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 • numbers and statistics in Chapter 6

• writing style and grammar in Chapter 2 • tables and figures in Chapter 7
• bias-free language in Chapter 3 • in-text citations in Chapter 8
• punctuation, lists, and italics in Chapter 4 • reference list and reference examples in
• spelling, capitalization, and abbreviations in Chapter 5 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 Maribel S. Quantez). Center the name two

Format (Section 1.6): Double-space the title double-spaced lines after the title (i.e., one
page. Center each element on its own line. blank line between the title and author name).
Do not use italics, underlining, or different Author Affiliation (Section 1.9): Name of the
font sizes. department of the course to which the paper
Title (Section 1.7): Concise, engaging summary is being submitted and name of the college or
of the paper and its main topic and/or variables. university. Use the format: Department, College
Write the title in title case: Capitalize the first (e.g., Department of History, Williams College).
letter of the title, the subtitle, and any major Do not include the school’s location unless part
words of four letters or more (plus linking verbs of its name. Center the affiliation one double-
“Is,” “Are,” and “Be”). Double-space, center, spaced line after the author name(s).
and bold the title in the upper half of the title Course Number and Name (Section 1.6):
page (three or four lines down from the top Number and name of course to which the paper
margin). is being submitted. Use the format shown
Author Name (Section 1.8): Full name of each on course materials (e.g., syllabus). Write the
author of the paper. The preferred format is number and name on the same line. Center the
first name, middle initial(s), and last name (e.g., number and name one double-spaced line after
the affiliation.
 Instructor Name (Section 1.6): Name of the otherwise, use the word-count function of your
instructor of the course to which the paper is word-processing program to determine paper
being submitted. Use the title and name shown length, counting every word in the paper—but
on course materials (e.g., syllabus). Center the do not count words in figure images.
name one double-spaced line after the course
number and name.
Due Date (Section 1.6): Due date of the
Paper Organization
assignment. Include the month, day, and year Introduction (Section 1.11): Repeat the paper
in the format used in your country (e.g., May 4, title on the first line of the first page of text,
2020, or 4 May 2020). Spell out the month and before the opening paragraph. Center and
write the full year. Center the date one double- bold the title. Do not include an “Introduction”
spaced line after the instructor name. heading. Start the first line of the text one
double-spaced line after the title. Use Level 2
Page Header (Section 1.17): Page number 1.
headings for subsections in the introduction.
Flush right in the header (upper right corner).
Text (Section 1.11): Use headings as needed to
organize the text. Use Level 1 headings for main
Paper Format sections after the introduction (e.g., Method,
Page Header (Section 1.17): Page number. Results, Findings, Discussion).
Appears flush right in the header (upper right Page Order (Section 1.16): Start each main
corner) of all pages. Insert page numbers using paper section on a new page. Arrange pages in
the automatic page-numbering function of your the following order:
word-processing program.
° title page
Font and Font Size (Section 1.18): Use the
° abstract (if needed)
same font and font size throughout your
° text
paper (exception: figure images require a
sans serif font and can use various font sizes). ° references
Recommended serif and sans serif fonts: ° footnotes (if needed)

° 11-point Calibri ° tables (if needed)

° 11-point Arial ° figures (if needed)

° 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode ° appendices (if needed)

