How to Setup MS Word 2007 for APA Format

APA format, published by the American Psychological Association and used in many academic fields and institutions, has very strict formatting requirements. For example, an APA-formatted paper must follow certain rules for font, alignment, line and paragraph spacing, headers, margins, indentations and references. Other elements of formatting, such as a running head and levels of headings, will vary for different papers; these formatting rules, however, apply to every APA paper. By setting up Microsoft Word 2007 for APA format, you can ensure that the basic format of your paper matches proper APA style.

Instructions

    • 1

      Click the "Home" tab. In the Font group, select Times New Roman as your font, and change the font size to 12. Change the font color to black or "Automatic."

    • 2

      Click the "Align Text Left" icon, which displays horizontal lines aligned to the left, in the Paragraph group.

    • 3

      Click the "Line spacing" button, which shows two vertical arrows and several horizontal lines, in the Paragraph group. On the drop-down menu, click "2.0."

    • 4

      Click the "Insert" tab, then click "Page Number" in the Header & Footer group. On the drop-down menu, hover the cursor over "Top of Page"; when the menu expands, click "Plain Number 3."

      Word will insert page numbers and automatically open the Design tab in the Ribbon. In the Options group, click "Different First Page."

      On the Ribbon, click the "Close Header and Footer" button.

    • 5

      Click the "Page Layout" tab, then click the "Margins" button. On the drop-down Margins menu, click "Normal."

    • 6

      Type "0 pt" in the Before field, in the Paragraph group. Type "0 pt" in the After field as well.

    • 7

      Click the little arrow in the right-hand, lower corner of the Paragraph group; this launches the Paragraph dialog box. Under the heading Indentation, click the arrow by the field marked Special. On the drop-down menu, click "First line." When you're formatting the bibliography, instead click "Hanging."

    • 8

      Click the "References" tab. Click the arrow next to the Style field, in the Citations & Bibliography group. On the drop-down menu, click "APA."

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