• The Complete Guide to APA Format in 2020
  • Headings and Subheadings
  • Discussion Section
  • Websites and Online Sources
  • Journals and Periodicals
  • Other Print Sources
  • Other Non-Print Sources
  • In-text Citations
  • Footnotes and Endnotes
  • Using MyBib Responsibly
  • Miscellaneous Questions

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APA Format is the official writing style of the American Psychological Association, and is primarily used in subjects such as psychology, education, and the social sciences.

It specifies how to format academic papers and citations for publication in journals, periodicals, and bulletins.

This guide will show you how to prepare and format a document to be fully compliant with APA Format in 2020.

Before You Start Writing...

There are several steps you must take to prepare a new document for APA style before you start writing your paper:

  • Make sure the paper size is 8.5" x 11" (known as 'Letter' in most word processors).
  • Set the margin size to 1" on all sides (2.54cm).
  • Change the line spacing to double-spaced .
  • Add page numbers to the top-right corner of every page.
  • Add a running head to the top-left corner of every page.

We have a pre-made APA style template document you can download to be sure you are ready to start writing. You can download it below:

When your document is ready, proceed to writing the title page .

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APA Format Guidelines, Tips, and Examples

How to Write in APA Format

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APA format is the official style used by the  American Psychological Association  and is commonly used in the fields of psychology , education , and other social sciences. APA style refers to the way that student and professional publications are formatted for submission and publication. Knowing how to write in APA format is an important skill for both students and professionals.

The seventh edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association" is the official guidebook for formatting your APA papers. It's the latest edition published in 2019. Of course, if you have further questions about how to format your paper, check with your professor or instructor on what they prefer.

If you're a beginner and need to write a paper in APA format, the following step-by-step guide can help you format your paper correctly and create the different sections that you will need.

General APA Format Guidelines

There are some basic rules of APA format that apply to any type of APA paper. These include:

  • Type on standard-size (8.5-inch by 11-inch) paper
  • Have a 1-inch margin on all sides
  • Have a title page, a reference list , and a byline
  • Use an easy-to-read font such as Calibri or Times New Roman
  • Double-space the whole paper
  • Align text to the left-hand side
  • Indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches

According to APA guidelines, your paper should include four main sections: a title page, abstract, main body, and references.

APA format emphasizes accessibility for all readers. Be sure to review their official information on how to make your paper accessible .

APA Format Title Page

There are two different versions of an APA title page : the student and professional versions. A student title page should include:

  • Title of paper
  • Name of each author of the paper (the byline)
  • Affiliation for each author (the university attended, including the name of the department)
  • Course number and name
  • Instructor name (check with the instructor for their preferred format)
  • Assignment due date (i.e., November 4, 2020)
  • Page number

For a professional APA paper, include:

  • Name of each author of the paper (byline)
  • Affiliation for each author
  • Author note
  • Running head (an abbreviated version of the paper title)

For both student and professional papers, the paper title is in title case, bold, and centered. It should be about three to four lines down from the top margin of the page.

Be concise. Your title should be a short statement of what the reader will find in the paper. Your title will often identify the major variables and their relationships. Examples of APA paper titles include:

  • Effect of Sleep Deprivation on Math Performance
  • Impact of Leadership Style on Employee Productivity
  • How Music Tempo Affects Running Pace
  • How Medication Improves Smoking Cessation Outcomes

A title page for a professional paper should also include an author note, which provides more information about the paper's authors, study registration, data sharing, disclaimers on any conflicts of interest, a point of contact, and funding sources.

When writing your title, be concise and avoid any extraneous words that do not add meaning to your title. The APA style guide advises writers to avoid phrases such as "An Experimental Investigation of..." or "A Study of...".

APA Format Abstract

Think of an abstract as a summary of your paper. If you are a student, your instructor may or may not require an abstract; be sure to check.

Follow these tips for writing your abstract in APA format:

  • The abstract should have its own page right after the title page.
  • Centered at the top of the page in bold, write "Abstract."
  • In the next line, briefly summarize the main points of the paper.
  • While the content will vary, an abstract typically includes the research topic , research questions, information on participants and methods , the data analysis used, and main conclusions. 
  • An abstract should be a single paragraph, double-spaced, and usually no more than 250 words.

The "Publication Manual" states that a good abstract is accurate, coherent, and concise. Be sure not to include any information in the abstract that isn't in the paper itself.

Tables in APA Format

Tables are an efficient way to display a great deal of information in a concise, clear, and easy-to-read format. In APA format papers, tables are generally used to describe the results of statistical analysis and other pertinent quantitative data .

However, it is important to note that not all data should be presented in a table. If you have little numeric information to present, it should be described in the text of your paper.

