- Title Page: The title page includes five elements: title, running head, author's name, institutional affiliation, and author note. Identify the title page with the page number 1 (flush right). The remaining pages should be numbered consecutively using Arabic numerals.
- Type your title in upper and lowercase letters, centered in the upper half of the page. APA recommends that your title should be no more than 12 words in length and that it should not contain abbreviations or words that serve no purpose. Your title may take up one or two lines. All text on the title page and throughout the paper should be double spaced. Beneath the title, type the author's name. Beneath the author's name, type the institutional affiliation. An author's note may be placed at the bottom of the page. This acknowledges the course or department.
- Running Head: The running head is an abbreviated title that is printed at the top of the pages of a manuscript. The running head should be a maximum of 50 characters. It should be flush left in all uppercase letters at the top of the title page and all subsequent pages.
- Please note that on the title page, your running head should look like this:
Running Head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
Pages after the title page should have a running head that looks like this:
TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
- Abstract: The abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the article. The abstract should be placed on the 2nd page, following the Title Page. On the first line of the abstract page, center the word "Abstract." Beginning with the next line, write a summary of the key points of your paper. (Do not indent the abstract.) Abstracts are typically 150 to 250 words.
- Text: The text of your paper will begin on page 3. At the top of the page, center the full title of your paper, not bold, in 12 point font. Double space and begin typing the text of your paper, indenting the first line of each paragraph.
- Margins: 1" - Leave uniform margins of at least 1 inch at the top, bottom, left, and right of every page.
- Line Alignment: Flush left, leaving the right space uneven, or ragged. Do not divide words at the end of a line, and do not use the hyphenation function to break words at the ends of lines.
- Paragraphs: Indent the first line of every paragraph and the first line of every footnote. For consistency, use the tab key, which should be set at five to seven spaces, or 1/2 inch. The only exceptions to these requirements are (a) the abstract, (b) block quotations, (c) titles and headings, (d) table titles and notes, (e) figure captions, and (f) reference citations (these have a hanging indent).
- Spacing: Double space between all lines of text in your manuscript. Double-space after every line in the title, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and figure captions. Never use a single-space or one-and-a-half spacing except in tables or figures.
- Font Size & Type: 12 Point Font, Times New Roman.
- Order of Manuscript Pages: Arrange the pages of the manuscript as follows:
- Title Page
- Abstract
- Text
- References
- Tables
- Figures
- Appendices
- Page Numbering: After the pages are arranged in the correct order, number them consecutively, beginning with the title page. Use the built-in header/footer option in your word processor to set up page numbering. The page numbers should be flush-right at the top of the document.
This information comes from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition (Section 8.03) and information provided from the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL).
