The American Psychological Association (APA) has specific guidelines for formatting research papers and citing sources. One of the key elements that must be properly formatted is the title page when there are multiple authors involved in the research. The APA title page format helps ensure consistency across research papers and identifies the key contributors in a clear and standardized way.
The title page is essential for presenting the proper elements from the outset such as the title of the paper, author names, institutional affiliation, course information, and date of submission. For research involving two or more authors, the APA title page format arrangements the author list in a precise sequence. Some key components to keep in mind when formatting the title page for multiple authors include:
The author names should be listed in order of their contribution to the study. Generally, this means the primary or first author is listed first followed by the second author and any additional co-authors in order of contribution. Discussing authorship order is important before submitting to avoid conflicts later on.
On the title page, type out each author’s full name, without titles like Dr. or Professor. First and middle names or initials are used, but middle names or middle initials are optional. Last names should be presented in all capital letters.
Underneath each author name, the institutional affiliation where the research was conducted is listed. This generally consists of the department and university but may also include research groups or laboratories. The affiliations of all co-authors follow the same formatting as the primary author in running block format.
Do not include degrees, titles, or other qualifications after the author names. All authors should be identified consistently on the title page without additional post-nominal letters or designations. The byline on the paper itself can include degrees or other credentials if desired after the author names.
The author names and affiliations should be centered on separate lines in the upper half of the title page. Leave a blank line between each affiliation listed. Do not indent author names or wrap text to the next line.
In addition to the author list, key information that must be included on an APA title page regardless of the number of authors involved includes:
The title of the research paper, which should be centered, boldface, and typed in title case (capitalize first word, proper nouns, etc.). The title should accurately and concisely describe the research in 15 words or less if possible.
A shortened version of the title called a running head in all capital letters is centered at the top of the page preceded by “Running head:”. The running head is a 50 character maximum label for identification purposes when the paper is filed or stored.
Beneath the author information, include the institutional affiliation where the research was conducted. This generally matches what was listed under the author names.
On the final line centered at the bottom of the page, include a descriptive title for the paper such as “Senior thesis”, “Master’s thesis”, “class paper”, “professional paper”, etc. Also include the date of submission in day-month-year format.
Properly formatting the APA title page conveys important information at first glance to readers. Following these guidelines helps establish credibility and allows others to easily identify contributors and their roles in the research. When creating the title page for a paper with multiple authors, attention to proper order and alignment of author names and affiliations is crucial to comply with APA style standards.