Use 1-inch margins on all sides
Use a readable font such as 12-point Times New Roman
Double-space the entire paper
Align text to the left
Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5 inches
Include a page number in the top right corner
Add a title page if required
Place the paper title centered and bolded on the title page
Include your name, institution, course, instructor, and due date on the title page
Use title case for the paper title and section headings
Center and bold major section headings
Write an abstract if required
Begin the main text on a new page after the title page and abstract
Cite sources in the text using author-date format
Use quotation marks and page numbers for direct quotes
Include a reference page on a new page
Center the heading References at the top of the reference page
Alphabetize references by the first author’s last name
Use hanging indents for reference entries
Follow APA rules for books, journal articles, websites, and other sources
Check the latest APA style guidelines for updates and exceptions