APA Format Guide: The Fifth Edition

Christine A. Ateah
January, 2002

The use of the American Psychological Association (APA) format is a requirement when writing
papers at the Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, and many other institutions. However,
some departments within educational systems as well as journals to which you may be interested
in submitting articles for publication may require a different style than APA format, or may have
additional requirements.

Within the fifth edition of the APA manual (2001), a helpful reference is the sample paper
illustrating this format (pp. 306-314). A need for a guide in the use of the APA manual was
identified because the manual itself is detailed and contains extensive information on many
aspects that may not be required when writing a paper for a university course. This guide outlines
minimal criteria for student paper writing in accordance with APA format. Each section of this
guide includes page numbers where more detailed information can be found in the fifth edition of
the APA manual. The manual itself should be referred to for more thorough explanations and
examples.

For the purposes of formatting student papers, the primary changes in the fifth edition of the
APA manual from the previous edition are: headings (the use of italics, not underlining), the
reference list format (hanging indent), and specific guidelines for referencing electronic
resources.

Presentation of the Paper (pp. 284-289, 336)

1. Use standard-sized white paper (22 x 28 cm [8½ x 11 in.]).

2. Use 12 point (12-pt) font (Times Roman or Courier typefaces are preferred) when using a
word processor, or standard pica or elite type size on a typewriter. The type must be clear,
dark, and readable for clarity and photocopying purposes.
3. Double-space all lines within the paper. This includes all text, following all headings,
throughout both long and short quotations, and within the reference list.
4. Leave margins of at least 2.54 cm (1 in.) at the bottom, top, right and left of all pages.
5. Do not justify the right side of the page, it should remain uneven.
6. Number all pages, beginning with the title page, in arabic numerals in the upper right-
hand corner. Only those pages with artwork for figures are not numbered.
7. Indent the first line of every paragraph 5 to 7 spaces. The tab key should be used for
consistency.

Title Page and Header (pp. 296, 288)

1. APA format requires minimally, that the title page includes the title of the paper, the
author’s name, and affiliation. In addition, it is important for students to include the date,
course number, and instructor’s name to assist with paper submissions and returns.
2. The title should be in uppercase and lowercase letters (i.e., capitalize first letter of
important words), centered in the upper half of the page and double spaced (if more than
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one line). Author and affiliation follow the title and are also centred and double spaced.
3. The running head is the abbreviated title at the top of pages and is used primarily for
published articles and is typed flush left on the title page. When the article is published,
the running head will appear on each page of the published article. It is not commonly
used when completing papers for course work.
4. The page header (sometimes known as the short title) consists of two or three key words
from the title and is placed in the upper right hand corner above, or 5 spaces to the left of
the page number on every numbered page. The page header may be useful in submitted
papers in case any papers become separated.

Headings (pp. 289-290, 111-115)

Although APA format describes up to five levels of headings, most student papers will likely
only require up to three levels of headings. Underlining is not used in any level of headings.
1. The main heading is centred and the initial letters of main words are capitalized, and no
period is used. The title of the paper is the first main heading in the body of the paper,
and this level is used for all subsequent main headings.
2. The second level of heading is placed flush with the left margin. Again, the initial letters
of main words are capitalized, and there is no period at the end. This level of heading is
italicized.
3. When further detail necessitates a third level of heading, it is indented as part of the
relevant paragraph that it is starting. Only the initial letter of the first word is capitalized.
This level of heading is italicized and ends with a period. The first sentence of the text
starts immediately following the heading, on the same line.

Spelling (p. 89)

The standard spelling reference for APA format is Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate

Dictionary. If there are different spelling options provided in the dictionary, the first
choice should be used.

