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

PreferredformforAuthorsName
isfirstname,middleinitial(s),and
lastnametoavoidconfusion
betweenpersons,e.g.,JoshA.
Smith

Paper Title
Authors Name
Institutional Affiliation

Thetitleshouldbeaconcise
statementofthemaintopicofthe
paperandshouldidentifythe
variablesortheoreticalissues
underinvestigationandthe
relationshipbetweenthem,
e.g.,EffectofaMarketing
CampaignonFutureSales.

SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS)

Abstract
The abstract (in block format, not indented) begins on the line following the abstract heading.
The abstract is a one-paragraph, self-contained summary of the 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.

Title of Paper

1inchMargins

SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS)

The title of the paper (in uppercase and lowercase letters) is centered on the first line,
Note: Westcliff University does
below the running head, and is not bolded. The introduction (which is not labeled) begins on the
not require the writing of an
abstract unless specified by the
line following the paper title. Papers should be written clearly and concisely. A well-organized
professor. Capstone projects,
however, may require an abstract.
paper should include a title page, introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, followed by a
references page.
Formatting an APA Style Paper
1inchMargins

Basic Style and Organization

APA style papers should be formatted with Times New Roman 12pt. font with 1 inch
margins. Double-space throughout the paper, including the title page, abstract, body of the

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
included after the period of each sentence preceding the following sentence.

Two spaces between

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)

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)

Table 1
Format for Five Levels of Heading in APA Papers
Level of
Heading
1
2
3
4
5

Format
Centered, Boldfaced, Uppercase, and Lowercase Headings
Flush Left Boldfaced, Uppercase, and Lowercase Headings
Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading with a period.
Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading with a period.
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 elses work, selfplagiarism 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.
A direct quote copies word-for-word the material from another authors work. Adirect
quotelessthan40wordslongshouldbeincorporateddirectlyintothetextasseeninthenext

SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS)

sentence.When quoting, always provide the author, year, and specific page citation or
paragraph number for non-paginated material in the text and include a complete reference in the
reference list (AmericanPsychologicalAssociation[APA],2010,p.170).
Youcanalsoincludedirectquotesinthemiddleofasentence.Whenusingaquotein
themiddleofasentence,endthepassagewithquotationmarks,citethesourceinparentheses
immediatelyafterthequotationmarks(APA,2010,p.171)andthencontinuewritingyour
sentence.
Ifthequotationcomprises40ormorewords,displayitinafreestandingblockoftextand
omitthequotationmarks.Startsuchablockquotationonanewlineandindenttheblock
Example of
a block
quote of
more than
40 words.

aboutahalfinchfromtheleftmargin(inthesamepositionasanewparagraph).Ifthere
areadditionalparagraphswithinthequotation,indentthefirstlineofeachparagraphan
additionalhalfinch.Doublespacetheentirequotation.Attheendofablockquotation,
citethequotedsourceandthepageorparagraphnumberinparenthesesafterthefinal
punctuationmark.(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, Technologydidnotcreate
crowdfunding,butithaswidelybroadenedthesizeofthecrowdsandincreasedthepotentialof
bothcharitableandentrepreneurialventurestofindfunding(Berlau,2014,para.9).If
paragraphsarenotnumbered,youcaninsteadciteusingheadingsinthearticlefollowedbythe
paragraphnumber.Forexample,TheMasterofBusinessAdministration(MBA)degree

Note: The
period
should
always
come after
the
parentheses,
not after the
quotation.

SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS)

programpreparesindividualsforcareersinmanagement(WestcliffUniversity,2013,MBA
ProgramObjectives,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
follows the body of the paper.
When the name(s) of the author(s) of a source are part of the formal structure of the
sentence, the year of the publication appears in parentheses following the identification of the
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 forprofit 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
subsequent time it is cited. When a source that has three, four, or five authors is cited, all authors

Example of
a
paraphrased
quote. Note
that the
sentence
still requires
a citation.

SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS)

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-Websters Dictionary would
appear as follows: (Merriam-Webster's, 1993).
Table 2
Formatting for In-Text Citations

Type of
citation

First citation in text

Subsequent
citations in text

Parenthetical
format (first
citation in text)

Parenthetical
format
(subsequent
citations in text)

One work by one

author

Smith (2007)

Smith (2007)

(Smith, 2007)

(Smith, 2007)

One work by two

authors

Smith and Thomas

(2004)

Smith and Thomas

(2004)

(Smith & Thomas,

2004)

(Smith & Thomas,

2004)

One work by 3-5

authors

Enriquez, Ramirez, and

Jacobson (1999)

Enriquez et al. (1999)

(Enriquez, Ramirez, &

Jacobson, 1999)

(Enriquez et al.,
1999)

One work by 6+
authors

Smith et al. (2014)

Smith et al. (2014)

(Smith et al., 2014)

(Smith et al., 2014)

Groups (readily
identified
through an
abbreviation) as
authors

American
Psychological
Association (APA,
2010)

APA (2010)

(American
Psychological
Association [APA],
2010)

(APA, 2010)

Groups (no
abbreviation) as
authors

Westcliff University
(2015)

Westcliff University
(2015)

(Westcliff University,
2015)

(Westcliff University,
2015)

Select Tense Carefully

SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS)

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 editors 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:
ArticleTitle
(notitalicized,onlyfirstword
andpropernounscapitalized)
PublicationYear

Author

JournalTitle
(italicized)

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

Venturing, 29(1), 1-16.
Pagesnumbersofsourcebeingcited
VolumeofJournal
(italicized)

IssueNumber
(notitalicized)

Sample References by Type

Note:Thisexampledoesnotincludethe
cityofpublicationorthepublishersince
thisinformationisnotneededwhen
citingaJournalArticle.Seethenext
pageforanexampleincludingthis
information.

Single author.
List the authors name with last name first, followed by author initials.
Beecher, M. (2008). Closing the achievement gap with curriculum enrichment and
differentiation: One schools 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.
AmericanPsychologicalAssociation.(2010).PublicationmanualoftheAmerican
PsychologicalAssociation(6thed.).Washington,D.C.:AmericanPsychological
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.
Editedbookwithnoauthor.
Duncan, G. J. (Eds.). (1997). Neighborhood poverty, volume 1: Context and consequences for
children. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.
Articlefromanonlineperiodical.
Online articles follow the same guidelines for printed articles. Include all information the
online host makes available, including an issue number in parentheses.

SHORT TITLE OF PAPER (50 CHARACTERS OR LESS)

12

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 virtualinto-the-physical-classroom-online-mastery-quizzes-as-a-blended-assessment strategy/

References
AmericanPsychologicalAssociation.(2010).PublicationmanualoftheAmerican
PsychologicalAssociation(6thed.).Washington,D.C.:AmericanPsychological
Association.
Mollick, E. (2013). The dynamics of crowdfunding: An exploratory study. Journal of Business
Venturing, 29(1), 1-16.