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APA Style Guide

The Journal of Kinesiology and Wellness (JKW) requires all manuscripts to follow the current edition of the American Psychological Association (APA) style guidelines. This page provides a brief overview of key APA style elements, but authors should consult the official APA Publication Manual for comprehensive guidance.

General Formatting​

  • Paper size: 8.5" x 11" (Letter)
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides
  • Font: 12-point Times New Roman
  • Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout
  • Paragraph indentation: 0.5 inches (first line of each paragraph)

Title Pages (Separate vs. Blinded)​

Because JKW uses a double-blind peer-review process, the standard APA Title Page is handled in two parts:

1. Separate Title Page Document This completely separate file contains all identifying information:

  • Paper title: Bold, centered, title case
  • Author names: Centered below the title
  • Author affiliations: Centered below author names
  • Author note: (If applicable) Including ORCID identifiers, disclosures, acknowledgments

2. Blinded Manuscript Title Page (Page 1 of Manuscript File) The actual manuscript document must begin with a blinded title page:

  • Paper title: Bold, centered, title case in the upper half of the page
  • NO author names or affiliations

Abstract​

  • Limited to 250 words or less
  • Placed on a separate page immediately following the blinded title page (Page 2)
  • Headed with the centered label "Abstract" (bold)
  • Should be formatted without structured headings (e.g., Methods, Results, etc.)
  • Should include: research problem, participants, methods, findings, and implications

Main Body​

The main manuscript text begins on a new page (Page 3). The full paper title must be repeated at the very top of this page (bold, centered, title case) immediately before the first paragraph of the introduction.

Headings​

APA uses five levels of headings:

  1. Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case
  2. Level 2: Left-Aligned, Bold, Title Case
  3. Level 3: Left-Aligned, Bold Italic, Title Case
  4. Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case, ending with a period.
  5. Level 5: Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, ending with a period.

In-Text Citations​

Basic formats:

  • One author: (Smith, 2020)
  • Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2020)
  • Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2020)
  • Direct quote: (Smith, 2020, p. 45)
  • Multiple sources: (Jones, 2019; Smith, 2020)

Tables and Figures​

All tables must be embedded at the end of the manuscript, while figures must be submitted as separate files. Both must be referenced by number within the manuscript text.

Tables​

Tables must be created using Word's built-in table tools (do not paste tables as images). They are placed towards the end of the main manuscript file (after the references), rather than submitted as a separate document. Do not embed them in the main text. APA 7th edition table format:

  • Table number: Bold, above the table, on its own line (e.g., Table 1)
  • Title: Italicized, title case, immediately below the table number, on its own line (e.g., Descriptive Statistics for All Study Variables)
  • Body: Use horizontal rules only — one below the column headers and one at the bottom. No vertical lines.
  • Note: Optional. Placed below the table. Begin with Note. in italics, followed by a period, then the note text in regular type. Use general notes for overall table information, specific notes (superscript lowercase letters) for individual entries, and probability notes for asterisks.

Figures​

Each figure is submitted as a separate image file with one file per figure. APA 7th edition figure format:

  • Figure number: Bold, on its own line in the manuscript caption list (e.g., Figure 1)
  • Title: Italicized, on the same line immediately following the figure number, ending with a period (e.g., Figure 1 Mean Scores Across Experimental Conditions.)
  • Caption: Additional explanatory text, in plain type, may follow the title on the same or subsequent line
  • Note: If needed, begin with Note. in italics, consistent with table note format

Figure captions are listed in the main manuscript at the end, after the references — not embedded in the image file itself.

Accepted figure file formats and minimum resolution:

FormatBest useMinimum DPI
TIFF (.tif)All types; photographs (preferred)300 dpi (photos); 600 dpi (line art/combo)
PNG (.png)Graphs, charts, line art600 dpi
JPEG (.jpg)Photographs only (highest quality setting)300 dpi

Images downloaded from websites (72 dpi) or exported at default settings from PowerPoint do not meet publication standards.

References​

General Guidelines​

  • Begin on a new page
  • Headed with the centered label "References" (bold)
  • Double-spaced throughout
  • Use hanging indentation (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches)
  • Alphabetize by author's last name
  • Include DOIs when available

Common Reference Formats​

Journal Article​

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume(issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxx

Book​

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Book Chapter​

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. page range). Publisher.

Website​

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL

Additional Resources​

For more detailed guidance on APA style, please consult these resources:

APA Style Templates​

The Journal of Kinesiology and Wellness provides templates that are already formatted according to APA style guidelines:

Using these templates can help ensure that your manuscript meets the formatting requirements of both APA style and the Journal of Kinesiology and Wellness.