Each part of a research paper assignment is to be formatted according to the guidelines of the style used for the assignment. You should also consider the specific alterations mentioned in the guidelines of your assignment before formatting the research paper. The research paper title page, being the first page of the completed document, will give your audience or readers information about the writer and the title of the assignment. APA style has a very unique way of formatting the title page.
Most of the information given on the title page of a research paper is the same for all styles. But the presentation pattern changes with each style. And that exactly is what you should be careful about. The wrong kind of presentation on a title page will create a very negative impression about your submission. Everything from the details given to the spacing and the alignment will count. Hence each of them should be arranged carefully.
Unlike MLA style, APA style requires a separate title page which would be attached as the first page of the main document. The details to be provided on the title page include the title of the research paper, the name of the writer, the course title, the professor’s name and the date of submission. But the most unique aspect of an APA style research paper title page is the use of a ‘running head’. This is the most informative portion of the title of your research paper which would appear on all pages next to the page number. Note that the running head would only be a part of the main title.
The running head appears on the top right hand side of the title page, with the page number printed right next to it. This should be aligned to the right. A few spaces below, towards the center of the page, you will key in the complete title of the research paper. Towards the bottom of the page you should add the name of the author of the document, the name of the course, the instructors name and the date of submission. Other than the running head, all the other information should be aligned centrally.
Even though these are the basic rules regarding the presentation of an APA style research paper title page, if there are any specific instructions given in the assignment guidelines regarding the title page, it would rule over the style guidelines. Hence it is important for you to study the guidelines of your research paper assignment well enough before preparing the title page.
The title page is the simplest one of all the documents which come together to make a research paper. There is nothing that could go wrong with a research paper title page. Hence no excuses will be encouraged if you fail to put together a perfect title page for your assignment. If you are finding the alignment and spacing too confusing and wish to avail some help with preparing the title page, our academic writers will be able to assist you.
