How to create APA margins, text and page numbers in Word

APA standard per word

The APA standards emerged in 1929 when a group of psychologists, anthropologists and business executives got together to establish a set of standards that codified the elements of writing scientific. Also where the exponents could be squares or cubes with Word, to do algebraic work.

These standards are meant to help you work efficiently with essential, consistent and error-free information.

APA Standard 2020:

• dimensions: letter.
• Source: Arial or Times News Roman. Although a variety of characters are allowed.
• dimensions: 12 points.
• Spacing: double spacing.
• Aligned: a left
• Margins: 2,54 cm on each edge of the sheet; however, your advisor may indicate another type of margin.

• Live: 0,5 cm from the left margin. It is not recommended to use the space bar to create indents.
• Page numbering: the number of page it has to go to the top right corner and it has to go on all pages starting from the cover.
• Page order: cover, abstract, content, references, footnotes, tables, figures and appendices.

How to create margins, text and page numbers according to the APA standard?

• Margins:

1. Go to the tab “Layout scheda”.
2. In the "Page Setup" section, click the drop-down arrow under the "Margins" option.
3. When a menu appears, choose the option "Custom margins".
4. You will see a box called “Page Settings”.
5. In card “Margins” adjusts the margin top, bottom, left and right.
6. Do click su "OK".

• Text:

Before you start writing your work, configure some parameters of Word to fit the APA standards:

1. Go to "Home" tab and then to the section "Styles".
2. Do click with il key right on the option that says "Normal" ; A menu will appear where you need to select "Edit".
3. A pop-up window called “Edit Style” will then appear.
4. In this window look for the "Format" section, so you need to change the font, size and alignment of the text.
5. In the same window, click the drop-down arrow that you find on the "Format" button located in the corner lower left.
6. When a menu is displayed, select "Paragraph" ; Another window will open immediately where you need to change the indentation and spacing. Do click su "OK".
7. To finish, click on "OK" per salvare I modified it.

Another alternative for creating a style is:

1.  Press i at the same time Alt + Ctrl + Shift + S keys.
2. A menu will appear on the right side (sometimes on the left side) of the screen called “Styles”; In this window you will see several alternative styles.
3. At the bottom, click the button called "New style".
4. A window will appear in which you need to apply the above steps 4 - 7.

Note that you can also change the letter's font, size, alignment, indentation and spacing from the Word "Home" tab; However, you need to configure each option one by one. Also you can put a superscript and a subscript at the same time with the keyboard. But if it seems more practical and comfortable to you, just follow the previous tips, it will be done faster.

• Page number:

1. Locate the "Insert" tab and click there.
2. In the “Header and Footer” section, you need to click on the option "Page number" to display a menu with various options.
3. Hover over these options. To apply the APA rules you need to place the cursor on the option "Top of page" and a menu will appear where you need to select "Number without format 3".
4. You have already added the page number to your document.
5. Now you have to click on the option "X Close header and footer".
6. Ready, the page number is applied to the document.

If you need the page numbers to be in Roman numerals or you need to add titles to the page numbers; You need to click on “Page Number Format” found in the drop-down menu of the “Page Number” option and configure the number format. But even if you prefer, you can hide the document header and footer very easily.

Using Microsoft Word is very simple, just follow the instructions above and you will be able to correctly apply the APA standards to your work.