Main sections of the paper

The basic sections of an APA paper are a title page, the text of the paper, and a list of references. Other elements may be added as needed, following this order （where relevant, the title of the page is given in parentheses）:

　　title page
　　abstract
　　text
　　references （References）
　　appendices （Appendix 1, Appendix 2, etc.）
　　author identification notes [Included with manuscripts submitted for publication]
　　footnotes （Footnotes）
　　tables （Table 1, Table 2, etc.） [In course papers it's usually acceptable to include these in the text]
　　figure captions [Kept separate for manuscripts submitted for publication]
　　figures [In course papers it's usually acceptable to include these in the text]

　　All these elements will be numbered consecutively with the same manuscript header format.

　　Title page

　　APA style requires a separate title page. Center the title （typically ten to twelve words） and put it about halfway down the page. Below the title put your name, school or course, professor （if appropriate）, and date the paper is turned in. Don't italicize or underline the title or put it in quotation marks （though if you use a book title in your paper's title, you should italicize or underline it, and a quotation should be put in quotation marks）.

　　Make sure your essay has a meaningful title that is more than a bare-bones identifier （not Essay #1 or Essay on Management）. It should signal to the reader what your essay is about. A common academic device to create a bit of elegance is to use a title and subtitle, separating them with a colon. Typically the titles are balanced so that one is broad and the other more focused, or the former is pithy and the second more substantial and explanatory:

　　Knowing, believing, and understanding: The social construction of knowledge in the O. J. Simpson criminal trial
　　Brave new mind: A thoughtful inquiry into the nature and meaning of mental life

　　Here's an example of college paper's title page, APA-style:

　　Abstract

　　The abstract （often not required in college papers） is placed on a separate page （page 2）. The word Abstract appears centered on the first line （not italics or quotation marks）. Double-space the abstract but don't indent it. The abstract is a short, professional-sounding summary of the paper, not more than 960 characters long including spaces and punctuation. Abstracts often follow a set format: topic in the first sentence; then purpose, thesis, and scope; then kinds of sources used or data collected; and finally conclusions.

　　Text of the paper

　　The text of the paper begins on page 2 or 3, depending on whether the paper has an abstract. The title is centered on the first line. The text begins on the next line:

　　Headings

　　APA style allows various levels of headings for denoting different sections of a paper. From highest-level to lowest:

　　Level 1. Centered uppercase and lowercase

Legislative Intent

　　Level 2. Centered, underlined （or italicized）, uppercase and lowercase

　　European Market Growth, 1993-1999

　　Level 3. Flush left, underlined （or italicized）, uppercase and lowercase

　　The Assessment Controversy

　　Level 4. Indented, underlined （or italicized）, only first letter capitalized, with a period

　　Alternative explanations.

　　Level 5. Centered uppercase

METHODS

　　Now the twist. There are APA guidelines on which levels to use, depending on how many levels of headings a paper requires:

One level of heading
Two levels
Three levels
Four levels
Five levels
Level 1
Levels 1, 2 (in that order)
Levels 1, 3, 4
Levels 1, 2, 3, 4
Levels 5, 1, 2 3, 4

　　Whew.

　　Tables and figures

　　See the APA Publication Manual for full details on the use and construction of tables and figures. The basic label format looks like this:

　　Table 3. Average alcohol consumption by day of the week

　　Figure 4. The leadership matrix

　　The label is centered and either italicized or underlined. Numbers tables and figures consecutively in separate series. Explanatory text accompanying tables and figures is double-spaced.

　　Tables and figures may be placed at the end of the paper （follower the order given above）, one to a page, or inserted in the text of the paper. Different teachers will have different requirements.