Essentials of the APA style of formatting

If there is one thing that a dissertation writer cannot afford to overlook, it is the formatting style required by the university from where he is pursuing the course. The rules prescribed by each editing and formatting style varies considerably; and if one is not careful enough, then the efforts made for writing a detailed research report can go in vain. Certainly you will not want to get a negative review for your hard work, just because the formatting is improper, or is not constant throughout the document. If you need some help in revising the document, then opting for Online Dissertation Editing will prove to be quick and effective.

To save you from this risk, here are some guidelines as per the popularly followed APA (American Psychology Association) style:

•  Margins: Leave one inch margins on all sides of the page.

•  Spacing: Double spacing is present throughout the document. Title, headings, quotations and references must be followed by double spacing.

•  Pagination: The pages have consecutive numbering, with the numbers appearing on the top right hand corner. Even the title page, abstract and the bibliography will be numbered using Arabic numerals. Page 1 will be the title page, followed by the abstract, index and the main copy of the report. However, the pages containing only illustrations and images will not be numbered.

•  Short title: A short title will be used throughout the document, and is derived from the main title. It is two to three words long and is placed one inch from the top of the page, on the extreme right side. Some journal publishing houses and universities require a Running head also to be given throughout the report, which will appear on the extreme left, one inch from the top. Document Editing Services pay close attention to the vocabulary and placement of the main title, as well as the short title.

• Indent: All paragraphs are indented five to seven spaces. However, you will not indent the abstract, block quotations, titles and figure captions.

• Broken words: Having a broken word at the end of a line is strictly prohibited. Instead of writing a hyphenated word by breaking it, it is better to leave some space on the right and continue from the next line.

While these are the rules to be followed for the entire manuscript, there are certain guidelines for the significant pages. On the title page, the title of the work must be centered, with the name of the scholar placed below it, separated by a double space. This is followed by the name of the institute and name of research guide. The abstract is typed as a single paragraph, without any indent, and must be kept brief. The reference page will have all the entries with double space, and the first line of each entry will have hanging indent.

Wherever you are using a figure or a table, remember to include it where you are making a reference to it in the text. A copy of the illustration can be given in the appendix if required. The word Table or figure will have to be mentioned, with a number for identification. Hiring APA certified Professionals for dissertation formatting will help you in maintaining the sanctity of the document.

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