General Formatting

• Font: Times New Roman (12-pt), Arial (11-pt), Calibri (11-pt), or Georgia (11-pt).
• Same font used consistently throughout the document.
• Line spacing: Double-spacing throughout (text, references, block quotes, tables, figures, appendices).
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides.
• Text alignment: Left-aligned, ragged right edge.
• Paragraph indentation: 0.5-inch first-line indent.

Pagination

• Page numbers in top-right corner, starting with title page (page 1).
• Arabic numerals used throughout (1, 2, 3, …).
• Roman numerals (i, ii, iii) may be required for preliminary pages depending on the institution.

Title Page

• Title of dissertation/thesis included.
• Author name.
• Institutional affiliation.
• Course/degree program.
• Advisor/committee chair (if required).
• Date of submission.

Headings

• Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case Heading.
• Level 2: Left-Aligned, Bold, Title Case Heading.
• Level 3: Left-Aligned, Bold Italic, Title Case Heading.
• Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case Heading, ending with a period.
• Level 5: Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case Heading, ending with a period.

Table of Contents

• TOC includes all sections and subsections.
• APA heading levels reflected in TOC.
• Page numbers aligned flush right.

Lists of Figures and Tables

• Table of Figures lists figure numbers, captions, and page numbers.
• Table of Tables lists table numbers, titles, and page numbers.
• Each list starts on a separate page after the TOC.

Tables

• Labeled sequentially (Table 1, Table 2, etc.).
• Title italicized, Title Case, placed below the table label.
• Notes (if any) placed below the table.
• No vertical lines in tables.
• Table fits within page margins.

Figures

• Labeled sequentially (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.).
• Title italicized, Title Case, placed below the figure label.
• Notes (if any) are placed below the figure title.
• Figure fits within page margins.

References

• References section starts on a new page, centered, bold heading ‘References’.
• Double-spaced throughout.
• Hanging indent (0.5 inch).
• APA 7 style used for all sources.

Appendices

• Each appendix starts on a new page.
• Centered, bold title (e.g., Appendix A).
• Includes supplementary materials (surveys, consent forms, raw data excerpts).

Other Key Notes

• Abstract: 150–250 words, single paragraph, double-spaced.
• Block quotes (40+ words): Indented 0.5 inches, no quotation marks, double-spaced.
• Running head not required unless institution specifies.
• Institutional-specific formatting requirements checked (spacing, abstract length, TOC style).

Final Notes

• Please check your institution for other requirements. Your institution’s guidelines will supersede APA 7’s expectations.
• For additional APA 7th information, you can visit: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/title-pageReferences

Reference

• American Psychological Association. (2020). Concise guide to APA style (7th ed.).

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