APA 7 in Microsoft Word: Headings, Reference Formatting, and Automatic Tables of Contents

Megan Krone, PhD, Writing Coach and Editor
28 Sept 202013:14

TLDRIn this tutorial, Megan Crone demonstrates how to apply APA 7 style in Microsoft Word, focusing on headings, reference formatting, and creating an automatic table of contents. She explains the correct formatting for level 1 and level 2 headings, including bold, center alignment, and title case, as well as adjusting paragraph spacing and ensuring consistency throughout the document. Megan also details how to modify the reference list to meet APA 7 standards, with hanging indentations and avoiding bold text. The video concludes with instructions on inserting and updating a table of contents, emphasizing the importance of following institutional guidelines for specific formatting requirements.

Takeaways

  • 📝 Implement APA 7 style in Microsoft Word using styles for consistent formatting.
  • 🔧 Level 1 headings in APA 7 should be bolded, centered, and in title case.
  • 🔧 Update Heading 1 to match selection for consistent level 1 formatting across the document.
  • 🔧 Check paragraph spacing settings to ensure correct double spacing and zero line spacing.
  • 🔧 Use 'Keep with next' and 'Widow/Orphan control' for headings to avoid dangling lines.
  • 🔧 Level 2 headings in APA 7 should be left-aligned, in title case, and bolded.
  • 📊 References in APA 7 should not be bolded and require a hanging indentation.
  • 📊 Use automatic table of contents feature in Word for a clean and correctly formatted table of contents.
  • 🖨️ Update the table of contents as needed to reflect changes in the document structure.
  • 📑 Use the navigation pane for quick navigation and to ensure all headings are included in the table of contents.
  • 🖋️ Choose appropriate font and formatting for the table of contents according to APA 7 guidelines.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of the video series presented by Megan Crone?

    -The main focus of the video series is to guide viewers on how to implement APA 7 style in Microsoft Word, which is beneficial for faculty, students, or anyone using APA 7 style.

  • How can you correctly format a Level 1 heading in APA 7 style?

    -To format a Level 1 heading in APA 7 style, it should be bolded, centered, and in title case, meaning the first letter of each word should be capitalized.

  • What is the recommended way to ensure consistency in heading formatting throughout a document?

    -The recommended way is to use the styles for headings in Microsoft Word and update the heading to match the selection. This saves time and ensures consistency.

  • How can you fix a 'dangling' heading in a document?

    -To fix a 'dangling' heading, you can adjust the paragraph settings to include both widow/ orphan control and keep with next, ensuring the heading stays with the following paragraph and doesn't hang alone on a page.

  • What is the correct formatting for the reference list in APA 7 style?

    -In APA 7 style, the reference list should not be bolded and should have a hanging indentation, typically set at 0.5 inches.

  • How can you automatically generate a table of contents in Microsoft Word?

    -You can generate a table of contents by going to the References tab, selecting 'Table of Contents', and then choosing 'Automatic Table of Contents 2'. This creates a table of contents based on the headings used in the document.

  • What are some tips for ensuring that references stay together on the same page?

    -To keep references together on the same page, you can use the 'Keep lines together' option in the paragraph settings. This prevents references from being split across pages.

  • How can you update the table of contents after making changes to the document?

    -To update the table of contents, go to the 'References' tab, select 'Update Table', and choose either 'Update entire table' or 'Update page numbers only' based on the changes made.

  • What is the significance of the navigation pane in Microsoft Word?

    -The navigation pane allows you to quickly jump to different sections of your document and check that all headings are included in the table of contents, making it easier to navigate long documents.

  • What are some font options for APA 7 style documents?

    -In APA 7 style, the default font is 12-point Times New Roman, but there are options for both serif and sans-serif fonts that can be used.

  • How can you ensure that your document is consistently formatted according to APA 7 guidelines?

    -By using the styles in Microsoft Word for headings, correctly formatting the reference list, and utilizing automatic features like the table of contents and navigation pane, you can ensure consistent formatting throughout your document.

Outlines

00:00

📝 Introduction to APA 7 Style in Microsoft Word

This paragraph introduces Megan Crone, a writing coach and editor, who will guide viewers through implementing APA 7 style in Microsoft Word. The video series is aimed at faculty, students, and anyone using APA 7 style. Megan begins by explaining how to format headings according to APA 7 using styles, and then moves on to formatting the reference list and creating an automatic table of contents. The goal is to save time and ensure consistent formatting throughout the document. She uses a fake title page for demonstration and explains that the formatting of the abstract heading depends on institutional or journal guidelines. Megan emphasizes the importance of correct heading formatting, including bold, centered text in title case.

05:00

🔧 Formatting Headings and Spacing in APA 7

In this paragraph, Megan demonstrates how to format headings in APA 7 style within Microsoft Word. She explains that level 1 headings should be bolded, centered, and in title case. She also shows how to update the Heading 1 style to match the selected text and how to modify the paragraph settings for correct spacing. Megan addresses the issue of 'dangling' headings and how to fix them by adjusting the paragraph settings. She also discusses how to ensure that headings are not left alone at the end of a page and stay with their respective paragraphs. The paragraph covers the formatting of level 2 headings and how to deal with lower-level headings that may not be suitable for automatic styling in Word.

