Running head: SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 1

Click on ‘different first page’

when creating your header. The
words, ‘Running head’ will only
appear on your title page.

The title should be a concise

statement of the main topic of the
paper.

Double
Preferred form for Author’s Name Paper Title spaced,
is first name and then surname. centered,
Author’s Name upper and
lower case. Do
not underline,
Institutional Affiliation bold, or
italicize
 SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 2

The words ‘Running head’ Abstract

no longer appear Abstract is
centered,
The abstract (in block format, not indented) begins on the line following the abstract heading. but not
bolded or
This paragraph is not indented. The abstract is a one-paragraph, self-contained summary of the italicized.
most important elements of the paper. Nothing should appear in the abstract that is not included

in the body of the paper. Word limits for abstracts are set by individual journals. Most journals

have word limits for abstracts between 150 and 250 words. All numbers in the abstract (except

those beginning a sentence) should be typed as digits rather than words.

Note: Westcliff University does

not require the writing of an
abstract unless specified by the
professor. Capstone projects,
however, may require an abstract.
 1 inch Margins
SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 3

Rewrite
full title of Title of Paper
the paper 1 inch Margins
on the first The title of the paper (in uppercase and lowercase letters) is centered on the first line,
page of
text.
Centered, below the running head, and is not bolded. The introduction (which is not labeled) begins on the
upper and
lower- line following the paper title. Papers should be written clearly and concisely. A well-organized
case, not
bolded,
italicized, paper should include a title page, introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, followed by a
or
underlined references page.
. Level 1 heading:
Formatting an APA Style Paper Centered, bolded,
upper and lower case
Basic Style and Organization
Level 2
heading: APA style papers should be formatted with Times New Roman 12pt. font with 1-inch
Flush left,
bolded, margins. Double-space throughout the paper, including the title page, abstract, body of the
upper and
lower
case
document, and references. All paragraphs should be indented with the exception of the Abstract.

All paragraphs should by aligned with the left margin (flush left). Two spaces should be
Two spaces between
included after the period of each sentence preceding the following sentence. all sentences.

Page Numbers and Running Heads

All pages in your paper should be numbered consecutively using Roman numerals

beginning with the title page. Page numbers should be found at the top right of each page (flush

right). To format page numbers, double click on the Header region of your paper and select the

Page Number Icon (See Figure 1). Each page should also contain a Running Head, which should

be formatted to be flush left in the header region. On the title page, the page header or Running

Head should contain the words “Running Head:” followed by a shortened version of the title (50

words or less) in all capital letters, e.g., Running Head: TITLE OF PAPER. On all subsequent

pages of your paper, the running head should no longer include the words “Running Head” and

should instead contain only the title in all capital letters, e.g., TITLE OF PAPER. To enable the
SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 4

Running Head on your title page to differ from the Running Head found on all other questions,

you must double-click on the header of the paper and select the option for “Different First Page”

(See Figure 2).

Figure 1: Formatting Page Numbers

Figure 2: Creating Different Running Heads in Your Paper

The Use of Headings

Headings are used to organize the document and reflect the relative importance of sections.

For example, many empirical research articles utilize Methods, Results, Discussion, and

References headings. In turn, the Method section often has subheadings of Participants,

Apparatus, and Procedure. Main headings (when the paper has either one or two levels of

headings) use centered, boldface, uppercase and lowercase letters (e.g., Method, Results).

Subheadings (when the paper has two levels of headings) use flush left, boldface, uppercase and

lowercase letters (e.g., Participants, Apparatus). Formatting guidelines for all level 1-5

headings can be found in Table 1. Note: All headings in this sample paper follow APA

formatting guidelines.
SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 5

Table 1
Format for Five Levels of Heading in APA Papers
Level of Format
Heading
1 Centered, Boldfaced, Uppercase, and Lowercase Headings

2 Flush Left Boldfaced, Uppercase, and Lowercase Headings

3 Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading with a period.

4 Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading with a period.

5 Indented, lowercase paragraph heading with a period.

Note. All tables in this document follow APA formatting guidelines for tables. For additional information regarding
the formatting of tables in APA format, please see Chapter 5: Displaying Results in the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association, 6th edition.
Crediting Sources

When to Cite

When writing an academic paper, it is very important to recognize any individuals whose

ideas, theories, or research have influenced your work. It is also important to cite when using

any numbers, facts, or figures that are not common knowledge.

Plagiarism.

