Using a consistent format enables your readers to focus on your content, instead of the presentation of your paper.
APA formatted student essays typically contain the following elements in the order listed:
|
Title Page |
A separate page containing a page number (in the top right), the title of the essay (centered and in bold), the author's name (two lines down and centered), the name of the university, the class number and class title, the instructor's name, and the assignment's due date. |
|
Body |
The content of the essay. Margins are 1" on every side, the font is consistent and legible, the text is double spaced, and headings are used to separate sections. In-text citations are used and have matching citations on the reference page. |
|
References Page |
A page containing references for all sources used in the paper. References are double-spaced and use hanging indents. |
Individual instructors may require other elements not listed above, such as an abstract, table of contents, tables, or appendices. If you are unsure of which elements to include in your essay, read your assignment's guidelines or ask your instructor.
Below are several templates to help get you started, including a basic template and a sample paper with more detailed instructions.
For more detailed information on how to format your title page, see this guide from APA. You can also use a template from above.
For more detailed information on formatting headings, see this guide from APA.
For more detailed information on formatting reference lists, see this guide from APA.
Always use the specifications determined by your instructor in addition to these guidelines.
APA formatted student essays typically contain the following elements in the order listed:
|
Title Page |
A separate page containing a page number (in the top right), the title of the essay (centered and in bold), the author's name (two lines down and centered), the name of the university, the class number and title, the instructor's name, and the assignment's due date. |
|
Body |
The content of the essay. Margins are 1" on every side, the font is consistent and legible, the text is double spaced, and headings are used to separate sections. In-text citations are used and have matching citations on the reference page. |
|
References Page |
A page containing references for all sources used in the paper. References are double-spaced and use hanging indents. |
Note: Individual instructors may require other elements not listed above, such as an abstract, table of contents, tables, or appendices. If you are unsure of which elements to include in your essay, read your assignment's guidelines or ask your instructor.
APA formatted manuscripts that are submitted for publication should include the following elements in the order listed:
|
Title Page (Required) |
Separate page containing the title of the essay, the author's name, the name of the university or institution where the author worked or studied when the work was conducted, and an author note (which provides additional information about the authors). An abbreviated version of the essay's title should also be included in the header of every page, including the title page. |
|
Abstract (Required) |
A summary of your essay that is no more than 250 words. If you choose to include keywords, you would list them after your abstract. |
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Body (Required) |
The content of the essay. APA provides guidelines for formatting section headings, writing style, in-text citations and all other aspects of integrating sources into the body of your essay. |
|
References Page (Required) |
A page containing bibliographic citations for all sources used in the essay. |
|
Footnotes (Optional) |
Footnotes may be placed in the footer of the page where they are first referenced, or they can be placed in consecutive order on a separate page following References. |
|
Tables and Figures (Optional) |
Visual representations of data and images. Tables and figures may be inserted directly in the body of the essay when they are mentioned. If not, create a separate section for each at the end of the essay. |
|
Appendices (Optional) |
Appendices might contain datasets, interview questions, simulation scripts, or any other element that is relevant to the essay, but not necessary to include directly in the body of the text. |
