### Step 1: Understanding and Using APA Format
APA format, established by the American Psychological Association, is widely used in social sciences. It provides a set of guidelines for writing and formatting academic papers. Here's a comprehensive guide on how to use APA format:

#### Title Page

1. Title: The title of your paper should be centered and written in title case (major words capitalized).

2. Author's Name: Your name follows the title, with your institutional affiliation below it.

3. Running Head: The running head is a shortened version of your title, no more than 50 characters, placed in the header of each page, flush left.

#### Abstract
An abstract is a brief summary of your paper, usually no more than 150-250 words. It should concisely describe the purpose, methods, results, and conclusions of your research.

#### Main Body

1. Introduction: Introduce the topic, provide background, and state the purpose of your research.

2. Method: Describe how you conducted your research, including participants, materials, and procedures.

3. Results: Present your findings, typically in text, tables, and/or figures.

4. Discussion: Interpret your results, explaining what they mean in a broader context.

5. References: List all the sources you cited in your paper, following APA guidelines.

#### References
APA format has specific rules for citing sources:
- Author-date system: (Author's Last Name, Year) is used in the text.
- References page: Alphabetized by the authors' last names, with full details of the source.

#### Appendices
If you have additional materials that support your research but are not essential to the flow of the main text, they can be placed in an appendix.

#### Formatting
- Font and Spacing: Use a 12-point font (e.g., Times New Roman) and double-space all content.
- Margins: Set your margins to 1 inch on all sides.
- Indentation: Use the first line indent (about 0.5 inches) for the start of each paragraph.
- Headers: Use running headers in the top right corner of each page, starting from the abstract.

#### Plagiarism
APA style emphasizes the importance of academic integrity. Always properly cite your sources to avoid plagiarism.

#### Example of APA Format
Here's an example of how to format a paper in APA style:

```
Running head: EFFECTS OF COFFEE ON MOOD

Effects of Coffee on Mood
(Your Name)
(Your Institution)
```

Abstract (between 150-250 words)

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of coffee on mood...

[Body of the paper]

References

Author, A. A. (Year, Month). Title of article. Title of Journal, vol.(issue), pp-pp.

Appendix (if applicable)

[Additional materials]
```

Remember, the running head is different from the main title. It's a shortened version that appears on every page and helps readers quickly identify your work.

### Step 2: Output Divider
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To create the running head/page header, insert page numbers justified to the right-hand side of the paper (do not put p. or pg. ... Then type --TITLE OF YOUR PAPER-- justified to the left using all capital letters.If your title is long, this running head title should be a shortened version of the title of your entire paper.read more >>