The title page is the very first thing your reader sees — and in APA format, it's also the most structured. Getting it right matters, not because the content of your title page is groundbreaking, but because a properly formatted title page signals that the rest of your paper follows the rules too.
APA 7th edition made a welcome change here: student papers and professional papers now have different title page requirements. If you're writing for a class, your title page is simpler than what a researcher submitting to a journal needs. Let's walk through both.
Student Paper Title Page
If you're writing an assignment for a course, this is the format you'll use. Center all of the following in the upper half of the page, each on its own line, double-spaced:
- Paper title — Bold, in title case, centered. If the title runs longer than one line, double-space between lines. Position it three or four lines down from the top margin.
- Author name — First name, middle initial(s), last name. No titles or degrees (don't write "Dr." or include "B.A.").
- Affiliation — Department and university on one line (e.g., "Department of Psychology, University of Michigan").
- Course number and name — As listed in your syllabus (e.g., "PSY 301: Research Methods").
- Instructor name — However your instructor prefers to be addressed (e.g., "Prof. Sarah Chen" or "Dr. James Rivera").
- Assignment due date — Written out in your region's date format (e.g., "February 27, 2026").
No running head is required for student papers unless your instructor specifically asks for one.
The page number — 1 — appears in the top-right corner in the header, using the same font and size as the rest of your paper.
Student Title Page Example
Here's what a completed student title page looks like:
The Impact of Social Media on Academic Performance Among College Students
Maria L. Santos
Department of Communication Studies, Boston University
COM 320: Media and Society
Prof. David Kim
October 15, 2025
Everything is centered, double-spaced, and in the upper half of the page. The title is bold and in title case; nothing else is bold.
Professional Paper Title Page
If you're submitting a manuscript for publication in a journal, the title page includes a few additional elements. Center the following in the upper half of the page:
- Paper title — Bold, title case, centered. Position it three or four lines down from the top margin.
- Author name(s) — Each author on a separate line. List them in the order that reflects their contribution.
- Affiliation(s) — Department and institution for each author, on the line below their name. If multiple authors share the same affiliation, list them together with the shared affiliation.
- Author note — Positioned in the bottom half of the page, centered under the label "Author Note" (bold, centered). More on this below.
Professional papers also require a running head in the page header — a shortened version of your title in ALL CAPS, left-aligned, 50 characters max.
Professional Title Page Example
Running head: SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND DECISION-MAKING 1
Sleep Deprivation and Decision-Making in High-Stakes Medical Environments
Rebecca A. Torres¹ and James L. Okonkwo²
¹ Department of Neuroscience, Stanford University
² Department of Emergency Medicine, Johns Hopkins University
Author Note
Rebecca A. Torres https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1234-5678
James L. Okonkwo https://orcid.org/0000-0003-9876-5432
We have no conflicts of interest to disclose. This research was supported by NIH Grant R01-MH12345.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Rebecca A. Torres, Department of Neuroscience, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. Email: r.torres@stanford.edu
Student vs. Professional — Side-by-Side Comparison
| Element | Student Paper | Professional Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Paper title | ✓ (bold, centered) | ✓ (bold, centered) |
| Author name(s) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Affiliation(s) | ✓ (department & university) | ✓ (department & institution) |
| Course number & name | ✓ | ✗ |
| Instructor name | ✓ | ✗ |
| Due date | ✓ | ✗ |
| Running head | ✗ (unless instructor requires it) | ✓ |
| Author note | ✗ | ✓ |
| Page number | ✓ (top-right) | ✓ (top-right) |
The student version is intentionally simpler. If you're writing for a class, you don't need a running head, author note, or ORCID — just the six elements listed in the student section above.
Author Note Formatting
The author note is exclusive to professional papers. It's a multi-paragraph note that appears in the bottom half of the title page, and it can contain up to four paragraphs — each serving a different purpose:
Paragraph 1 — ORCID iDs
List each author's name followed by their ORCID iD (if they have one). Use the full URL format:
Rebecca A. Torres https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1234-5678
Paragraph 2 — Changes of Affiliation
If any author has changed their affiliation since the research was conducted, note it here:
James L. Okonkwo is now at Department of Critical Care, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Paragraph 3 — Disclosures and Acknowledgments
Include conflict-of-interest statements, funding sources, and acknowledgments:
This research was funded by National Science Foundation Grant BCS-1234567. We thank Dr. Elena Vasquez for her assistance with data collection.
