Typing Template for APA Papers: A Sample of Proper Formatting for the APA 6th Edition Student A. Sample

Tarleton State University: <Course>

<Date>
<Note: Even though APA does not require the
date on a title page, it is a requirement for TSU papers.>

Abstract

This is an electronic template for papers written in APA style (American Psychological Association, 2010). The first section of the paper is typically an abstract. An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of the contents of the paper; it allows readers to survey the contents of the paper quickly and, like a title, it enables persons interested in the document to retrieve it from abstracting and indexing databases. The abstract needs to be dense with information. By embedding key words in the abstract, you enhance the user’s ability to find it. Report, rather than evaluate. Write clearly and concisely. Abstracts are typically 150 to 250 words. Requirements in length should be specified by the journal for publication or the assigning professor. The abstract is contained in a single paragraph on a page by itself (page 2 of the document) and is not indented. See section 2.04 in the APA manual for additional information. If an abstract is not required for an APA paper, this page would be deleted and the body of your paper would begin as page 2. Please note that an abstract is not an introduction to a paper. Since it is a summary, the abstract should be written after the paper is completed.
Typing Template for APA Papers: A Sample of Proper Formatting

The line above is the title of the paper and is repeated here even if already stated in the title page. It is centered and is not bold. Margins in the paper should be set at 1 inch for top, bottom, left, and right. The type is left-justified only—that means the left margin is straight, but the right margin is ragged. Each paragraph is indented five spaces. It is best to use the tab key to indent. The line spacing is double throughout the paper, even on the reference page. Two spaces are used after punctuation at the end of sentences. The font style used in this template is Times New Roman and the font size is 12.

First Heading

The heading above would be used if you want to have your paper divided into sections based on content, but may not be necessary in shorter papers. This is the first level of heading, and it is centered and bolded with each word of four letters or more capitalized. The heading should be a short descriptor of the section. Note that not all papers will have headings or subheadings in them.

First Subheading

The subheading above would be used if there are several sections within the topic labeled in a heading. The subheading is flush left and bolded, with each word of four letters or more capitalized.

Second Subheading

APA dictates that you should avoid having only one subsection heading and subsection within a section. In other words, use at least two subheadings under a main heading, or do not use any at all.

When you are ready to write, and after having read these instructions completely, you can delete these directions and start typing. The formatting should stay the same. However, one item that you will have to change is the page header, referred to as the running head in APA style, which is placed at the top of each page along with the page number. The running head is an abbreviated title that is printed at the top of the pages of the paper, so that if the pages are intermixed with other papers they will be identifiable. The title should be no longer than 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation. Double click on the words in the page header. This should enable you to edit the words. The first page should include the words ‘Running head,’ followed by a colon and the abbreviated title. All other pages will include only the abbreviated title. The title is in all capital letters. You should not have to edit the page numbers.

In addition to spacing, APA style includes a special way of citing resource articles. See the APA manual for specifics regarding in-text citations. The APA manual also discusses the desired tone of writing, grammar, punctuation, formatting for numbers, and a variety of other important topics. Although the APA style rules are used in this template, the purpose of the template is only to demonstrate spacing and the general parts of the paper. The student will need to refer to the APA manual for other format directions.

The reference list should appear at the end of a paper at the beginning of a new page (see the next page). It provides the information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve any source you cite in the body of the paper. Each source you cite in the paper must appear in your reference list; likewise, each entry in the reference list must be cited in your text. A sample reference page is included below; this page includes examples of how to format different reference types (e.g., books, journal articles, information from a website). The examples on the following page include examples taken directly from the APA manual.

References

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Daresh, J. C. (2004). Beginning the assistant principalship: A practical guide for new school administrators. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 225-229. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. (2003). Managing asthma: A guide for schools (NIH Publication No. 02-2650). Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/
health/prof/asthma/asth_sch.pdf