Skip to main content
Jaguar Logo

Curriculum and Student Achievement

Select Language

APA Quick Reference Guide: Section II

Title Page

A sample title page is shown on p. 9 of this guide. Elements of the title page will include minimally a running head, title, author’s name, and institutional affiliation. Some documents may require an author’s note. However, for most class papers, the author’s note is not required. If you do need one, see pages 24-25 in the APA Manual.

Tips for the Title Page

In the header position type a running head on the left margin. This should be titled “Running head:” and be followed by a shortened version of the title written in all capital letters, as shown on the sample page. (Quotation marks should not be included around Running head:.) The running head should not exceed 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation. On the right margin of the header include the page number; for a title page this should be 1. Center the paper’s title, your name, and the university’s name in the upper half of the page. For more information on title pages, visit pages 23 and 229 in the APA Manual.

Abstract

The abstract of an APA paper should follow the format shown on p. 10 of this guide. The abstract provides a brief description of the contents of your paper.

Tips for the Abstract

Tips for Writing the Abstract

The exact content of the abstract may vary based on the type of study that the document provides. For a list of suggested elements see pages 26-27 of the APA Manual.

First Page of Text

The first page of your text should follow the format shown on page 11 of the Quick Guide.

Tips for the First Page of Text

References Page

The purpose of the references page is to enable readers to retrieve and use the sources, so the information provided should be as complete and accurate as possible. Writers are responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their reference lists. Entries for sources from print media and electronic media both send readers to the source’s location, but electronic source entries often have more parts because they require more information to get readers to the source. A sample reference page, including sample references, can be found on pages 12-13 of the Quick Guide.

Parts of the basic print entry

Author(s). (Date). Title(s). Publication data.


Parts of the basic electronic entry

Author(s). (Date). Title(s). Print publication data. Access data (including URL or DOI if available)

For more specific information on electronic entries and guidelines on what to do if your source is different from the kind of source illustrated in the basic entry model we provided above, see pages 187-192 in the 6th edition of the APA Manual.


Note: The bold text on the sample reference page indicates the type of source referenced and should not be included in your references page.

Tips for the Reference Page

Tips for Citing Electronic Sources on the Reference Page