10:02

📚 Inserting and Customizing the Table of Contents

Megan concludes the tutorial by explaining how to insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word using the styles previously applied to the headings. She notes that tables of contents are not always required, and their placement should be determined by institutional or journal guidelines. Megan shows how to insert a page break for a clean table of contents page and how to select the automatic table of contents option. She also covers how to update the table of contents and page numbers, and how to customize the font, spacing, and alignment to match the document's requirements. Additionally, Megan highlights the benefits of using the navigation pane for easy navigation and checking the inclusion of all headings in the table of contents.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡APA 7

APA 7, or the 7th edition of the American Psychological Association's style guide, is a widely used set of guidelines for formatting academic documents. It dictates rules for citation, referencing, and overall document formatting. In the video, Megan Crone demonstrates how to implement APA 7 style in Microsoft Word, which is crucial for faculty, students, and anyone else using this style for their academic writing.

💡Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word is a popular word processing software developed by Microsoft. It is used for creating, editing, and formatting text documents. In the context of the video, Megan Crone uses Microsoft Word to show viewers how to apply APA 7 style to their documents, highlighting its features such as styles, paragraph settings, and automatic table of contents generation that can help save time and ensure consistent formatting.

💡Headings

Headings are the titles or subtitles used in a document to organize and structure its content. In APA 7, different levels of headings have specific formatting requirements, such as being bolded, centered, or italicized. Megan Crone explains how to apply these formatting rules to different levels of headings in Microsoft Word, which helps in maintaining a consistent and clear document structure.

💡Reference Formatting

Reference formatting refers to the specific style in which citations and references are presented in a document. In APA 7, references must follow a particular structure, including hanging indentation and not being bolded. The video provides instructions on how to format the reference list correctly in Microsoft Word, ensuring that all entries adhere to the required APA 7 standards.

💡Automatic Table of Contents

An automatic table of contents is a feature in Microsoft Word that generates a table of contents based on the headings used in a document. It saves time and ensures that the table of contents is always up-to-date with the document's structure. In the video, Megan Crone demonstrates how to insert and customize an automatic table of contents in APA 7 style, which helps readers navigate through the document and provides a professional finish.

💡Spacing

Spacing in document formatting refers to the amount of white space between lines of text, paragraphs, and sections. APA 7 requires double spacing throughout the document, including the reference list. Megan Crone emphasizes the importance of correct spacing in the video, explaining how to adjust these settings in Microsoft Word to comply with APA 7 guidelines and maintain a clean and readable document layout.

💡Title Case

Title case is a capitalization style used for titles and headings where the main words are capitalized while shorter, less significant words are in lowercase. In APA 7, all major words in headings should be capitalized using title case. The video provides instructions on how to apply title case to headings in Microsoft Word, which is essential for adhering to the APA 7 style and ensuring a professional appearance.

💡Hanging Indentation

A hanging indentation is a formatting style where the first line of a paragraph is aligned at the margin, and subsequent lines are indented. In APA 7, references are formatted with a hanging indentation. The video demonstrates how to apply this style to the reference list in Microsoft Word, which is crucial for maintaining the correct reference formatting as per APA 7 guidelines.

💡Navigation Pane

The navigation pane is a feature in Microsoft Word that provides a hierarchical view of the document's structure, including headings and page numbers. It allows for quick navigation and organization of the document. In the video, Megan Crone explains how to use the navigation pane to easily jump to different sections of the document and check for consistency in headings, which can significantly improve the document's navigability and organization.

💡Update Table

The 'Update Table' feature in Microsoft Word allows users to refresh the table of contents to reflect any changes made to the document, such as adding, deleting, or modifying headings. In the video, Megan Crone shows how to use this feature to ensure that the table of contents remains accurate and up-to-date with the document's current structure, which is particularly useful when making revisions to the content.

Highlights

Megan Crone, a writing coach and editor, provides a tutorial on implementing APA 7 style in Microsoft Word.

APA 7 style is useful for faculty, students, and anyone needing to use this writing format.

The video covers how to format headings, reference lists, and automatic tables of contents according to APA 7.

Level one headings should be bolded, centered, and in title case.

To format level one headings correctly, update the style by right-clicking and selecting 'Update Heading 1 to Match Selection'.

Ensure proper spacing by setting line spacing to double and adjusting paragraph spacing to zero.

Level two headings are left-aligned, in title case, and bolded.

Fix dangling headings by adjusting paragraph settings, such as widow/ orphan control and keeping with next.

Heading three in APA 7 is formatted with italics, similar to heading two but with this additional feature.

Headings four and five are formatted manually in Microsoft Word as they do not function well with the style feature.

References in APA 7 should not be bolded and require a hanging indentation for proper formatting.

To keep references together, use the 'Keep lines together' option in the paragraph settings.

Tables of contents can be automatically generated in Word using the styles applied to headings.

The automatic table of contents reflects the correct formatting of headings and page numbers.

Update the table of contents as needed by using the 'Update Table' feature in Word.

The navigation pane can be used to quickly navigate through the document and ensure all sections are included in the table of contents.

Different type of page numbers can be used for front matter versus chapters in longer documents like dissertations.