APA
Formatting and Style Guide
American Psychological Association
Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
General Format
References
Your essay should
include three major
sections:
Main Body
Abstract
Title page
General Format
Your essay should:
 be typed and double-spaced
 use 1” margins on all sides
 use 12 pt. Times New Roman
 include a page header (title) in the upper left-hand of every
page and a page number in the upper right-hand side of
every page
 Used mostly in social sciences
Title Page
Page header:
(use Insert Page Header)
title flush left + page number
flush right.
(Title Page: only page with
Running head)
Title:
(in the upper half of
the page, centered)
Running head: INTERNET SAFETY
Internet Safety and Social Media Sites
John Smith
Computer Apps
Mrs. Williams
Date
1
Abstract
INTERNET SAFETY
*Usually 1 paragraph
*First line is NOT indented
*200-300 words
*Easily understood w/o reading the paper
*Simply a summary…no new information
Abstract
1-2 sentences about the topic
2-4 sentences about the past results
1-2 sentences about what the results
means to your project
State your hypothesis
Keywords: polymer, casein,
monomer, molecule
2
Main Body (Text)
 Number the abstract page as page number 2
 On page number 3, type and center the title of the
paper centered, at the top of the page
 Type the text double-spaced with all sections
following each other without a break
 Identify the sources you use in the paper in
parenthetical in-text citations
Main Body (Text Sample)
INTERNET SAFETY
3
Internet Safety and Social Media Sites
Numerous studies have been conducted on various facets of Internet safety.
The internet provides great sources of information but also
References Page
INTERNET SAFETY
• Center the title (References)
at the top of the page. Do not
bold it.
• Double-space reference
entries
• Flush left the first line of the
entry and indent subsequent
lines
• Order entries alphabetically
by the author’s surnames
4
APA Style: Language
Language in an APA paper is:
 clear: be specific in descriptions and
explanations
 concise: condense information when you can
 plain: use simple, descriptive adjectives and
minimize figurative language
As of December 2000, twenty countries were restricting use
of cell phones in moving vehicles (Sundeen, 2012). In the United
States, it is highly unlikely that legislation could be passed on the
national level, since traffic safety is considered a state and local
issue. To date, only a few counties and towns have passed traffic
laws restricting cell phone use. For example, in Suffolk County, New
York, it is illegal for drivers to use a handheld phone for anything but
an emergency call while on the road (“Traffic Safety,” 2013). The first
town to restrict use of handheld phones was Brooklyn, Ohio
(“Texting and Driving”). Brooklyn, the first community in the country
to pass a seat belt law, has once again shown its concern for traffic
safety.
Source: Diana Hacker (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006).
In-text Citations: Basics
Whenever you use a source, provide in parenthesis:
• the author’s name and the date of publication
• for quotations and close paraphrases, provide the
author’s name, date of publication, and a page
number
In-text Citations: Source with Author and Date Provided
Formatting a Summary or Paraphrase
Social media sites are a good way to communicate
and catch up with friends and family, but you also must
be very careful. Predators may locate you by simply
viewing a posted photo (Fussell, 1975).
In-text Citations:
A Work with Multiple Authors
When citing a work with three to five authors, identify all
authors in the signal phrase or in parenthesis.
(Harklau, Siegal, & Losey, 1999)
In subsequent citations, only use the first author's last
name followed by "et al." in the signal phrase or in
parentheses.
(Harklau et al., 1999)
In-text Citations:
A Work of Unknown Author
(“Title,” year) here
When citing a work of unknown author, use the
source’s full title in the signal phrase and cite the
first word of the title followed by the year of
publication in parenthesis. Put titles of articles and
chapters in quotation marks; italicize titles of books
and reports.
(“Indiana,” 2008)
Internet Sources:
Unknown Author and Date
In-text Example:
One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is “...a beautiful and
terrifying critique of obsession and colonialism” (“Herzog: a Life”).
In-text Citations:
Formatting Quotations
A traumatic response frequently entails a “delayed,
uncontrolled repetitive appearance of hallucinations and
other intrusive phenomena” (Caruth, 1996, p.11).
In-text Citations:
A Work with Two Authors that has a Quotation
Some feminists researchers question that “women's
responses to the war have been ignored” (Raitt & Tate,
1997, p. 2).
In-text Citations: Quotations
Electronic Source with Unknown Page Number
When citing an electronic document, whenever
possible, cite it in the author-date style. If electronic
source lacks page numbers, locate and identify
paragraph number/paragraph heading.
(Smith, 1997, Mind over Matter section, para. 6).
In-text Citations:
Personal communication
When citing interviews, letters, e-mails, etc., include the
communicator’s name, the fact that it was personal
communication, and the date of the communication. Do not
include personal communication in the reference list.
The history teacher claimed that many of her students
had difficulties with APA style (Robbins, personal
communication, November 3, 2002).
Personal Interview with Janice Emery
“I observed doors shutting on their own and…” (Emery, personal
communication, January 9, 2014).
Author- Jacque Conner
Title- Making It Past Tomorrow
Year Published- 2014
Her life was not easy due to abuse, anxiety, and depression (Conner, 2014).
URL- www.historychannel.org
Title- Bermuda Triangle
Year Published- 2011
The Bermuda Triangle is located in the Atlantic (“Bermuda Triangle,” 2011).
URL- www.sciencetoday.com
Title- Extraterrestrials: Real or Not?
The idea of other habitable zones may be possible (“Extraterrestrials: Real or
Not”).
As of December 2000, twenty countries were restricting use
of cell phones in moving vehicles (Sundeen, 2012). In the United
States, it is highly unlikely that legislation could be passed on the
national level, since traffic safety is considered a state and local
issue. To date, only a few counties and towns have passed traffic
laws restricting cell phone use. For example, in Suffolk County, New
York, it is illegal for drivers to use a handheld phone for anything but
an emergency call while on the road (“Traffic Safety,” 2013). The first
town to restrict use of handheld phones was Brooklyn, Ohio
(“Texting and Driving”). Brooklyn, the first community in the country
to pass a seat belt law, has once again shown its concern for traffic
safety.
Source: Diana Hacker (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006).
1. Find a print or online source
2. Take Notes…indicate the source
3. Add the source to citefast.com
www.sgcmediacenter.weebly.com
Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)
Digital Public Library of America
Google Scholar
What do I do if
citefast.com asks for the
date last updated or
published?