APA has a very specific format for academic papers, so you need to set it up properly. I'll show you how to get there in the Google Docs environment. Before we dive in, we have a free APA format template for you to use as well, linked down below! Alright, let's set up the basics. These are the most important guidelines, so always follow them unless said otherwise. For the font, 12 point Times New Roman. For margins, 1 inch, or 2.54 cm, double spacing and indent every new paragraph half an inch, or 1.27 cm by pulling the rectangle on the ruler. Every page should have a running head. Let's set up the running head by clicking on the top of the page to open the header. Make sure to check ‘different first page’, as only the title page needs to include the words “running head” before the title. It should also include your paper title in capital letters and page number. If your title is longer than 50 characters, use a shortened version. Then use the ‘tab’ button to right align the page number. The first page of your paper is the title page, also called the cover page. Except for the basic formatting we mentioned just now, you also need to include these elements: The running head Full paper title Author names And the institutional affiliation Let's go through the headings for chapters and sections your paper has. Heading 1 is centered, bold, with title case capitalization. Heading 2, is left-aligned, bold, also with title case capitalization. Heading 3 is indented, bold, with sentence case capitalization, and a final period. The text then begins immediately after this period. Same goes for heading 4, but the entire heading is also italicized. For heading 5, it's the same as heading 4, but not bolded. If your professor asked you to include an abstract for your research, here's what to do. Center the heading "abstract" with no styling, summarize your paper in one paragraph and around 250 words, and do not indent the first line of the paragraph. At the bottom, indent the line, and italicize the word "keywords", and include relevant keywords.

Last but definitely not least, the reference page. Here is where you list all the sources you’ve used in your paper. For the reference page, center the heading "references" with no styling. Sort the references in alphabetical order. Too much hassle? Use Scribbr’s free APA citation generator! Just copy the entry and format those that have more than one line of text with hanging indents like this. Pull the arrow on the ruler to half an inch, and the rectangle back to 0. That's it, you're all good to go! Still got more questions? We have videos and articles explaining each section in detail, check them out here! Make sure to drop a like and subscribbr! I'll see you in our next video.