Any APA experts out there?

mitchsmom · Mar 23, 2005

I've just finished my term paper. I'm confused on the difference between a running head and a page header. It sounds like they're the same, only one's on the left of the page, and one's on the right with the page number. Can someone explain? Thanks

the header is to ID the paper in case pages get separated (so the APA guide says), it's in the upper right hand corner of each page, (in Word, you go to "View" then "header and footer" to write it in), mine for my last paper said "Literature Review: Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative 1" (you click the "pound" sign in the header and footer formating box that pops up to get it to number the pages for you). The APA guide says to ID each page (with the header) with "the first two or three words from the title in the upper right hand corner above or five spaces to the left of the page number" (Guess I used too many words in my example :)

The running head is under the header on the left, on the first line, and it is, per the APA guide, "an abbreviated title that is printed at the top of the page to ID the article for readers. ...should be a maximum of 50 characters, counting letters, punctuation, and spaces between words. " Mine for my last paper said "Running Head: BABY-FRIENDLY" (notice capitalization). The header is repeated on all pages, the running head is just on the title page.

Have fun, isn't it a joy?

Nesher, BSN, RN · Mar 23, 2005

You might want to purchase the APA manual or better yet this online downloadable version that saved all my claassmates the APA terror - alas not me it isn't for Mac's - but check it out it is worth the $$!

http://www.perrla.com/Index.asp

studentnurse74, LPN, LVN · Mar 24, 2005

I have the APA guide, I'm still confused though. I need a summary of the title on the left of each page, and a summary with the page number on the right of each page? That just doesn't seem right to me.

mitchsmom · Mar 25, 2005

I have the APA guide, I'm still confused though. I need a summary of the title on the left of each page, and a summary with the page number on the right of each page? That just doesn't seem right to me.

Basically, yes. I know it seems dumb. The running head on the left is just on the title page, the header on the right is on every page along with the page number.

I always look at the sample paper in the APA guide, starting on page 306.

JudithL_in_NH · Mar 25, 2005

Dunno if you're still working on this or have handed it in, but here are links to sample pages online that show the title page:

http://www.vanguard.edu/psychology/titlepage.pdf

And what the second page would look like:

http://www.vanguard.edu/psychology/abstract.pdf

If you want to see the entire site, it's at: http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.cfm?doc_id=796#body