This document provides guidelines for formatting papers and citations according to the American Psychological Association (APA) style. It discusses formatting papers with proper margins, font, spacing, page headers, and section headings. It also explains how to properly cite sources in-text and provide a reference list, including different examples for citing single author sources, multiple author sources, organizations, indirect sources, and electronic sources. Specific rules are given for both in-text citations and formatting the references list.

1. APA Formatting and Style Guide
As with any referencing system, it is important to remember that this is an entire system of organizing the
practical elements of your paper. That means there are specific ways to number your pages, create your
title page, and establish headings, in addition to citing material from other authors. Always check with
your professor to find out how closely he or she wants you to follow these guidelines.
For complete guidelines for APA format, as well as for specific issues not covered here, see:
American Psychological Association (2001). Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association (5th ed.). Washington: American Psychological Association.
1. Formatting
2. In-Text Citations
3. References
1. Formatting
• Margins: The standard margin size in APA is 2.5cm (1 inch) for all four sides.
• Font & Spacing: The usual fonts for APA are Times New Roman or Courier, and the size is
always 12-pt. Times New Roman is usually expected at university. Double space your paper.
Remember that when you double space a paper, you DO NOT need to leave an extra line between
paragraphs. While your left margins should be flush, do not justify the right side of your text. The
first line of every paragraph should be indented five spaces.
• Paper Size: Use standard 8 ½ by 11 inch paper. Unless specified by your professor, do not put
your paper in a plastic binder or cover.
• Page Header: Include a "header" in the top right corner of each page (use the "header" function
in your word processor to ensure correct placement). The header should include the first two or
three words of your paper's title and the page number. The page number should be five spaces
after the end of the "header".
• Major Sections: Your essay should include four sections (Title Page, Abstract, Main Body,
References).
a. Title Page: The title goes in the upper half of the title page, centred, typed in the same
font as the rest of your paper. Type your name and the name of your university on
separate lines under your title. Include a page header (as defined above) and a running
head. Your running head should be near the top of the page; it should begin with the
words "Running head" followed by the two or three words from your title that constitute
the "header" on each page indicating the "header" centre of the page. An image of an
APA formatted title page is below.
revised July 2008

2. Multiculturalism and Globalization 1
Running Head: Multiculturalism and Globalization
Multiculturalism and Globalization: Conflicting Forces in Canada
Jane Doe
University of Toronto Mississauga
b. Abstract: The abstract should appear on page two of your essay. Ensure your "header" is at the
top of the page; the title of this page should be the word "Abstract" (without quotations marks or
other formatting) centred on the first line. Your abstract should be no longer than 120 words and
should provide a summary of your paper. Do not indent your abstract.
c. Body: The body of your essay presents your research and analysis divided into sections. There
are five levels of headings in APA, although you can use as many as your paper requires. Each level
of heading has a different type face and is positioned differently. Most undergraduate papers will use
2 or 3 levels of headings. The first three levels of headings are as follows:
One Level: If your paper has one level of Headings, the Heading should be centred, using both
upper-case and lower-case letters:
Method
Two Levels: If your paper has two levels of Headings, the first level should be centred, using
both upper and lower case letters. The second level of Headings should be flush with the left
margin and italicized, using upper and lower case letters:
Method
Abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd
abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd
abcdabcdabcd abcd
Field Work
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3. Three Levels: If your paper has three levels of Headings, the first level should be centred, using
both upper and lower case letters. The second level of Headings should be flush with the left
margin and italicized, using upper and lower case letters. The third level of Headings should be
indented and italicized, written in lower case and followed by a period. Text should follow the
heading on the same line:
Method
Abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd
abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd
Field Work
Abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcd
abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcd
Study area details. Abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd
abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd
d. References: Every essay must include a list of references at the end. It provides all the publication
information for the sources you cite in the body of your essay. Every source you cite must be included
in your reference list. Do not include sources in your reference list that are not cited in your essay.
