APA Style Research Paper Template
This article provides a guide to creating an APA style research paper template in Microsoft Word. Having an APA formatted template makes following the style requirements easy, since the formatting is already built-in.
What is APA Style?
The APA style guide, developed by the American Psychological Association, is a standardized publication style used for writing papers in the social sciences and other fields. It provides guidelines for structuring research papers, in-text citations, formatting references, margins, pagination, and more. Following APA style shows readers that you respect their time and are credible with research practices.
Creating a Template
To avoid having to manually format research papers each time, it’s helpful to create a template in Word. This can then be re-used for each new paper, eliminating the need to research and apply formatting repeatedly. Here are basic tips for creating an APA template in Word:
Begin With the Default Template
In Word, go to File > New and select Blank Document. This gives you a clean slate without any default formatting in place. You still have access to Word’s styles.
Set Up Basic Page Layout
Go to Layout and set the appropriate margins and page size. The standard APA margin is 1 inch all around. Change the size to Letter. Also consider adding page numbers in the footer.
Add the Title Page Section
Add a title labeled “Running head: ” and center it, followed by a page number on the right margin. Include your full title, author’s name, and institution name centered underneath. Insert a page break to move to page 2.
Set Up the Abstract Section
Insert a centered heading labeled “Abstract” but do not bold or number it. Leave two lines between the heading and abstract text. Set the paragraph alignment to centered.
Add the Body Sections
Start page 2 with a centered, boldface, numbered level 1 heading for the Introduction. Repeat this for other top-level sections like Method, Results, Discussion, etc. Use consistent spacing and numbering.
Format Headings and Paragraphs
Within Word’s Styles gallery, modify Heading 1-3 styles as needed to match APA formatting like boldface, alignment, spacing. Set the font, alignment, indentation and spacing of paragraphs as needed to match APA guidelines.
Add the References Section
Add a “References” heading at the end and format it the same as the top-level headings but not numbered. Set up the reference list spacing and indentation to match APA guidelines. Consider using Bibliography styles to format citations.
Save As a Template
Save your template as a Word template file (.dotx) that can later be applied when starting new papers. Now you have a reusable starting point for any new papers that follow APA format.
Inserting Content and Making Edits
When working on actual papers, simply open the template and begin filling in content like the title, headings, paragraphs of text, citations, and full references. As needed, make minor tweaks to formatting or section structure without having to rebuild from scratch.
Tips for Using the Template
To avoid confusion, save papers based on the template as new files rather than overwriting the template. Keep a master copy to refer back to as needed. Consider adding generic placeholder text to model the structure before writing the full paper. Check templates periodically and update versions as APA style guidelines change over time.
A well-designed APA template saves time and reduces errors versus starting from blank documents each time. With the formatting preset, you can focus your energy on researching and composing thoughtful content. Following template guidelines also ensures papers meet standard publication format requirements.