APA title page formatting
The APA Style Publication Manual sixth edition outlines specific APA format requirements. The title page (also known as cover page) of your paper must contain at least:
- A running head, including page number
- The title of the paper
- The names of the author(s)
- The university name
Your university or course requirements may be slightly different so be sure to check those as well.
APA title page example
Running head:EFFECTS OF SMARTPHONES ON ATTENTION SPAN1
The Effects of Smartphones on the Attention Span
John T. Taylor and George Kotler
University of California, Berkeley
APA formatting information
The title page follows the same general formatting guidelines as the rest of your paper. The recommended font type is 12 pt Times New Roman, line spacing should be set to double and the margins of the document should be set to one inch (2.54 cm).
The table below provides specific guidelines for all the elements required on the title page.
| Element | APA formatting |
|---|---|
| Running head | Write “Running head:” followed by a (shortened) version of your paper’s title. It must be:
Read more about inserting and formatting a running head. |
| Paper title | Use a clear and concise title that summarizes the main idea of your paper. The title should make the reader eager for more.
|
| Author name(s) | Include your full name and those of other authors (first name, middle initial(s) and last name). Omit all titles (Dr., Prof.) and degrees (PhD, MSc). There are specific guidelines for multiple authors. |
| Institutional affiliation (university name) | Include the full institutional affiliation, such as a university name. This should indicate where the research was conducted. |
| Other information | If your professor requires you to include additional information, such as the course title, on the title page, you can simply add these on a separate line below the university name. |
Title page with multiple authors
If a paper has more than one author, there are specific guidelines for how to show this on the title page. The names of the authors should always appear in order of the level of their contribution.
The formatting guidelines depend on whether the authors have the same affiliation. The table below shows multiple variations, including examples.
| Multiple author variations | Example |
|---|---|
| Two authors, one affiliation | John T. Taylor and George Kotler University of California, Berkeley |
| Three authors, one affiliation | John T. Taylor, George Kotler and Dennis G. Parker University of California, Berkeley |
| Two authors, two affiliations | John T. Taylor University of California, Berkeley Laura Johnson Harvard University |
| Three authors, two affiliations | John T. Taylor and George Kotler University of California, Berkeley Laura Johnson Harvard University |
