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APA & Writing

A guide to APA style and writing. 7th Edition

APA Template

Student and Professional Paper Templates

There are two types of paper formats in APA 7--a student paper and a professional paper. You can download an APA-styled Microsoft Word template adapted by CityU librarians for student papers here:

You can find the professional paper template, along with sample papers by type (mixed methods, literature review, etc.), at the below link. The professional paper template is only to be used for doctoral work or if specifically requested by your instructor:

Formatting

General Formatting Tips:

  • References are cited accurately both in-text and in the reference list.  
  • Reference lists are ordered alphabetically by authors’ surnames. 
  • Hanging indents and double-spacing are used for all reference list entries. 
  • Capitalize only the first word of an article, book, or chapter title and subtitle (if any), and any proper nouns. This is often referred to as “sentence case.” 
  • URLs are only included when there is no DOI number and when the information comes from a website (not including databases). URLs are also needed for published works with limited circulation or works that are proprietary and available only through that database (ex.: IbisWorld or Statista reports). If the database requires a log in, use the homepage URL. 
  • Retrieval dates are used for materials that may change over time and where the links are not archived (example: proprietary business reports, maps, tweets, etc.). 

Use the following checklist to ensure that you have formatted your paper properly:

How to Format Headings