Setting Up a Paper in APA Style Using Microsoft Word 2007

Open Microsoft Word 2007. By default Word opens a new blank document. It is easiest if you
create all of these settings before you begin your paper. Another alternative is to save the
SETTING THE MARGINS
1. Click the Page Layout tab.
2. In the Page Setup group, click the Margins arrow.
3. In the drop down menu, click Normal and all margins will be set to 1 inch.
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SETTING THE HEADER AND FOOTER SIZE
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Click the Page Layout tab.

Click the small arrow for the Page Setup group.
The Page Setup dialog box will open.
In the dialog box, click the Layout tab.
In the Headers and Footers section, set the header and footer to 0.5 inches.
Click the OK button.
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SETTING THE TABS
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Click the Home tab.

Click the small arrow for the Paragraph group.
The Paragraph dialog box will open.
Click the Tabs button in the bottom of the dialog box.
The Tabs dialog box will open.
In the Tabs dialog box, set the Default tab stops to 0.5 inches.
Click the OK button.
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SETTING THE FONT: STYLE
1. Click the Home tab.
2. In the Font group click the small arrow in the Font Face select box.
3. Scroll through the drop-down alphabetical list of font faces, and click Times New Roman.
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SETTING THE FONT: SIZE
1. Click the Home tab.
2. In the Font group click the small arrow in the Font Size select box.
3. Scroll through the drop-down list of font sizes, and click 12.
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SETTING DOUBLE SPACED LINES
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Click the Home tab.

