How do I format a paper in APA?
Answer
APA is the common formatting style for most writing in social science fields. You will often use this style for assignments in Psychology classes, and potentially for other classes depending on the particular assignment. Please check with your professor and your assignment instructions to see how each of your assignments should be formatted.
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Papers written in APA style require a cover page. The entire title of your paper should be written in bold text, three or four lines down from the top of the first page. After this, enter a blank line. Then, in plain text, list each of the following pieces of information on separate lines:
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Your name
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School affiliation (ex: Kankakee Community College)
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The class the paper is written for
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Your instructor's name
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The paper's due date.
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On the first page after the cover page, repeat the title in bold text at the very top of the page.
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The most recent APA update no longer requires a running head on student papers. You should still insert page numbers into the upper right hand corner of the header.
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If your instructor still requires a running head, make sure that it is placed within the header of the word document. You must select the option "different first page" when writing a running head. This will let you make the header of your cover page read "Running head: TITLE IN CAPS" while the rest of the pages should only read "TITLE IN CAPS".
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All papers are typically written in double spaced, Times New Roman 12pt font unless otherwise specified by an instructor.
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If you are citing sources for your assignment, you need to include a Reference page after the last page of your paper. This is a separate page that lists all of your sources in APA style. Additionally, all information from these outside sources must be cited in text. APA in-text citations require the author or authors' last names, the year the cited work was published, and page numbers when applicable.