The APA's publication manual recommends designing your table with the reader in mind. Strive to communicate data in a way that is clear and easy to understand.

Basic Rules for Tables

Keep these tips in mind when using a table in your APA format publication:

  • Add an individual title to each table. It should be italicized and capitalized in APA style.
  • Begin each table after the reference list on a page of its own.
  • Number all tables (i.e., Table 1, Table 2, Table 3).
  • Reference all tables in the text of the paper.

Remember that your table is there to supplement rather than replicate the text of your paper. Do not feel the need to discuss every element of your table in your text. Extraneous information can overwhelm and confuse the reader. Stick to reporting the most important data.

Instead, focus on keeping your table concise. Mention key highlights and tell the reader what to look for in your table.

Table Headings

Keep these tips in mind when writing table headings:

  • Capitalize the first letter of each heading.
  • Identify each column using a descriptive heading.
  • Use abbreviations for standard terms in the table itself. Uncommon definitions should be explained in a note below the table.

Additional Notes

If an additional explanation is needed, a note can be added below the table. There are three kinds of notes: general notes, specific notes, and probability notes.

General notes refer to some aspect of the entire table; specific notes refer to a particular column, row, or cell; probability notes specify the values of symbols in your table.

Reference Pages in APA Format

All sources cited in your paper should be included in the reference page. The reference page should appear at the end of your APA paper. This page makes it easy for the reader to easily look up all of the materials you cited.

Anything cited in the text must appear in the reference section and anything included in the reference section must be cited somewhere in the text.

Your references should begin on a new page with the title "References" in bold and centered at the very top. Do not underline, italicize, or place quotation marks around the title.

Basic Reference Page Rules

Be sure not to forget these rules when putting together your APA format reference page:

  • Alphabetize references by the last names of the first author of each source.
  • Capitalize all major words in the title of a journal (i.e., The Journal of Personality and Social Psychology ).
  • Capitalize only the first letter in article titles. If a colon appears in the title, the first letter after the colon should also be capitalized. The title should not be placed in quotations, underlined, or italicized.
  • Double-space all references.
  • Italicize the titles of books and journals.
  • When the same author is cited multiple times, list references in chronological order with the oldest first, working your way up to the most recent one.
  • Use a hanging indentation for each reference; the first line of the reference should be aligned to the left, but each additional line needs to be indented.

Journals and Periodicals

Journal articles should appear in alphabetical order in your reference list. More APA format tips include:

  • Capitalize the first letter of the first word in the title, subtitle, and proper nouns.
  • Italicize the name of the publication and the volume number.

The basic format of a journal article reference is to first list authors by their last names followed by the initials of their first names. Next, the publication year is enclosed in parentheses and followed by a period.

The title of the article should then follow, with only the first letter of the first word capitalized as well as the first letter of any proper nouns.

The italicized title of the journal comes after, followed by a comma. Place the volume number next, also italicized. Follow this with the issue number in parentheses, followed by a comma.

Then, place page numbers, using a hyphen in between if it's a range of pages. Place a period after this. Finally, a hyperlink including the DOI number should be included if there is one available.

This style is applicable to printed texts. The format for citing books in APA format is as follows:

  • Name of author (last name, first initial)
  • The date of the publication in parentheses
  • The italicized title of the book
  • If applicable, put the edition of the book in parentheses
  • Publisher name
  • Hyperlink with DOI number

Note: Place a period after each of these elements.

Electronic Sources

The basic format of an electronic reference is very similar to that of any other reference. However, you typically need to include the online location of the document.

Since online URLs can change, the APA recommends utilizing a digital object identifier (DOI) in your references whenever possible.

A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string that begins with a 10 as well as a prefix (usually a four-digit number assigned to organizations) and a suffix (a number assigned by the publisher).

Many publishers will include the DOI on the first page of an electronic document. If a DOI is available, simply include it as a hyperlink at the end of the reference as follows: https://doi.org/10.0000/00000000000.

Be sure to consult the latest information from The American Psychological Association for more information on citing electronic sources.

A Word From Verywell

It's helpful to consult the latest edition of the APA "Publication Manual" when you have questions about proper formatting for your APA paper. If you're a student, it's a great idea to consult with your instructor as well. They can help establish clear guidelines and expectations for your papers before you submit them.

Nicoll LH, Oermann MH, Chinn PL, Conklin JL, Amarasekara S, Mccarty M. Guidance provided to authors on citing and formatting references in nursing journals . J Nurses Prof Dev . 2018;34(2):54-59. doi:10.1097/NND.0000000000000430

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (2020) .

