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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)
  • Alignment: Left-aligned (not justified)
  • Page numbers: Top right corner of each page

Title Page​

The title page should include:

  1. Paper title: Bold, centered, title case, positioned in the upper half of the page
  2. Author names: Centered below the title
  3. Author affiliations: Centered below author names
  4. Author note: (if applicable) Including ORCID identifiers, disclosures, acknowledgments
  5. Running head: Abbreviated title (50 characters or fewer) in the page header

Abstract​

  • Limited to 250 words or less
  • Placed on a separate page following the title page
  • Headed with the centered label "Abstract" (bold)
  • Written as a single paragraph without indentation
  • Should include: research problem, participants, methods, findings, and implications

Main Body​

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​

  • Each table/figure should be numbered and have a descriptive title
  • Tables have their titles above the table
  • Figures have their captions below the figure
  • All tables and figures should be referenced in the text
  • Tables and figures should be placed after references or submitted as separate files

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.