APA Headings
The following format information comes from the APA manual, 6th edition, section 3.03 Levels of Heading (pp. 62-3).
Level 1. For the cover or title page information, the title on the first page of the document, the other forepages such as Table of
Contents, List of Figures and Tables, and Abstract or Executive Summary, and for the parts following the body like References and Appendices, use the following Level 1 format:
Level 1. For the cover or title page information, the title on the first page of the document, the other forepages such as Table of
Contents, List of Figures and Tables, and Abstract or Executive Summary, and for the parts following the body like References and Appendices, use the following Level 1 format:
Centered, Boldface, Major Words Capitalized, Upper and Lower Case (Title Case) Lettering
Start the first body's first paragraph normally and without an additional title using an indented paragraph format for double spaced manuscripts or no indents but an extra line between paragraphs for single spaced self-published reports. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat" (Lipsum.com; December 26, 2012; The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s). This first paragraph will introduce the topic, make clear the audience, contain the thesis, and indicate the structure of the document.
Level 2. For the major headings of the body, such as Literature Review, Methods, Results, and Conclusions, use APA Level 2 in the following format:
Left justified, Boldface, Major Words Capitalized, Upper and Lower Case (Title Case) Lettering
Start the first paragraph of each section normally and without an additional title. Use indented paragraph format for double spaced manuscripts or no indents but an extra line between paragraphs for single spaced self-published reports. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat" (Lipsum.com; December 26, 2012; The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s). This paragraph will introduce the section, specify the main point of the section, and indicate any structure for the section. For example in a methods section, the first paragraph might state that the methods cover participants, a quantitative online survey, and the qualitative follow-up interviews with subject matter experts. Each of those would be sub-sections using Level 3 headings.
Level 3. For sub-sections, use APA Level 3 in lowercase paragraph heading, as in the following format:
Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. Start the paragraph on the same line. If you need more paragraphs, use either an indented paragraph format for double spaced manuscripts or no indents but an extra line between paragraphs for single spaced self-published reports. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat" (Lipsum.com; December 26, 2012; The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s). This paragraph will introduce the sub-section, specify the main point of the sub-section, and indicate any structure for the section. For example in a methods sub-section, the first paragraph might state that the methods cover participants, the quantitative survey, and the qualitative follow-up interviews. Each of those would use Level 4 headings.
Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. Start the paragraph on the same line. If you need more paragraphs, use either an indented paragraph format for double spaced manuscripts or no indents but an extra line between paragraphs for single spaced self-published reports. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat" (Lipsum.com; December 26, 2012; The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s). This paragraph will introduce the sub-section, specify the main point of the sub-section, and indicate any structure for the section. For example in a methods sub-section, the first paragraph might state that the methods cover participants, the quantitative survey, and the qualitative follow-up interviews. Each of those would use Level 4 headings.
Level 4. If your document needs subheadings within the major sections, use Level 4 in the following format:
Indented, bold, italicized, lower case paragraph heading ending with a period. Start the paragraph on the same line as the last line of the heading. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat" (Lipsum.com; December 26, 2012; The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s). This paragraph will introduce the sections of sub-sections, specify a main point, and provide promised details. .
Level 5. If your document still needs an additional heading level, use Level 5 and review your document for an overly complex structure. This heading level does not use boldface:
Indented, italicized, lower case paragraph heading ending with a period. Start the paragraph on the same line as the last line of the heading. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat" (Lipsum.com; December 26, 2012; The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s). This paragraph specifies the main point of this level sub-sub-section provides supporting details.
Indented, italicized, lower case paragraph heading ending with a period. Start the paragraph on the same line as the last line of the heading. "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat" (Lipsum.com; December 26, 2012; The standard Lorem Ipsum passage, used since the 1500s). This paragraph specifies the main point of this level sub-sub-section provides supporting details.
References
American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed).
Washington DC: Author.
Lipsum.com (2012). Lorem ipsum. Available online at http://lipsum.com