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All APA formatted documents use headings that show your readers how your paper is organized by labeling the parts and by indicating which parts are equally important and which are subordinate to others.

For a complete treatment of the politics of headings, take a look at the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, fifth edition (2001), pages 111-115 and 289-290.

 

Example:
Level 1
Headings

Most undergraduate papers often use only Level 1 headings, which are:

  • centered
  • uppercase and lowercase

The diagram below illustrates Level 1 headings.

(NB: Heading font sizes enlarged for illustration purposes.
In an actual paper, headings are the same font size as regular text.)

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Example:
Level 1 & 3
Headings

Slightly more complex undergraduate papers often use Level 1 and Level 3 headings.

Level 3 headings are:

  • flush left
  • italicized
  • uppercase and lowercase

The diagram below illustrates Level 1 and Level 3 headings.

(NB: Heading font sizes enlarged for illustration purposes.
In an actual paper, headings are the same font size as regular text.)

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Example:
Level 1, 3, & 4 Headings

Papers that are long or that have many subsections often use Level 1, Level 3, and Level 4 headings.

Level 4 headings are:

  • indented
  • italicized
  • sentence case (only 1st letter capitalized)
  • followed by a period, and then immediately by text

The diagram below illustrates Level 1, Level 3, and Level 4 headings.

(NB: Heading font sizes enlarged for illustration purposes.
In an actual paper, headings are the same font size as regular text.)

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Example:
Level 1, 3, 4 & 2 Headings

Multiexperiment studies, monographs, and lengthy literature reviews often require Level 1, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 2 headings.

Level 2 headings are:

  • centered
  • italicized
  • uppercase and lowercase

The diagram below illustrates Level 1, Level 3, Level 4, and Level 2 headings.

(NB: Heading font sizes enlarged for illustration purposes.
In an actual paper, headings are the same font size as regular text.)

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Example:
Level 1, 3, 4, 2 & 5 Headings

Books often use Level 1, Level 3, Level 4, Level 2, and Level 5 headings.

Level 5 headings are:

  • centered
  • uppercase

The diagram below illustrates Level 1, Level 3, Level 4, Level 2, and Level 5 headings.

(NB: Heading font sizes enlarged for illustration purposes.
In an actual paper, headings are the same font size as regular text.)

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