APA 7th Edition: Professional Paper Standards

APA 7th Edition: Professional Paper Standards

1.Core Page Setup

• Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
• Font:Times New Roman (preferred)，Main title in 16-point bold, abstract, keywords,body text in 11-point. Level one, two, and three headings are bold and stand alone on separate lines; level four headings are bold but do not stand alone on separate lines. Author biography, figures, tables, and references are in 10-point. References follow APA format with paragraph indentation converted to hanging indentation of 0.5 inches.
• Line spacing: single space (title page, abstract, body, references, block quotes, tables/figures) ，Leave a blank line between paragraphs
• Alignment:Justified alignment with both margins
• Indentation: Body paragraphs: Only the reference list uses a hanging indent of 0.5 inch, while all others are set flush left.
• Page header (Professional only): Top left: Running head (shortened title, ALL CAPS, max 50 chars) Top right: Page number (starts at 1 on title page)

2. Paper Structure (Fixed Order)

• Title Page 
• Abstract (mandatory for professional papers)
• Main Text (Introduction → Method → Results → Discussion → Conclusion)，However, these steps do not necessarily need to be explicitly stated, as long as they are included.
• References
• endnotes
• Tables (numbered consecutively)
• Figures (numbered consecutively)
• Appendices (if needed)

3. Title Page (Professional) Centered, single space, upper-middle of page

• Full paper title (bold, title case)
• Author name(s) (first name initial + middle initial + last name; e.g., Jane M. Smith)
• Institutional affiliation(s) (university/department)
• Author note (optional: funding, correspondence, disclosures)
• No course/instructor/due date (student-only elements) Header: Running head + page number (Footer center)

4. Abstract (Mandatory for Professional Papers) 

• Top: Abstract (Full-width bold）
• No first-line indent
• Length: 300–500 words (single paragraph)
• Include: research purpose, method, participants, key results, conclusions, implications
• Keywords: 4–6 terms (comma-separated, title case)
• No citations, abbreviations, or footnotes

5. In-Text Citations (APA 7th Professional Rules) 

• One author: (Author Last, Year) | Author Last (Year)
• Two authors: (Last1 & Last2, Year) | Last1 and Last2 (Year)
• Three+ authors: Always use et al. (first & subsequent citations) (Last1 et al., Year)
• Direct quote: (Author, Year, p. X) | (Author, Year, pp. X–Y)
• No page (web): (Author, Year, para. X)
• No author: (Title, Year) | (Shortened Title, Year)
• No date: (Author, n.d.) Group/Organizational Author
• First citation: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2020)
• Subsequent: (APA, 2020)

6. References Page (Professional)

• Top: References (bold, Left-aligned)
• Single-space; hanging indent (0.5 inch)
• DOI required for all online sources (format: https://doi.org/xxxx)
• No “Retrieved from” for URLs/DOIs Common Examples
• Journal ArticleAuthor, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Article title (sentence case). Journal Title (title case, italic), Volume(Issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxx
• BookAuthor, A. A. (Year). Book title (sentence case, italic). Publisher Name. https://doi.org/xxxx
• Edited Book ChapterAuthor, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxx
• Website/Online ReportOrganization Name. (Year). Report title. Website Name. https://xxxx

7. Tables & Figures (Professional) 

• Tables: 

             Label: Table 1 (bold, Centered above the table)

             Title: title case, below label

             Notes:Single space; general note → specific note → probability note 

•  Figures:

             Label: Figure 1 (bold, below image)

             Caption: title case, below label 

•  Number consecutively; place after first citation in text

8. Writing Style (Academic/Teacher Standards) 

• Use active voice (preferred: “We analyzed” vs. “Data were analyzed”)
• Third-person perspective (first-person allowed for author actions) 
• Avoid contractions, slang, colloquialisms
• Define abbreviations on first use (e.g., American Psychological Association [APA])
• Numbers: It is recommended that the hierarchical headings of the thesis use Arabic numerals, including 1.1, 1.1.1, 1.2, 1.2.1, etc., as this enhances clarity and logical structure.