Plagiarism is defined as presenting the work of another as if it were your own. In order

to avoid plagiarism, it is important to keep track of the sources that influence your work as you

write so that you can cite them appropriately.

Self-Plagiarism.

Whereas plagiarism is defined by claiming credit for someone else’s work, self-

plagiarism occurs when you present previously written work as new and original. Any work that

you submit should not be copied from previous assignments or prior coursework.

Quoting and Paraphrasing

Direct quotation of sources.

 SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 6

A direct quote copies word-for-word the material from another author’s work. A direct

quote less than 40 words long should be incorporated directly into the text as seen in the next
Note: The
sentence. “When quoting, always provide the author, year, and specific page citation or period
should
always come
paragraph number for non-paginated material in the text and include a complete reference in the after the
parentheses,
reference list” (American Psychological Association [APA], 2010, p. 170). not after the
quotation.
You can also include direct quotes in the middle of a sentence. When using a quote in

the middle of a sentence, “end the passage with quotation marks, cite the source in parentheses

immediately after the quotation marks” (APA, 2010, p. 171) and then continue writing your

sentence.

If the quotation comprises 40 or more words, display it in a freestanding block of text and

omit the quotation marks. Start such a block quotation on a new line and indent the block

about a half inch from the left margin (in the same position as a new paragraph). If there
Example of a
block quote
of more than are additional paragraphs within the quotation, indent the first line of each paragraph an
40 words.
additional half inch. Double-space the entire quotation. At the end of a block quotation,

cite the quoted source and the page or paragraph number in parentheses after the final

punctuation mark. (APA, 2010, p. 171)

Direct quotation of online resources with no pagination.

When directly quoting material from a website, you may find that no page numbers are

available to include in your citation. If this is the case, you can cite the location of the quoted

material by the paragraph if paragraphs are numbered. For example, “Technology did not create

crowdfunding, but it has widely broadened the size of the crowds and increased the potential of

both charitable and entrepreneurial ventures to find funding” (Berlau, 2014, para. 9). If

paragraphs are not numbered, you can instead cite using headings in the article followed by the
SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 7

paragraph number. For example, “The Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree

program prepares individuals for careers in management” (Westcliff University, 2013, MBA

Program Objectives, para. 1).

Paraphrasing of material.

When paraphrasing or summarizing material prepared by another person or source, it is

still important to cite the source of the information just as you would with a direct quote.

In-Text Citations

Whenever you directly quote or paraphrase source material, a citation must be documented

in the body of the paper by citing the author(s) and date(s) of the sources. The purpose of these

citations is to give proper credit to the ideas and words of others. In-text citations are shortened

versions of a citation; the reader can obtain the full source citation from the list of references that
Example of a
follows the body of the paper. paraphrased
quote. Note
When the name(s) of the author(s) of a source are part of the formal structure of the that the
sentence still
sentence, the year of the publication appears in parentheses following the identification of the requires a
citation.
authors, for example: Mollick (2013) stated that crowdfunding provides for-profit ventures with

the opportunity to be funded by a large number of people contributing small amounts of money.

When the author(s) of a source are not part of the formal structure of the sentence, both the

authors and years of publication appear in parentheses for example: crowdfunding provides for-

profit ventures with the opportunity to be funded by a large number of people contributing small

amounts of money (Mollick, 2013).

More than one author.

When a source that has two authors is cited, both authors are cited every time. If there are

six or more authors to be cited, use the first authors’ surname and “et al.” the first and each
SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 8

subsequent time it is cited. When a source that has three, four, or five authors is cited, all authors

are included the first time the source is cited. When that source is cited again, the first authors’

surname and “et al.” are used e.g., (Passerallo, et al.). Specific formatting guidelines for In-Text

Citations can be found in Table 2.

When your essay includes citations of sources with no author named, use a shortened

version of the source's title instead of an author's name. Use quotation marks and italics as

appropriate. For example, parenthetical citations of the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary would

appear as follows: (Merriam-Webster's, 1993).

