Purdue Online Writing Lab College of Liberal Arts
General Format
Welcome to the Purdue OWL
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Note: This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style can be found here .
Please use the example at the bottom of this page to cite the Purdue OWL in APA.
You can also watch our APA vidcast series on the Purdue OWL YouTube Channel .
General APA Guidelines
Your essay should be typed and double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11"), with 1" margins on all sides. Include a page header (also known as the “ running head ”) at the top of every page. For a professional paper, this includes your paper title and the page number. For a student paper, this only includes the page number. To create a page header/running head , insert page numbers flush right. Then type "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" in the header flush left using all capital letters. The running head is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.
The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual requires that the chosen font be accessible (i.e., legible) to all readers and that it be used consistently throughout the paper. It acknowledges that many font choices are legitimate, and it advises writers to check with their publishers, instructors, or institutions for guidance in cases of uncertainty.
While the APA Manual does not specify a single font or set of fonts for professional writing, it does recommend a few fonts that are widely available. These include sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, and 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode as well as serif fonts such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, 10-point Computer Modern.
Major Paper Sections
Your essay should include four major sections: the Title Page , Abstract , Main Body , and References .
Note: APA 7 provides slightly different directions for formatting the title pages of professional papers (e.g., those intended for scholarly publication) and student papers (e.g., those turned in for credit in a high school or college course).
The title page should contain the title of the paper, the author's name , and the institutional affiliation . A professional paper should also include the author note . A student paper should also include the course number and name , instructor name , and assignment due date .
Type your title in upper and lowercase letters centered in the upper half of the page. The title should be centered and written in boldface. APA recommends that your title be focused and succinct and that it should not contain abbreviations or words that serve no purpose. Your title may take up one or two lines. All text on the title page, and throughout your paper, should be double-spaced.
Beneath the title, type the author's name : first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Do not use titles (Dr.) or degrees (PhD).
Beneath the author's name, type the institutional affiliation , which should indicate the location where the author(s) conducted the research.
A professional paper should include the author note beneath the institutional affiliation, in the bottom half of the title page. This should be divided up into several paragraphs, with any paragraphs that are not relevant omitted. The first paragraph should include the author’s name, the symbol for the ORCID iD, and the URL for the ORCID iD. Any authors who do not have an ORCID iD should be omitted. The second paragraph should show any change in affiliation or any deaths of the authors. The third paragraph should include any disclosures or acknowledgements, such as study registration, open practices and data sharing, disclosure of related reports and conflicts of interest, and acknowledgement of financial support and other assistance. The fourth paragraph should include contact information for the corresponding author.
A student paper should not include an author note.
Note again that page headers/page numbers (described above for professional and student papers) also appear at the top of the title page. In other words, a professional paper's title page will include the title of the paper flush left in all capitals and the page number flush right, while a student paper will only contain the page number flush right.
Student APA title page
Title page for a student paper in APA 7 style.
Professional paper APA title page
Title page for a professional paper in APA 7 style.
Begin a new page. Your abstract page should already include the page header (described above). On the first line of the abstract page, center and bold the word “Abstract” (no italics, underlining, or quotation marks).
Beginning with the next line, write a concise summary of the key points of your research. (Do not indent.) Your abstract should contain at least your research topic, research questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and conclusions. You may also include possible implications of your research and future work you see connected with your findings. Your abstract should be a single paragraph, double-spaced. Your abstract should typically be no more than 250 words.
You may also want to list keywords from your paper in your abstract. To do this, indent as you would if you were starting a new paragraph, type Keywords: (italicized), and then list your keywords. Listing your keywords will help researchers find your work in databases.
Abstracts are common in scholarly journal articles and are not typically required for student papers unless advised by an instructor. If you are unsure whether or not your work requires an abstract, consult your instructor for further guidance.
APA Abstract Page
Abstract page for a student paper in APA 7 style.
Please see our Sample APA Paper resource to see an example of an APA paper. You may also visit our Additional Resources page for more examples of APA papers.
How to Cite the Purdue OWL in APA
Individual resources.
The page template for the new OWL site does not include contributors' names or the page's last edited date. However, select pages still include this information.
In the absence of contributor/edit date information, treat the page as a source with a group author and use the abbreviation "n.d." for "no date":
Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). Title of resource. Purdue Online Writing Lab. http://Web address for OWL resource
Purdue Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). General Writing FAQs. Purdue Online Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/general_writing_faqs.html
The generic APA citation for OWL pages, which includes author/edit date information, is this:
Contributors' names. (Last edited date). Title of resource . Site Name. http://Web address for OWL resource
APA Guide: 7th Edition
- Summary of Changes
- Page Numbers
- Figures/Images
- Writing Style
- Webpages and Other Online Content
- Legal Citations
Student Paper Example
- Student Paper Example This is a student paper example from the 7th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Professional Paper Example
- Professional Paper Example This is a professional paper example from the 7th Edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
Student Title Page Elements
The title page includes the following elements: Page number, Paper title, Author, Author Affiliation, Course, Instructor, and Due Date . Remember, your instructor can include other requirements for your assignment. Refer to their instructions carefully.
Your title page and paper is double-spaced. Use 1-inch margins.
Acceptable Fonts:
- 11-point Calibri
- 11-point Arial
- 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode
- 12-point Times New Roman
- 11-point Georgia
- 10-point Computer Modern 1
- Should summarize the main idea in a succinct way .
- Include strong keywords so that readers can find your work in a database or by using a search engine.
- Avoid using abbreviations in a title.
- The title should be provided in title case . This means that all major words are capitalized.
- Be bolded, centered, and begin 3-4 lines down from the top margin of the paper.
- Put a double-spaced blank line between the title and the byline.
- The paper title also appears at the top of the first page of your paper.
Author Name(s) (Byline)
- Beneath the title, type the author's or authors' full name(s) .
- Do not use titles or degrees.
- Order the names of authors based on their contributions.
- Write all of the names on the same line.
- Center the names in a standard font.
- Smith and Doe
- Smith, Doe, and Jones
Author Affiliation
- Identify where you worked or studied when the body of work was completed.
- Include no more than two affiliations for each author.
- Example: College of Nursing and Health Innovation, University of Texas at Arlington
- Include the department or division.
- Include the name of the institution.
- Include the location of the institution.
- Example: Hematology/Oncology, Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, Texas, United States
- Include the location.
Locations should include the city, state, province, and country.
Course Name
- Put the course number and name below the Author Affiliation.
- Check with your instructor on the preferred name.
- Place the month, date, and year after the Instructor(s) name(s).
See the example title page below:
All content on this guide comes from the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and from the APA Style Blog.
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association ( 7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
American Psychological Association. (2020, October). Blog . https://apastyle.apa.org/blog
- << Previous: Page Numbers
- Next: Tables >>
- Last Updated: Jan 20, 2023 3:25 PM
- URL: https://libguides.uta.edu/apa
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- Knowledge Base
- APA Style 7th edition
- APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals
APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals
Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on June 7, 2022.
APA provides different guidelines for student and professional papers. The student version of the APA title page should include the following information (double spaced and centered):
Paper title
- Author name
- Department and university name
- Course number and name
- Instructor name
- Due date of the assignment
The professional title page also includes an author note (flushed left), but not a course name, instructor name, or due date.
Table of contents
Title page example (student and professional version), institutional affiliation, course information, author note, page header, including an image on the title page.
Write an informative, striking title that summarizes the topic of your paper. Try to keep the title focused and use relevant keywords.
Place the title three or four lines down from the top of the paper. Center align and bold it. Don’t forget to use title case capitalization (capitalize the first letter of each word, except small words such as articles and short prepositions).
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Write the author’s name under the paper title (leave a blank line in between). Give their full names (first name, middle initial(s) and last name), but don’t include titles (Dr., Prof.) or degrees (Ph.D., MSc).
Multiple authors on the title page
List the authors in order of their contribution. If there are two authors, separate their names with the word “and”, like this:
If there are more than two authors, separate their names with a comma. Only write “and” before the last author, like this:
Write the author’s affiliation on the next line under the author names. Students should specify the department and institution where they’re attending school. Professional researchers should specify the department and institution where they conducted their research.
Multiple authors with different affiliations
Use superscript numbers on the author line to indicate which institution they’re affiliated with. Don’t use superscript numbers if all authors are affiliated with the same institution (and department).
On a student title page, provide information about the course. List the following information on separate (double spaced) lines under the author’s affiliation:
- Instructor(s)
- Assignment’s due date
For professional papers, you may include an author note. This note may contain the author’s ORCID iD, affiliation changes, disclosures of conflicts of interest, brief acknowledgments, and contact information (in that specific order). Present this information in separate paragraphs.
Place the author note on the bottom half of the page. Center the label “Author note” and apply bold styling. The paragraphs in the author note are left-aligned. The first line of each new paragraph is indented.
For more information about formatting the author note, see section 2.7 of the APA Publication Manual.
For a student title page, the page header consists of just a page number in the top-right corner. There is no need for a running head (as was the case in APA 6th edition).
A professional title page does have a running head. The running head is an abbreviated version of the paper title in all capital letters. The maximum length is 50 characters (counting spaces).
Images are not usually included on an APA title page, and APA does not provide any guidelines for doing so. It’s usually viewed as unprofessional to include an image, since the title page is there to provide information, not for decoration.
If you do decide to include an image on your title page, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image. Include a note directly underneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period):
- If you found the image online or in another source, include a citation and copyright attribution .
- If it’s an image you created yourself (e.g., a photograph you took, an infographic you designed), explain this (e.g., “Photograph taken by the author.”).
Don’t give the image a label, title, or number. Only images within the text itself are labeled as figures .
Cite this Scribbr article
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Streefkerk, R. (2022, June 07). APA Title Page (7th edition) | Template for Students & Professionals. Scribbr. Retrieved March 6, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-title-page/
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APA Citations (7th ed.): Student Paper Elements - Title Page
- General Formatting
- Professional Paper Elements - Title Page
- Student Paper Elements - Title Page
- In-text Citation Basics
- In-text Citation Author Rules
- Citing Multiple Works
- Personal Communications
- Classroom or Intranet Resources
- Secondary Sources
- Periodicals
- Books and Reference Works
- Edited Book Chapters and Entries in Reference Works
- Reports and Gray Literature
- Conference Sessions and Presentations
- Dissertations and Theses
- Data Sets and Software
- Tests, Scales, & Inventories
- Audiovisual Works
- Audio Works
- Visual Works
- Social Media
- Webpages & Websites
- Basics & Formatting
- Avoiding Plagiarism
Student Paper Required Elements
Students papers should include, at minimum:
- A title page (a student-specific version)
- Page numbers
- A reference list
Student papers may also include:
- Tables and/or figures
Student papers typically do not include a running head, an author note, or an abstract, unless requested by an instructor .
Sample Student Title Page
The Student Title Page includes:
- The title of the paper (a student-specific version)
- Page number
- Author name and affiliation
- Course number and name
- Instructor name
- Assignment due date
The title should summarize the main idea of the paper in a simple, concise manner. Include essential terms in the title to increase findability. The title should be in title case, bold, centered, and positioned in the upper half of the title page.
The page number should be included in all papers, flush right, in the header on every page. The title page is page number 1.
The author name should be written as first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Omit all professional titles (e.g., PhD, EdD, MD, MA, RN, MSW). The author names should follow the paper title on the title page. Include one blank double-spaced line between the paper title and the author names.
Below the author name, enter the affiliation for the author, which is often the university attended.
Below the affiliation, include the course number and name for which the paper is being submitted. Use the format shown on institutional materials.
The instructor name should follow the course number and name. Check with your instructor for the preferred form.
Finally, include the assignment due date , written in month, date, and year format use in your country, with the month spelled out.
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- Last Updated: Oct 26, 2022 10:46 AM
- URL: https://morningside.libguides.com/APA7
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
A title page is required for all APA Style papers. There are both student and professional versions of the title page. Students should use the student
which it is being submitted. Title Page Content. A student title page includes the following elements: • title of the paper.
Annotated diagrams illustrate how to set up the major sections of a student paper: the title page or cover page, the text, tables and figures
The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual requires that the chosen font be ... This image shows the title page for a student APA seventh edition paper.
Student Title Page Elements ... The title page includes the following elements: Page number, Paper title, Author, Author Affiliation, Course
The APA title page starts with your paper title, followed by your name, university, course number, instructor, and due date.
The Student Title Page includes: ... The title should summarize the main idea of the paper in a simple, concise manner. Include essential terms in
These are the requirements for a STUDENT paper. Professional papers have different rules. A good title should concisely state the main ideas of the paper.
This videos goes step-by-step over how to create an APA Style title page and the basics for formatting an essay.
... how to properly set up an APA Style paper for students, which includes setting margins and font; creating a title page; organizing ...