Hello, I'm an expert in academic writing and formatting, and I'm here to help you with APA style formatting on Microsoft Word. The APA (American Psychological Association) format is widely used for citing sources within the social sciences. Let's dive into the process step by step.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Document


1. Open a New Document: Start by opening Microsoft Word. You can do this by clicking on "All Programs," then selecting "Microsoft Office," and finally choosing "Word 2010."


2. Setting the Font and Size: The default font for APA format is Times New Roman. To set this, go to the "Home" tab and select "Times New Roman" from the font dropdown menu. Then, choose "Size 12" for the font size.


3. Setting the Margins: Proper margins are crucial for an APA-style paper. Click on the "Page Layout" tab, then select "Margins." Choose "Normal" if it isn't already selected, which typically sets the margins to 1 inch on all sides.


4. Setting the Spacing: For APA format, you should use double-spacing throughout your document. In the "Paragraph" group on the "Home" tab, click on "Line and Paragraph Spacing" and choose "Double."


5. Adding Page Numbers: Go to the "Insert" tab and select "Page Number." Choose where you want your page numbers to appear (usually at the bottom center for APA).


6. Running Head: The running head is a short version of your title that appears at the top of every page. To add it, click on "Header & Footer" in the "Page Layout" tab, and then "Header." Type your running head there, making sure it's less than 50 characters, including spaces.

7.
Title Page: The title page is the first page of your document and includes the title of your paper, your name, your institution, and the date. To create a title page, go to the "Insert" tab and select "Page Break" to start a new page. Then, type your title, followed by a line break, your name, another line break, your institution, and the date.

8.
Abstract: If your paper requires an abstract, it should be placed on the second page. The word "Abstract" should be centered and bolded, followed by a double-spaced summary of your paper.

9.
Sections and Subsections: Use headings to organize your paper into sections and subsections. In the "Home" tab, you can choose from different heading styles to differentiate between levels of headings.

10.
Citations and References: APA format requires in-text citations and a reference list. To insert citations, use the "References" tab and select the appropriate citation style. For the reference list, click on "Bibliography" and choose "APA" to automatically format it.

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1. Indentation: The first line of each paragraph should be indented. In the "Paragraph" group, click on the small arrow to open the "Paragraph" dialog box. Under "Indentation," set the "Special" to "First line" and adjust the "By" value to 0.5 inches.

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2. Final Check: Before submitting your paper, make sure to proofread and check for any formatting errors. You can use the "Spelling & Grammar" feature under the "Review" tab to help with this.

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Formatting an APA Style Paper.Using Microsoft Word 2010.Open up a new document by clicking on All Programs, then select Microsoft Office, and select Word 2010. ... Setting the font.On the Hometab, select Times New Roman, Size 12 from the dropdown menu.Set the margins and spacing.Click the Page Layout tab.Click Margins.More items...read more >>