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Concise Guide , 7th Edition
Student Paper Checklist
Use this checklist while writing your paper to make sure it is consistent with seventh edition APA Style. This checklist corresponds to the writing and formatting guidelines described in full in the Concise Guide to APA Style (7th ed.). Refer to the following chapters for specific information:
- paper elements and format in Chapter 1
- writing style and grammar in Chapter 2
- bias-free language in Chapter 3
- punctuation, lists, and italics in Chapter 4
- spelling, capitalization, and abbreviations in Chapter 5
- numbers and statistics in Chapter 6
- tables and figures in Chapter 7
- in-text citations in Chapter 8
- reference list and reference examples in Chapters 9 and 10
Information and resources are also available on the APA Style website. If you have questions about specific assignment guidelines or what to include in your APA Style paper, please check with your assigning instructor or institution. If you have questions about formatting your thesis or dissertation, check your institution’s guidelines or consult your advisor.
Student Title Page
Format (Section 1.6): Double-space the title page. Center each element on its own line. Do not use italics, underlining, or different font sizes. Title (Section 1.7): Concise, engaging summary of the paper and its main topic and/or variables. Write the title in title case: Capitalize the first letter of the title, the subtitle, and any major words of four letters or more (plus linking verbs “Is,” “Are,” and “Be”). Double-space, center, and bold the title in the upper half of the title page (three or four lines down from the top margin). Author Name (Section 1.8): Full name of each author of the paper. The preferred format is first name, middle initial(s), and last name (e.g.,
Maribel S. Quantez). Center the name two double-spaced lines after the title (i.e., one blank line between the title and author name). Author Affiliation (Section 1.9): Name of the department of the course to which the paper is being submitted and name of the college or university. Use the format: Department, College (e.g., Department of History, Williams College). Do not include the school’s location unless part of its name. Center the affiliation one double- spaced line after the author name(s). Course Number and Name (Section 1.6): Number and name of course to which the paper is being submitted. Use the format shown on course materials (e.g., syllabus). Write the number and name on the same line. Center the number and name one double-spaced line after the affiliation.
Instructor Name (Section 1.6): Name of the instructor of the course to which the paper is being submitted. Use the title and name shown on course materials (e.g., syllabus). Center the name one double-spaced line after the course number and name. Due Date (Section 1.6): Due date of the assignment. Include the month, day, and year in the format used in your country (e.g., May 4, 2020, or 4 May 2020). Spell out the month and write the full year. Center the date one double- spaced line after the instructor name. Page Header (Section 1.17): Page number 1. Flush right in the header (upper right corner).
Paper Format
Page Header (Section 1.17): Page number. Appears flush right in the header (upper right corner) of all pages. Insert page numbers using the automatic page-numbering function of your word-processing program. Font and Font Size (Section 1.18): Use the same font and font size throughout your paper (exception: figure images require a sans serif font and can use various font sizes). Recommended serif and sans serif fonts:
° 11-point Calibri ° 11-point Arial ° 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode ° 12-point Times New Roman ° 11-point Georgia ° 10-point Computer Modern Line Spacing (Section 1.20): Double-space the entire paper. Do not add extra lines before or after headings or between paragraphs. Margins (Section 1.21): Margins are 1 in. on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right). Paragraph Alignment and Indentation (Sections 1.22–1.23): Left-align the text (do not use full justification). Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5 in. (one tab key). Paper Length (Section 1.24): Follow the assignment guidelines. If not instructed
otherwise, use the word-count function of your word-processing program to determine paper length, counting every word in the paper—but do not count words in figure images.
Paper Organization
Introduction (Section 1.11): Repeat the paper title on the first line of the first page of text, before the opening paragraph. Center and bold the title. Do not include an “Introduction” heading. Start the first line of the text one double-spaced line after the title. Use Level 2 headings for subsections in the introduction. Text (Section 1.11): Use headings as needed to organize the text. Use Level 1 headings for main sections after the introduction (e.g., Method, Results, Findings, Discussion). Page Order (Section 1.16): Start each main paper section on a new page. Arrange pages in the following order:
° title page ° abstract (if needed) ° text ° references ° footnotes (if needed) ° tables (if needed) ° figures (if needed) °^ appendices (if needed) Headings (Section 1.26): Start each new section with a heading. Write all headings in title case and bold. Also italicize Level 3 and 5 headings. Follow seventh edition guidelines for the alignment of headings, as described on the Headings page. Section Labels (Section 1.27): Bold and center labels, including “Abstract” and “References.”
Writing Style
Continuity (Sections 2.1–2.3): Check for continuity in words, concepts, and thematic development across the paper. Explain relationships between ideas clearly. Present ideas in a logical order. Use clear transitions to smoothly connect sentences, paragraphs, and ideas.
Lists (Sections 4.11–4.14): Ensure items in lists are parallel. Use commas to separate items in simple lists. Use semicolons to separate items when any items in the list already contain commas. For more information, including how to create lettered, numbered, and bulleted lists, see the Lists pages.
Spelling, Capitalization,
and Abbreviations
Spelling and Hyphenation (Sections 5.1–5.2): Spelling and hyphenation should match the Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary or the APA Dictionary of Psychology. Write words with prefixes and suffixes without a hyphen. For more information, including the spelling of common technology terms, see the Spelling and Hyphenation pages. Capitalization (Sections 5.3–5.11): Use title case and sentence case capitalization correctly. Capitalize proper nouns, including names of racial and ethnic groups. Do not capitalize names of diseases, disorders, therapies, treatments, theories, concepts, hypotheses, principles, models, and statistical procedures, unless personal names appear within these terms. For more information, including capitalization to use for specific paper elements, see the Capitalization pages. Abbreviations (Section 5.12–5.18): Use abbreviations sparingly and usually when they are familiar to readers, save considerable space, and appear at least three times in the paper. Define abbreviations, including abbreviations for group authors, on first use. Do not use periods in abbreviations. Use Latin abbreviations only in parentheses, and use the full Latin term in the text. Do not define abbreviations listed as terms in the dictionary (e.g., AIDS, IQ) and abbreviations for units of measurement, time, Latin terms, and common statistical terms and symbols. For more information, including abbreviations that do not need to be defined, see the Abbreviations pages.