The References page must be separate from the rest of your essay. It should have the title
"References" (with no quotations or italics, in the same font as the rest of your paper) centred on the
first line of the page. It should be double-spaced.
Sample entries for the References list are at the end of this document.
2. In-Text Citations
The APA format uses an author-date method for citing sources in the body of an essay. In other
words, when you quote, paraphrase or refer to another text, you must include a reference to the
source's author's last name and year of publication.
If you do NOT quote a source directly, you need only the author's last name and the year of
publication in your in-text citation. If you DO quote a source directly, you need also to include the
page number for the reference.
Short Quotations: If the quotation is less than 40 words long it should be incorporated into your text
and enclosed by double quotation marks [" "]. If possible, introduce your short quotation with a
signal phrase that includes the author's name followed by the publication date in parentheses. For
example:
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4. As Smith (2008) concludes, "There is significant evidence to suggest that the earth is round" (p.
123).
If you do not name the author in your signal phrase, you must include that information in your
parenthetical citation immediately following the quotation. For example:
More recently, scientists have found "significant evidence to suggest that the earth is round"
(Smith, 2008, p. 123).
Long Quotations: Quotations that are over 40 words long must be placed in the paper as a block of
text set apart from the rest of the paragraph. Block quotations should start on a new line, be indented
5 spaces from the left margin, and be double spaced (like the rest of the essay). Omit quotation marks.
Your citation should come at the end of the quotation, as follows:
More importantly, Smith's (2008) evidence suggesting that the earth is round rather than
flat is quite compelling:
abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd abcdabcdabcd bcdabcdab
abcbcdabcdabcdabc dabcdabcdbcdabcdabc dabcdabcdabcdabababababababababd
bcdabcd bcdabcdabcd abcd. (p. 123)
Paraphrase and Summary: When you paraphrase or summarize another source, you must
acknowledge that source. You should, where possible, include the page reference for the ideas you
are paraphrasing/summarizing. For example:
Smith (2008, p. 123) insists the earth is not flat.
The following are some common examples of in-text citations.
A Work by Two Authors: Name both authors; use the word "and" in the text and use the
ampersand in parentheses.
With signal phrase: The study by Jones and Smith (2006) concludes . . .
Without signal phrase: Their study concludes the earth is round (Jones & Smith,
2006)
A Work by Three to Five Authors: Name all authors the first time you cite the source; in
subsequent citations, use only the first author's last name and the phrase "et al".
With signal phrase: The study by Jones, Smith, Ali, Rushdie and Murakami (2003)
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5. concludes . . .
Without signal phrase: Their study concludes the earth is round (Jones, Smith, Ali,
Rushdie & Murakami, 2003)
In subsequent citations, with signal phrase: The study by Jones et al. (2003)
concludes . . .
In subsequent citations, without signal phrase: Their study concludes the earth is
round (Jones et al., 2003)
A Work by Six or More Authors: Use the first author's last name followed by "et al" in the
signal phrase or parentheses.
With signal phrase: The study by Powell et al (2007) argues . . .
Without signal phrase: Their study concludes the earth is round (Powell et al., 2007)
A Work by an Organization or Agency: Use the organization's name as if it were an
author.
With signal phrase: The Canadian International Development Agency (2006) notes
that . . .
Without signal phrase: Since 1996, Canada's budget for international development
has increased by 10% (Canadian International Development Agency, 2006).
Two or More Works by the Same Author in the Same Year: Use lower-case letters (a, b,
c) with the year to distinguish between entries.
Smith's study (2007a) suggests that . . .
Indirect Sources: When you need to use a source cited in another source, name the original
in your signal phrase and include the secondary source in both your in-text citation and your
references list.
Dorosz argues that . . . (as cited in Smith, 2008, p. 123).
3. References
Your essay must include a separate References page (formatting described above). The rules for
basic entries are as follows:
entries should be organized alphabetically by the last name of the first author; provide
the last name and the initials for each authors
entries should be double-spaced with a five-space hanging indent for all lines
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6. following the first line of each entry
if you use multiple works by the same author, organize entries by the year of
publication
italicize books and journal titles
do NOT italicize or put in quotation marks articles or essays
Book - Single author:
Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title of Book. City: Publisher.
