running head on essay

Page Header

The page header appears within the top margin of every page of the paper.

• For student papers, the page header consists of the page number only.
• For professional papers, the page header consists of the page number and running head.

Page numbers

Follow these guidelines to include page numbers in both student and professional APA Style papers:

• Use the page-numbering function of your word-processing program to insert page numbers.
• Insert page numbers in the top right corner. The page number should show on all pages.
• The title page carries page number 1.

Page headers are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 2.18 and the Concise Guide Section 1.17

Related handout

• Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF, 3MB)

Running head

The running head is an abbreviated version of the title of your paper (or the full title if the title is already short). The running head is not required for student papers unless the instructor or institution requests it. Thus, typically only professional papers include a running head.

Follow these guidelines to include a running head in an APA Style paper:

• Type the running head in all-capital letters.
• Ensure the running head is no more than 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
• Avoid using abbreviations in the running head; however, the ampersand symbol (&) may be used rather than “and” if desired.
• The running head appears in the same format on every page, including the first page.
• Do not use the label “Running head:” before the running head.
• Align the running head to the left margin of the page header, across from the right-aligned page number.

View the sample papers to see how the running head and page number appear in APA Style papers.

How to Write a Running Head: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction

Academic papers adhere to specific formatting guidelines before submitting to a journal. One such formatting element is including a running head. So, let’s explore what a running head is and its significance in journal submissions.

What is a Running Head?

A running head is a concise version of the title of your paper appearing at the top of each page of the article. The use of a running head allows the reader to identify the article. It ensures the reader’s focus remains on the content. It is generally positioned flush left at the top of the page, with the page number flush right.

What is Running Head in Journal?

In a journal article, the running head includes a shorter version of the paper’s full title. The running head fulfills the abovementioned purpose and provides information about the article. This shortened version maintains consistency and avoids overcrowding the header section.

What is a Running Head on Title Page? With Example.

The title page is the first page of your paper. It includes essential information like the title, author names, affiliations, and abstract. The running head on the title page is an abbreviated form of the title, written in uppercase letters. It usually has a limit of 50 characters with spaces and punctuation marks.

If your article’s title is “The Impact of Social Media on Youth: A Comprehensive Study,” a suitable running head might be “Social Media’s Impact on Youth.”

Running Head Example for a Research Paper

Let’s see an example of an effective running head for a research paper to better understand.

For instance, if the paper title is “The Effects of Exercise on Mental Health in College Students.” The running head could be “Exercise’s Impact on Mental Health in College Students.”

A sample example of the running head is written just above the main heading.

Source: Shetty A, Rosario R, Hyder S. The impact of social media on youth. International Journal of Innovative Research in Computer and Communication Engineering. 2015;3(7):379-83.

Tips for Writing a Running Head

• Be concise: The running head should be brief yet convey the essence of your paper.
• Use title case: Capitalize the first letter of each significant word in the running head.
• Maintain consistency: It should be consistent throughout the document.
• Check the journal guidelines: Different journals may have specific requirements for running heads. So, before finalizing your running head, review the submission guidelines.
• Proofread: Double-check the running head for spelling or grammatical errors, maintaining professionalism.

Thus, a running head is a short but informative title in a journal article that appears at the top of every page. It helps readers identify the article and maintain their focus throughout the content. When writing a running head, remember to keep it concise, use upper case, and maintain consistency throughout the document. Following these guidelines, ensure your article meets the journal’s formatting requirements. It presents your research clearly and professionally.

Remember, the running head is one aspect of a well-written paper. Pay attention to other formatting guidelines to increase your chances of publication success. Good luck with your journal submissions!

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• Knowledge Base
• APA Style 6th edition
• How to format and insert the APA running head (6th edition)

APA running head (6th edition) | How to format and insert in Word

Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk .

The apa running head (i.e. page header) consists of the title of your paper (maximum 50 characters, left-aligned, all capitals) and the page number (right-aligned). On the title page, your paper title is preceded by the words “Running head:”.