° 12-point Times New Roman Headings (Section 1.26): Start each new
° 11-point Georgia section with a heading. Write all headings in
10-point Computer Modern title case and bold. Also italicize Level 3 and 5
°
headings. Follow seventh edition guidelines for
Line Spacing (Section 1.20): Double-space the the alignment of headings, as described on the
entire paper. Do not add extra lines before or Headings page.
after headings or between paragraphs.
Section Labels (Section 1.27): Bold and center
Margins (Section 1.21): Margins are 1 in. on all labels, including “Abstract” and “References.”
sides (top, bottom, left, and right).
Paragraph Alignment and Indentation
(Sections 1.22–1.23): Left-align the text (do not Writing Style
use full justification). Indent the first line of each Continuity (Sections 2.1–2.3): Check for
paragraph 0.5 in. (one tab key). continuity in words, concepts, and thematic
Paper Length (Section 1.24): Follow the development across the paper. Explain
assignment guidelines. If not instructed relationships between ideas clearly. Present
ideas in a logical order. Use clear transitions
to smoothly connect sentences, paragraphs,
and ideas.
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 Conciseness (Sections 2.4–2.6): Choose Bias-Free Language (Chapter 5)
words and phrases carefully and deliberately.
Eliminate biased language from your writing.
Eliminate wordiness, redundancy, evasiveness,
Avoid perpetuating prejudicial beliefs or
circumlocution, overuse of the passive
demeaning attitudes. Instead, use bias-free
voice, and clumsy prose. Do not use jargon,
language to describe all people and their
contractions, or colloquialisms. Avoid overusing
personal characteristics with inclusivity and
both short, simple sentences and long, involved
respect, including
sentences; instead, use varied sentence lengths.
Avoid both single-sentence paragraphs and ° age
paragraphs longer than one double-spaced ° disability
page. gender
°
Clarity (Sections 2.7–2.11): Use clear and participation in research
°
precise language. Use a professional tone and
° racial and ethnic identity
professional language. Do not use jargon,
contractions, colloquialisms, or creative ° sexual orientation
literary devices. Check for anthropomorphistic ° socioeconomic status
language (i.e., attributing human actions to intersectionality
°
inanimate objects or nonhuman animals). Make
For guidelines on writing about people without
logical comparisons using clear word choice
bias and examples of bias-free language, see
and sentence structure.
the Bias-Free Language pages.

Grammar Punctuation, Italics, and Lists

Verb Tense (Section 2.12): Use verb tenses
Punctuation (Sections 4.1–4.6, 4.8–4.10): Use
consistently in the same and adjacent
punctuation marks correctly (periods, commas,
paragraphs. Use appropriate verb tenses for
semicolons, colons, dashes, parentheses,
specific paper sections, as described on the
brackets, slashes), including in reference list
Verb Tense page.
entries. Use varied punctuation marks in your
Voice and Mood (Sections 2.13–2.14): Use paper. Avoid having multiple punctuation
the active voice instead of the passive voice as marks in the same sentence; instead, split the
much as possible. Use the passive voice only sentence into multiple shorter sentences. Use
when focusing on the recipient of an action one space after a period or other punctuation
rather than on who performed the action. mark at the end of a sentence. Use a serial
Subject and Verb Agreement (Section 2.15): comma before the final element in lists of three
Use verbs that agree in number (i.e., singular or or more items. Use parentheses to set off
plural) with their subjects. in-text citations.

Pronouns (Sections 2.16–2.21): Use first- Quotation Marks (Sections 4.7): Use quotation
person pronouns to describe your work and marks correctly. Place commas and periods
your personal reactions (e.g., “I examined,” inside closing quotation marks; place other
“I agreed with”), including your work with punctuation marks (e.g., colons, semicolons,
coauthors (e.g., “We conducted”). Use the ellipses) outside closing quotation marks. Use
singular “they” when referring to a person who quotation marks around direct quotations.
uses it as their self-identified pronoun or to a Italics (Sections 4.15–4.16): Use italics correctly
person whose gender is unknown or irrelevant. to draw attention to text. Use italics for the first
Use other pronouns correctly. use of key terms or phrases accompanied by a
definition. Do not use italics for emphasis.

