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Feb 26, 2024 · Explore the best fonts for academic papers: tips on readability, style, and the perfect typography choices for essays, theses, and research.
- Basic Setup
- Title Page Setup
- Text Setup
- Tables and Figures Setup
- Reference List Setup
- Final Checks
- About The Author
The guidelines for basic setup apply to the entire paper. Perform these steps when you first open your document, and then you do not have to worry about them again while writing your paper. Because these are general aspects of paper formatting, they apply to all APA Style papers, student or professional. Students should always check with their assi...
Title page elements
APA Style has two title page formats: student and professional (for details, see title page setup). Unless instructed otherwise, students should use the student title page format and include the following elements, in the order listed, on the title page: 1. Paper title. 2. Name of each author (also known as the byline). 3. Affiliation for each author. 4. Course number and name. 5. Instructor name. 6. Assignment due date. 7. Page number 1 in the top right corner of the page header. The format...
Title page line spacing
Double-space the whole title page. Place the paper title three or four lines down from the top of the page. Add an extra double-spaced blank like between the paper title and the byline. Then, list the other title page elements on separate lines, without extra lines in between.
Title page alignment
Center all title page elements (except the right-aligned page number in the header).
Text elements
Repeat the paper title at the top of the first page of text. Begin the paper with an introduction to provide background on the topic, cite related studies, and contextualize the paper. Use descriptive headings to identify other sections as needed (e.g., Method, Results, Discussion for quantitative research papers). Sections and headings vary depending on the paper type and its complexity. Text can include tables and figures, block quotations, headings, and footnotes.
Text line spacing
Double-space all text, including headings and section labels, paragraphs of text, and block quotations.
Text alignment
Center the paper title on the first line of the text. Indent the first line of all paragraphs 0.5-in. Left-align the text. Leave the right margin ragged.
Tables and figures are only included in student papers if needed for the assignment. Tables and figures share the same elements and layout. See the website for sample tables and sample figures.
Reference list elements
The reference list consists of the “References” section label and the alphabetical list of references. View reference examples on the APA Style website. Consult Chapter 10 in both the Concise Guide and Publication Manualfor even more examples.
Reference list line spacing
Start the reference list at the top of a new page after the text. Double-space the entire reference list (both within and between entries).
Reference list alignment
Center the “References” label. Apply a hanging indent of 0.5-in. to all reference list entries. Create the hanging indent using your word-processing program; do not manually hit the enter and tab keys.
Check page order
1. Start each section on a new page. 2. Arrange pages in the following order: 1. Title page (page 1). 2. Text (starts on page 2). 3. Reference list (starts on a new page after the text).
Check headings
1. Check that headings accurately reflect the content in each section. 2. Start each main section with a Level 1 heading. 3. Use Level 2 headings for subsections of the introduction. 4. Use the same level of heading for sections of equal importance. 5. Avoid having only one subsection within a section (have two or more, or none).
Check assignment instructions
1. Remember that instructors’ guidelines supersede APA Style. 2. Students should check their assignment guidelines or rubric for specific content to include in their papers and to make sure they are meeting assignment requirements.
Hayley S. Kamin, PhD, is a content development manager with the APA Style team of the American Psychological Association. She started working at APA in 2018 and was part the team responsible for writing and updating the seventh edition Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and Concise Guide to APA Style, contributing her know...
Mar 29, 2022 · Back. Scientific Fonts: How to Select the Right One. Choosing the right font for the right kind of content is imperative, this article will aid your decision when it comes to scientific fonts. Fabricio Pamplona. 10 min read. 03/29/2022. It can be very difficult to choose the ideal font for a project, as any graphics designer could confirm.
- Barnaby. Barnaby is a text serif that works beautifully as body text. Designed to be used at a smaller scale, this particular font works well whether you’re submitting your paper digitally or in print.
- Artifex CF. Artifex CF is a professional font that’s easy on the eyes whether read on paper or on screen. This typeface made up of 16 font styles is a great font choice for formal papers on language and anthropology because of the wide language coverage of this typeface.
- Albra Text. Albra Text is a serif font that is designed to work well in smaller sizes, making this an excellent font choice to give your academic papers a professional feel.
- Laca Text. Laca Text is sans serif version of the Laca typeface, a cleaner version that works well rendered in smaller sizes. Because of its very straightforward look, this versatile typeface is great for use in reports, working for both formal and informal settings.
- Arial- “All-Around Champion with IBM Roots” According to fonts.com, Arial is one of the most used typefaces of the last 30 years. Its electronic origins go back to 1982 for IBM laser-xerographic printers by designers Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders.
- Helvetica- “All-Around Champion with Apple Roots” Helvetica is the most heavily-used font. Helvetica was originally designed by a Swiss designer named Max Miedinger in 1957.
- Baskerville- “Tends to have positive influence on readers” Baskerville’s history goes all the way back to 1757 when John Baskerville designed a typeface that works well in print and easy to read.
- Caslon- “When in doubt, use Caslon” Caslon is another font with a long history. William Cason I designed the typeface back in the early 1700’s. This font is considered as the first original typeface from England.
General Formatting Guidelines. This chapter provides detailed guidelines for using the citation and formatting conventions developed by the American Psychological Association, or APA. Writers in disciplines as diverse as astrophysics, biology, psychology, and education follow APA style.
Oct 21, 2020 · Text Font. Use the same font throughout the entire paper. Write body text in standard (nonbold, nonitalic) font. Use italics sparingly, for instance, to highlight a key term on first use (see C oncise Guide to APA Style Section 4.15).