Click the small arrow for the Paragraph group.
The Paragraph dialog box will open.
In the Spacing section of the dialog box, click the small arrow for the Line Spacing select
box, and from the drop-down list click Double.
5. Also, make sure Before and After are set to 0 pt.
6. Click the OK button.
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CREATING A HEADER FOR THE TITLE PAGE: ACCESS THE HEADER
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. In the Header & Footer group, click the small arrow for the Header icon.
3. In the drop down menu, click Edit Header (at the bottom of the list).
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CREATING A HEADER FOR THE TITLE PAGE: POSITION CONTENT
1. Your cursor is now in the header area above the dotted lines, with the Header & Footer
Tools displayed.
2. In the Position group, click Insert Alignment Tab.
3. The Alignment tab dialog box will open.
4. In the Alignment section, click Right.
5. Click the OK button.
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CREATING A HEADER FOR THE TITLE PAGE: INSERT THE PAGE NUMBER
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In the Header & Footer Tools, click the small arrow for the Page Number icon.
In the resulting drop down list, click Top of Page.
Scroll down the resulting drop down list under Simple and click Plain Number 3.
The page number will be inserted into the header and aligned to the right side of the
page as shown in the drop down list.
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CREATING A HEADER FOR THE TITLE PAGE: INSERT A RUNNING HEAD
1. Header & Footer Tools should still be displayed.
2. Make sure you are on the left side of the page number.
3. Type: Running head:
4. These words are in sentence case (the first letter of the first word in each sentence is
capitalized; all proper names are capitalized; see your APA Manual for more
information).
5. Press the Caps Lock key on your keyboard and type the first 2-3 three words of the title
(a maximum of 50 characters and spaces).
6. Press the space bar until your running head is positioned at the left margin. If you press
the space bar too many times and your page number moves to a separate line, make
sure your cursor is immediately after your shortened title and press the Delete key until
the running head and page number are on the same line.
7. Click the red Close Header and Footer button (top right).
8. Once you close the Header & Footer Tools, the page number and running head with
your shortened title will appear lighter than the text of the paper. This is normal. They will
not appear lighter when the paper is printed.
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CREATING A TITLE PAGE: INSERT THE TITLE & AUTHOR(S)
1. With your cursor at the top of the page, press the Enter key five times.
2. Your cursor should now be in the upper half of the page.
3. The Home tab should be selected.
4. In the Paragraph group, click the Center Text icon.
5. Your cursor will move to the center.
6. Type the full title of the paper in Title case.
7. Press the Enter key.
8. Type the author(s) in Title case.
9. Press the Enter key.
10. Type the institution name in Title case.
11. Press the Enter key.
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CHANGING THE TITLE PAGE HEADER: INSERT A SECTION BREAK
A section break is necessary after the title page because the running head is different on all
subsequent pages in your paper.
1. Position your cursor after the text on the title page and click the Page Layout tab.
2. In the Page Setup group, click the little arrow for the Breaks icon.
3. In the drop down menu go to the Section Breaks section and click Next Page.
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CHANGING THE TITLE PAGE HEADER: ACCESS THE HEADER
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. In the Header & Footer group (not shown), click the small arrow for the Header icon.
3. In the drop down menu, click Edit Header (at the bottom of the list).
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CHANGING THE TITLE PAGE HEADER: BREAK THE LINK TO PREVIOUS
1. Header & Footer Tools will be displayed.
2. In the Navigation group, click Link to Previous.
3. When you click Link to Previous it actually breaks the the connection to header on the
title page and removes the Same as Previous, although it is shown in this screen shot.
4. Inside the header area, remove the words: Running head:
5. With your cursor at the beginning of your shortened title, press the Backspace key to
align your title to the left.
6. With your cursor at the end of your shortened title, press the space bar to align the page
number to the right.
7. Click the red Close Header and Footer button.
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CREATING AN ABSTRACT PAGE: ABSTRACT FORMAT
1. Most papers do not require an abstract. Create this page only if your professor requires
it or if you intend to publish your paper.
2. The Home tab should be selected.
3. In the Paragraph group, click the Center Text icon.
4. Your cursor will move to the center.
5. Type the page heading: Abstract
6. Highlight the page heading and click the Bold icon in the Font group.
7. Press the Enter key.
8. In the Paragraph group, click the Align Text Left icon.
9. Press the Tab key to indent the first line of the abstract.
10. Type the abstract as one paragraph in Sentence case (the first letter of the first word in
each sentence is capitalized; all proper names are capitalized; see your APA Manual for
more information). Insert two spaces after the period at the end of each sentence.
11. Press the Enter key.
12. In the Paragraph group, click the Center Text icon.
13. Type the significant keywords that describe your paper.
14. Press the Enter key.
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CREATING AN ABSTRACT PAGE: CHECK WORD COUNT & FORCE A NEW PAGE
1. The maximum number of words in an abstract is 120.
2. To determine the number of words in your abstract, highlight the abstract paragraph with
your mouse.
3. On the status bar you will see the word count of the highlighted area, followed by a slash
(/) and then the word count of the entire document.
4. Force a new page:
a. Position your cursor below the text of the abstract
b. Click the Insert tab.
c. In the Pages group, click the Page Break icon.
d. Your cursor will move to a new page.
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CREATING THE BODY OF THE PAPER: SET UP THE INTRODUCTION PAGE
1. NOTE: The body of your paper begins on page 3 if you have an abstract page, and on
page 2 if you dont have an abstract.
2. The Home tab should be selected.
3. In the Paragraph group, click the Center Text icon.
4. Your cursor will move to the center.
5. Type the full title of your paper in Title case.
6. Press the Enter key.
7. In the Paragraph group, click the Align Text Left icon.
8. Use the Tab key to indent the first line of a paragraph.
9. Use the Enter key after each paragraph.
10. Insert two spaces after the period, question mark or exclamation point at the end of each
sentence.
11. See the Xavier APA Guide for help creating in-text citations
(http://www.xavier.edu/library/help/apa_guide.pdf).
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CREATING THE BODY OF THE PAPER: CREATE FIRST LEVEL HEADINGS
1. Some papers have headings for sections within the body of the paper, such as Method,
Results, Discussion, etc. These are called first level headings.
2. You do not have to force a new page between these sections.
3. Click the Home tab.
4. In the Paragraph group, click the Center Text icon.
5. Your cursor will move to the center.
6. Type the first level heading: Method
7. Highlight this first level heading and click the Bold icon in the Font group.
8. Note: first level headings are in Title case.
9. Press the Enter key.
10. In the Paragraph group, click the Align Text Left icon.
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CREATING THE BODY OF THE PAPER: CREATE SECOND & THIRD LEVEL HEADINGS
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Your cursor should be aligned to the left.

