The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for citing references in student papers, particularly in subjects like psychology, education, and sciences. One key component of APA formatting is including an accurate header on each page of a research paper. The header includes the title of the paper and page numbers, to help readers navigate longer documents and cite quotes or findings.
The format for the APA header involves including a short version of the title with page numbers in the top right corner of each page. The header should be aligned flush right and in the same font as the body text. It should not include extra elements like the full title, author name, course name or number. Keeping it simple with just the title and page number allows for easy reading flow throughout the document.
The specific elements and order for the APA header are as follows:
Running head – Include the words “Running head” in all capital letters before the abbreviated title in the header. This runs head is not included on the title page.
Abbreviated title – This should be a shortened version of the full title of the paper, no more than 50 characters including spaces. Only include key content words rather than full statements or phrases. Capitalize all major words as this header will appear in the student paper’s table of contents.
Page number – The page number should be flush right, in the header box. Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3 etc.) and do not include other descriptors like “Page”. The page number should appear on all pages of the paper except the title page, where the page number is omitted entirely.
For example, for a paper titled “The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Mood and Cognitive Performance in College Students”, the abbreviated running head may appear as:
EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION ON MOOD AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE
On the first page of text, this running head would be accompanied by the page number “2”. On subsequent interior pages, only the running head and page number would appear in the header.
Some key things to remember:
Use consistent formatting – The APA header style should match perfectly on every page in font type and size. Don’t mix upper and lowercase or vary the alignment.
Omit header on title page – The title page has a special format in APA style without a header. Only include the full title, author name and school logo/name centered at the top.
Include on reference pages – Page numbers should continue uninterrupted on reference pages. Include the abbreviated title running head and page number as normal on citation pages.
Use same font as body – Headers are meant to blend seamlessly with the paper formatting. Keep fonts consistent between headers and text. Don’t switch to a different typeface.
Check page setup – Make sure to set rulers and margins properly in your word processor to reserve enough space for the header box. Headers can get cut off if margins are too narrow.
Avoid widows/orphans – Be careful of page breaks splitting running head text between a line by itself at the bottom or running head text carrying over alone to a new page. Adjust paragraph spacing as needed.
Following the APA header format properly ensures consistency and usability for papers that may run for many pages. Reviewers expect the title and pagination to help orient readers as they evaluate the content and flow of arguments through a document. Taking care with headers is a small detail that presents the overall paper in a neat, professional format adhering to APA style. Providing these location aids makes long papers much easier for reviewers to navigate.