Numbers and Statistics
Numbers (Sections 6.1–6.8): Use words to express numbers zero through nine in the text. Use numerals to express numbers 10 and above in the text. In all cases, use numerals in statistical or mathematical functions, with units of measurement, and for fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages and percentiles, times, dates, ages, scores and points on a scale, sums of money, and numbers in a series (e.g., Year 1, Grade 11, Chapter 2, Level 13, Table 4). For more information and exceptions, see the Numbers pages. Statistics (Sections 6.9–6.12): Include enough information to allow readers to fully understand any analyses conducted. Space mathematical copy the same as words, with spaces between signs. Use statistical terms in narrative text: “the means were,“ not “the M s were.” Use statistical symbols or abbreviations with mathematical operators: “( M = 6.62),” not “(mean = 6.62).”
Tables and Figures
General Guidelines (Sections 7.1–7.7): Include tables and/or figures if required for your paper or assignment. When possible, use a standard, or canonical, form for a table or figure. Do not use shading or other decorative flourishes. In the text, refer to each table or figure by its number. Explain what to look for in that table or figure by calling out the table or figure in the text (e.g., “Table 1 lists…” “As shown in Figure 1…”). Either embed each table or figure in the text after it is first mentioned or place it on a separate page after the reference list. If embedded, place the table or figure at either the top or the bottom of the page with an extra double-spaced line between the table or the figure and any text. Tables (Sections 7.8–7.21): Use the tables feature of your word-processing program to create tables. Number tables in the order they are mentioned in the text. Include borders only at the top and the bottom of the table, beneath
column headings, and above column spanners. Do not use vertical borders or borders around every cell in the table. All tables include four basic components: number, title, column headings, and body. Write the table number above the table title and body and in bold. Write the table title one double-spaced line below the table number and in italic title case. Label all columns. Center column headings, and capitalize them in sentence case. Include notes beneath the table if needed to describe the contents. Start each type of note (general, specific, and probability) on its own line, and double-space it. See sample tables on the APA Style website. Figures (Sections 7.22–7.32): Use a program appropriate for creating figures (e.g., Word, Excel, Photoshop, Inkscape, SPSS). Number figures in the order they are mentioned in the text. Within figures, check that images are clear, lines are smooth and sharp, and font is legible and simple. Provide units of measurement. Clearly label or explain axes and other figure elements. All figures include three basic components: number, title, and image. Write the figure number above the figure title and image and in bold. Write the figure title one double- spaced line below the figure number and in italic title case. Write text in the figure image in a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points. Include a figure legend if needed to explain any symbols in the image. Position the legend within the borders of the figure, and capitalize it in title case. Include notes beneath the figure if needed to describe the contents. Start each type of note (general, specific, and probability) on its own line, and double-space it. See sample figures on the APA Style website.
In-Text Citations (Chapter 8)
Cite only works you read and ideas you incorporated into your paper. Include all sources cited in the text in the reference list (exception: personal communications are cited in the text only).
Make sure the spelling of author names and the publication dates in the in-text citations match those of the corresponding reference list entries. Paraphrase sources in your own words whenever possible. For guidance on how to paraphrase sources, see the Paraphrasing pages. Cite appropriately to avoid plagiarism, but do not repeat the same citation in every sentence when the source and topic do not change. For guidance on appropriate citation, see the Appropriate Level of Citation page. Write author–date citations according to seventh edition guidelines: Include the author (or title if no author) and year. For paraphrases, it is optional to include a specific page number(s), paragraph number(s), or other location (e.g., section name) if the source work being paraphrased is long or complex.
° One author:^ Use the author surname in all in- text citations. ° Two authors:^ Use both author surnames in all in-text citations. ° Three or more authors:^ Use only the first author surname and then “et al.” in all in-text citations. For more information, including exceptions to basic in-text citation styles, see the Basic Principles of Citation pages. Use either the narrative or the parenthetical citation format for in-text citations.
° Parenthetical citation:^ Place the author name and publication year in parentheses. ° Narrative citation:^ Incorporate the author name into the text as part of the sentence and then follow with the year in parentheses. For works with two authors,
° use an ampersand (&) in parenthetical in-text citations: (Guirrez & Castillo, 2020) ° use the word “and” in narrative in-text citations: Guirrez and Castillo (2020) For more information, see the Parenthetical and Narrative Citations page.
Do not include database information for works retrieved from academic research databases. Do include database information for works retrieved from databases with original, proprietary content or works of limited circulation (e.g., UpToDate). For more information, see the Database Information page. Include a DOI or URL for any work that has one. If there is no DOI, include a URL if the work is retrieved online (but not from a database). Present DOIs and URLs as hyperlinks (beginning with “http:” or “https:”). Copy and paste DOIs and URLs directly from your web browser. Do not write “Retrieved from” or “Accessed from” before a DOI or URL. Do not add a period after a DOI or URL. For more information, see the DOIs and URLs page.
© 2021
Last updated September 8 , 2021
More information on APA Style can be found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) and the Concise Guide to APA Style (7th ed.).
CITE THIS HANDOUT: American Psychological Association. (2021). Concise Guide , 7th edition student paper checklist_._ https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/ concise-guide-formatting-checklist.pdf We thank Miriam Bowers-Abbott, of Mount Carmel College of Nursing, for providing the inspiration for this content.
