Use 1-inch margins on all sides
Use double spacing throughout the paper
Use a readable 12-point font such as Times New Roman
Include a title page with the paper title, your name, and institutional affiliation
Add a page number in the top right corner of every page
Use a running head only if required by your instructor or edition guidelines
Center and bold the paper title on the title page
Begin the main text on a new page
Indent the first line of each paragraph
Use clear section headings when needed
Write in a formal, concise academic style
Use in-text citations for all borrowed ideas, quotes, and data
Format in-text citations with the author’s last name and year of publication
Include page numbers in in-text citations for direct quotations
Add a references page on a new page
Center the heading References at the top of the references page
Alphabetize references by the author’s last name
Use hanging indentation for each reference entry
Match every in-text citation with a reference list entry
Follow APA formatting rules for books, journal articles, websites, and other sources
Proofread for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and APA style consistency