Can you judge an essay or paper by its title page? Perhaps not but the title page template has something to say about your character as a writer. One of the main functions of this page is to allow the reader to identify your work easily while making your written assignments look more professional.
Contents
Title Page Templates
Importance of a title page template
When submitting your essay, the first thing that your teacher would notice is the title page template. You may consider this as a simple part of the process of writing an essay but it can have an important effect on your instructor’s opinion.
For instance, if you submit an essay with an incomplete title page or one that doesn’t follow the proper APA title page format, your teacher might assume that you didn’t put any effort into the rest of your paper either. Writing this page only takes a few minutes including the proper formatting.
With a well-crafted page, you can make a memorable first impression that will get carried over to the rest of your essay. Sometimes though, you might not even need this page. If you aren’t sure, ask your teacher first.
For APA style papers, this page is a requirement and there are both professional and student versions of the title page. The version you use depends on your teacher’s instructions.
- Student Version
This version includes the title of your paper, your name as the author, your affiliation, course name, and number for which you’re submitting the paper. Also, include the name of your instructor, the due date of your paper, and the page number. - Professional Version
This version includes the title of your paper, your name as the author, your affiliation, author note, page number, and running head.
APA Title Page Formats
What is the difference between a cover page and title page?
Title and cover pages are often mistaken as having the same purpose. Although they have some similar aspects, there are some distinct differences too. A cover page template usually involves a picture, a title, and a hard surface – like the cover of a book.
A title page template just includes a title and other important information. It is usually the page right after a book’s hardcover page.
How do you create a title page?
The APA 7 manual provides instructions with slight differences in the formatting of APA title page examples of professional papers. But there are general guidelines for this. In the 7th edition of the APA style manual, the title page template should include the following:
- Running Head
The 7th edition of the APA style states that running heads are only needed only for professional papers that you submit for publications.
You should include a running head that you flush left at the top of the page along with a page number flush right on the same line.
This is the abbreviated title of your paper and you would typically type it using upper case letters only.
Aligned the running head on the left of page header of all of the pages, including the title.
As stipulated in the guidelines of the 7th edition of APA, running heads shouldn’t exceed the 50 characters, which is the maximum.
You should place the page number on the same header, but you should align it should right, starting with page number “1” on the template.
You should position the header 1-inch from the top. However, some instructors allow measurement of 1/2-inch. - Paper Title
You should place the title of your paper at the upper half of this page.
You should center the title and use boldface.
Capitalize all of the important words in your title.
The APA guidelines recommend that the title should not exceed 12 words it shouldn’t contain abbreviations or words don’t serve a purpose. - Author Name(s)
Position the author’s name (or names) underneath the paper title, double-spaced, and centered. No need to use degrees or use titles.
If a paper has more than one author, place commas between each name, and the word and right before the name of the last author. - Institutional Affiliation
Position the name of your university or school right underneath the names of the authors. Align this at the center.
If you’re writing a student paper, you should also include your course number, course name, the name of your instructor, and the due date of your assignment.
Cover Page Templates
Other formatting tips
Generally, the title page template is the first cover page of a paper or book and usually includes a running head, the title of your work, and your affiliation. Any research paper needs a lot of concentration in the creation of the title page because of its importance.
After all, it is the very beginning and the APA front page of your paper. The page contains the heading, together with your name, and your organizational or institutional affiliation. When making this page, consider these formatting tips:
- In the 7th edition, the APA style guidelines have increased flexibility in terms of font options. Now, you can use Arial 11, Calibri 11, Times New Roman 12, Georgia 11 or Lucida Sans Unicode 10.
- You should center all of the words, and capitalize the first letters of the most important words.
- Remember that the running head in APA format involves the abbreviated form of a title that always appears on all of the pages in the header. So, don’t forget to include a header along with the page number.
- Always pay special attention to the font size, alignment, and the number of characters you use, especially for the running head.
- Sometimes, students use capital letters for all the words they used in the title. However, this is not correct, especially if you’re required to follow the APA format. You should only capitalize the first letters of select words.
- If the title of your work contains a colon or a dash, you need to capitalize the very first letter of the word right after the punctuation.
- If you have created a research paper in a group activity or in collaboration with another student, use an ampersand, which is the & symbol.
