Citation Resources: APA Paper Format

Margins:

• 1 inch (2.54cm) on all sides, include top, bottom, and left and right sides. 

Page Header & Number: 

• Include a page number in top right corner of all pages, including: title page, reference pages, and appendix pages.
• Page number should be the same font as the rest of the paper.

Running head:

• Student Style: No running head
• Professional Style: Include a running head 

Font: 

• Acceptable fonts include: 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, 11-point Arial, 11-point Calibri, 11-point Georgia, and 12-point Times New Roman.
• Use the same font throughout the paper.
• Check with your instructor if they have a specific font requirement.

Line Spacing:

• The entire paper, including the title page, references pages, and block quotations, should be double-spaced. To double-space your paper, set the line spacing to “2.0.” 
• Do not include additional spacing between paragraphs or before or after headings. 
• There are a few exceptions to double spacing, such as in tables and figures (see below).

Paragraph Alignment and Indentation: 

• Paragraphs should be aligned to the left of the page (left justified). The text on the right margin will be uneven (i.e. do not use full justification). 
• The first line of all paragraphs should be indented, except the abstract (Note: most student papers do not require an abstract).
• The first line of each paragraph should be indented by ½ inch (or 1.27cm). For consistency throughout your paper, click your “Tab” key one time.
• Use a Hanging Indent for all reference citations (see Reference List - Format section below for more information)

For more information on Headings see APA Style Guide: Headings or APA Publication Manual pp. 47-49, Section 2.26-2.28. There are five possible headings in APA. However, your paper might not use all of them. For short papers, some of your professors will not require them. Check with them.

Always start reference on new page.

Label:

• Write the section label “References” in bold font, center aligned at the top of the page, following Title Casing.

Alignment and Indentation: 

• Double-space
• Use a hanging indent for all references
  • The first line of the reference should be flush to the left margin and all subsequent lines should be indented. 

Reference Entries:

• Reference list entries should be arranged in order of author’s last name.
  • Do not re-arrange the authors within the reference list by alphabetical order.
• It is recommended to remove all hyperlinks if you are handing your paper in as a physical print out.
• DOI's and URL should have a uniform format (see: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/dois-urls)