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 Lists (Sections 4.11–4.14): Ensure items in lists Numbers and Statistics
are parallel. Use commas to separate items
Numbers (Sections 6.1–6.8): Use words to
in simple lists. Use semicolons to separate
express numbers zero through nine in the
items when any items in the list already contain
text. Use numerals to express numbers 10 and
commas.
above in the text. In all cases, use numerals in
For more information, including how to create statistical or mathematical functions, with units
lettered, numbered, and bulleted lists, see the of measurement, and for fractions, decimals,
Lists pages. 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,
Spelling, Capitalization, Grade 11, Chapter 2, Level 13, Table 4).
and Abbreviations For more information and exceptions, see the
Spelling and Hyphenation (Sections 5.1–5.2): Numbers pages.
Spelling and hyphenation should match the Statistics (Sections 6.9–6.12): Include enough
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary or the APA information to allow readers to fully understand
Dictionary of Psychology. Write words with any analyses conducted. Space mathematical
prefixes and suffixes without a hyphen. copy the same as words, with spaces between
For more information, including the spelling of signs. Use statistical terms in narrative text: “the
common technology terms, see the Spelling means were,“ not “the Ms were.” Use statistical
and Hyphenation pages. symbols or abbreviations with mathematical
operators: “(M = 6.62),” not “(mean = 6.62).”
Capitalization (Sections 5.3–5.11): Use title
case and sentence case capitalization correctly.
Capitalize proper nouns, including names of Tables and Figures
racial and ethnic groups. Do not capitalize
names of diseases, disorders, therapies, General Guidelines (Sections 7.1–7.7): Include
treatments, theories, concepts, hypotheses, tables and/or figures if required for your paper
principles, models, and statistical procedures, or assignment. When possible, use a standard,
unless personal names appear within these or canonical, form for a table or figure. Do not
terms. use shading or other decorative flourishes.

For more information, including capitalization In the text, refer to each table or figure by its
to use for specific paper elements, see the number. Explain what to look for in that table
Capitalization pages. or figure by calling out the table or figure in the
text (e.g., “Table 1 lists…” “As shown in Figure
Abbreviations (Section 5.12–5.18): Use 1…”).
abbreviations sparingly and usually when
they are familiar to readers, save considerable Either embed each table or figure in the
space, and appear at least three times in text after it is first mentioned or place it on
the paper. Define abbreviations, including a separate page after the reference list. If
abbreviations for group authors, on first use. embedded, place the table or figure at either
Do not use periods in abbreviations. Use Latin the top or the bottom of the page with an extra
abbreviations only in parentheses, and use double-spaced line between the table or the
the full Latin term in the text. Do not define figure and any text.
abbreviations listed as terms in the dictionary Tables (Sections 7.8–7.21): Use the tables
(e.g., AIDS, IQ) and abbreviations for units of feature of your word-processing program to
measurement, time, Latin terms, and common create tables. Number tables in the order they
statistical terms and symbols. are mentioned in the text. Include borders only
at the top and the bottom of the table, beneath
For more information, including abbreviations
that do not need to be defined, see the
Abbreviations pages.
4
 column headings, and above column spanners. Make sure the spelling of author names and the
Do not use vertical borders or borders around publication dates in the in-text citations match
every cell in the table. those of the corresponding reference
list entries.
All tables include four basic components:
number, title, column headings, and body. Paraphrase sources in your own words
Write the table number above the table title whenever possible.
and body and in bold. Write the table title one For guidance on how to paraphrase sources,
double-spaced line below the table number see the Paraphrasing pages.
and in italic title case. Label all columns. Center
Cite appropriately to avoid plagiarism, but do
column headings, and capitalize them in
not repeat the same citation in every sentence
sentence case. Include notes beneath the table
when the source and topic do not change.
if needed to describe the contents. Start each
type of note (general, specific, and probability) For guidance on appropriate citation, see the
on its own line, and double-space it. Appropriate Level of Citation page.
See sample tables on the APA Style website. Write author–date citations according to
Figures (Sections 7.22–7.32): Use a program seventh edition guidelines: Include the author
appropriate for creating figures (e.g., Word, (or title if no author) and year. For paraphrases,
Excel, Photoshop, Inkscape, SPSS). Number it is optional to include a specific page
figures in the order they are mentioned in the number(s), paragraph number(s), or other
text. Within figures, check that images are clear, location (e.g., section name) if the source work
lines are smooth and sharp, and font is legible being paraphrased is long or complex.
and simple. Provide units of measurement. ° One author: Use the author surname in all in-
Clearly label or explain axes and other figure text citations.
elements.
° Two authors: Use both author surnames in all
All figures include three basic components: in-text citations.
number, title, and image. Write the figure Three or more authors: Use only the first
°
number above the figure title and image and author surname and then “et al.” in all
in bold. Write the figure title one double- in-text citations.
spaced line below the figure number and in
For more information, including exceptions
italic title case. Write text in the figure image
to basic in-text citation styles, see the Basic
in a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points.
Principles of Citation pages.
Include a figure legend if needed to explain
any symbols in the image. Position the legend Use either the narrative or the parenthetical
within the borders of the figure, and capitalize citation format for in-text citations.
it in title case. Include notes beneath the figure Parenthetical citation: Place the author name
°
if needed to describe the contents. Start each and publication year in parentheses.
type of note (general, specific, and probability)
° Narrative citation: Incorporate the author
on its own line, and double-space it.
name into the text as part of the sentence and
See sample figures on the APA Style website. then follow with the year in parentheses.
For works with two authors,
In-Text Citations (Chapter 8) ° use an ampersand (&) in parenthetical in-text
Cite only works you read and ideas you citations: (Guirrez & Castillo, 2020)
incorporated into your paper. use the word “and” in narrative in-text
°
Include all sources cited in the text in the citations: Guirrez and Castillo (2020)
reference list (exception: personal For more information, see the Parenthetical and
communications are cited in the text only). Narrative Citations page.

