Creating an APA Document Using Word 2007

There is an excellent you tube about using Word to create an APA paper. Look at it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pbUoNa5tyY. There are, however, some problems with it.

1. Centering Title Page: This can be done automaticaly. See Center title page below.
2. Header: If your running head is short, you may need to tap the Tab key twice to right align the page number.
3. The easiest way to create a new page is to tap CTRL+Enter
4. Be sure the tabs are set to 0.5 inches
5. You need to refer to the APA format for the citations and the reference list.
6. You can enter the references in another document as you type the paper, and sort them when ready to create the reference page. When done, copy that information as the last page of your paper (after of course, creating a new page for the references.)
   1. Sort the list
   2. Hanging Paragraphs: This can be done automatically. Wait until all your references are entered, then see Hanging Paragraphs

Or you can use the instructions below. I recommend looking at the video.

For more questions about the APA format, such as the format for citing, and references and other APA information, see the APA Guidelines.

• Write the document leaving the title page for later. Using the outline feature will help you with adding section titles.
• Double space it. This can be done at any time, before you write, after you write, or after editing etc.
• Paragraphs should not be separated by an extra line. You can stop Word from automatically doing this.
• Cite appropriately.
• Create the Reference List that is separated from the main document by a hard page, has hanging paragraphs, and is alphabetized.
• Write your abstract.
• Edit the document. Do one good edit after you finish, then if possible, let it alone for 3 or more days, and edit it again.
• Create header for all pages except title page
• Create title page
• Create the header for the title page which will include the running head (It is put in the header so that the page can be centered vertically.)
• Center the title page

Create the header that will be on all pages except the first one.

1. Place your insertion point on the first page of text, either the abstract, or the document itself, but after the title page.
2. Double click in the far left corner of the top margin of that page. A line will separate the document and under it will appear the word “Header” and a new ribbon will appear.
   
3. Type the shortened version of the title that you identy on the title page as the running head
4. Tap the tab key 1 or 2 times to right align (Whether you need 1 or 2 will depend on the lefnth of the running head.
5. Click Quick Parts>Field.
6. Scroll down to page.
7. Select page and the appropriate number format.
8. Click OK.
9. Close the Header and Footer by clicking on the "X" in the Close Group.

Create the Title Page

1. Tap Ctrl+Home to get the insertion point to the very top of the document.
2. Tap Ctrl+Enter to create a page above the abstract or main document.
3. The header that you created will be at the top of this page.

 

Create the header for the title page (which will include the running head)

1. Double click in the top margin.
2. Click on Different first page under options on the ribbon (see figure above)
3. Recreate the header from the other pages following steps 3 to 8.
4. After entering the page number, tap the enter key and enter on the left side: Running head: SHORTENED TITLE
5. Don’t panic when you look at it after this – it may have lines and words all over it. To see how it will look printed, click on the Office logo>Print> Print preview. Or simply save it and retrieve it again.
6. Save the document.

Enter Title page information

At the top of the title page enter the information for the title page, centering the text left to right.

 

Center the title page

1. Select the text on the title page.
2. Click on Page Layout tab
   
3. Click the Page Layout arrow on the bottom line of that group.
4. Click the Layout tab.
5. In the page group under alignment, select center.
6. At the bottom of the page under apply to click "Selected text."

See a completed page

Be sure to place the references on a separate page using a Hard Page and to both sort the reference list alphabetically, and make them hanging paragraphs.

 

 

Making Microsoft Word format an APA paper requires several steps, but it is easier than performing the steps manually. And when done the Word way, writers are free to edit the document without having to reformat.

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