The title page is one of the most important elements of your research paper as it establishes the foundational information about your work. Using the proper APA format and structure for the title page will ensure your paper makes a positive first impression.
The American Psychological Association (APA) has established a set of rules and guidelines for organizing and structuring title pages for research papers and other academic manuscripts. The basic elements included on an APA style title page are:
Running head: In the header at the top of the page, include a shortened version of your paper’s title in all capital letters that cannot exceed 50 characters including spaces. The running head is flushed left while the rest of the header is flushed right.
Title of the paper: Center this text on the page and do not bold, underline, italicize, or include quotations. The title should capture the main topic and idea of the research paper concisely in 12 words or fewer.
Your name: Center this text on the page below the title without any titles (e.g. Mr. or Ms.) preceding your name.
Name of your institution: Center the name of the school, college, or university where you completed the research paper below your name.
Course information: On the final line of the center text, include the name of the course or title and number. For example, “Psychology 456: Research Methods.”
Page header: The page number is located on the top right of each page in an APA paper. The running head is repeated on each page.
A properly formatted APA title page should have 1-inch margins on all sides, be set to double spaced, and use a readable font like Times New Roman in 12pt size. Here is an example of a title page in APA style:
Running head: EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRAVATION
ON MEMORY AND COGNITION
Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Memory and Cognition
John Doe
Anytown University
Psychology 456: Research Methods
The body of the title page text is aligned and centered horizontally. No extra spacing should be inserted between any of the centered lines. The running head/page header is the only text that is flush left. Spacing, fonts, and formatting create a clean, professional appearance that establishes credibility for the research that follows.
Some key aspects of title pages to keep in mind:
Do not include decorative images, graphics, or extra spacing. Let the clean, simple text be the focus.
Do not embed the student’s name in the title or running head. These are separate components for identification and reference purposes.
Course name and institution are optional for publication but required for student/academic purposes.
Page numbers are only used on published papers not student assignments unless specified by instructor.
Titles should concisely describe the focus and variables rather than posing a question.
Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the title and any proper nouns.
The APA title page not only allows others to identify the author and research context but also follow referencing and retrieval standards. Using the standard APA format introduces uniformity across scientific research and builds reader confidence in the paper’s methodology and credibility. As long as the core elements are included in the right order and formatting, title pages are relatively simple to construct with an example to reference for guidance. With care shown to presentation at the onset, title pages help present ideas in a manner that makes a strong first impression.