Typography
Line Spacing & Margins
Use double-spacing throughout the entire paper. To add double-spacing in Microsoft Word, highlight all the text you want double-spaced, and then click on Page Layout. Next to the word Paragraph, click on the arrow. Under Spacing, Line Spacing, select Double, and then click OK.
Leave 1 in. margin from top to bottom and side to side. Microsoft Word usually is set to 1 in. margin. You can check this by clicking on Page Layout, and then clicking on Margins. The margin you are using is highlighted; select Normal if it is not already selected.
Number of Spaces After a Period
APA style recommends placing one space after a period
- that ends a sentence,
- when the period separates parts of a reference entry,
- and after author name abbreviations (i.e. Lander, F. K.).
Do not put a space after a period
- for internal abbreviations (i.e., U.S., p.m.).
Sample Paper
The new APA 7th edition has a format for writing a professional paper as well as one for a student paper. These directions are a set-up for student papers. In the header, on the right, is the page number, starting with 1. Centered on the page is the full title of the paper in boldface type. Place one extra space after the title of the paper. Following is the author (or authors if this is a group paper), the department and institution with which the paper is affiliated, the course number and course name, the professor’s name, and the due date of the paper.
The text of your paper begins on the second page. The full title starts it off at the top center of a new page, in boldface font. For the rest of the paper, you only need page numbers in the header. Remember to cite!
Your References start on their own page and go at the end of your paper. Title it References, centered, and bold-faced at the top. The references are alphabetized and have a hanging indent.
APA Research Paper Template
- APA Research Paper Template for Word 2016
This template was created by librarians at Indian River State College and saved as a Word template for Microsoft Word 2016.
You can save this template in Microsoft Word (IRSC students, download Office for free, see a librarian if you need help). Above is a template you can use every time you need to set up a research paper using APA style format. Simply open the template and type your own information every time you need to write an APA-style research paper.