Formatting Your Paper

APA has very specific standards in regards to how a paper is formatted.  Below are some of the basic guidelines: 

1. Use 8 1/2" x 11" paper (letter size) 
2. 1" margins on all sides (top, bottom, left and right) 
3. Double spacing between lines 
4. Use a Serif Font, such as Times New Roman

Creating a Title Page

A title page is required for your APA Style Paper.  The title page includes, the title of your paper/assignment, your name, and the institution that you are attending. Some instructors may want some additional items, such as the date, assignment number, or course number.  

APA Headers

APA outlines specific rules for the header section of a paper. The header section appears above the top of the page, in the one inch margin area.  APA specifies the following (instructions on how to add headers to your paper are below): 

1. The words "Running head:" only appear on the very first page
2. A modified shortened title, 50 characters or less appears on every page
3. A page number needs to be included on each page at the top right hand corner

APA Template
The APA template below will be really helpful in making sure you are following APA formatting standards. A title page and a sample reference page are also included in the the template.