American Psychological Association.  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2020.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Generate accurate APA citations for free

  • Knowledge Base
  • APA Style 6th edition
  • APA format for academic papers (6th edition)

APA Format (6th ed.) for Academic Papers and Essays [Template]

Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on September 4, 2023.

In addition to guidelines for APA citations , there are format guidelines for academic papers and essays. They’re widely used by professionals, researchers and students.

Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr

The most important APA format guidelines in the 6th edition are:

  • Use 12 pt Times New Roman
  • Set 1 inch page margins
  • Apply double line spacing
  • Insert a running head on every page
  • Indent every new paragraph ½ inch

APA format

Table of contents

Apa format template, running head, reference page, in-text citations and references, setting up the apa format.

Instead of applying the APA guidelines to your document you can simply download the APA format template for Word.

APA Format Template

Download APA Format Template (.docx)

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In the header of each page you include the paper title and page number. If your paper title is longer than 50 characters you should use a shortened version as running head. The page number should be positioned in the top right-hand corner. On the title page the APA running head is preceded by the words “Running head:”.

APA running head example title page

Throughout your paper you use different heading levels. The levels ranging from one to five help structure the document. Major headings, or heading 1, are used for the titles of chapters such as “Methods” or “Results”. Heading levels two to five are used for subheadings. Each heading level is formatted differently. These are the APA heading guidelines :

Heading level APA format
Heading 1
Heading 2
Heading 3 The body text begins immediately after the period.
Heading 4 The body text begins immediately after the period.
Heading 5 The body text begins immediately after the point.

Title case capitalization : Capitalize the first, last, and principal words. Sentence case capitalization : Capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns.

Note that you are not required to include a table of contents in APA style , but if you do choose to include one, all headings should be formatted as plain text, with an additional indent for each level.

The APA title page , also called cover page, is the first page of your paper. The regular formatting guidelines regarding font and margins apply. In addition, an APA formatted title page contains:

  • Running head including page number
  • Full paper title (in title case)
  • Author name(s), without titles and degrees
  • Institutional affiliation

Note: APA style has specific guidelines for including more than one author or institutional affiliation on the title page .

APA Title page

An APA abstract is a one paragraph (± 250 words) summary of your paper. It introduces the objective or problem statement of the paper and includes information on the method, research results, and conclusions of your research. In a separate article we explain in-depth how to write an abstract .

Although most regular APA formatting guidelines apply, the abstract page also has specific requirements. The abstract starts with a centered heading “Abstract”. In contrast to regular APA headings, no styling is applied. The first line of the paragraph is, unlike regular paragraphs, not indented.

At the end of the abstract, keywords relevant to the research are included. These keywords improve the findability of your paper in databases. Indent the line with keywords and start with the italicized word “Keyword:”, followed by the keywords.

APA format abstract

The APA reference page , also called reference list, is where all sources that are cited in the text are listed. The citations differs for each source type. Aside from the references itself the reference page as a whole also has specific APA formatting guidelines.

The APA reference page example below highlights those guidelines regarding page margins, hanging indent and the reference page title “References”. Furthermore, the reference list is sorted alphabetically . You can easily create APA references with Scribbr’s free APA Citation Generator .

APA reference page example

APA reference page format

APA format citations consist of parenthetical citation in the text ( APA 6 in-text citations ) and the full reference in the reference list. For each webpage, journal article, book or any other source specific citation guidelines apply.

To make things easier Scribbr created the free APA Citation Generator that cites every source perfectly. Just enter the URL, journal DOI or book ISBN and both the in-text citation and full reference are generated.

In addition, Scribbr has in-depth APA citation examples for every source type ranging from journal articles and books to YouTube videos and tweets .

This video will demonstrate how to set up the APA format in Google Docs.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2023, September 04). APA Format (6th ed.) for Academic Papers and Essays [Template]. Scribbr. Retrieved September 3, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/6th-edition/archived-format/

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA Sample Papers

APA Sample Papers

Ever wonder how to format your research paper in APA style? If so, you’re in luck! The team at EasyBib.com has put together an example paper to help guide you through your next assignment. (Actually, looking for MLA? Here’s a page on what is MLA format .)

The featured example is a research paper on the uses of biometrics to inform design decisions in the tech industry, authored by our UX Research Intern Peace Iyiewuare. Like most APA style papers, it includes an APA title page , tables, and several references and APA in-text citations to scholarly journals relevant to its topic. References are an important aspect of scientific research papers, and formatting them correctly is critical to getting a good grade.

This paper follows the formatting rules specified in the 6th edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the APA is not directly associated with this guide) . We’ve left comments and tips throughout the document, so you’ll know the specific rules around how to format titles, spacing, and font, as well as the citations on the APA reference page .

