You’ve done the hard part – your paper is written, your sources are cited, and your references are in order. Now it’s time to make sure everything’s polished and ready to submit.
Let’s go through a few final checks to help you catch small mistakes that can make a big difference.
1. Check your formatting
Make sure your paper follows all the basic APA formatting guidelines. If you’ve used PERRLA, then you can rest easy knowing we’ve handled all of this for you from the beginning. If not, here are the things you should check:
- 1-inch margins on all sides of your page
- Double spacing throughout (including the references page)
- A legible, APA-approved font (like 12-pt Times New Roman or 11-pt Calibri)
- Page numbers in the top-right corner
- The correct elements on your title page for the APA & any elements required by your professor
- Proper heading levels (if used)
- References page starts on a new page
2. Proofread your writing
Even the best ideas can get lost if your writing is confusing or full of errors. Read through your paper slowly, or better yet, read it out loud to catch awkward phrasing, grammatical mistakes, or run-on sentences.
You can also ask someone else to review it – a fresh set of eyes can catch things you may have missed. Many schools have writing centers that can be an invaluable tool when you plan ahead & give yourself enough time to utilize them.
3. Double-check your in-text citations
- Does every quote, paraphrase, or borrowed idea have a citation?
- Are the citations consistent with your reference list (names, dates, etc.)?
- Are page numbers included for direct quotes?
- Are citations inside the sentence punctuation (except for block quotes)?
Missing or incorrect citations can turn into plagiarism – even if it was unintentional.
Also, if you have any references that aren’t cited in your paper, then they should be removed from your References page.
4. Review your reference list
- Are all references cited in your paper included in your list?
- Are references listed in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name?
- Is each reference formatted correctly (punctuation, italics, capitalization, spacing)?
- Do all of your references have a hanging indent?
It’s easy to miss small details like periods, commas, and capitalization – but those are all part of APA’s formatting rules.
5. Don’t forget your professor’s instructions
Sometimes your professor will ask for something different than what APA requires – and that’s their prerogative. Your professor’s preferences always come first. Be sure to follow any specific instructions they’ve given for the assignment.
That’s it! Taking a few extra minutes to review your paper with these final checks can help you avoid simple mistakes and make sure your work is as strong as it can be.
And remember – if you're using PERRLA, most of this is handled for you automatically. You focus on your writing, and we take care of all the formatting.
After all that, congratulations! You’ve reached the end of APA 101!
You're now ready to write APA-style papers with clarity, confidence, and credibility.
Quick checklist
▢ Basic page setup confirmed
▢ Page number appears on every page
▢ Title page content and style correct
▢ First body page repeats bold, centered title
▢ Headings used and formatted correctly
▢ References page heading, order, and indents correct
▢ In-text citations match reference entries
▢ Quotes include page or location information
▢ Course-specific instructions followed
Don't stress. Let PERRLA handle the APA for you!
One last note, if you want to save time and focus on content rather than formatting, PERRLA offers a no-obligation, 7-day free trial at www.perrla.com. There's a lot to know about APA format, but we're here to help – just like we've been doing for the past 25 years.
Download PERRLA's APA 7 Checklist
It's a lot to remember all the rules, and if you aren't letting PERRLA do the formatting for you, use our brief checklist for your next APA 7 paper. Click here to get your copy now!
Start Over: Welcome to APA 101
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Note for instructors & students: This article follows APA 7 student paper conventions.