APA 7th Edition Editing Service

APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition is the standard format for social sciences, nursing, education, and psychology papers. Proper APA formatting is not optional—it's a requirement in most academic disciplines and a grading criterion in many courses. APA formatting encompasses dozens of specific rules: heading hierarchy (five levels, each with its own formatting), in-text citations (author-date format with specific punctuation), reference list formatting (alphabetical, hanging indents, DOI handling), running head and page numbers, margins and spacing, and more. A single misplaced heading, incorrect citation format, or missing DOI can signal carelessness and cost points. Even professors who don't obsess over formatting notice systematic errors. APA editing goes beyond proofreading—editors actively correct format errors, ensuring your paper meets all APA 7th edition requirements. This guide covers what APA editing includes, the most common formatting errors, and how proper APA formatting strengthens your academic credibility.

APA 7th edition core formatting elements

Title page

• Centered on page: Title, author name, institution, course/professor name, date
• Running head: Top left corner, page header format "Running head: TITLE" (first page only; subsequent pages show shortened title without "Running head:")
• Page number: Top right corner on all pages
• Spacing: Title approximately one-third down the page; all elements centered and double-spaced
• Font: 12pt Times New Roman or Calibri throughout

Heading hierarchy (five levels)

• Level 1 (main section): Centered, bold, title case (major headings)
• Level 2 (subsection): Left-aligned, bold, title case (subordinate to Level 1)
• Level 3 (sub-subsection): Left-aligned, bold, italicized, title case (subordinate to Level 2)
• Level 4: Run-in, bold, italicized, title case, ending with a period (text runs immediately after)
• Level 5: Run-in, italicized (not bold), title case, ending with a period (further subordinate to Level 4)

Most papers use Levels 1–3 only. Incorrect heading level, wrong formatting (missing bold, wrong placement), or inconsistent application are common errors.

In-text citations (author-date)

• Direct quote: (Author Year, p. page) or Author (Year) states "quote" (p. page)
• Paraphrase: (Author Year) or Author (Year) argues that…
• Multiple authors (2): (Author A & Author B Year) on first and all subsequent mentions
• Multiple authors (3+): (Author A, Author B, & Author C Year) first mention; (Author A et al. Year) on subsequent mentions
• No author (corporate/government): (Organization Name Year) or abbreviate after first mention: (Organization Name, Year)
• No date: (Author, n.d.) or Author (n.d.) argues…
• Quote with line number (if applicable): (Author Year, p. page, line number) or (Author Year, lines line–line)
• Ampersand (&): In parenthetical citations ONLY—(Author A & Author B); in narrative text: "Author A and Author B argue…"

Reference list format

• Alphabetical order: By author last name (or by corporate name if no author)
• Hanging indent: First line at left margin; all subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches
• Double-spaced: Like the rest of the paper
• Title case vs. sentence case: Book and article titles use sentence case (only first word capitalized, except proper nouns): "The effects of social media on student learning" NOT "The Effects of Social Media on Student Learning"
• Journal titles italicized: "Journal of Educational Research" (italicized)
• Article titles NOT italicized or quoted: Just regular text in sentence case
• DOI format: "https://doi.org/10.xxxx" (APA 7th) — clickable link preferred; no "Retrieved from"
• URL (websites): "https://www.example.com" — clickable link preferred; no "Retrieved from [date]"

Margins and spacing

• Margins: 1 inch on all sides (top, bottom, left, right)
• Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout, including references (exception: figure captions and table notes may be single-spaced per some institutions)
• Font: 12pt Times New Roman or Calibri (consistent throughout)
• Paragraph indentation: First line of each paragraph indented 0.5 inches
• Space after sentences: One space (not two) after periods

Tables and figures

• Tables: Numbered (Table 1, Table 2, etc.) with caption ABOVE the table; source note below if needed
• Figures: Numbered (Figure 1, Figure 2, etc.) with caption BELOW the figure
• Caption format: Bold number and title; title in title case or sentence case depending on caption length (APA has specific rules)
• Table formatting: Professional appearance; simple lines (no color, no gridlines except where necessary); data clear
• Figure formatting: Professional, readable; labels clear; source cited if applicable

Most common APA formatting errors

What APA editing includes

Format correction

• Fix all heading levels to match APA hierarchy
• Correct all in-text citations to APA author-date format
• Reformat all reference entries to APA 7th edition style
• Add/correct running head and page numbers
• Fix margins, spacing, and font throughout
• Correct table and figure captions and placement

Consistency review

• All headings at the same level formatted identically
• Citation format consistent throughout (not mixing styles)
• Reference formatting consistent (all with DOI, all without, etc.)
• Punctuation consistent in in-text citations

Completeness check

• All cited sources appear in reference list
• All reference entries have required information (author, date, title, publication details)
• All tables and figures numbered sequentially and captioned
• Running head present on all pages with correct format