APA Formatting for Assignments

ORPT follows the guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA), commonly referred to as the APA guidelines, that appear in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA Manual). This manual, like other such manuals, sets out style and formatting guidelines aimed at providing consistency in a printed document.

A general reference was created for you to help you understand APA format expectations for assignments in the School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks & Tourism.  Be sure to download this document or bookmark it for easy access: you will need to refer to it often throughout the program to ensure your assignments are formatted according to these expectations!

Having troubles?  Check out these links to help:

  • What should my title page look like? (Note: not all instructors require a title page)
  • What font should I use?
  • What line spacing is necessary?
  • How large should my margins be?
  • How should I format my headings?
  • How do I cite a source when I am paraphrasing?
  • How do I cite a source for a direct quote?
  • How do I acknowledge personal communications (i.e. when an expert provides you information via conversation)?
  • How do I format a reference from an academic journal in my reference list?
  • How do I format a reference from a book in my reference list?
  • How do I format a reference from a magazine in my reference list? (hint: check with your instructor if a magazine article is acceptable)
  • How do I format a reference from a newspaper article in my reference list?
  • How do I format a reference for a chapter in an edited book in my reference list?
  • How do I format a reference for a government report in my reference list?
  • How do I format a reference for a website? (hint: check with your instructor if a website is an acceptable source for your assignment)

Still not finding what you need?  Check out the APA website for guidance on other forms of references.