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APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.) for Student Papers

  • What's New in the 7th ed.?
  • Principles of Plagiarism: An Overview
  • Basic Paper Formatting
  • Basic Paper Elements
  • Punctuation, Capitalization, Abbreviations, Apostrophes, Numbers, Plurals
  • Tables and Figures
  • Powerpoint Presentations
  • Reference Page Format
  • Periodicals (Journals, Magazines, Newspapers)
  • Books and Reference Works
  • Webpage on a Website
  • Discussion Post
  • Company Information & SWOT Analyses
  • Dissertations or Theses
  • ChatGPT and other AI Large Language Models
  • Online Images
  • Online Video
  • Computer Software and Mobile Apps
  • Missing Information
  • Two Authors
  • Three or More Authors
  • Group Authors
  • Missing Author
  • Chat GPT and other AI Large Language Models
  • Secondary Sources
  • Block Quotations
  • Fillable Template and Sample Paper
  • Government Documents and Legal Materials
  • APA Style 7th ed. Tutorials
  • Additional APA 7th Resources
  • Grammarly - your writing assistant
  • Writing Center - Writing Skills This link opens in a new window
  • Brainfuse Online Tutoring

APA 7th ed. Fillable Word Template and Sample Paper

  • APA 7th ed. Template Download this Word document, fill out the title page and get writing!
  • Sample Paper APA 7th ed. Our APA sample paper shows you how to format the main parts of a basic research paper.
  • APA 7th Sample Papers from Purdue Owl
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  • Last Updated: May 3, 2024 2:22 PM
  • URL: https://national.libguides.com/apa_7th

APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources

  • Basics of APA Formatting
  • In Text Quick View
  • Block Quotes
  • Books & eBooks
  • Thesis/Dissertation

Standard Format

Formatting rules, various examples.

  • Audiovisual
  • Conference Presentations
  • Social Media
  • Legal References
  • Reports and Gray Literature
  • Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
  • Additional Resources
  • Reference Page

Adapted from American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed).  https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Formatting:

  • Italicize the title
  • Identify whether source is doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis in parentheses after the title

See Ch. 10 pp. 313-352 of APA Manual for more examples and formatting rules

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  • Last Updated: Apr 22, 2024 9:37 AM
  • URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/APA7th

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  • Mardigian Library
  • Subject Guides

EDK 850 Research Design & Proposal Development

  • Formatting your Dissertation in APA Style
  • Getting Started
  • Journal Articles/Databases
  • Books/Reference Materials
  • How to Request Books and Articles from Other Libraries (ILL)
  • Literature Reviews
  • Citation Management Tools
  • Research Methods Resources for Graduate Students
  • Formatting using Microsoft Word
  • Education Websites
  • Info about UM-Dearborn Doctoral Requirements & Deadlines

APA Style Resources

Here are some general APA Style resources. Scroll down further to see more details about citations and paper formatting. 

  • APA Style Website The APA Style Website is the official website for APA 7th edition, and includes formatting guidelines for formatting your overall paper including title page setup, tables and figures, as well as guidelines for formatting reference citations. Sample papers are included.
  • Excelsior Online Writing Lab: APA Style The Excelsior OWL is an excellent resource for how to write and cite your academic work in APA Style. This is a recommended starting point if you're not sure how to use APA style in your work, and includes helpful multimedia elements.

Several print copies of the APA 7th edition Publication Manual are available for checkout at the Mardigian Library.

(Sorry, APA does not provide an eBook version of this for libraries at the present time.)

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APA Style 7th edition Citations (References and In-Text Citations)

If you're new to citation, this brief video will cover an introduction to in-text citations and reference lists in APA 7th edition. Scroll down for more recommended resources about citations. 

More information including examples and sample papers can be found at the recommended websites below: 

  • APA Style Website: Reference Examples Guidelines about references from the official APA Style website.
  • APA Style Website: In-text Citations Guidelines for in-text citations from the official APA Style website.
  • APA 7th edition quick reference handout This quick reference guide to APA 7th edition citations is handy and includes many commonly cited source types and corresponding in-text citations.
  • APA In-text Citation Checklist APA's official In-text citation checklist for the 7th edition.

APA Style 7th edition Formatting for Professional Papers (including Dissertations)

  • APA Style Website: Sample Annotated Professional Paper This is the official sample professional paper from the APA Style website, and includes annotations illustrating the usage of each element.
  • APA Style Website: Paper Format The APA Style website's paper format page includes all of the elements of paper format that you need to follow, including information about the title page, margins and spacing, fonts and headings. Sample papers are included.

