According the APA, your paper should adhere to these stylistic principles:
Your writing style should be clear and logical. Use language others will understand, check for misplaced or missing ideas, and follow spelling and grammar conventions.
Be specific and concise. Avoid generalizations like "it" or "this." Avoid using "we" to refer to all people. Use specific language. Provide exact numbers from data and research. Avoid wordy phrasing and flowerly language.
Be respectful and free of bias. Call populations or people what they call themselves—use person-fist language. Be sensitive to labels and don't make assumptions.
Your tone should be formal, objective, and precise. Avoid using:
Papers written in APA Style should use an active, rather than passive, voice.
Passive: "the experiment was conducted"
Active: "the research conducted the experiment"
Use third-person point of view. This is the standard for academic papers, as it helps maintain objectivity. Use phrases like:
In some cases, it may make sense to use first-person point of view to maintain active voice.
Use present tense when discussing general knowledge or current research trends. You will also use present tense to discuss research that has been conducted up until now or that is in progress.
Use past tense when describing past research that is complete.
Use future tense to discuss future research or hypotheses.
Always define an abbreviation prior to using it throughout your paper, and don't switch back and forth.
Abbreviate group author names if they are well-known, lengthy, or you will write them three or more times throughout your paper.
Write out numbers zero through nine, and use the numeral for 10 and above.
There are some exceptions:
APA Style has requirements for paper formatting that promote consistency in order, structure, and format. These requirements allow readers to focus on the content of a paper rather than its presentation.
Essays should be:
Page headers appear within the top margin of every page of every paper.
For students, this header consists of the page number only. For professional papers, the header should consist of both the page number and running head.
Use the page numbering function of your word processing program (like Microsoft Word). Insert numbers in the top right corner. The page number should show on all pages. The title page should be numbered page 1.
Running heads should be used for professional papers, but some instructors may ask students to include it on their papers. It consists of an abbreviated version of the title of your paper, or the full title, depending on the length.
Running heads should be typed in all capital letters, and should be no more than 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation. Avoid using abbreviations, with the exception of the ampersand (&) instead of "and." Align the running head to the top left corner of the page.
APA Style papers should all include a title page as the first page of the document. Note that APA Style has different requirements for student papers and professional papers intended for publication.
Regardless of which type, title pages should contain the title of the paper, the author's name, and the institutional affiliation. See below for formats for both.
Space your title page text by placing the title 3 or 4 lines down from the top of the page. Add an extra line between the title and the name of the author. All of this information should be centered.
Title pages for student papers should include:
APA. (n.d.). APA Style: Title Page Setup. APA Style. Retrieved September 12, 2025, from https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/title-page
Title pages for professional papers should include additional information, such as:
Learn more about the requirements for professional title pages here.