APA Style - 7th edition: Basic Information

There are certain elements that you need to be aware of when writing a paper using APA style.

Fonts: There are 6 fonts to select from. You should use the same font throughout the paper. You may also want to check with your instructor to see if they have a preferred font. The approved fonts listed in the 7th edition are: 10-point (Lucida Sans Unicode, Normal Computer Modern); 11-point (Calibri, Arial, Georgia); or 12-point (Times New Roman).

Margins: Margins should be 1 inch on all sides.

Page Numbers: Page numbers should be placed in the document header, flush right.

Spacing: The entire document should be double-spaced.

There are generally four pieces of information that go on a title page:

Title: The title of the paper should be written in bold font, using title case. It should also appear in the upper half of the page and be centered between the left and right margins. There should be an extra space between the title and the student's name.

Student's name and affiliation: The student's name (first name, middle initial, last name) along with their university affiliation.

Course information: Include the course name and number.

Instructor name: Name of the course instructor

Due date: Provide in the month, date, and year format.

Page numbers: The page numbers should be located in the document header, flush right. The title page is considered page 1.

APA uses 5 levels of headings. The level of headings used depends on how complex the paper is. Generally speaking, most undergraduate papers only use 2 levels of heading. Creating an outline of your paper will help you determine how many levels of headings you will need. Below are the 5 levels of headings:

The more complex your paper the more levels of headings you will use. Always start with level 1 headings.