16 APA Title Page Formatting
Placement
As the first major section of the document, the title page appears at the top of the first page.
Components
The title page is comprised of a few key elements:
- Running head (or shortened title) and label
- Page number
- Full title of the paper
- Author byline: first name(s), middle initial(s), and last name(s)
- Affiliated Institution(s) or Organization(s)
- Author note (optional)
Follow your instructor’s directives regarding additional lines on the title page. Some professors require further information, including the date of submission, course number or title, or name of the professor.
General Format
Like the rest of the paper, the title page should be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt. The margins are set at 1” on all sides.
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How should the running head be formatted on the title page?
The running head and label is flush with the upper left-hand corner of the title page, while the page number is flush with the upper right-hand corner of the page. The label “Running head” should only appear on the title page; on all other pages, simply include the shortened title of the paper. All letters of the running head should be capitalized and should not exceed 50 characters, including punctuation, letters, and spaces.
Example of a correctly formatted running head on the title page:
Running head: EFFECTS OF NUTRITION ON MEMORY
Note: The title page is distinct in that the shortened title of this page is preceded by the label “Running head” followed by a colon; no other page of the document features this label.
How should the full title of the paper be formatted?
The full title of the paper is centered in the upper half of the page, and the first letter of each major word is capitalized. The paper’s title should be a maximum of 12 words and fill one or two lines; avoid using abbreviations and unnecessary words. Do not format the title with bold, italics, underlining, or quotation marks.
How should the author byline be formatted?
The author byline is comprised of the author(s)’ first name(s), middle initial(s), and last name(s); this line follows after the full title of the research paper. Note that two authors are separated by the word and, but more than two authors’ names are separated by commas.
What should the institutional affiliation include?
Following the author byline is the institutional affiliation of the author(s) involved with the research paper. Include the name of the college or university you attend, or the name of the organization(s) that provided support for your research.
Any additional lines of information requested by your professor may be situated after the institutional affiliation. If your instructor requires you to include an author’s note, position it in the lower half of the title page.