The American Psychological Association

Question 1

developed its own uniform style of formatting written works.

Answer 1

The American Psychological Association or APA

Question 2

Avoid using abbreviations in your paper. However, if you need to use an abbreviation or acronym that is recognized in your language and you can find it in the dictionary, then you can use it.

Answer 2

abbreviations

Question 3

Do not separate and hyphenate words at the end of a line. Rather, leave one line slightly short and put the complete word on the next line; otherwise, proceed a couple of characters past the right margin to adjust the complete word on the lines.

Answer 3

hyphenations

Question 4

Indent paragraphs within the primary text of the paper one-half inch if using a word processing program or indent five to seven spaces in if typing on a typewriter.

Answer 4

indentions

Question 5

Use 1-inch margins on all four sides of the paper: top, bottom, right, and left.

Answer 5

margins

Question 6

Number nearly every page in the paper, including the title page.

Answer 6

page numbering

Question 7

Use regular white, 20-pound bond paper that has measurements of 8.5 by 11 inches.

Answer 7

paper type

Question 8

Aim to restrict parentheses to separate or divide items that are structurally independent, such as listing a number or illustration that is associated with a sentence.

Answer 8

parentheses

Question 9

In most cases, use single space after all common punctuation marks, such as periods, commas, colons, and semicolons.

Answer 9

punctuation

Question 10

A short title is a two- or three-word introduction of the main title.

Answer 10

short title

Question 11

Do not use slash marks in your paper. For instance, rather than writing “blue and/or purple,” it is better to write, “blue, purple, or both”.

Answer 11

slash mark

Question 12

Use double spacing throughout the whole paper, unless your professor expressly asks for single spacing in specific situations, such as with block quotations.

Answer 12

spacing

Question 13

Always format the text flush left. Do not use the “full justify” feature on your word processor’s toolbar because this will spread the text fully across the paper and align sentences both left and right

Answer 13

text alignment

Question 14

Center the title on the page, creating a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters.

Answer 14

title

Question 15

If using a word processor like MS-Word, opt for a Serif font, such as Times New Roman. Use text in a 10- or 12- point size.

Answer 15

typeface