APA format is a style guideline published by the American Psychological Association for formatting academic papers and journal manuscripts. It is commonly used in social sciences and psychology disciplines. This tutorial will walk through the key steps to quickly and easily format a paper in proper APA style using Word.
## Setting Up the Core Document Elements
To start, open a new Word document and:
– Change the font to recommended APA fonts like Times New Roman or Arial.
– Set font size to 12 point.
– Double space the entire document by clicking Line and Paragraph Spacing in the Paragraph group on the Home tab.
– Add 1 inch margins on all sides by going to Layout > Margins > Custom Margins.
## Creating the Title Page
The title page contains:
– The full title centered in the upper half of the page
– Author name(s) on the next line under the title
– Institutional affiliation on the following line
Additionally:
– Insert a page break to start on a new page.
– Include a running header with page number and shortened title flush left.
## Formatting Headings
To divide sections:
– Use Word’s heading styles – Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.
– Left align headings like normal body text.
– Italicize headings at level 3, 4 and 5.
– Capitalize major words in all headings.
## Adding the Abstract
The abstract is a summary that outlines the key points:
– Add a page break after the title page.
– Center the word “Abstract” at the top of the page.
– Summarize paper in 150-250 words, without indentation.
## Creating the References List
The references page contains:
– The title “References” centered at the top of a new page after body text.
– Alphabetical list of sources used in APA format.
– Hanging indent applied to each reference entry.
In summary, the key APA formatting includes font, spacing, title page, headings, abstract, and references list. Using APA helps standardize and lend credibility to papers in social sciences and psychology. Refer to the full guidelines on the APA website for detailed requirements.