If there are no conflicts, state it explicitly:
We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Paragraph 4 — Contact Information
Provide the corresponding author's mailing address and email:
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Rebecca A. Torres, Department of Neuroscience, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. Email: r.torres@stanford.edu
Center the bold label Author Note above all four paragraphs. Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5 inches.
Title Formatting Rules
Whether student or professional, here are the rules for your paper's title:
- Bold and centered.
- Use title case — capitalize the first word, the first word after a colon, and all major words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns). Don't capitalize minor words (a, an, the, and, but, or, for, in, of, to) unless they start the title.
- Keep it concise but descriptive — the APA manual recommends 12 words or fewer, though this is a guideline rather than a hard rule.
- Avoid abbreviations and jargon in the title unless the term is universally recognized in your field.
- If the title is longer than one line, double-space between lines (just like the rest of the page).
Good Titles vs. Weak Titles
| ✗ Weak | ✓ Better |
|---|---|
| A Study About Sleep | Sleep Deprivation and Cognitive Performance in College Students |
| The Effects of Social Media | How Instagram Use Predicts Body Image Dissatisfaction in Adolescents |
| My Research Paper on Climate Change | Public Perception of Climate Change Policy in Rural Communities |
A good APA title tells the reader what was studied and with whom — without making them guess.
Common Title Page Mistakes
- Adding a running head to a student paper. Unless your instructor specifically asks for one, student papers in APA 7th edition don't need a running head. This is one of the biggest changes from the 6th edition.
- Putting everything on the lower half of the page. The title, author name, and affiliation should be in the upper half of the page — not centered vertically on the page.
- Including titles or degrees after your name. Don't write "Maria Santos, B.A." or "Dr. Maria Santos" — just "Maria L. Santos."
- Forgetting to bold the title. The paper title is the only element on the title page that's bold (other than the "Author Note" label on professional papers).
- Using the full title as the running head. The running head is a shortened version — 50 characters max, all caps. If your title is already under 50 characters, use it as-is but convert to all caps.
- Confusing title case and sentence case. The title on your title page uses title case (Capitalize Major Words). In the reference list, titles use sentence case (Capitalize only the first word). They're different contexts.
- Missing page number. The title page is page 1. Don't forget to insert the page number in the top-right corner.
How to Set Up Your Title Page in Word and Google Docs
Microsoft Word
- Go to Insert → Header → Blank and type your page number right-aligned (or use Insert → Page Number → Top of Page → Plain Number 3).
- Set margins to 1 inch on all sides (Layout → Margins → Normal).
- Set your font and size (e.g., 12 pt Times New Roman).
- Press Enter a few times to move down to the upper-third area of the page.
- Center-align your text (Ctrl+E or Cmd+E).
- Type your title in bold, then press Enter and type the remaining elements — each on its own line, not bold.
Google Docs
- Go to Insert → Headers & footers → Header and add a right-aligned page number.
- Set margins to 1 inch (File → Page setup).
- Choose your font and set the size.
- Press Enter a few times to position your cursor in the upper portion.
- Center your text and type the title in bold, followed by the remaining elements on separate lines.
In both cases, make sure the entire page is double-spaced — including between the title page elements.
Copyable Template
Student Paper Template
[Page number 1, top-right corner]
Title of Your Paper in Bold and Title Case
Your Full Name
Department Name, University Name
Course Number: Course Name
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Professional Paper Template
Running head: SHORTENED TITLE IN ALL CAPS 1
Title of Your Paper in Bold and Title Case
Author One Name¹ and Author Two Name²
¹ Department, Institution
² Department, Institution
Author Note
Author One Name https://orcid.org/xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx
We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to
Author One Name, Department, Institution, City, State ZIP. Email:
author@email.edu
What's Next
With your title page ready, it's time to set up the rest of your paper. Check out these pages next:
- APA General Format — page layout, fonts, spacing, and the overall structure of your paper
- APA Running Head — detailed guide to running head formatting
- APA Format Example Paper — a fully annotated sample paper you can use as a template
Archivero can help you focus on your writing instead of formatting — save your sources to your library and let Archivero handle the citations while you handle the ideas.
