Paper formatting changes:
One of the biggest changes in APA paper formatting is that there are now separate guidelines for professional papers and student papers. You can find a sample of each at the official APA Style website.
- Title Page: In student papers, students should first follow instructors' directions about what should be on the title page. If no specific instructions are given, APA guidelines say students should include:
- the title of the paper in title case, bold, centered, and positioned in the upper half of the page
- the name and affiliation (name of the school attended, such as University of Maine) of each author of the paper
- the number and name of the class the paper is being written for
- the class instructor's name and title
- the assignment's due date
- a page number
- Note: Title pages of student papers no longer require running heads.
- Reference List: The word "References" should be bolded.
- Font: APA guidelines emphasize that paper writers should choose an accessible font that is easy to read, either serif (for example, Times New Roman) or sans serif (for example, Arial). Be sure to use the same font through the whole paper.
- Line Spacing: APA guidelines recommend double-spacing papers, with no additional spacing between paragraphs.
- Paragraph Alignment: APA guidelines recommend left-aligning paragraphs in one's paper.