Table 2
Formatting for In-Text Citations
Parenthetical
Parenthetical format
Type of Subsequent format (first (subsequent
citation First citation in text citations in text citation in text) citations in text)
One work by one Smith (2007) Smith (2007) (Smith, 2007) (Smith, 2007)
author

One work by two Smith and Thomas Smith and Thomas (Smith & Thomas, (Smith & Thomas,
authors (2004) (2004) 2004) 2004)

One work by 3-5 Enriquez, Ramirez, and Enriquez et al. (1999) (Enriquez, Ramirez, & (Enriquez et al.,
authors Jacobson (1999) Jacobson, 1999) 1999)

One work by 6+ Smith et al. (2014) Smith et al. (2014) (Smith et al., 2014) (Smith et al., 2014)
authors

Groups (readily American APA (2010) (American (APA, 2010)

identified Psychological Psychological
through an Association (APA, Association [APA],
abbreviation) as 2010) 2010)
authors

Groups (no Westcliff University Westcliff University (Westcliff University, (Westcliff University,
abbreviation) as (2015) (2015) 2015) 2015)
authors
SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 9

Select Tense Carefully

The past tense should be used when describing an action or event that occurred at a

definite point in time, such as when discussing the research performed by another person.

Correct: Sanchez (2000) presented similar results.

Incorrect: Sanchez (2000) presents similar results.

Reference List

The references section should always start on a new page following the body of your paper.

The heading is centered on the first line below the manuscript page header. The references (with

hanging indent) begin on the line following the references heading. Entries are organized

alphabetically by the last name of the first author for the sources.

Most reference entries have the following 4 components:

1. Author and Editor Information: Authors are listed in the same order as specified in the

source, using surnames and first name initials. Commas separate all authors. If the

resource has editors rather than authors, place the name(s) of the editor(s) in place of

the author and include the abbreviation Ed. or Eds. after the last editor’s name in

parentheses.

2. Year of Publication: The publication year should be placed in parentheses following the

authors, with a period following the closing parenthesis. If no publication date is

identified, use “n.d.” in parentheses following the authors.

3. Title: The Article or Chapter title should be identified next. Only the first word in the

title and subtitle should be capitalized. Do not italicize or place the title in quotation

marks. Follow the title with a period. Next, identify the journal or periodical title

from which the article came in italics followed by a period.

 SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 10

4. Publication Information: Included in the publication information should be the volume

(if applicable), pages referenced, city of publication and publisher (books only).

Each of the above components has been identified in the sample reference below:
Article Title
(not italicized, only first word
and proper nouns capitalized) Journal Title
Publication Year (italicized)
Author

Mollick, E. (2013). The dynamics of crowdfunding: An exploratory study. Journal of Business

Venturing, 29(1), 1-16.

Pages numbers of source being cited

Volume of Journal
(italicized) Issue Number
(not italicized) Note: This example does not include the
city of publication or the publisher since
this information is not needed when
citing a Journal Article. See the next
page for an example including this
Sample References by Type information.
Single author.

List the author’s name with last name first, followed by author initials.

Beecher, M. (2008). Closing the achievement gap with curriculum enrichment and

differentiation: One school’s story. Journal of Advanced Academics, 19(3), 502-530.

Two authors.

List the authors by their last names and initials. Authors should be listed in the order that

they appear in the article, not in alphabetical order. Use the ampersand (&) instead of "and" and a

comma after this symbol.

Klem, A., & Connell, J. (2009). Relationships Matter: Linking Teacher Support to Student

Engagement and Achievement. Journal of School Health, 74(7), 262-273.

SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 11

Three to seven authors.

Clark, R., Sweller, J., & Kirschner, P. (2006). Why minimal guidance during instruction does not

work: An analysis of the failure of constructivist, discovery, problem based, experiential,

and inquiry-based teaching. Educational Psychologist, 41(2), 74-78.

Organization as author.

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (6th ed.). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Unknown author.

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

Book source with one author.

Calfee, R. C., & Valencia, R. R. (1991). APA guide to preparing manuscripts for journal

publication. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Edited book with no author.

Duncan, G. J. (Eds.). (1997). Neighborhood poverty, volume 1: Context and consequences for

children. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

Article from an online periodical.

Online articles follow the same guidelines for printed articles. Include all information the

online host makes available, including an issue number in parentheses.

Beidler, K., & Panton, L. (2013). Incorporating the virtual into the physical classroom: Online

mastery quizzes as a blended assessment strategy. The Journal of Interactive Technology

and Pedagogy, Retrieved from http://jitp.commons.gc.cuny.edu/incorporating-the virtual-

into-the-physical-classroom-online-mastery-quizzes-as-a-blended-assessment strategy/
 SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS) 12

References

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological

Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Mollick, E. (2013). The dynamics of crowdfunding: An exploratory study. Journal of Business

First line if Venturing, 29(1), 1-16. Retrieved from

flushed left.
Remaining https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S088390261300058X
lines in that
reference
need a
hanging
indent, 0.5”