CEHHS Formatting Requirements for Ed.D. Dissertations

CEHHS uses the current version of the APA Publication Manual (7th edition) for all matters of format with the exception of some particular requirements for the Title page, pagination (especially of front matter) and top margins. Unless otherwise stated in the CEHHS Ed.D. Dissertation Guide below, defer to APA 7th edition. 

Some formatting aspects to be sure you are following correctly include: 

  • Tables and Figures, including labeling thereof
  • CEHHS Ed.D. Dissertation Guide
  • UM-Ann Arbor Scholarspace Microsoft for Dissertations Guide
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  • Last Updated: Mar 10, 2024 2:54 PM
  • URL: https://guides.umd.umich.edu/educationresources

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University Thesis and Dissertation Templates

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Theses and dissertations are already intensive, long-term projects that require a lot of effort and time from their authors. Formatting for submission to the university is often the last thing that graduate students do, and may delay earning the relevant degree if done incorrectly.

Below are some strategies graduate students can use to deal with institutional formatting requirements to earn their degrees on time.

Disciplinary conventions are still paramount.

Scholars in your own discipline are the most common readers of your dissertation; your committee, too, will expect your work to match with their expectations as members of your field. The style guide your field uses most commonly is always the one you should follow, and if your field uses conventions such as including all figures and illustrations at the end of the document, you should do so. After these considerations are met, move on to university formatting. Almost always, university formatting only deals with things like margins, font, numbering of chapters and sections, and illustrations; disciplinary style conventions in content such as APA's directive to use only last names of authors in-text are not interfered with by university formatting at all.

Use your university's formatting guidelines and templates to your advantage.

If your institution has a template for formatting your thesis or dissertation that you can use, do so. Don't look at another student's document and try to replicate it yourself. These templates typically have the necessary section breaks and styles already in the document, and you can copy in your work from your existing draft using the style pane in MS Word to ensure you're using the correct formatting (similarly with software such as Overleaf when writing in LaTeX, templates do a lot of the work for you). It's also often easier for workers in the offices that deal with theses and dissertations to help you with your work if you're using their template — they are familiar with these templates and can often navigate them more proficiently.

These templates also include placeholders for all front matter you will need to include in your thesis or dissertation, and may include guidelines for how to write these. Front matter includes your table of contents, acknowledgements, abstract, abbreviation list, figure list, committee page, and (sometimes) academic history or CV; everything before your introduction is front matter. Since front matter pages such as the author's academic history and dissertation committee are usually for the graduate school and not for your department, your advisor might not remember to have you include them. Knowing about them well before your deposit date means you won't be scrambling to fill in placeholders at the last minute or getting your work returned for revision from the graduate school.

Consider institutional formatting early and often.

Many graduate students leave this aspect of submitting their projects until it's almost too late to work on it, causing delays in obtaining their degree. Simply being aware that this is a task you'll have to complete and making sure you know where templates are, who you can ask for help in your graduate office or your department, and what your institution's guidelines are can help alleviate this issue. Once you know what you'll be expected to do to convert to university formatting, you can set regular check-in times for yourself to do this work in pieces rather than all at once (for instance, when you've completed a chapter and had it approved by your chair). 

Consider fair use for images and other third-party content.

Most theses and dissertations are published through ProQuest or another publisher (Harvard, for instance, uses their own open publishing service). For this reason, it may be the case that your institution requires all images or other content obtained from other sources to fall under fair use rules or, if an image is not considered under fair use, you'll have to obtain permission to print it in your dissertation. Your institution should have more guidance on their specific expectations for fair use content; knowing what these guidelines are well in advance of your deposit date means you won't have to make last-minute changes or removals to deposit your work.

IMAGES

  1. How to Write a Research Proposal: Guide, Template & Examples

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  2. Template-FOR- Research- Proposal

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  3. Apa Format Proposal Example : Sample research proposal apa format

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  4. APA Research Proposal Outline in Word and Pdf formats

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  5. APA style: Structure of a Research Report/Proposal

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  6. APA Research Proposal Outline in Word and Pdf formats

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VIDEO

  1. Thesis Proposal on Translation Studies

  2. Thesis proposal (Disaster risk reduction & climate change adaptation)

  3. How to Write Objectives in Thesis in APA 7?

  4. Thesis and Dissertation Evaluation Format in All Ethiopian Universities(በአማርኛ)

  5. Writing Research Proposals

  6. APA style thesis and article writing #sk notes ugc net

COMMENTS

  1. PDF Research Proposal Format Example

    Research Proposal Format Example. Following is a general outline of the material that should be included in your project proposal. I. Title Page II. Introduction and Literature Review (Chapters 2 and 3) A. Identification of specific problem area (e.g., what is it, why it is important). B. Prevalence, scope of problem.

