abstract (if required)
  • Paper Body
  • References
  • Appendix (if required)

Title Page

• In the header, include only page numbers flush right starting with the title page.
• The title page should be double-spaced.
• The title should be centered and inserted in the upper half of the first page, 3-4 lines down from the top.
• For the title, use boldface, upper and lower case (avoid abbreviations and redundant words).
• Insert your name 2 lines below the title.
• Insert the institution, course name, professor’s name, and date below your name.

Abstract

• Abstract is written on a new page; this page should contain a page header with a page number.
• The word “Abstract” is centered on the new page and written in bold. Do not use quotation marks, italics, or any other formatting.
• The text on the abstract page is NOT indented.
• The abstract in APA should contain only the most relevant information, such as research topic/thesis statement, research question(s), sample size/participants, research design/method, data analysis, results, and conclusions.
• The abstract consists of a single paragraph (about 130-250 words) of double-spaced text.
• If keywords are required, they are indented and written beneath the abstract paragraph. Do not forget to use italics for the word “Keywords.”
• Abstract may be omitted as it’s an optional part of the paper.

Outline

• The title “Outline” is bold and centered.
• Even though not mentioned in the paper body, in the outline, you mention “Introduction.”
• Make sure to clearly structure your outline.
• All headings/subheadings from the text should be mentioned in the outline and vice versa.
• Headings and subheadings in the outline should be properly leveled as they appear in the text and vice versa.
• There is no need to mention page numbers in the outline unless it’s a table of contents.

Headings/Subheadings

Your paper must be structured and formatted in the following way:

• Make sure to indent each paragraph (1.27 cm) and use double spacing for the text of the paper.
• Do not write the word “Introduction” before the first paragraph in APA papers.
• Follow the format set for headings if you want to structure your paper.
• Headings and subheadings are not obligatory for short papers but are a must for longer papers.

Reference Page

• If you use only one (1) source, name the page Reference, if more – References.
• Each source you mention on the reference page must be cited in the body of the text.
• Each source you cite in the body of the text must have a reference entry on the reference page.
• The reference list is inserted at the end of your paper; any source that you use needs to be included in the reference page and cited in the text.
• Indent all lines after the first line in the entry (hanging indent); the lines should be indented one-half inch (1.27 cm) from the left margin of your paper.
• Do not forget to invert authors’ names: Last Name, Initials. Example: Cage, D. C.
• The reference list in APA is always alphabetized by the first word in the reference entry (from A to Z).
• When alphabetizing titles or group names as authors, go by the first significant word (disregard a, an, the, etc.)
• Do not include the abbreviation for the group author. Instead, spell out the full name of the group.

Use our APA Citation Style Machine to master and better understand APA citation style and don’t forget to check our APA Title Page Generator to format papers and sources according to APA rules.

❓ APA 7 Formatting FAQ