The reference list needs special care, as it demonstrates to the reader that you have accurately portrayed your outside sources and have given credit to the appropriate parties. Be sure to check our full APA citation guide for more information on paper formatting and citing sources in APA style. There is also a guide on  APA footnotes in case that is your preferred form of citation.

Download the APA Visual Guide

When citations are done, don’t forget to finish your paper off with a proofread—EasyBib Plus’s plagiarism and grammar check can help! Got a misspelled adverb ? Missed capitalizing a proper noun ? Struggling with subject-verb agreement ? These are just a few things our checker could help you spot in your paper.

D. Complete Sample APA Paper

We’ve included a full student paper below to give you an idea of what an essay in APA format looks like, complete with a title page, paper, reference list, and index. If you plan to include an APA abstract in your paper, see the Professional Paper for an example.

If you’re looking for an APA format citation generator, we’ve got you covered. Use EasyBib.com! Our APA format machine can help you create every reference for your paper.

Below is an example of a student APA format essay. We also have PDF versions of both a student paper and a professional paper linked below.

See Student Paper                                 See Professional Paper

Using Biometrics to Evaluate Visual Design

Jane Lisa Dekker

Art Department, Northern California Valley State University

UXAD 272: Strategic Web Design

Professor Juan Liu, PhD

January 29, 2020

      A vast amount of research has been conducted regarding the importance of visual design, and its role as a mediator of user’s experience when browsing a site or interacting with an interface. In the literature, visual design is one aspect of website quality. Jones and Kim (2010) define website quality as “the perceived quality of a retail website that involves a [user’s] perceptions of the retailer’s website and comprises consumer reactions towards such attributes as information, entertainment/enjoyment, usability, transaction capabilities, and design aesthetics” (p. 632).  They further examined the impact web quality and retail brand trust has on purchase intentions. Additional research examining e-commerce sites has shown web quality has an impact on both initial and continued purchase intention (Kuan, Bock, & Vathanophas, 2008), as well as consumer satisfaction (Lin, 2007). Moreso, research on the relationship between visual design and perceived usability (Stojmenovic, Pilgrim, & Lindgaard, 2014) has revealed a positive correlation between the two. As users’ ratings of visual quality increase, their ratings of perceived usability follows a similar trend. Although this research spans various domains, the reliance on self-report measures to gauge concepts like visual design and web quality is prevalent throughout much of the literature.

Although some self-report scales are validated within the literature, there are still issues with the use of self-report questionnaires. One is the reliance on the honesty of the participant. This tends to be more of an issue in studies related to questionnaires that measure characteristics of the participant, rather than objective stimuli. More relevant to this study is the issue of introspection and memory. Surveys are often distributed after a task is completed, and its accuracy is dependent on the ability of the participant to remember their experience during the study. Multiple research studies have shown that human memory is far from static. This can

be dangerous if a researcher chooses to solely rely on self-report methods to test a hypothesis. We believe these self-report methods in tandem with biometric methods can help ensure the validity of the questionnaires, and provide information beyond the scope of self-report scales.

Research Questions

      We know from previous research that the quality of websites mediates many aspects of e-commerce, and provides insight as to how consumers view the webpages in general.  However, simply knowing a webpage is perceived as lower quality doesn’t give insight as to what aspects of a page are disliked by a user. Additionally, it’s possible that the user is misremembering aspects of the webpage or being dishonest in their assessment. Using eye tracking metrics, galvanic skin response, and facial expression measures in tandem with a scale aimed at measuring visual design quality has a couple of identifiable benefits. Using both can potentially identify patterns amongst the biometric measures and the questionnaire, which would strengthen the validity of the results. More so, the eye tracking data has the potential to identify patterns amongst websites of lower or higher quality.

If found, these patterns can be used to evaluate particular aspects of a page that are impacting the quality of a webpage. Overall, we are interested in answering two questions:

Research Question 1 : Can attitudinal changes regarding substantial website redesigns be captured using biometric measures?

Research Question 2 : How do biometric measures correlate with self-reported measures of visual appeal?

      Answering these questions has the potential to provide a method of justification for design changes, ranging from minor tweak to complete rebrands. There is not an easy way for companies to quantitatively analyze visual design decisions. A method for doing so would help companies evaluate visual designs before implementation in order to cost-justify them. To this end, we hope to demonstrate that biometric measurements can be used with questionnaires to verify and validate potential design changes a company or organization might want to implement.

      By examining data from test subjects during a brief exposure to several websites, we hoped to explore the relationship between the self-reported evaluation of visual design quality and key biometric measurements of a subject’s emotional valence and arousal. Subjects were exposed to ten pairs of websites before and after a substantial visual design change and asked to evaluate the website based on their initial impressions of the site’s visual design quality using the VisAWI-S scale, as shown in Table 1.  

