Did you know that your title page can have a lasting impact on your overall mark?
It is the difference between a good or bad first impression with your teacher.
In this video I am going to walk you through 8 easy steps for how to create a properly
formatted student title page according to the seventh edition of the APA Manual.
Step 1: Set up your basic formatting.
For this example I am using Times New Roman 12 point font, but the APA manual allows for
other accessible font types to be used. Educators may have a font preference so check the syllabus
and if it isn’t there ask them.
Double spacing and 1-inch margins must be used. So many students add an extra space
between paragraphs – remove that space if your word processor has it there by default.
Time-saving tips for your font, line spacing, and margins are detailed in another video.
Now it is time to add content. I like to work from the top of the title page to the bottom
to ensure nothing is missed.
Step 2: Add your page number.
Simply go to the insert tab, find the header and footer group, click on page number, go
to the top of page options, and select the one in the upper right-hand side of the page.
The title page is page number 1. Rarely, I have seen students manually enter their page numbers.
The APA book specifically says not to do that.
Step 3: Craft your title.
The title is the most important part of your title page, and arguably your entire paper.
It must be clear, concise, and accurately capture the essence of your paper in an engaging way.
For example, in a thesis paper your debatable topic should be clear. Using “Thesis Essay”
as your title is ineffective because it tells me nothing about what the essay is about.
Imagine marking over 100 essays with the same title. Instead, choose a title
that makes me want to read the paper. I love titles that pique my interest.
In a research proposal or paper it is important that your title contains the main topic as
well as any variables under study and the proposed relationship between them, if appropriate.
Be careful that the title does not become too wordy!
Be as concise as possible. Place your title three or four lines below
the top page margin. It needs to be positioned in the upper half of the page. If it doesn’t
look right check your spacing. Type it in title case by capitalizing all major words.
The exception is that smaller words would be capitalized if they begin a subtitle.
For example, in this title, “an” would be capitalized because it is the first word in a subtitle.
Avoid abbreviations. Instead of using the abbreviation either write out the term or
use different and more concise wording in the title.
To format the title, bold it using control B or by going to the home tab, finding the
font group, and clicking on the bolded capital B right here.
Center the title using Control E or by going to the paragraph group and clicking on the
centered alignment visual in the paragraph group under the home tab.
For longer titles that take up more than one line it is up to you if you want to separate
the title and subtitle by placing them on separate lines.
This exact same title must appear on the top of the first page of your essay. I will talk
more about the body of the paper in another video.
Step 4: Leave one double-spaced blank line then add the Author(s) as shown.
For Example, my name would appear as Laura A. Killam. If I was working with a partner
I would add the word and between my name and a colleague’s. There would not be a comma
between my last name and the word and. However, with three or more authors I would include a comma.
Step 5: On the next line add your Affiliation.
The affiliation is the institution that you are submitting the paper to. Include the department
and name of the college, university, or other institution, separated by a comma.
Step 6: Add your course information on a new line. Use the same format as on institutional
materials for the course. You want to include both the course number
or code and name. In the APA book and on their website they are separated by a colon.
For example, NSGD 3036 colon Transcultural Nursing.
Step 7: Add the instructor’s name on the next line.
I can’t tell you how many times students have misspelled my name. Double check course
materials for the format and spelling of the instructor’s name.
Step 8: add the due date on the next line. When you follow these easy steps, your work
will be clear and make a good impression on your teacher. You will look professional and
competent in your first impression. Make sure you ask your teacher before the paper is due
if they have any directions that are different from the APA manual. If they do, please follow
those instructions as well. Need help? Visit the links below and subscribe
for more videos. If this video was helpful please like it so I know to keep making more
APA videos. In the links you will find a title page template and more.
Visiting apastyle.apa.org and their blog is highly recommended. Look at how much valuable
information is posted there for free! I also recommend following APA Style on Twitter
for tweets about what is new with APA style as well as writing tips.
Please comment below to let me know what questions you want me to answer about APA formatting.
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