WSU Kinesiology writing guide – Text Format

For additional information see American Psychological Association (APA), 6th edition.

Margins: All margins will be one inch (top, bottom, left and right) on every page. On most word processors, these are the preset margins. To check margins go to the File icon and choose document layout; you can make changes there.
Spacing: Double space every line in the text, title, heading, quotations, references, etc.
Paragraphs and Indents: Indent the first line of every paragraph five to seven spaces; for consistency use the tab key. The only exceptions are:
- the abstract, block quotations, titles and headings, table titles and notes, and figure captions.
Page numbering: Begin numbering consecutively with the title page. Type page numbers in the upper right hand corner, one inch from the right hand edge of the page.
Include a page header (also known as the “running head“) at the top of every page. To create a page header/running head, insert page numbers flush right. Then type “TITLE OF YOUR PAPER” in the header flush left using all capital letters. The running head is a shortened version of your paper’s title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.
Headings and Subheadings: These will depend on the number of levels that you want.

NOTE: In-text citations are covered within the reference list directions. Writing Guide – Reference List for the link.

APA Headings	Instruction
Level	Format
1	Centered, Boldface, Title Case Heading Text starts a new paragraph
2	Flush left, Boldface, Title Case Heading Text starts a new paragraph
3	Flush left, Boldface Italic, Title Case Heading Text starts a new paragraph
4	Indented, Boldface, Title Case Heading Ending With a Period. Paragraph text continues on the same lines as the same paragraph.
5	Indented, Boldface Italic, Title Case Heading Ending With a Period. Paragraph text continues on the same lines as the same paragraph.