What Is APA Format? Complete Beginner's Guide (7th Edition)
APA format is the official style guidelines set by the American Psychological Association (APA). Commonly utilized in fields like psychology, education, nursing, sociology, and business, it establishes structural conventions for page layout, text formatting, parenthetical in-text citations, and compiling bibliography lists.
By utilizing a standardized formatting style, writers ensure that readers can locate critical metadata (authors, publisher details, dates) effortlessly. This guide walks you through the core standards of the **7th Edition of the APA Publication Manual**, which replaced the 6th Edition with streamlined, simplified rules for modern research papers. If you need to cite online sources, check out our step-by-step guide on how to cite a website in APA.
1. Core Page Formatting & Page Setup
To begin formatting your paper, apply the following layout rules to your word processing software (Word, Google Docs, or LaTeX):
- Margins: Exactly 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all four sides of the page.
- Line Spacing: Double-space throughout the entire paper, including headings, quotations, and the reference list.
- Page Alignment: Flush-left alignment (do not justify the text). Indent the first line of every paragraph by 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).
- Page Headers: Page numbers are located in the top-right corner of the header, beginning with page 1 on the title page.
Font Selections in APA 7th Edition
While the 6th edition strictly enforced 12pt Times New Roman, the 7th edition accepts multiple legible font families:
| Font Type | Size | Details / Recommendations |
|---|---|---|
| Calibri | 11pt | Clean sans-serif option, ideal for general papers |
| Arial | 11pt | Standard sans-serif, widely accepted in science papers |
| Times New Roman | 12pt | Classic serif option, preferred by legacy publishers |
| Georgia | 11pt | Excellent readability for print documents |
2. Comparison: APA 6th Edition vs. 7th Edition
Understanding the updates in the 7th edition prevents costly formatting errors. Review the comparison below:
| Formatting Rule | APA 6th Edition | APA 7th Edition (Current) |
|---|---|---|
| Running Head (Header) | Required on all papers (student + pro) | Omits running head for student papers |
| Publisher Location | Required (e.g. Boston, MA: Pearson) | Omitted entirely (e.g. Pearson) |
| In-text (3+ authors) | List all authors on first reference | Use "et al." from the first citation |
| DOIs & URLs | Formatted as "doi:10.xxx" | Formatted as standard "https://doi.org/..." |
| URL retrieval labels | "Retrieved from..." label required | Only specify retrieval dates for fluid URLs |
3. In-Text Citations (Author-Date System)
APA utilizes an **Author-Date** citation system for parenthetical references. This system indicates the source author and year of publication within the body of your paper:
- Parenthetical Citation: The author's name and publication year are placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
Example: Research shows AI speeds academic citations (Salinger, 1951). - Narrative Citation: The author's name is part of the sentence structure, followed immediately by the year in parentheses.
Example: Salinger (1951) argues that emotional isolation shapes student behavior.
4. Heading Levels and Structure
APA format defines five distinct levels of headings. The usage of bolding, centering, and italics dictates the structural hierarchy:
- Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case Heading. Text begins on a new line.
- Level 2: Left-Aligned, Bold, Title Case Heading. Text begins on a new line.
- Level 3: Left-Aligned, Bold, Italicized, Title Case Heading. Text begins on a new line.
- Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case Heading ending with a period. Text begins on the same line.
- Level 5: Indented, Bold, Italicized, Title Case Heading ending with a period. Text begins on the same line.
When preparing documents, you should also be mindful of privacy and authorship regulations. You can check our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to learn how academic resources are managed.
5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is a running head?
A running head is an abbreviated version of your paper title (max 50 characters) written in uppercase. It is only required in professional publication-ready papers, not student assignments.
Q: Do I need to include a publisher location?
No. APA 7th Edition removed the requirement to specify publisher location (e.g. New York, NY) for books. Only the publisher's name is required.
Q: How do I handle missing page numbers for in-text citations?
Use alternative locators such as paragraph numbers (e.g., para. 4) or heading names to direct readers to the quoted section.
Q: How do I cite a source with multiple authors in APA?
For one or two authors, list all names in both in-text citations and the reference list. For three or more authors, use the first author's last name followed by 'et al.' in all in-text citations from the first mention.
Q: How do I format an APA reference list page?
The Reference list page should start on a new page at the end of your paper. Center the bold title 'References' at the top, arrange entries alphabetically by author's last name, and apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent to all citations.
Q: Can I cite ChatGPT or artificial intelligence in my paper?
Yes, you can cite AI tools under APA 7th Edition rules as software applications. For detailed instructions and templates, read our guide on how to cite ChatGPT in APA.