The first step in an APA paper is getting the blank document set up correctly. If you're using PERRLA, this is done for you: the paper is set up correctly from the start, which saves time and unnecessary work. This lesson uses a PERRLA-created paper to show exactly how an APA document should be set up.
Here are the seven things to check or change before you begin.
The seven settings
1. Page size
This one's easy. APA uses standard 8.5 by 11 inch paper (US Letter). That's the default in nearly every word processor, so unless you've changed it, you're good to go.
2. Margins
APA calls for one-inch margins on all four sides of the page. You'll find them in your document or page layout settings.
If you see an option for a gutter, leave it at 0 inches. That setting is for printing bound books, not research papers.
3 to 6. Font, spacing, indents, and alignment
APA has specific requirements for how your text looks:
- Font: the APA 7 manual accepts a number of widely available fonts. The most common is still Times New Roman at 12 points; Calibri 11, Arial 11, and Georgia 11 are also accepted. Whichever you choose, use it for the whole paper.
- Line spacing: double-spaced throughout the entire paper, including the title page, body, headings, block quotes, and the references page.
- Paragraph indents: the first line of each paragraph is indented half an inch.
- Alignment: left-aligned, never justified.
Times New Roman is the standard because it's clear, readable, and on just about every device, and 12 points is a comfortable middle ground. Double spacing helps readability and leaves room for comments, a holdover from when everything was graded by hand.
You can make the half-inch paragraph indent with the Tab key, but it's better to set it in your paragraph settings so it stays consistent.
Finally, make sure your text is left-aligned: it hugs the left margin and the right edge stays ragged. Don't use justified alignment, where both edges are straight, because APA doesn't allow it.
7. The header
Last up is the header, the text at the top of every page of your paper.
For a student paper in APA 7, this is simple: the only thing in the header is the page number, aligned to the right. The title page uses exactly the same header as the rest of the paper.
You can usually insert the page number from your word processor's header settings. Make sure it's in the same font as the rest of the paper and sits in the top right corner.
What a set-up page looks like
Here is the top of a page from a PERRLA-created paper. The dashed line marks the one-inch margins; nothing on the page crosses it except the page number in the header.
Bigfoot: The Truth Revealed
Bigfoot has been reported across western North America for decades, and the evidence offered for it has ranged from footprints and film to tufts of hair. Yet no body or recent fossil of the creature has ever been authenticated, hair offered as proof keeps matching animals we already know (Sykes et al., 2014), and a 1977 test traced one sample to the deer family (Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], n.d.).
Background
Sykes et al. (2014) tested 30 hairs credited to Bigfoot and similar creatures. Every hair attributed to Bigfoot matched an animal already known to science, most often a black bear.
- The headerOnly the page number, top right, in the same font as the paper.
- One-inch margins, one font12-point Times New Roman inside one-inch margins on every side.
- Double spacing and the half-inch indentEvery line is double-spaced, and each paragraph's first line starts half an inch in. No extra space between paragraphs.
- Left-alignedThe left edge is straight and the right edge is ragged. Never justified.
Quick checklist
- 8.5 by 11 inch page size
- One-inch margins on all sides
- An approved font, used throughout (for example, 12-point Times New Roman)
- Double spacing everywhere
- Half-inch first-line indent
- Left-aligned text, never justified
- Page number at the top right of the header
That's it. With those seven settings, your page is ready for APA. Next, the very first page of your paper: the title page.
How PERRLA handles page setup
You can skip all of this setup. When PERRLA creates your paper, every setting above is already in place, from the first page to the last, so there are no hidden formatting problems to find later.
Page size8.5 × 11 in
Margins1 in
FontTimes New Roman 12
Line spacingDouble
First-line indent0.5 in
HeaderPage number, top right
Set when you create the paper in PERRLA Online or Word. In Google Docs, PERRLA walks you through adding the page number, the one step Google keeps for itself.