Formatting I
Script of Video:
In this video, we will go over the following information about the general format of APA: margins, fonts, title page, and headings.
Please note, all information mentioned is based on the 6th edition of the APA style guide.
To begin, let’s talk about the general rules regarding the margins and fonts of your paper.
All pages of your essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard 8.5 inch by 11 inch letter sized paper. There should be a 1 inch margin on all sides of your text.
Page numbers should appear in the top right hand corner. All pages should be numbered, including the title page and bibliography. Your title page is page number one.
APA recommends a clear font that is highly readable. The most common is 12 point Times New Roman.
Next, let’s talk about the title page.
As with the rest of your paper, your title page should include 1 inch margins, 12 point font, and be typed double-spaced. The title page should include the title of your paper, your name, and your institutional affiliation (for example, Western University).
Let’s walk through these:
First, your title should be centered in the upper half of the page. APA recommends capitalizing the first letter of each word, and that your title exceed no more than 12 words in length. It should not contain abbreviations.
Secondly, the author’s name should appear centered beneath the title; first name first, then last name last. Do not include titles, such as Dr., or degrees, such as PhD.
Lastly, beneath the author’s name, type the institutional affiliation, which indicates the location where the authors conducted their research.
In addition, the title page should also include a page header, known as a running head, at the top of the page. A running head is a shortened version of your paper’s title. It should appear in the top left hand corner in all capital letters.
Please note that on your title page, the running head should be preceded by the words “Running head”.
The running head should be included on every subsequent page, including the references, and will look like this.
Now let’s consider what the body of our paper looks like.
APA Style uses a unique headings system to separate and classify paper sections. There are five heading levels in total. Regardless of the numbers of levels, always use the headings in order, beginning with level one.
Level one should be centered in the middle of the page, with boldface type and using upper and lowercase headings.
Level two should be left-aligned on the page, with boldface type and using upper and lowercase headings.
Level three is to be indented, with boldface type. APA suggests only capitalizing the first letter of the heading. Everything else remains lowercase. Place a period after the end of the heading, and then begin your body text after this period.
Please refer to the APA citation manual for instructions on levels four and five.
Please also remember that the introduction does not need a heading and not to label headings with letters or numbers.
This concludes the general format video.
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