During this assessment we collected GSR, facial expressions (limited by errors in initial study configuration), pupillary response, and fixation data using iMotions software coupled with a Tobii eye tracker, Shimmer GSR device, and Affdex facial expression analysis toolkit. This data was analyzed, in Table 2, to discover relationships between the independent and dependent variables, as well as relationships between certain dependent variables.  

Jones, C., & Kim, S. (2010). Influences of retail brand trust, off-line patronage, clothing involvement and website quality on online apparel shopping intention: Online apparel shopping intention. International Journal of Consumer Studies , 34 (6), 627–637. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00871.x

Kuan, H.-H., Bock, G.-W., & Vathanophas, V. (2008). Comparing the effects of website quality on customer initial purchase and continued purchase at e-commerce websites. Behaviour & Information Technology , 27 (1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290600801959

Lin, H.-F. (2007). The impact of website quality dimensions on customer satisfaction in the B2C e-commerce context. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence , 18 (4), 363–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783360701231302

Stojmenovic, M., Pilgrim, C., & Lindgaard, G. (2014). Perceived and objective usability and visual appeal in a website domain with a less developed mental model. Proceedings of the 26 th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference on Designing Futures: The Future of Design , 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1145/2686612.2686660

Factor Item
Simplicity Everything goes together on the site.
Diversity The layout is pleasantly varied.
Colorfulness The color composition is attractive
Craftsmanship The layout appears professionally designed
Familiarity* I am familiar with this website
Participants were asked about agreement with the item using a 7-point likert scale.
* question is simply to gauge familiarity for the study, and is not part of the Vis-AWI-S instrument

Before After
Website Mean

Difference

Joy Kitchen 3.49 1.30 5.61 0.93 2.12 0.00
Seacom 3.27 1.59 5.35 1.20 2.08 0.00
Food Blog 3.59 1.30 5.59 0.80 2.00 0.00
Credit Union 3.29 1.26 5.18 1.07 1.89 0.00
Travelers 3.61 1.39 5.38 1.24 1.78 0.00
Sporcle 4.23 1.23 2.45 1.12 -1.78 0.00
Eagle 3.93 1.47 5.45 0.82 1.52 0.00
Oberlin 4.00 1.25 5.47 0.84 1.47 0.00
Valve 3.88 1.56 5.10 1.42 1.22 0.00
Hospital 4.47 1.33 5.48 0.85 1.01 0.00
Travel Blog 4.71 1.23 5.69 1.01 0.98 0.00
Space 4.35 1.55 5.29 1.09 0.94 0.00
School 5.04 1.44 5.63 0.80 0.60 0.06
Book Publisher 5.12 1.27 5.63 1.17 0.51 0.10
Sneakers 4.78 1.37 5.20 1.34 0.42 0.14
Stance 5.08 0.88 5.41 0.95 0.33 0.09
City 4.79 1.18 5.12 0.88 0.32 0.07
IEEE 3.95 1.30 4.26 1.40 0.31 0.24
Rise 5.08 1.00 4.89 1.27 -0.18 0.30
Audio Technica 3.94 1.52 4.05 1.37 0.11 0.71
Bloomberg 3.63 1.35 3.52 1.26 -0.11 0.73
Stimuli are ranked by largest to smallest absolute mean difference.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Block Quotes
  • et al Usage
  • In-text Citations
  • Multiple Authors
  • Paraphrasing
  • Page Numbers
  • Parenthetical Citations
  • Reference Page
  • Sample Paper
  • APA 7 Updates
  • View APA Guide

Citation Examples

  • Book Chapter
  • Journal Article
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Website (no author)
  • View all APA Examples

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Writing for the Web

  • Mid-Senior Career
  • Marketing and Advertising
  • Social Media and Internet

Supercharge Your Presence

December 2018

  • Slides (PDF, 4MB)
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Are you a private practice clinician interested in learning how to market yourself through online publication? Are you a researcher or academic interested in learning how to share your ideas with the public via the internet? Or, are you a graduate student looking to sow SEO seeds by publishing on the web?

Our latest webinar will teach you:

  • The value of online publishing outside of academia.
  • Web-friendly writing techniques and formatting.
  • Strategies for creating excellent content.
  • Methods and venues for getting published.

Writing for the Web: Resources (DOC, 15KB)

Blog template (DOC, 35KB)

This program does not offer CE credit.

