One of the key distinguishing factors of a paper written in American Psychological Association (APA) style is whether the text is single-spaced or double-spaced. The APA Publication Manual clearly states that papers written in APA style should be double-spaced. This includes the body text of the paper as well as long quotes, references, and notes. There are good reasons for this standard that have to do with readability, uniformity, and conventions of academic writing.
The primary reason APA format specifies double-spacing is to increase readability. Using double spacing makes the text less dense and easier on the eyes when reading. It creates more white space between lines of text, allowing the readers’ eyes to move more smoothly down the page. Researchers have found that increased line spacing and leading (distance between lines) improves readability. Single spacing cramms too much text into a small space and causes eye strain if reading large bodies of text.
Double spacing also creates a clear visual distinction between different elements of the paper like the body text and block quotations or references. It makes transitions between sections stand out more. Single spacing would cause these elements to blend together visually. Maintaining consistent double spacing throughout an APA paper helps the reader easily identify different components at a glance.
Following the double-spacing rule is important for uniformity. One of the main goals of APA style is to establish a clear and consistent format for research papers across disciplines. Using the same line spacing standardizes the appearance of papers and makes them immediately recognizable as being in APA format. This uniformity allows readers and evaluators, like professors or journal reviewers, to expect papers will have the same layout and formatting each time. It streamlines the review process.
Adhering to double spacing is also important because it is the academic convention used in most social and behavioral science fields that utilize APA style. Journals, publishers, instructors, and other evaluators expect papers in these disciplines to follow the formatting stated in the APA Publication Manual, including using double spacing. Conforming to community standards demonstrates the author’s ability and willingness to produce polished work appropriate for the intended audience and field of study.
While double spacing is the clear APA standard, there are some limited cases where single spacing may be acceptable. The Publication Manual does allow for tables, figures, and images to be formatted with single spacing to conserve space. Very short quotes that take up less than 40 words or 4 lines can also be incorporated into the surrounding text at a single space to improve readability. The bulk of the paper, including long form references and notes, should always maintain double spacing as per the guidelines.
Research clearly shows double spacing improves readability compared to single spacing by creating more white space between lines of text. It also provides clear visual separation of different paper elements and maintains consistency, which is important for APA style. Conforming to the academic convention of double spacing for papers in psychology and other social sciences disciplines demonstrates preparedness and helps papers meet editor and reviewer expectations. While a limited exception can be made for short quotes or data displays, the body text, references, and notes of an APA formatted research paper must always be double spaced to adhere to the accepted publication standards. Maintaining proper double spacing is key for producing polished papers recognizable as being in official APA style.