This handout focuses on how to format in-text citations in APA.


Remember to centre align all of this text and do not use justification. If you’re unsure about how to write using title case, . To make it all a little more tangible, below is an example of a title page formatted according to APA 7th edition specifications.
The title page is the shop window of your paper; it’s where you make the all-important first impression to your reader. Therefore, it’s really important to make sure your format this exactly as required for APA 7th edition. APA 7th edition requires double line spacing throughout the document. There should also be no extra space before and after paragraphs. One exception to this rule is that text within figures or tables can utilise single or 1.5-line spacing. Again, it’s a good idea to check with your university what their specific preference is. You can find the professional paper template, along with sample papers by type (mixed methods, literature review, etc.), at the below link. The professional paper template is only to be used for doctoral work or if specifically requested by your instructor: As we mentioned earlier, an abstract is not always required for student papers, but if your university has indicated that they require one, you’ll need to follow a specific format for APA 7th edition. Here’s how you can set it up: NOTE: New to this edition of APA Style - Running heads are no longer required for student papers, unless your instructor asks you to use them. There are two types of paper formats in APA 7--a student paper and a professional paper. You can download an APA-styled Microsoft Word template adapted by CityU librarians for student papers here:

APA 7th guidelines: Formatting student papers.

Before you jump into writing up your paper, you’ll need first set up your document to align with APA 7th edition’s generic page requirements. Alternatively, you (which comes fully preformatted) to fast-track your writing.

A generic example of a figure formatted in APA 7 style.

APA 7th edition requires a 1-inch margin on all sides of your document, for all pages. That said, if you’re writing a dissertation, thesis or any document that will ultimately be bound, your university will likely require a larger left margin to accommodate for binding.

Here’s an APA format example of a table:

These core sections form the standard structure and order of a student paper using APA 7th edition. As we mentioned, not all of these sections are always required (specifically, the abstract, tables and figures section, and the appendix are less common), so be sure to check what your university expects from you before submitting.

There are many commonly used figures in papers. Examples APA Format:

For articles with no author, begin the citation with the title of the article - see "How Stan Lee transformed..." example above. *This formatting is modified from official APA 7th so that Cleary U.

The image below from EssayPRO has basic APA format guidelines.

Let’s start by looking at the overall structure of a student paper formatted for APA 7th edition, before diving into the details of each section. APA requires that your paper follows a very specific, standardised structure, consisting of the following parts:

Title page (see the APA Checklist for an example):

First things first, it’s important to clarify that APA 7th edition has slightly different requirements for two different types of papers: student papers and professional papers. In this post, we’ll focus on the requirements for student papers. This will cover pretty much any paper you’ll need to submit as part of a degree program, including a dissertation or thesis (although those can require some small tweaks – more on that later).