Kyler Shumway, PsyD

Kyler Shumway, PsyD

President and chief clinical officer of Deep Eddy Psychotherapy , one of the leading outpatient mental health practices in Texas. He is also a bestselling author with his fourth book, Neurodiversity and the Myth of Normal , being released soon as an Amazon Audible Original. He has been featured by Forbes , The New York Times , CNN, and more for his work in combatting the loneliness epidemic. As a licensed psychologist, thought leader, and TEDx speaker who has spoken to audiences across the nation (as well as internationally), his mission is to help people learn to love themselves and others, build satisfying and meaningful relationships, and find their place to belong.

More in this series

This webinar covers marketing strategies that will help you attract readers to your book.

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Learn how to become a public speaker as a mental health professional.

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Learn about search engine optimization, what is it and how do you find SEO success when you're not super tech-savvy.

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Learn about options for designing and hosting as website as well as basic web design principles.

September 2018 On Demand Webinar

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APA Formatting and Style Guide (6th Edition)

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How to Write a Table of Contents for Research Paper: A Complete Guide

How to Write a Table of Contents for Research Paper: A Complete Guide

After hundreds of hours of non-stop working, the research essay is finished! Unfortunately, it is not the time to celebrate. That’s when you must get down to one of the least pleasant things in professional college or high school writing – a table of contents. The following article will define table of contents, discuss its purpose, and provide guidance on how to make a table of contents for a research paper.

What is a research paper table of contents?

Academic essays can be from 2–3 to hundreds pages long. They can contain a wide range of different studies, theoretical analyses, and practical examinations. They make up the substance of the study and assist you in showcasing the subject of your labor.

Since you are always required to cover many different aspects in your study, navigating the document quickly becomes top priority. This is why all expansive academic papers require a table of contents (also known as TOC). 

This fragment of your paper is an overview of every topic explored in it. The TOC looks like an invisible table where cells house a chapter, segment, or simple section heading. Consequently, each title corresponds to a page index which is also indicated in the TOC. This indicator is located at the beginning of the document, preceding the introduction but following the title page.

Why do we need a table of contents in research paper?

Let’s break down the purpose of table of contents as well as its essential functions.

  • Usability. By scanning TOC, readers can quickly find certain sections or chapters within the research.
  • Structure. TOC helps the audience gain an immediate understanding of the subject matter and how the study has been organized and conducted.
  • Professional presentation. It betters the professional appearance of the essay by reflecting your insightful planning as well as attention to detail.
  • Clarity. A TOC makes sure to list all big chapters, sections, sub-sections, and supplements, which navigates the audience and sets their expectations for what the research covers.

Overall, the purpose of TOC is to improve the reader's experience by making the research more accessible and easier to navigate.

What guideline should you follow when preparing a table of contents?

In a nutshell, the way you organize, format and make a TOC is subject to the style guide required by your professor. Here is an exploration on how to prepare a TOC for different writing guides.

  • Title. Per the MLA style, a table of contents is not obligatory. Nonetheless, if your professor requires it, this part must be called "Contents" or "Table of Contents" and lined up at the top center area of the page.
  • Formatting. The MLA guide generally uses a simpler approach with fewer formalities regarding the TOC. Consult your professor’s requirements to see which kind of spacing and dot leaders rules you will need to apply.
  • Page index. MLA format traditionally uses Arabic numerals in the main body, but any TOC is up to the discretion of the author or professor.
  • Sections. The TOC should include all major parts of the essay like introduction, body sections, works cited, and appendices.
  • Title. In the APA style, the TOC should be named "Table of Contents" and centered at the top.
  • Headings. While compiling your APA table of contents, you must Include all major sections like abstract, foreword, method, conclusions, discussion, references, and supplements.
  • Formatting. APA has stricter requirements for formatting rules. You should use double-spacing throughout the TOC, which is in line with the rest of the study and the general requirements of the APA guide. The font repeats the one used in the main text (e.g., Times New Roman, 12-point).
  • Page index. Align page indexes along the right side of the page and use dot leaders to connect the headings to the page indexes.

Chicago style

  • Title. The TOC should be called "Contents" and placed at the top center of the page.
  • Formatting. The Chicago Manual suggests single-spacing within entries and double-spacing between entries. Fonts should be consistent with the rest of the document.
  • Headings. Include all chapters or major parts and list subheadings if needed. Use dot leaders between entries and page indexes.
  • Hierarchy. Always make sure to distinguish main headings from subheadings for better readability. This might be done through bold or italic formatting, and indentation for subheadings.
  • Page indexes. Place page indexes flush with the right margin. It is permissible to use Roman numerals for introductory pages, but the central text should only contain Arabic numerals.

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American Psychological Association

Instructional Aids

apa style essay writing

Many of these resources are intended for students and were designed by APA Style experts in conjunction with university instructors. Please note that because the scope of what constitutes a student paper is broad and flexible and varies by course and academic institution, there are no formal requirements for the nature or contents of APA Style student papers. Students should follow the guidelines of their instructor, advisor, department, and/or institution when writing papers, and instructors, departments, and institutions are encouraged to adapt APA Style to fit their needs.