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Click the Home tab.
Type your second level heading in Title case: Participants
Highlight the second level heading with your mouse.
In the Font group, click the Bold icon.
Third level headings are indented, in Bold face and Sentence case, and are followed by
a period.
7. The text associated with third level headings immediately follows.
8. Consult your APA Manual if you plan to use more than three levels of headings.
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CHANGING THE ORIENTATION: FIRST CREATE A SECTION BREAK
1. Although most of your paper will have a Portrait orientation (8 1/2 X 11 inches), some
pages (graphs, data, images, etc.) may require a Landscape orientation (11 X 8
inches).
2. Position your cursor on the page before your landscape page.
3. Your cursor should be below any text on that page and aligned to the left.
4. Do not force a new page.
5. Click the Page Layout tab.
6. In the Page Setup group, click the small arrow for Breaks.
7. In the Breaks drop down menu under Section Breaks, click Next Page (Insert a section
break and start the new section on the next page).
8. Your cursor will move to a new page.
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CHANGING THE ORIENTATION: SWITCH TO LANDSCAPE
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Make sure your cursor is in the new page you created with the section break.
Click the Page Layout tab.
In the Page Setup group (not visable), click the small arrow for the Orientation icon.
In the Orientation drop down menu, click Landscape.
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CHANGING THE ORIENTATION: VIEW THE RESULT
1. The new page you created with the section break will now have a landscape orientation.
2. The previous page will have a portrait orientation.
3. If you have subsequent pages, they will also have a landscape orientation. You may not
want all subsequent pages to be landscape. You will learn how to return to the portrait
orientation later.
4. Note: Your shortened title is aligned to the left but your page number is NOT aligned to
the right. To fix this you need to change the header.

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CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE HEADER: ACCESS THE HEADER
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. In the Header & Footer group (not shown), click the small arrow for the Header icon.
3. In the drop down menu, click Edit Header (at the bottom of the list).
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CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE HEADER: REMOVE LINK TO PREVIOUS & REALIGN THE
PAGE NUMBER
1. Header & Footer Tools will be displayed.
2. In the Navigation group, click Link to Previous.
3. When you click Link to Previous it actually breaks the the connection to the header on
the previous page and removes the Same as Previous tab.
4. Inside the header area and with your cursor at the end of your shortened title, press the
space bar until the page number is aligned to the right.
5. Click the red Close Header and Footer button.
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RETURNING TO PORTRAIT: CREATE ANOTHER SECTION BREAK
1. Position your cursor at the end of any text on the last page you want in landscape
orientation.
2. Click the Page Layout tab.
3. In the Page Setup group click the small arrow for Breaks.
4. In the Breaks drop down menu under Section Breaks, click Next Page (Insert a section
break and start the new section on the next page).
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RETURNING TO PORTRAIT: CHANGE THE ORIENTATION
1.
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3.
4.
5.

Make sure your cursor is in the new page you created with the section break.
The Page Layout tab should be selected.
Click the small arrow for the Orientation icon.
In the Orientation drop down menu, click Portrait.
Note: Your shortened title is aligned to the left but the page number is NOT aligned to
the right.
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CHANGING THE PORTRAIT HEADER: ACCESS THE HEADER
1. Click the Insert tab.
2. In the Header & Footer group (not shown), click the small arrow for the Header icon.
3. In the drop down menu, click Edit Header (at the bottom of the list).
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CHANGING THE PORTRAIT HEADER: REMOVE LINK TO PREVIOUS & REALIGN THE
PAGE NUMBER
1. Header & Footer Tools will be displayed.
2. In the Navigation group, click Link to Previous.
3. When you click Link to Previous it actually breaks the the connection to the header on
the previous page and removes the Same as Previous tab.
4. Inside the header area and with your cursor at the end of your shortened title, press the
space bar until the page number is aligned to the right.
5. Click the red Close Header and Footer button.
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CREATING A LIST OF REFERENCES WITH HANGING INDENTATIONS
1. Position your cursor at the end of the body of your paper.
2. Force a new page (see page 13 for image):
a. Click the Insert tab.
b. In the Pages group, click the Page Break icon.
c. Your cursor will move to a new page.
3. Center the page heading
a. Click the Home tab.
b. In the Paragraph group, click the Center Text icon.
c. Your cursor will move to the center.
d. Type: References
e. The page heading is in Title case but it is not in bold face.
f. Press the Enter key.
g. In the Paragraph group, click the Align Text Left icon.
4. Begin typing your references. See the Xavier APA Guide for help creating your
references (http://www.xavier.edu/library/help/apa_guide.pdf).
5. When you are finished highlight all of your references with your mouse.
6. Click the Home tab.
7. Click the small arrow for the Paragraph group.
8. The Paragraph dialog box will open.
9. In the Indentation section of the dialog box, click the small arrow for the Special select
box and click Hanging from the drop down list.
10. Your references will now have the first line of each reference aligned to the left with
additional lines indented.
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