Table of contents

Running head example – title page, running head example – subsequent pages, apa formatting checklist, running head in word and google docs.

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The APA style has guidelines on how to format the running head. We made a checklist so you can easily meet the criteria. The running head examples above show the required formatting for the title page and subsequent pages.

• 12-pt Times New Roman font
• Only include “Running head:” on the first page
• Running head is left-aligned
• Title is all capitalized
• Maximum 50 characters including spaces (without the words “running head”)
• Page number is aligned to the right

Adding the running head to your Word or Google Docs file is easy — simply follow the steps below.

Important:  The words ‘Running head’ should only be shown on the first page. Therefore, you should tick the ‘different first page’ box as shown in the GIF.

• Google Docs

Inserting the running head in Word:

• Double click at the top of the page to edit the header area.
• Check “Different First Page” to only show the words “running head:” on the first page.
• Type “Running head:” followed by your research title in capital letters
• Insert the page number and align it to the right.
• Now go to page 2 and paste only your research title without “Running head:.”
• Also insert the page number on page two.
• Everything is set! You can now close the header area.

Inserting the running head in Google Docs:

• Click at the top of the page to edit the header area.
• Check “Different First Page” to only show “running head:” on the first page.
• Type “Running head:” followed by your title in capital letters.
• Insert the page number by clicking on “insert,” “Header and page number.”
• Use the ‘tab’ button to right-align the page number.
• Go to page 2 and only type your research title without “Running head:.”
• Use the ‘tab’ button to right-align the page number

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2020, November 06). APA running head (6th edition) | How to format and insert in Word. Scribbr. Retrieved October 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/6th-edition/archived-running-head/

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• Citation Styles

APA Running Head

If you're wondering what a running head in APA is and how to create one, this article will answer all your questions.

What is a running head in APA style?

The running head , also called page header , is an abbreviated version of your paper's title. It appears at the top of every page of a document to identify it for readers, especially readers of a print copy of the article. The information in this blog post is based on the 7th edition of the APA Manual. There are small differences in the usage of running heads in the 6th edition.

Note: Running heads are required only for manuscripts being submitted for publication. They are not required for regular student papers according to the APA 7th edition. They can, however, still be used or requested by your instructor since the APA style only provides guidelines that can be used as needed and your school can choose whether to require running heads or not.

How to create a running head in APA style

The running head doesn't need to consist of the same words in the same order as the title. Rather, it is an abbreviated version of the title. For example, if the title of your thesis is "The relationship between sleep deprivation and student performance", your running head could simply be "SLEEP DEPRIVATION AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE".

The running head can be up to 50 characters, counting letters, punctuation, and spaces between words as characters. If the original title is already 50 characters or fewer, it can also be used as a running head.

Note: In the APA 6 version, it was necessary to write "Running head: TITLE" as a header. APA 7th does not require you to put the label "Running head" in front of the title.

Format the running head in Microsoft Word or Google Docs as follows:

• The running head goes into the page header, flush left, in all-capital letters, across from the right-aligned page number.
• Use the same running head on every page. That includes the title page.
• For APA 6 you write "Running head: TITLE" and for APA 7 only the title (omitting the phrase running head).

Frequently Asked Questions about running heads

Student papers do not need a running head in APA 7 unless the instructor requires it. In APA 6, a running head is needed for all papers.

The running head is a shortened form of your title that appears on the top left side of each page of your manuscript. If your original title is already 50 characters or fewer, it can be used as a running head.

The running head in APA 7 style is an abbreviated version of your paper's title. It appears at the top of every page of a document to identify it for readers, especially readers of a print copy of the article.

The running head is in all caps in APA 7. In APA 6, you write "Running head: TITLE", so the title is in all caps, but the designation "Running head" is not.

To make a running head in Microsoft Word , click on “Insert” > “Header” . The running head goes into the page header, flush left, in all-capital letters, across from the right-aligned page number. Use the same running head on every page, including the title page.

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