More instructional aids will be added to the website in the future. If you are an instructor and want to share an instructional aid you made with APA to potentially be featured on our website, please contact the APA Style team .

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Tutorials and webinars

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Handouts and guides

PDFs to use in homes, classrooms, libraries, or anywhere else you are learning or teaching APA Style.

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Sample papers

Papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style for both professional manuscripts and student papers.

Mastering APA Style Student Workbook, Seventh Edition

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Do you need to improve your knowledge and application of seventh edition APA Style? Watch this short video to learn about the new Mastering APA Style Student Workbook , the official interactive guide to learning APA Style.

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Instructional Products

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Mastering APA Style Student Workbook

An online and interactive workbook designed for teaching and learning seventh edition APA Style

Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition

Concise Guide, Seventh Edition

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Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition

Publication Manual, Seventh Edition

The official source for seventh edition APA Style that guides users through the scholarly writing process

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Course Adoption

The seventh edition Publication Manual , Concise Guide to APA Style , and Mastering APA Style Student Workbook are all available for course adoption.

  • When instructors adopt an APA Style book for their course or workshop, they can request a free exam or desk copy of the work.
  • Instructors who adopt the seventh edition of the Publication Manual or the Concise Guide to APA Style are also eligible to receive instructions on accessing ancillary instructional materials for teaching APA Style in the classroom.

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IMAGES

  1. Apa format free essay examples and research papers

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  2. APA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here

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  4. How To Write an Essay in APA Format

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  6. APA Style Paper: Brief Formatting Guide on 7th Edition

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VIDEO

  1. Formatting Your APA Essay (Microsoft Word)

  2. Reading, Writing & Education : How to Write a College Essay (MLA, APA, Chicago Styles)

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  4. APA Writing Style Common Mistakes

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COMMENTS

  1. APA format for academic papers and essays

    Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines: Set page margins to 1 inch on all sides. Double-space all text, including headings. Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches. Use an accessible font (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.).

  2. Paper format

    To format a paper in APA Style, writers can typically use the default settings and automatic formatting tools of their word-processing program or make only minor adjustments. The guidelines for paper format apply to both student assignments and manuscripts being submitted for publication to a journal. If you are using APA Style to create ...

  3. Sample papers

    These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different student paper types. Students may write the same types of papers as professional authors (e.g., quantitative studies, literature reviews) or other types of papers for course assignments (e.g., reaction or response papers, discussion posts), dissertations, and theses.

  4. APA Essay Format: How to Write a Successful APA Essay

    If the essay is in a chapter of a book, edited collection, or anthology, APA format states that you should cite the last name, first name, title of essay, title of collection, publisher, year, and page range. For example: Smith, John, "The Light House," A Book of Poems, editing by Peter Roberts, Allworth Press, 2005, pp. 20-25.

  5. APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

    Guidelines on writing an APA style paper ... General guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay Author/Authors How to refer to authors in-text, including single and multiple authors, unknown authors, organizations, etc. Reference List. Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats ...

  6. APA Style

    The authority on APA Style and the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual. Find tutorials, the APA Style Blog, how to format papers in APA Style, and other resources to help you improve your writing, master APA Style, and learn the conventions of scholarly publishing.

  7. A step-by-step guide for creating and formatting APA Style student papers

    This article walks through the formatting steps needed to create an APA Style student paper, starting with a basic setup that applies to the entire paper (margins, font, line spacing, paragraph alignment and indentation, and page headers). It then covers formatting for the major sections of a student paper: the title page, the text, tables and ...

  8. APA Style

    APA Style is a set of guidelines for effective scholarly communication that helps writers present their ideas in a clear, precise, and inclusive manner. It is used by millions of people worldwide in psychology, social sciences, and many other disciplines for the preparation of manuscripts for publication as well as for writing student papers ...

  9. The Complete Guide to APA Format in 2020

    There are several steps you must take to prepare a new document for APA style before you start writing your paper: Make sure the paper size is 8.5" x 11" (known as 'Letter' in most word processors). Set the margin size to 1" on all sides (2.54cm). Change the line spacing to double-spaced. Add page numbers to the top-right corner of every page.

  10. APA Sample Paper

    Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper , APA Sample Professional Paper This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader. Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication).

  11. APA Writing Style

    Punctuation. Besides following general punctuation rules, pay attention to these points when writing in APA Style. Always use a comma after the Latin abbreviations "e.g." and "i.e.". Similarly, use a comma after an introductory phrase, even if it's only a single word. For example, "Conversely, the results of …".

