APA 7th Edition

Fonts

A variety of fonts are permitted in APA Style papers. Font options include the following:

• sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode
• serif fonts such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or normal (10-point) Computer Modern (the default font for LaTeX)

Use the same font throughout your paper, with the following exceptions:

• figures: Within figure images, use a sans serif font with a type size between 8 and 14 points.
• computer code: To present computer code, use a monospace font such as 10-point Lucida Console or 10-point Courier New.
• footnotes: When inserting footnotes with the footnotes function of your word-processing program, use the default font settings.

Line spacing

In general, double-space all parts of an APA Style paper, including the abstract; text; block quotations; table and figure numbers, titles, and reference list (including between and within entries). Do not add extra space before or after paragraphs.

Exceptions to double line spacing are as follows:

• Title page: Insert a double-spaced blank line between the title and the byline on the title page. Double-space the rest of the title page.
• Tables: The table body (cells) may be single-spaced, one-and-a-half-spaced, or double-spaced, depending on which is the most effective layout for the information. Double-space the table number, title, and notes.
• Figures: Words within the image part of a figure may be single-spaced, one-and-a-half-spaced, or double-spaced, depending on which is the most effective layout for the information. Double-space the figure number, title, and notes.
• Footnotes: When inserting footnotes with the footnotes function of your word-processing program, use the default font settings (usually single-spaced and a slightly smaller font than the text).
• Displayed equations: It is permissible to apply triple- or quadruple-spacing in special circumstances, such as before and after a displayed equation.

Example: Sample Annotated Student Paper (PDF)

Margins

Use 1-inch margins on every side of the page for an APA Style paper.

Order of pages

• title page
• abstract (if using)
• text
• references
• footnotes
• tables
• figures
• appendices

Example: Sample Annotated Student Paper (PDF)

Page numbers

Follow these guidelines to include page numbers in both student and professional APA Style papers:

• Use the page-numbering function of your word-processing program to insert page numbers.
• Insert page numbers in the top right corner. The page number should show on all pages.
• The title page carries page number 1.

Headings

There are five levels of heading in APA Style. Level 1 is the highest or main level of heading, Level 2 is a subheading of Level 1, Level 3 is a subheading of Level 2, and so on.

For more information go to https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings

Paragraph alignment

Align the text of an APA Style paper to the left margin. Leave the right margin uneven, or “ragged.” Do not use full justification for student papers or manuscripts being submitted for publication.

Paragraph indentation

Indent the first line of each paragraph of text 0.5 in. from the left margin. Use the tab key or the automatic paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program to achieve the indentation (the default setting is likely already 0.5 in.)

Exceptions

• Title page: For student papers, the title (in bold), byline, affiliations, course number and name, instructor, and assignment due date should be centered on the title page.
• Section labels: Section labels (e.g., “Abstract,” “References”) should be centered (and bold).
• Abstract: The first line of the abstract should be flush left (not indented).
• Block quotations: Indent a whole block quotation 0.5 in. from the left margin. If the block quotation spans more than one paragraph, the first line of the second and any subsequent paragraphs of the block quotation should be indented another 0.5 in., such that those first lines are indented a total of 1 in.
• Headings: Level 1 headings should be centered (and in bold), and Level 2 and 3 headings should be left-aligned (and in bold or bold italic, respectively). Level 4 and 5 headings are indented like regular paragraphs.
• Tables and figures: Table and figure numbers (in bold), titles (in italics), and notes should be flush left.
• Reference list: Reference list entries should have a hanging indent of 0.5 in.
• Appendices: Appendix labels and titles should be centered (and bold).

Example: Sample Annotated Student Paper (PDF)