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APA Citation Guide

Common APA Formatting Tasks

This page shows common tasks you need to do to properly format an APA paper, along with how to do them in the three most popular word processing programs: Word (both downloaded and Word Online), Google Docs, and Pages (for Mac).


Task: Set the Margins to One Inch (1")

  1. Go to the Layout tab.
    Layout tab in Word
  2. Click Margins.
    Margins button
  3. Select the Normal option.
    Normal margins option
  1. Go to the Layout tab.
  2. Click Margins.
    Margins link in Layout tab in Word Online
    Note: on small screens, only the icon appears Margins option, icon only, in Word Online
  3. Choose Normal.
    Normal margins in Word Online
  1. Click File and Page Setup.
    File and Page Setup in Google Docs
  2. Ensure each of the four Margins (inches) are 1.
    Margins section of Page setup in Google Docs
  1. On the Document side panel, ensure you are in the Document area.
    Document area of the Document panel
  2. Scroll to the Document Margins area and ensure all four margins are 1 in (for 1 inch).
    Document Margins area of the Document side panel
     

Task: Set the Spacing to Double

  1. Go to the Home tab.
    Home tab
  2. Look in the Paragraph box.
    Paragraph box
  3. Click the line spacing icon.
    Line spacing icon in Paragraph box in Word
  4. Change to 2.0.
    2.0 (double) line spacing option

Keyboard Shortcut:

 Control + 2

  1. Go to the Home tab.
  2. Click the three-line icon in the ribbon for More Paragraph Options.
    Three line icon
    Hint: if this icon doesn't appear, use the three-line icon at the end of the ribbon
  3. Click Line Spacing.
    Line Spacing in Word Online
  4. Choose 2.
    Line spacing 2 in Word Online
  1. Click the Line & Paragraph Spacing icon in the ribbon.
    Line spacing icon
    Hint: if this icon doesn't appear, use the three-line icon at the end of the ribbon Google Docs more icon in ribbon
  2. Choose Double.
    Double spacing in Google Docs
  1. On the Format side panel, ensure you are in the Style area.
    Format side panel, Style area in Pages
  2. Change the spacing to 2.0 - Double.
    Spacing changed to 2.0 Double in Pages

Task: Choose an Easy to Read Font

  1. Go to the Home tab.
    Home tab
  2. Look in the Font box.
    Font box in Home tab in Word
  3. Change the first box to Times New Roman or another approved font. Ensure the second box is at least 12.
    Times New Roman and 12
  1. Go to the Home tab.
  2. Find the Font box.
    Font boxes in Word Online
  3. Change the first box to Times New Roman or another approved font. Ensure the second box is at least 12.
    Times New Roman
  1. Locate the Font box in the ribbon.
    Font box in ribbon in Google Docs
  2. Change the first box to Times New Roman or another approved font. Ensure the second box is at least 12.
    Times New Roman 12 pt in Google Docs
  1. On the Format side panel, ensure you are in the Style area.
    Format side panel, Style area in Pages
  2. In the Font area, change the font to Times New Roman or another approved font. Ensure the font size is at least 12 pt.
    Font area in Format/Style area of Pages

