Formatting Papers with APA Guide

1. Set Up the Document: 
   • Open your word processor (e.g., Microsoft Word or Google Docs). 
   • Select the font: Use Times New Roman, 12-point size (or a readable sans serif like Arial or Calibri). 
   • Margins: Set all margins to 1 inch. 
   • Line Spacing: Go to the paragraph settings and set line spacing to double (2.0). 
   • Alignment: Use left alignment with no additional spacing before or after paragraphs. 
2. Create a Title Page:
   • Add the following information centered on the page: 
     • Title of your paper (bolded, Title Case). 
     • Your name. 
     • Institutional affiliation (e.g., Capitol Technology University). 
     • Course name and number. 
     • Instructor’s name. 
     • Assignment due date. 
   • Include a page number in the top-right corner (use the “Insert” menu to add headers). 
3. Format the Body of the Paper: 
   • Begin the body of the paper on page 2. 
   • Add the title of the paper (bold and centered) at the top of the page. 
   • Use standard paragraph formatting (indent the first line of each paragraph by 0.5 inches). 
4. Include In-Text Citations: 
   • For a direct quote: (Author’s Last Name, Year, p. Page Number). Example: (Smith, 2021, p. 45). 
   • For paraphrasing: (Author’s Last Name, Year). Example: (Jones, 2020). 
5. Create a References Page: 
   • Start a new page titled “References” (centered and bolded). 
   • List all sources alphabetically by the author’s last name. 
   • Use a hanging indent (second and subsequent lines of each entry are indented by 0.5 inches). 
   • Example format for books: 

Smith, J. (2021). The art of learning. Academic Press. 

• • Example format for journal articles: 

Johnson, R. (2020). Innovative teaching methods. Journal of Education, 15(2), 123-135. https://doi.org/10.xxxx