Here are some important tips for writing your paper in APA style, as well as common errors that are often made.
1. Special formatting for the Title Page
APA-formatted title pages should have the following components:
- Running head, which consists of an abbreviated title (no more than 50 characters long) in all CAPS located in the top header on the LEFT, with the page number of the RIGHT
- Title of the paper, name of author, and affiliation centered vertically and horizontally on the page
Example:
2. Quotations
- Quotations of more than 40 words should be surrounded by "quotation marks."
- Quotations longer than 40 words should be formatted as a block quote, with all lines of the quote indented
- When citing quotations always include the page number after the year within the parenthetical citation
Example: (Bandura, 1977, p. 136)
3. In-text and parenthetical citations
- In-text citations should include the author(s) and the year of publication.
Examples:
According to Bandura, social learning theory is .... (1977).
OR
(Bandura, 1977)
- If a work has 3-5 authors, in the first citation, cite all authors. In subsequent citations, cite only the first author followed by et al.
Example:
First citation: Gordon, Ranaldo, Shelley, and Moore (1991)
Subsequent citations: Gordon et al. (1991) OR (Gordon et al., 1991)
- When a work has six or more authors, cite only the first author's last name followed by et al. in the first and subsequent citations.
4. References Page
- Should start on a new page, be titled References, centered and NOT bolded. This page should not be titled Works Cited or Bibliography.
- Citations should be listed alphabetically, double-spaced, and have a hanging indent.
5. Citation formatting
- Book titles - capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, and any proper nouns. Italicize book titles.
Example: Social learning theory
- Article and chapter titles - capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, and any proper nouns. No italics or quotation marks.
Example: Radical redesign of nursing homes: Applying the green house concept in Tupelo, Mississippi.
- Periodical titles - titles should be capitalized and the entire title should be italicized
Example: Journal of Housing for the Elderly.
- If a journal article is assigned a Digital Object Identofier (DOI), it must be referenced in the citation.