Task: Create the Header

  1. Go to the Insert tab.
    Insert tab in Word
  2. Look in the Header & Footer box.
    Header & Footer box in Insert tab in Word
  3. Click Header.
    Header option in Word
  4. Click Edit Header (near the bottom).
    Edit Header in Word
  5. Click Page Number in the Header & Footer area.
  6. Choose Top of Page and then Plain Number 3.
    Top of Page > Plain Number 3 in Word
  7. Adjust the font to match the rest of your paper, if needed.
  1. Go to the Insert tab.
    Insert tab in Word Online
  2. Click Header & Footer in the ribbon.
    Header & Footer link in Insert ribbon
  3. Click in the third box on the right.
    Third box in right of header, Word Online
  4. Click Page Numbers in the ribbon.
    Page Numbers option in Header & Footer ribbon
  5. Choose the third option in the top row, with the 1 in the upper right corner.
    Add to Header or Footer option, third on top row selected
  6. The page number displays as < # >. This updates to regular numbers once you Close Preview to return to your document.
    < # > in header representing page numbers in Word Online
  7. Adjust the font to match the rest of your paper, if needed.
  1. Double click at the top of the page to open the header.
    Double click in header area in Google Docs
  2. Click the Align & indent icon in the ribbon and click the right align icon.
    Right align icon in Google Docs
  3. Click the Options button and then Page numbers.
    Options and Page numbers in Google Docs header
  4. The default options for page number options are usually fine. Click Apply.
    Apply option on Page numbers screen in Google Docs
  5. Adjust the font to match the rest of your paper, if needed.
  1. Click at the top of the document to open the header.
  2. Click in the third box on the right.
  3. Click Insert Page Number.
    Insert Page Number in header
  4. Choose the 1 option.
    Different page number options, 1 is highlighted, in Pages

Task: Center a Line

  1. Click in the line you wish to center.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
    Home tab
  3. Look in the Paragraph box.
    Paragraph box in Home tab in Word
  4. Click the center icon.
    Center line icon in Word

Keyboard Shortcut:

+

  1. Click in the line you wish to center.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
  3. Click the align text icon in the ribbon.
    Align text icon in Word Online
    Hint: don't see it? Click the three-dot icon at the end of the ribbon  three line icon for more options in Word Online
  4. Choose the second option.
    Center align icon in Word Online
  1. Click in the line you wish to center.
  2. Click the Align & Indent icon in the ribbon.
    Align & Indent icon in Google Docs ribbon
    Hint: if this icon doesn't appear, use the three-line icon at the end of the ribbon Google Docs more icon in ribbon
  3. Click the center icon.
    Center icon in Google Docs

Keyboard Shortcut:

Shift

  1. Click in the line you wish to center.
  2. On the Format side panel, ensure you are in the Style area.
    Format side panel, Style area in Pages
  3. Click the center icon, in the row of icons with different font alignments.
    Center icon in Format/Style side panel in Pages

Task: Add a New Page

  1. Place your cursor where you want to add a new page.
  2. Go to the Insert tab.
    Insert tab in Word
  3. Look in the Pages box.
    Pages box in Insert tab in Word
  4. Click Blank Page.
    Blank page option in Word

Keyboard Shortcut:

+ Enter

  1. Place your cursor where you want to add a new page.
  2. Go to the Insert tab.
    Insert tab in Word Online
  3. Click Page Break.
    Page Break in Insert tab

Keyboard Shortcut:

+ Enter

  1. Place your cursor where you want to add a new page.
  2. Click Insert.
    Insert menu option in Google Docs
  3. Click Break.
    Break option in Insert menu in Google Docs
  4. Choose Page break
    Page break option in Google Docs

Keyboard Shortcut:

+ Enter

  1. Place your cursor where you want to add a new page.
  2. Click the Add Page icon in the upper left.
    Add Page button in Pages

Task: Apply a Hanging Indent

  1. Place your cursor in the citation.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
    Home tab
  3. Look in the Paragraph box.
    Paragraph box in Home tab in word
  4. Click the small icon in the bottom right corner of the Paragraph box.
    Small icon in bottom right of Paragraph box in Home tab.
  5. In the Indentation section of the dialog box, change the drop-down box under Special to Hanging.
    Hanging indent under special

Keyboard Shortcut:

