The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used in social sciences, education, and psychology.
General Format
- Font: Times New Roman (12 pt) or accessible fonts like Arial (11 pt).
- Spacing: Double-spaced throughout.
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides.
- Header: Page number in the top right corner. Student papers usually don't need a running head.
In-Text Citations
- Parenthetical: (Author, Year) -> (Smith, 2023)
- Narrative: Author (Year) -> Smith (2023) argues that...
- Direct Quote: Include page number -> (Smith, 2023, p. 15)
References Page
- Label: "References" centered at the top.
- Order: Alphabetical by author's last name.
- Hanging Indent: First line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches.
Examples
Book: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Publisher.
Journal Article: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx