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APA Formatting and Style

This guide provides helpful resources that will assist you with APA citations and formatting.

APA 7th Ed

Let's learn APA!

Guy writing in cafeThank you for visiting the APA Formatting and Style Guide! This guide will provide you with information related to everything APA. SENMC requires papers and reports to be structured in the APA format. If you are new to the APA Style and Formatting, I suggest you explore this guide and see what it has to offer!

Tip: I recommend starting with the "Putting Your Paper Together" section of this guide.

 

 

 

 

Below is a summary of the major changes in the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual. For a complete list of changes, select the PDF document below.

Essay Format:

  • Font - While you may still use Times New Roman 12, you are free to use other fonts. Calibri 11, Arial 11, Lucida Sans Unicode 10, Georgia 11, and Computer Modern 10 are all acceptable.
  • Headers - A running head is no longer required for student papers.
  • Tables and Figures - There is a standardized format for both tables and figures.

Style, Grammar, Usage:

  • Singular "they" is required in two situations: when used by a known person as their personal pronoun or when the gender of a singular person is not known.
  • Use only one space after a sentence-ending period or other punctuation.

Citation Style:

  • Developed the 'Four Elements of a Reference" (Author, Date, Title, Source) to help writers create references for source types not explicitly examined in the APA Manual.
  • Three or more authors can be abbreviated to First author, followed by "et al." on the first in-text citation.
    • The only exception is when you have two sources that have first-listed authors with the same name. In these cases, list as many names as needed to differentiate the papers, followed by “et al.”
  • Up to 20 authors are spelled out in the References List before names are omitted with an ellipsis(...).
  • Publisher location is not required for books.
  • Ebook platform, format, or device is not required for eBooks.  
  • Library database names are generally not required.
  • Hyperlinks -
    • No "doi:" prefix, simply include the doi.
    • All hyperlinks retain the https://
    • Links can be "live" in blue with underline or black without underlining

APA Elements: This term refers to the parts required in a citation: Author, Date, Title, and Source.

Citing: The process of acknowledging the sources of your information and ideas.

DOI (doi): Some electronic content, such as online journal articles, are assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI or doi). This is how your reader is able to access the online article you are citing.

In-Text Citation: This type of citation identifies which source on your reference list was used to provide the information you included in your paper. Always be sure the content you cite within the text matches the source.

Paraphrasing: Taking information that you have read and putting it in your own words.

Plagiarism: The practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as your own.

Quoting: The copying of words or text originally published elsewhere. Direct quotations generally appear in quotation marks and end with a citation. Always be sure to use quotation marks when using exact words from a source.

Reference List: Contains details on ALL the sources cited in a text or essay and supports your research and/or premise.

Scholarly Journal: A scholarly journal is a periodical that contains articles written by experts in a particular field of study. The articles are usually much more sophisticated and advanced than the articles found in popular magazines. Many instructors assign research papers or projects that require students to use articles from scholarly journals.

Basic Formatting

  • Double-Space the entire paper, including the title page, references, etc.
  • One-inch margins (on all sides)
  • Paragraph alignment should be left-aligned, leaving the right side uneven. Do not use the "justify" alignment setting.
  • Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches.
  • A san serif font, such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 10-point Lucinda Sans Unicode OR a serif font, such as 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Georgia.
  • On the title page, the title of the paper should be in title case (all the important words are capitalized), in bold text, centered, and positioned in the upper half of the title page approximately three to four lines down the page.
  • Reference List: The first line of a source begins aligned. If additional lines are needed, you must provide a hanging indent. Keep the list double-spaced. Sources should be listed in alphabetical order.

The APA components for a student paper are: Title, Body, and Reference List. Select the "Putting Your Paper Together" link below for examples and additional information.