Citations Within the Paper (pp. 120 -122, 207-212)

1. Authors and references that are quoted either directly or indirectly (paraphrased or
summarized) must be documented within the text of the paper. Failure to document or
credit sources of information may be considered plagiarism.
2. If a two author reference is used, both surnames must be referred to each time they are
referenced.
3. When the reference is for material that has more than two authors, but less than six, list
all surnames the first time a reference to their work is made. In subsequent citations of a
multiple authored source indicate the first author’s surname followed by “et al.”
For example, Brown, Reiss, and Miller (1999) discuss the legal issues facing nurses in the
current working environment. Brown et al. (1999) also discuss the role of the professional
association in addressing these issues.
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4. If material that you are referencing is from many authors, list authors alphabetically, and
separate with a semicolon. For example, Smith (2000) noted that a number of research
studies (Ames 1998; Donald & Jennin, 1998; Lindin, 1997) have indicated similar trends
of this nature.
5. Personal communications, whether provided in person or in writing, are listed only in the
text and not in the reference list. Initials, surname and exact date should be given. For
example: R.Smith (personal communication, August 9, 2001) reported that most of the
positive responses were from the participating family members.

Direct Quotations (pp. 117-122)

1. If the quotation is less than 40 words (approximately 4 lines), it is included within the
paragraph it is being discussed, and enclosed in double quotation marks. The source is
identified in parentheses before the final punctuation.
2. If the quotation is longer than 40 words, the entire quotation is indented 5 - 7 spaces on
the left side only and is not enclosed in quotation marks. The source is placed in
parentheses outside of the punctuation used for the quote.
3. Direct quotations must accurately reproduce the wording, spelling, and punctuation of the
original source. Exceptions to this are the first letter of the first word of the quote (which
may be changed to upper or lower case as appropriate) or the end punctuation mark. If
any of the material is omitted from the original source within a sentence, use three spaced
ellipsis points (. . .) in place of the omitted material.
4. The source of a direct quotation must include the author’s surname, publication date, and
page number(s). Since some electronic sources do not include page numbers, paragraph
numbers (if visible) are to be used in their place. In this case, the abbreviation “para” or
symbol ¶ followed by the paragraph number should be used instead of page number(s).

Indirect Quotations (pp. 120-122)

1. When original material has been paraphrased or summarized, it is an indirect quotation,

and the original source must be credited. Specific page or paragraph numbers are not
required as with direct quotations.

2. Author surname and the year of publication are included in the text and within
parentheses. Two format examples for indirect quotations are, Rictar (1999) discusses the
ongoing concerns of nurses working the evening shift, and; The concerns of nurses
working the evening shift are discussed in this context (Rictar, 1999).

Reference List (pp. 215-281)

1. The reference list is comprised of all the references identified in the body of the paper.
2. The purpose of the reference list is to provide the reader with a description of the
reference so that retrieval of the information can be facilitated. Therefore, personal
communications are not to be included in the list, but only cited within the body of the
 paper.
3. References are listed in alphabetical order according to (first) author’s surname.
4. The reference list is double spaced with a hanging indent. That is, the first line of the
reference is flush left and subsequent lines of the reference are indented 5-7 spaces, using
the tab key for consistency.
5. The correct order of a periodical reference listing is as follows: author’s (or authors’)
surname(s), and initials, publication date (in parentheses), period, title of the article (first
letter of first word in uppercase), period, periodical title and volume number (italicized
and in both uppercase and lowercase letters), followed by the issue number (if needed)
and page numbers, and ending with a period.
6. The correct order of a book reference listing is as follows: author’s (or authors’)
surname(s), and initials; publication date (in parentheses), period, title of the book
(italicized and first letter of first word in uppercase), period, publication data (city, state
or country, colon, followed by publisher), and ending with a period.
7. Only the initial letter of the first word of the book title or the article title is capitalized.
Exceptions are proper names requiring capitalization, the first letter after a colon, and the
periodical title.
8. References that have been obtained electronically are listed using the same general format
as previously described (author name, publication date, etc.), as appropriate. However, in
addition, a retrieval statement is provided which includes the date of retrieval as well as
the address (i.e., website) of the electronic source and/or its name (e.g., database). For
example: Retrieved November 6, 2001, from http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html,
or; Retrieved December 18, 2001 from the PsychLIT database.
9. Some references are complicated (e.g., no author, agency as author) and the manual itself
should be referred to for specific information and illustrations.

Conclusions

The fifth edition of the APA manual is an excellent reference not only for the specifics of this
format, but also because it includes helpful information on writing style, grammar and
requirements for submitting manuscripts for publication. This guide presents the basic
requirements of APA format to assist in its use when writing student papers.

References

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.