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APA 7th Edition Style Guide

This guide provides an overview of APA style and citations to assist in your writing.

About Headings

Headings are used to identify the content and sections of your paper. They should be descriptive and concise. There are 5 levels of headings in APA Style, with level 1 being the title of your paper. 

The number of headings depends on the length and complexity of your paper. Use only the number of headings necessary to differentiate sections in your paper; short papers may not require any headings.

Format and Level of Headings

Level Format
1

Center, Bold, Title Case Heading

Text begins as a new paragraph. Indented as a new paragraph.
2

Flush Left, Bold, Title Case Heading

Text begins as a new paragraph. Indented as a new paragraph.
3

Flush Left, Bold,  Italic, Title Case Heading

Text begins as a new paragraph. Indented as a new paragraph.
4

           Indented, Bold, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Period. Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph.
5

           Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Period. Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph.

 

Title Case Heading: major words are capitalized, while minor words are lowercase. 

Handout: Heading Level Template