The title page is one of the most important elements of your research paper. It introduces the title of your paper and provides essential information about your work. Following American Psychological Association (APA) style guidelines will ensure your title page is formatted properly and includes all the necessary details.
The title page should contain five main sections: the running head, title of the paper, author’s name, institutional affiliation, and an author’s note. Here is an in-depth look at how to format each section for an APA style title page:
Running Head
The running head appears in the top left corner of the page. It is a shortened version of the title in all capital letters that cannot exceed 50 characters including spaces. Page numbers should also be included and flush right on all pages. For a student title page, the words “RUNNING HEAD:” should precede the shortened title in all caps. Do not include the words “Running Head” on subsequent pages.
Title
Center the full title of the research paper in the upper half of the page. The title should capture the main topic of the paper and be concise yet informative. It should not exceed 12 words. Capitalize all words except articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (for, and, nor), and prepositions less than five letters unless they are the first or last word in the title.
Author Name(s)
Center the author’s name(s) under the title. If there is only one author, list your full name. For multiple authors, separate each name with a comma and include “and” before the last author’s name. Do not include titles or degrees.
Institutional Affiliation
Center the name of your university, college, or other academic institution one double-spaced line below the author’s name(s). Do not include department names.
Author’s Note
If required, include a note about the research and paper. This section is optional and placement may vary by instructor. Double space this note and center it at the bottom of the page. The note provides information to readers, such as acknowledgments or hints about the research.
The basic setup for a student title page is:
Running head: SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPS
Title of the Research Paper
by
Your Full Name
Institutional Affiliation
Author Note (optional)
This establishes a consistent style across all pages. Now let’s look at properly formatting each section in more detail:
Running Head
The running head should be a brief yet reasonably informative abbreviated version of the full title. Limit it to 50 characters or less to ensure consistency across citations and reference list entries. Do not end the running head with a period. Type “RUNNING HEAD:” in all capital letters before the shortened title.
For example, if the full title is:
THE EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION ON COLLEGE STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
The running head could be:
EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION ON STUDENTS
So the complete running head would appear as:
RUNNING HEAD: EFFECTS OF SLEEP DEPRIVATION ON STUDENTS
Be sure to include the page number flush right on all pages as well.
Title
Format the full title in title case – capitalize the first word, last word, and all other major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns). Do not underline, bold, italicize, or include information like “A paper submitted for PSYC 101.” Limit the title to 12 words or less if possible to maintain brevity and clarity.
Center the title in the upper half of the page. For our example, the formatted title would be:
The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on College Students’ Academic Performance
Author Name
List the author’s full name as it appears in institutional records, with the last name first followed by a comma and initials. For instance:
Smith, John A.
If there are multiple authors, separate each name with a comma and include “and” before the final author name.
Miller, Susan D., Mark E. Johnson, and Lisa A. Wilson
Institutional Affiliation
Center the name of your academic institution one double-spaced line below the author name. Do not include information such as department names or campus locations.
Central University
Author Note
This optional section provides additional context for readers. If required, center the note text at the bottom of the page. Double space after the institutional affiliation. Limit the note to 150 words or less.
Some examples of what may go in an author note:
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to John Doe. Email: jdoe@email.com
This paper was submitted for the PSYC 101 Research Methods course taught by Dr. Smith.
This project was supported by a research grant from the XYZ Organization.
Adhering to these guidelines structures the title page in a consistent APA style. This establishes credibility and organization that carries through the entire paper. Let me know if you have any other questions! Properly formatted title pages provide essential details to readers and introduce the paper topic in a clear, compelling way.