The appearance of your printed paper may seem like a small detail compared to all of the hard work you've put into writing it, but a well-formatted paper is easier to read, easier to revise, and easier to put a good grade on than a paper that's been typed hurriedly and haphazardly.

To find out more about the particular formatting guidelines established by the APA, click on one of the topics below. You'll get a quick guide to how to format that element of your paper, and a reference to the relevant page(s) in the fifth edition (2001) of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.