The 7th edition of the APA (American Psychological Association) format includes several key

features for writing research papers, which apply to the structure, citations, references, and
presentation of your work. Here are the major components:

1. General Paper Formatting

 Font: You can use various fonts, such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 12-point
Times New Roman.
 Margins: 1-inch margins on all sides.
 Line Spacing: Double-spacing throughout the entire paper, including the title page,
abstract, body, and references.
 Page Numbers: Page numbers should be in the header, aligned to the top right corner.
 Running Head: Only required for professional papers, not student papers. For
professional papers, include a shortened title (50 characters max) on the top left of each
page.

2. Title Page

 For Student Papers:

o Title of the paper (bold and centered)
o Author name
o Institutional affiliation
o Course name and number
o Instructor's name
o Due date
o Page number in the top right corner
 For Professional Papers: It includes the title, author's name, and affiliation, as well as a
running head.

3. Abstract

 A brief (150-250 words) summary of your paper, written on a separate page.

 The abstract should be written in a single paragraph with no indentation and be concise.

4. Headings and Subheadings

APA 7 uses a 5-level heading system:

 Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case

 Level 2: Flush Left, Bold, Title Case
 Level 3: Flush Left, Bold Italic, Title Case
 Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case, Period at the End
 Level 5: Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, Period at the End

5. In-text Citations
  Author-Date Format: Cite sources within the text using the author’s last name and year
of publication, e.g., (Smith, 2020).
 If quoting directly, include the page number or paragraph number, e.g., (Smith, 2020, p.
23).
 For multiple authors, up to 20 authors can be listed in the reference list.

6. Reference List

 Title: "References" should be bold and centered at the top of a new page.
 Entries: Double-space all references. Use a hanging indent format (first line flush left,
subsequent lines indented).
 Author’s name: Last name first, followed by initials (e.g., Smith, J. H.).
 Source Titles: Italicize titles of books and journals. For articles, the title is not italicized.
 DOI/URL: For online sources, include the DOI or URL. If a DOI is available, use it.

7. Tables and Figures

 Tables: Should have a number (Table 1, Table 2), a title in italics, and notes if necessary
below the table.
 Figures: Labeled similarly to tables, with the figure number and italicized title.

8. Bias-Free Language

 APA 7 emphasizes the use of inclusive and bias-free language:

o Use "they" as a singular pronoun when gender is not specified.
o Use language that is sensitive to age, disability, gender, race, and sexual
orientation.

9. Additional Guidelines

 No Placeholders for Future Citations: Use real citations instead of placeholders.

 Appendices: If additional materials are needed, they should go after the references
section.

These are the essential features to follow when writing a research paper in APA 7th edition
format.

10. General Rules for the Reference List

1. Title: The reference list should begin on a new page titled "References" (bold, centered, and
capitalized).
2. Alphabetical Order: List entries alphabetically by the author’s last name. If there’s no author,
alphabetize by the title (ignoring articles like A, An, The).
3. Hanging Indent: Each reference should use a hanging indent, where the first line of the
reference is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented.
4. Double-Spaced: All entries should be double-spaced.
 5. Authors: List up to 20 authors before using an ellipsis, followed by the last author. For works
with 21 or more authors, list the first 19, then an ellipsis, and the final author.
6. Capitalization: Only the first word of the title, the first word after a colon or em dash, and
proper nouns are capitalized.
7. DOIs and URLs: Use DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for journal articles, books, and reports when
available. If a DOI is not available, include a URL (if applicable).

Common Examples for References in APA 7th Format

1. Book

Format:

 Author(s). (Year). Title of the book (Edition, if applicable). Publisher. DOI/URL (if available).

Example:

 Smith, J. A. (2020). Research methods in psychology (4th ed.). Pearson.

2. Journal Article with DOI

Format:

 Author(s). (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, volume number(issue number), page
range. https://doi.org/xxxx

Example:

 Johnson, L., & Perez, M. (2019). The effects of stress on cognitive performance. Journal of
Psychological Studies, 45(3), 234-256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsycho.2019.04.001

3. Journal Article without DOI (from a database or print)

Format:

 Author(s). (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, volume number(issue number), page
range.

Example:

 Lee, A., & Gordon, T. R. (2018). Examining childhood resilience. Developmental Psychology,
54(2), 120-134.

4. Website

Format:
  Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of the webpage. Website name. URL

Example:

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, August 15). Managing stress in times of
crisis. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/stressmanagement

5. Edited Book

Format:

 Editor(s). (Ed(s.)). (Year). Title of the book (Edition, if applicable). Publisher.

Example:

 Clark, L. S., & Wright, M. T. (Eds.). (2017). Health and wellness across the lifespan (3rd ed.).
Springer.

6. Chapter in an Edited Book

Format:

 Author(s). (Year). Title of the chapter. In Editor(s) (Ed(s.)), Title of the book (pp. page range).
Publisher.

Example:

 Brown, P. R. (2020). Childhood obesity: Causes and consequences. In J. K. West & P. T. Simmons
(Eds.), Nutrition and health in children (pp. 45-62). Academic Press.

7. Government Report

Format:

 Authoring Organization. (Year). Title of the report (Report number, if applicable). Publisher. URL

Example:

 World Health Organization. (2018). Global health risks: Mortality and burden of disease (WHO
Report No. 1234). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/reports/global-health-risks

8. Blog Post

Format:

 Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of the blog post. Blog Name. URL
Example:

 Taylor, A. (2023, March 14). How to manage your time effectively in college. The College Blog.
https://www.collegeblog.com/time-management

9. Online Newspaper Article

Format:

 Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of the article. Newspaper Name. URL

Example:

 Anderson, J. (2021, September 10). How technology is changing education. The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/10/education

10. YouTube Video

Format:

 Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of the video [Video]. YouTube. URL

Example:

 Khan Academy. (2020, May 5). Introduction to algebra [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example

Things to Keep in Mind

 DOI vs URL: If a DOI is available, always use it. If not, use the URL if the article or source is
available online.
 Retrieval Dates: Include retrieval dates only when content is designed to change over time (e.g.,
wikis).

By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your reference list is properly formatted
according to APA 7th edition standards.