  + T

  1. Place your cursor in the citation.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
  3. Click the three-line icon in the ribbon for More Paragraph Options.
    Three line icon
  4. Click Special Indent.
    Special Indent in Word Online
  5. Choose Hanging.
    Hanging indent in Word Online
  1. Place your cursor in the citation.
  2. Click Format in the toolbar.
    Format option in Google Docs toolbar
  3. Choose Align & indent.
    Align & indent under Format in Google Docs
  4. Click Indentation options.
    Indentation options under Format and Align & indent in Google Docs
  5. Change Special indent to Hanging.
    Special indent and Hanging options in Google Docs
  6. Manually type .5 (for half an inch) in the box that appears and click Apply.
    Applying a half inch margin for the Hanging indent in Google Docs
  1. Place your cursor in the citation.
  2. On the Format side panel, go to the Layout area.
    Format/Layout side panel in Pages
  3. In the Indents area, change the Left indent to 0.5 in.
    Indents section in Format/Layout in Pages, Left indent highlighted

Task: Indent an Annotation 0.5"

  1. Place your cursor in the annotation.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
    Home tab
  3. Look in the Paragraph box.
    Paragraph box in Home tab in Word
  4. Click the increase indent icon.
    Increase indent icon in Paragraph box in Word

Keyboard Shortcut:

+ M

Troubleshooting

If your annotation has a hanging indent from the citation above it, first remove the hanging indent (Paragraph > More button > change Special to none) and then use the increase indent icon. View a video of removing a hanging indent in Word.

  1. Place your cursor in the annotation.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
  3. Click the increase indent icon in the ribbon.
    Increase indent icon in Word Online home tab ribbon
  4. If the indent icon is not visible, click the three-line icon in the ribbon for More Paragraph Options.
  5. Click Increase Indent.
    Increase Indent in More Paragraph Options, Word Online

Keyboard Shortcut:

+ M

Troubleshooting

If your annotation has a hanging indent from the citation above it, first remove the hanging indent (More Paragraph Options > change Special Indent to none) and then use the increase indent option. View a video of removing a hanging indent in Word Online.

  1. Place your cursor in the annotation.
  2. Click the Increase indent button in the ribbon.
    Increase indent button in ribbon in Google Docs
    Hint: if this icon doesn't appear, use the three-line icon at the end of the ribbon Google Docs more icon in ribbon

Keyboard Shortcut:

]

Troubleshooting

If your annotation has a hanging indent from the citation above it, first remove the hanging indent (Format, Align & indent, Indentation options, change Special Indent to none) and then change the left indentation box to 0.5 for a half inch. View a video of removing a hanging indent in Google Docs.

  1. Place your cursor in the annotation.
  2. On the Format side panel, ensure you are in the Style area.
    Format side panel, Style area in Pages
  3. Click the increase indent button.
    Increase indent option in Format/Style panel in Pages

Useful Tip: Paste Plain Text

The option to paste plain text means you can paste just the words from another source, without any formatting. This can be useful when pasting normally includes extra formatting, such as with generated citations in databases. Remember that you will need to go back and apply formatting like italics, as those will be stripped away also.

  1. Copy the text you wish to paste. Click in your document where you would like to paste the text.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
    Home tab
  3. Look in the Clipboard box.
    Clipboard box in Home tab in Word
  4. Click the arrow under the Paste icon.
    Arrow under the Paste icon in Word
  5. Choose the icon that has an A on the clipboard.
    Paste plain text icon - A on a clipboard

Keyboard Shortcut:

+ Shift + V

  1. Copy the text you wish to paste. Click in your document where you would like to paste the text.
  2. Go to the Home tab.
  3. Click the clipboard icon.
    Clipboard icon in Home tab in Word Online
  4. Choose Paste Text Only.
    Paste Text Only option in clipboard, Word Online

Keyboard Shortcut:

+ Shift + V

  1. Copy the text you wish to paste. Click in your document where you would like to paste the text.
  2. Click Edit in the toolbar.
    "Edit" option Google Docs toolbar
  3. Choose Paste without formatting.
    "Paste without formatting" option in Google Docs

Keyboard Shortcut:

+ Shift + V

  1. Copy the text you wish to paste. Click in your document where you would like to paste the text.
  2. Click Edit in the toolbar and then Paste and match style.
    Edit in toolbar in Pages

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