Your essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
Include a page header (also known as the "running head") at the top of every page. To create a page header/running head, insert page numbers flush right. Then type "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" in the header flush left using all capital letters. The running head is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.
The rest of this page on formatting is well worth the time to read and gives specifics as well as excellent examples on how to properly format your title page, the running head, and the abstract.
Of course once you have the basics for the cover page and abstract down, it is important to be able to properly utilize in-text citations. Follow the general guidelines found here to help. If you have a document with multiple authors, there are specific directions to follow for that as well. Included on that page is also information on citing electronic sources which is crucial if you intend to use the internet for part of your research.
The point of in-text citations is to send you to the reference list ("Works Cited Page") at the end of your report or paper. The basics of the reference list are covered here. Of course, there is a lot of source-specific information that you need to be aware of. Multiple authors, articles in periodicals, books, and of course electronic sources are all covered. Other sources are also covered and you can find more information if you search the OWL APA page. The sidebar on the left side of the page contains everything you need to know!!!
