APA paper format: What pages do I need with my APA style paper?

When compiling your thesis or dissertation, the APA style guidelines specify certain types of pages, as well as formatting guidelines for those pages. I have included the main pages you will need in your manuscript. Always start each of these sections on a new page. Most of them will only require one page.

* ABSTRACT. The second page of your APA style thesis should be the abstract page, which contains a 100 to 150 word abstract of your work. Do not include the main text on the abstract page. It will contain the page header, which is a two or three word summary of the title, in the upper right corner, just to the left of page number “2”, as the summary page is always the second page. Do not indent the abstract and limit it to one paragraph. If you use numbers in the abstract, write them as digits, rather than words, unless the number begins a sentence.

* APPENDIX. Use the optional appendix to describe complex equipment or to present unpublished evidence. Each appendix in your APA document should appear on its own page and use letters to differentiate each appendix, such as “Appendix A” and “Appendix B”. Some articles will not use an appendix page. All pages of the appendix belong to the end of the article.

* AUTHOR’S NOTE. On the author’s notes page, which is optional, identify the author’s departmental affiliation. You can also include disclaimers, acknowledgments, and, if you wish, contact information for the author. If you received funding for this research, please identify it on the author’s notes page. Place the author’s note page after the dedication page. With some instructors and institutions, this page is called an acknowledgment page.

* COPYRIGHT NOTICE. A copyright notice is an optional page in your APA document; means that the paper is copyrighted material. Place a copyright page immediately after the title page. It should include the copyright symbol, the year of publication, the author’s name, and “all rights reserved.” Center all copyright text on the page.

* DEDICATION. A dedication page is an optional page similar to the author’s notes page and allows you to dedicate your article to someone. Place the dedication page after the copyright page. The dedication page does not need to include the word “Dedication” at the top; just list your dedication in italics. Center it on the page.

* LIST OF TABLES AND LIST OF FIGURES. Only use a table list or figure list page if you have at least five tables or five figures in your APA document. Both pages of the list should appear after the table of contents, with the page of the list of tables before the page of the list of figures. List each table or figure with the appropriate title and page number, connected by a leader. Right-align the page number and left-align the title of each table or figure.

* MAIN TEXT. The main text always begins on page 3. Center the full title over the beginning of the main text.

* REFERENCE LIST. Include your list of references after the main text page and before the appendix page. The reference list page should include all the works you have cited in your article, listed alphabetically. The rules for listing references under the APA style are specific, depending on the type of work, and you should follow them closely. (We will discuss them in another article).

* TABLE OF CONTENTS. The table of contents page should appear after the summary page. It is an organized list of document content, providing page numbers for the various sections and headings of the document. The reader can use the table of contents to jump to a particular section of the document. When listing the chapter titles in the table of contents, make sure they exactly match the chapter titles in the text. Use a leader to connect the chapter title or section name (left aligned) with the page number (right aligned). Write “Table of Contents” centered at the top of the page.

* QUALIFICATION. The title page includes more than just the title. In the upper right corner, include the page header and page number “1”, as the title page is always the first page. Then center the title on the page. If the title requires more than one line, use double space. Include the author’s name and the author’s educational institution or the author’s city and state of origin.