  2. PDF Montclair State University

    The Graduate School requires that you arrange your dissertation proposal and final dissertation in the following order:

  3. Academic Proposals

    The following proposal structure, as outlined by Peter E. Dunn for thesis and fellowship proposals, provides a useful guide to composing such a long proposal (Dunn, Peter E. "Proposal Writing."

  4. APA Sample Paper

    Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.

  5. Sample Papers

    These sample papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style show the format that authors should use to submit a manuscript for publication in a professional journal and that students should use to submit a paper to an instructor for a course assignment.

  6. APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.) for Student Papers

    Our APA sample paper shows you how to format the main parts of a basic research paper.

  7. How to Write a Dissertation or Thesis Proposal

    When starting your thesis or dissertation process, one of the first requirements is a research proposal or a prospectus. It describes what or who you want to examine, delving into why, when, where, and how you will do so, stemming from your research question and a relevant topic.

  8. How to Write a Research Proposal

    Academics often have to write research proposals to get funding for their projects. As a student, you might have to write a research proposal as part of a grad school application, or prior to starting your thesis or dissertation.

  9. How to Write a Research Proposal in the APA Style

    The sixth edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association" directs you how to format and structure your research proposal. This is the most common style used for proposal related to the social sciences. A research proposal in APA format should include a title, abstract, main body and references.

  10. APA Formatting and Citation (7th Ed.)

    Learn how to set up APA format for your paper. From the title page and headings to references and citations.

  11. APA Sample Paper: Experimental Psychology

    Media File: APA Sample Paper: Experimental Psychology This resource is enhanced by an Acrobat PDF file. Download the free Acrobat Reader

  12. Thesis/Dissertation

    Provide guidance on APA format style based on the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

  13. Formatting your Dissertation in APA Style

    The APA Style Website is the official website for APA 7th edition, and includes formatting guidelines for formatting your overall paper including title page setup, tables and figures, as well as guidelines for formatting reference citations. Sample papers are included.

  14. PDF Student Paper Setup Guide, APA Style 7th Edition

    This guide will help you set up an APA Style student paper. The basic setup directions apply to the entire paper. Annotated diagrams illustrate how to set up the major sections of a student paper: the title page or cover page, the text, tables and figures, and the reference list.

  15. PDF APA 6 Dissertation Template

    dissertation; (c) keep the abstract concise, accurate, and readable; (d) use correct English; (e) ensure each sentence adds value to the reader's understanding of the research; and (f) use the full. name of any acronym and include the acronym in parentheses.

  16. PDF Montclair State University

    The APA reference page is a separate page at the end of your paper where all sources you cited in the main text are listed. The references are sorted alphabetically, double spaced, and formatted using a hanging indent of 1⁄2 inch. Use "References" as page heading and include a running head with your paper title and page number.

  17. PDF Liberty University: A Christian University in Virginia and Online

    APA-7). APA (2020) delineates separate formatting requirements for what it terms "student" and

  18. APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

    APA Stylistics: Basics. APA Stylistics: Avoiding Bias. Footnotes & Appendices. Numbers & Statistics. Additional Resources. APA Headings and Seriation. APA PowerPoint Slide Presentation. APA Sample Paper. Tables and Figures.

  19. How to Write an APA Methods Section

    In the methods section of an APA research paper, you report in detail the participants, measures, and procedure of your study.

  20. How to Cite a Dissertation in APA Style

    To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add "Unpublished" to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets. APA format. Author last name, Initials. ( Year ).

  21. Sample Academic Proposals

    Sample Academic Proposals. Select the Sample Academic Proposals PDF in the Media box above to download this file and read examples of proposals for conferences, journals, and book chapters. Media File: Sample Academic Proposals This resource is enhanced by an Acrobat PDF file. Download the free Acrobat Reader.

  22. University Thesis and Dissertation Templates

    University Thesis and Dissertation Templates. Theses and dissertations are already intensive, long-term projects that require a lot of effort and time from their authors. Formatting for submission to the university is often the last thing that graduate students do, and may delay earning the relevant degree if done incorrectly.

  23. Dissertation & Thesis Outline

    A thesis or dissertation outline helps you to organize your ideas succinctly, and can provide you with a roadmap for your research.