If there’s a section of your paper where you’ll have to do all of the heavy lifting alone (especially if you’re not using PERRLA), it’s the body of your paper. The body contains your ideas, the evidence, and the structure of your argument, and a clean layout helps your readers focus on your paper’s content.

Formatting requirements

In an APA 7 student research paper (not to be confused with a professional research paper), the first body page always begins on page 2, and the page number appears in the header at the top-right. Here’s a good formatting checklist for the things you’ll need to keep in mind once you’re ready to write the body of your paper:

1. Page number
   The body begins on page 2. The header continues from the title page, with the page number top-right. No extra edits are needed if the document uses automatic page numbering.
2. Title line on the first body page
   On line 1 of page 2, repeat the full paper title – bold and centered – using the same Title Case as on the title page. This acts as the default introduction heading in APA. After this line, press Enter once.
3. Paragraph format
   Begin the opening paragraph on the next line. Use double spacing, a first-line indent of 0.5″, and left alignment. Keep this format for all paragraphs in the body.
4. Spacing checks
   Ensure no extra space appears before or after paragraphs. The spacing should be even from start to finish.
5. Headings (optional but helpful)
   Longer papers benefit from headings that mark major sections. APA offers five levels, from bold centered (Level 1) to indented run-in styles (Levels 4–5). Use headings only when they improve clarity.

By the way…

If you’re using PERRLA to create your research paper, then you can get right to the business of writing your paper. PERRLA automatically handles all the formatting listed above, right out of the gate. Without the headaches that sometimes accompany formatting, you can focus on what matters most: your paper’s content. You can try PERRLA completely free for 7 days here (no credit card required).

Keep an eye out for the next installment of our APA 101 series, when we’ll tackle another crucial component of every good research paper: the reference section.

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