What Does APA Style Look Like? Key Formatting and Citation Guidelines

Learn the essential elements of APA Style formatting, including font, spacing, title page, and in-text citations for academic writing.

Published

Video transcript

APA Style includes specific guidelines for formatting papers and citing sources. Key elements: Use a standard font like 12-point Times New Roman, double-space your text, and include a title page, abstract, main body, and references. Citations in-text should follow the author-date format, such as (Smith, 2020). The reference list should be alphabetized and double-spaced with hanging indents.

Questions and answers

  1. What are the basic font and spacing requirements in APA Style?

    APA Style requires a standard font such as 12-point Times New Roman and double-spaced text throughout the document.

  2. How do I format in-text citations using APA Style?

    In-text citations in APA Style use the author-date format, for example, (Smith, 2020), placed immediately after the cited information.

  3. What sections are included in an APA formatted paper?

    An APA formatted paper typically includes a title page, abstract, main body, and reference list.

  4. How should the reference list be formatted in APA Style?

    The reference list should be alphabetized by author last name, double-spaced, and use hanging indents for each entry.