APA 7th Edition Formatting Guide for Dissertations

APA 7th Edition Formatting Guide for Dissertations

APA 7th edition is widely used in the social sciences and provides detailed guidelines for formatting your dissertation. Below is a comprehensive guide for formatting your dissertation in APA 7th edition:

1. General Formatting

• Font: Times New Roman (12-point), Calibri (11-point), or Arial (11-point) are preferred fonts.

• Margins: 1-inch margins on all sides of the page.

• Spacing: Use double spacing throughout your dissertation, including the title page, abstract, body, and reference list.

• Page Numbers: Place page numbers in the top right corner starting from the title page (which is page 1).

• Indentation: Use a 0.5-inch indentation for the first line of each paragraph.

2. Title Page

• Include the title of your dissertation (bolded and in title case), your name, your institution, and the date. Some institutions may have specific formatting requirements for the title page, so be sure to follow any provided guidelines.

3. Abstract

• The abstract should summarize your dissertation’s purpose, methodology, findings, and conclusions in 150 to 250 words. Place the word “Abstract” in bold at the top of the page.

4. Headings

• Use five levels of headings in APA style:

  1. Level 1: Centered, bold, title case (for main sections, like Methodology).

  2. Level 2: Left-aligned, bold, title case (for subsections under main sections).

  3. Level 3: Left-aligned, bold, italics, title case.

  4. Level 4: Indented, bold, title case, ends with a period.

  5. Level 5: Indented, bold, italics, title case, ends with a period.

5. Citations

• In-Text Citations: Follow the author-date method (e.g., Smith, 2020) for citations. For direct quotes, include page numbers.

• Reference Page: Start the references section on a new page and alphabetize the entries by the last name of the first author. Use hanging indents for each reference.

6. Tables and Figures

• Number tables and figures sequentially (Table 1, Table 2, etc.), and provide a title for each. Place the title above the table/figure. For figures, include a caption below the figure.

7. Appendices

• Include any supplementary material (e.g., questionnaires, raw data, additional charts) in the appendices. Label each appendix clearly (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B).