Smith, J.A. (2004). Great Dogs of North America. (4th ed.). Toronto: Dog Press.
Book – Two authors:
Last Name, Initials, & Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title of Book. City: Publisher.
Smith, J.A., & Jones, J.C. (2002) Great Dogs of North America. Toronto: Dog
Press.
Book – Multiple authors:
Last Name, Initials, Last Name, Initials, Last Name, Initials, & Last Name, Initials. (Date).
Title of Book. City: Publisher.
Smith, J.A., Dorosz, C., Mann, T.T. (2008). The Way it Is. Toronto: ABC Press.
Journal Article – Single author:
Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume, page number
range.
Smith, J.A. (2004). Great Labradors. Dogs for All, 14, 12-50.
Journal Article – Multiple authors:
Last Name, Initials, Last Name, Initials, & Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title of article.
Title of Periodical, volume, page number range.
Smith, J.A., Jones, J.C., & Campbell, S.D. (2002). Great Labradors. Dogs for All, 12, 9-16.
Chapter in edited book:
Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title of Chapter. In Initials Last Name (Ed.), Title of book (pp.
range). City: Publisher.
Smith, J.A. (1999). Dogs of Canada. In P.A. Jones (Ed.), Dogs (pp. 34-56). City: Publisher.
Abstract:
Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title [Abstract]. Periodical Title, volume, page.
Smith, J.A. (2004). Great Labradors [Abstract]. Dogs for All, 14, 12.
Entire Edited Book:
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7. Last Name, Initials, & Last Name, Initials. (Eds.). (Date). Title of work. City: Publisher.
Smith, J.A., & Jones, J.C. (Eds.). (2002). Dogs of the World. Toronto: Dog Press.
Reference Book with no author:
Title (ed.). (Date). City: Publisher.
Dogs of North Canada (2nd ed.). (2001). Toronto: Dog Press.
Review of a Book:
Last name, Initials. (Date). Title of review [Review of the book/article Title]. Journal Title,
volume, pages.
McDonald, K. (2005). Dog Days [Review of Great Dogs of North America]. New York Review of
Books, 25, 13-15.
Electronic Sources: References
The following information is based on the APA's 2007 modifications of rules governing the
documentation of electronic sources.
Generally, online articles follow the same rules for printed articles. For example, if an online
journal has volume and issue numbers, then you should include that information in your entry.
Retrieval dates are necessary only for sources that are likely to change (blogs, institutional
websites, etc.). Online periodicals are unlikely to change once they are published, and so retrieval
dates are not necessary.
URLs often change, so you should try to include a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) in your entry.
Many publishers include DOIs on the first page of a document.
Online Periodical (with DOI):
Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title of Article. Title of Periodical, volume number, page range.
Doi: 000000000/000000.
Smith, J.A. (2004). Great Labradors. Dogs for All, 14, 12-50. doi:
99.1234/1234567898836.
Online Periodical (no DOI):
Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title of Article. Title of Periodical, volume number, from URL.
Smith, J.A. (2004). Great Labradors. Dogs for All, 14, from http://www.dogs.com/docs
Online Periodical (no DOI; exists as printed and electronic versions)
Smith, K. (2008). The world is round. [Electronic version]. Earth and Planetary Studies,
66, 123-132.
Article from a Database (i.e., retrieved from library's online database):
Last Name, Initials. (Date). Title of work. Retrieved month day, year, from source.
Smith, J.A. (2005). . (2004). Great Labradors. Dogs for All, 14, 12-50. Retrieved January 17,
2006, from Zoological Record database.
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8. Online Newspaper Article
Last Name, Initials. (Year, Month Day). Title of Article. Name of Newspaper. Retrieved
URL.
Summerji, P. P. (2008, August 1). New Crime Legislation Criminal. Nowhereville Times.
Retrieved from http://nowherevilletimes.ca
For more information and / or models of other entries, consult the Style Guide published by OWL Purdue
at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
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