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APA 7: Paper Sections

APA Paper Sections

Title Page Content

The title page is the first page of your paper. The title page consists of:

  1. Paper title
  2. Author (your name)
  3. The university
  4. The course number and course name (Example: ENG 101: Composition I)
  5. Instructor name
  6. Assignment due date
  7. Page number in top right corner

Set up your Title Page

  1. Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the page.
  2. Center the title and type it in bold font. Capitalize major words.
  3. Set the whole paper to be double spaced and use the font specified by your instructor.
  4. Place one blank line between the title and author name.

Student papers do not require an abstract or keywords unless requested by the professor.

APA Student title page with page number, title, author, etc.

For student papers, the page header requires the page number in the top right corner of ever page, starting with the title page.

The running head is not required for student papers unless the instructor requests it.

Paper Body / Main Content

The body of the paper contains your main ideas. Most papers include an introduction, the main content, and a conclusion.

To set up the main body of the paper:

  1. Start a new page after the title page.

  2. On the first line, write the title of the paper in bold. Center the title and use title case (capitalize all proper nouns).

  3. The text should be left-aligned and double spaced.

  4. Indent each paragraph by pressing the "tab" button when you start the first sentence. 

NOTE: Some instructors require headings for sections of a paper.

The reference page provides information about the resources used in your paper.

To format the reference page:

  1. Center the word References in bold at the top of the page.

  2. Place your references in alphabetical order.

  3. Select all of the references and set them to be double spaced and have a hanging indent.