5
 When citing multiple works in parentheses, Create the appropriate reference entry for
place the citations in alphabetical order. When the type of work being cited, as described in
multiple parenthetical citations have the same Chapter 9 and shown in Chapter 10 and on the
author(s), order the years chronologically and Reference Examples pages.
separate them with commas (e.g., Coutlee, Do not create refence entries for personal
2019, 2020). When the authors are different, communications and secondary sources.
separate the parenthetical citations with
semicolons (e.g., Coutlee, 2019, 2020; Ngwane, For a list of works to include and exclude from a
2020; Oishi, 2019). reference list, see the Works Included page.
Each reference entry includes four elements:
For more examples, see the Citation of Multiple
author, date, title, and source.
Works page.
Limit the use of direct quotations. Include the See exceptions for references with missing
author (or title if no author), year, and specific information on the Missing Information page.
part of the work (page number(s), paragraph Use punctuation to group information and
number(s), section name) in the citation. separate reference elements.

° Short quotation (less than 40 words): Use For more information, see the Basic Principles
double quotation marks around the quotation. of References page.
° Block quotation (40 words or more): Use the List authors in the same order as the original
block format: Indent the entire quotation 0.5 source. Use initials for authors’ first and middle
in. from the left margin and double-space it. names. Put a comma after the surname and a
For more information, see the Quotations page. period and a space after each initial (e.g. Lewis,
C. S.). Put a comma after each author (even two
authors). Use an ampersand before the last
References (Chapters 9 and 10) author.
Start the reference list on a new page after For more information, including what to do
the text. when a work has more than 20 authors, see the
Center and bold the section label “References” Reference Elements page.
at the top of the page. Capitalize titles in sentence case: Capitalize only
Double-space the entire reference list, both the first word of the title, the subtitle, and any
within and between entries. proper nouns. Format titles according to the
type of work.
Use a hanging indent for each reference
entry: First line of the reference is flush left, ° Works that stand alone: Italicize the title
and subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 in. (e.g., authored books, reports, data sets,
Apply the hanging indent using the paragraph- dissertations and theses, films, TV series,
formatting function of your word-processing albums, podcasts, social media, websites).
program. Works that are part of a greater whole: Do
°
All reference entries should have a not italicize or use quotation marks around
corresponding in-text citation. The beginning the title (e.g., periodical articles, edited book
of the reference entry (usually the first chapters, TV and podcast episodes, songs).
author’s surname) and year should match the Write the title of the greater whole (e.g., journal
corresponding in-text citation. or edited book) in italics in the source element.
List references in alphabetical order according For more information, including when to
to seventh edition guidelines. include bracketed descriptions for titles, see the
References Elements page.

6
 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.

SOURCE: American Psychological Association. (2020). Concise

guide to APA Style (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000173-000
More information on APA Style can be found in Chapter 9 of the
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association CREDIT: MIRIAM BOWERS-ABBOTT, MOUNT CARMEL
(7th ed.) and the Concise Guide to APA Style (7th ed.). COLLEGE OF NURSING