Formatting an APA 6th edition title page correctly establishes the professional tone expected in academic and scientific writing. This specific version of the style guide provides precise rules for margins, spacing, and the placement of identifying information. Understanding these details is essential for students and researchers who need to present their work clearly and professionally. The title page serves as the first impression, setting the stage for the entire document.
The Core Components of the APA 6th Title Page
While the 7th edition introduced slight simplifications, the 6th edition maintains distinct requirements that differ from standard book or report covers. The running head appears in the header, flush left in all caps, preceded by the words "Running head:". Directly in the middle of the page, you will place the full title of the paper, the author's name, and the institutional affiliation. Unlike other formats that might place the author name above the title, APA 6th specifies this specific vertical alignment to ensure immediate recognition. This structure ensures consistency across journals and universities.
Running Head and Page Number
The running head is a concise version of the paper title, limited to 50 characters including spaces and punctuation. It appears in the top left corner of every page, including the title page itself. On the title page, you must specifically type "Running head:" before the shortened title. The page number appears flush right in the header, establishing the pagination sequence from the very beginning. This header acts as a navigational tool, allowing readers to track their location within a lengthy manuscript easily.
Formatting Specifics and Margins
APA 6th dictates one-inch margins on all sides of the page, providing a clean, uncluttered appearance. The text is double-spaced, which enhances readability and leaves room for academic comments or annotations. The title, although centered, should not be bolded, underlined, or placed in quotation marks; it relies on its position and capitalization for emphasis. All text on the title page, including the title, author name, and affiliation, is typed in Times New Roman, 12-point font, maintaining visual neutrality.
Capitalization and Length of Title
Capturing the title's essence requires balancing informativeness with brevity. The title should summarize the main idea of the paper in a single line or two, avoiding unnecessary words like "A Study of" or "An Analysis of". According to the 6th edition manual, only the first word of the title, the first word of a subtitle, and proper nouns should be capitalized. This sentence case approach prevents the title from looking like a headline and maintains a scholarly tone. Keeping the title concise ensures it displays correctly in search results and indexing systems.
Institutional Affiliation Details
Below the author name, the institutional affiliation identifies where the research was conducted or the student is enrolled. This line should clearly state the university, college, or organization without additional labels such as "University of" being placed on a separate line. For students, this confirms academic credit; for researchers, it provides context for the work's origin. Accuracy here is critical for professional networking and the attribution of intellectual property.
Additional Elements and Abstract Considerations
Although the title page is the first page, the abstract usually follows it, starting on a new page. Some instructors or specific journals might require keywords, but the 6th edition manual positions them after the abstract rather than on the title page. Remember that the title page is distinct from the content page, which might list headings and page numbers later in the document. Keeping these elements separate prevents confusion and maintains the structural integrity of the manuscript.