  12. APA Format: Guidelines, Tips, and Examples

    There are some basic rules of APA format that apply to any type of APA paper. These include: Type on standard-size (8.5-inch by 11-inch) paper. Have a 1-inch margin on all sides. Have a title page, a reference list, and a byline. Use an easy-to-read font such as Calibri or Times New Roman. Double-space the whole paper.

  13. How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition)

    On the first line of the page, write the section label "References" (in bold and centered). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order. Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page: Double spacing (within and between references) Hanging indent of ½ inch.

  14. General Format

    General APA Guidelines. Your essay should be typed and double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11"), with 1" margins on all sides. Include a page header (also known as the "running head") at the top of every page. For a professional paper, this includes your paper title and the page number. For a student paper, this only includes the ...

  15. APA Format: Everything You Need to Know Here

    B. Writing Style Tips. Writing a paper for scientific topics is much different than writing for English, literature, and other composition classes. Science papers are much more direct, clear, and concise. This section includes key suggestions, explains how to write in APA format, and includes other tidbits to keep in mind while formulating your ...

  16. PDF Student Paper Setup Guide, APA Style 7th Edition

    Indent the first line of every paragraph of text 0.5 in. using the tab key or the paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program. Page numbers: Put a page number in the top right corner of every page, including the title page or cover page, which is page 1. Student papers do not require a running head on any page.

  17. Introduction and Link to APA 7th

    The APA (American Psychological Association) Style is used by many researchers, scholars, students and publishers around the world. Fields from psychology, social work, communications, education and other disciplines used the style for dissertations, theses, research papers and articles. Using a style guide helps writers present their ideas in a clear, concise and organized manner.

  18. APA Style

    APA Sample Papers. Annotated Bibliography. Argumentative Essay From a Beginning Writing Class (traditional style) Argumentative Essay From a Psychology Class. Aristotelian Argumentative Essay. Cause and Effect Essay From a Beginning Writing Class. Cause and Effect Essay From an Educational Psychology Class.

  19. APA Style for beginners: High school, college, and beyond

    APA Style is primarily used in the behavioral sciences, which are subjects related to people, such as psychology, education, and nursing. It is also used by students in business, engineering, communications, and other classes. Students use it to write academic essays and research papers in high school and college, and professionals use it to ...

  20. APA Format (6th ed.) for Academic Papers and Essays [Template]

    Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr. The most important APA format guidelines in the 6th edition are: Use 12 pt Times New Roman. Set 1 inch page margins. Apply double line spacing. Insert a running head on every page. Indent every new paragraph ½ inch.

  21. APA Sample Papers

    D. Complete Sample APA Paper. We've included a full student paper below to give you an idea of what an essay in APA format looks like, complete with a title page, paper, reference list, and index. If you plan to include an APA abstract in your paper, see the Professional Paper for an example. If you're looking for an APA format citation ...

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    Kyler Shumway, PsyD. President and chief clinical officer of Deep Eddy Psychotherapy, one of the leading outpatient mental health practices in Texas.He is also a bestselling author with his fourth book, Neurodiversity and the Myth of Normal, being released soon as an Amazon Audible Original.He has been featured by Forbes, The New York Times, CNN, and more for his work in combatting the ...

  23. APA Formatting and Style Guide (6th Edition)

    Types of APA Papers. APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page.

  24. APA Style Tutorials and Webinars

    This tutorial is designed for writers new to APA Style. Learn the basics of seventh edition APA Style, including paper elements, format, and organization; academic writing style; grammar and usage; bias-free language; mechanics of style; tables and figures; in-text citations, paraphrasing, and quotations; and reference list format and order.

  25. How to Write a Table of Contents for Research Paper: A Complete Guide

    APA style. Title. In the APA style, the TOC should be named "Table of Contents" and centered at the top. Headings. While compiling your APA table of contents, you must Include all major sections like abstract, foreword, method, conclusions, discussion, references, and supplements. Formatting. APA has stricter requirements for formatting rules.

  26. PDF Hi, APA Styler! your paper or assignment

    Thank you for using the APA Style annotated sample student paper for guidance when wri ng your paper or assignment. This sample paper PDF contains annota ons that draw aten on to key APA Style content and forma ng such as the tle page, headings, in-text cita ons, references, and more. Relevant sec ons of the seventh edi on of the Publication ...

  27. Instructional aids

    These instructional aids will help you improve your APA Style skills. Access free tutorials and webinars, handouts and guides, and sample papers; learn about instructional products such as the Mastering APA Style Student Workbook; and request desk or exam copies of APA Style books as well as ancillary materials related to course adoption.New to APA Style?