APA Format Checker for Research Papers
Validate your manuscript against APA 7th edition standards, citations, reference list formatting, heading structure, and statistical reporting requirements.
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What is APA format?
APA (American Psychological Association) format is the standard style for research papers in psychology, education, social sciences, and many health disciplines. APA 7th edition (2019) specifies how to format in-text citations (Author, Year), reference lists (alphabetical by author last name), heading levels (5 levels with specific formatting), statistical reporting (exact p-values, effect sizes, confidence intervals), tables and figures, and the overall paper structure. APA format is required by journals including Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, and thousands of others.
APA format validation
In-text citation format
Validate (Author, Year) and (Author, Year, p. X) citation formats.
Reference list format
Check author names, year placement, title capitalization, DOI format.
Heading levels
Validate 5-level APA heading hierarchy is correctly applied.
Statistical reporting
Flag missing p-values, effect sizes, and confidence intervals.
Table and figure format
APA table and figure formatting rules compliance.
Abstract format
APA unstructured abstract in correct format.
Checks relevant to this topic
Part of our 80+ automated checks
(Author, Year) citations
In-text citations in APA parenthetical format.
Reference list alphabetical order
References sorted by author last name.
Hanging indent in references
APA reference format with hanging indents.
DOI format
DOIs formatted as full URLs (for example, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2649-2).
Running head
Running head format per APA requirements (student vs professional).
The practical edge your peers already use
Across disciplines and career stages, researchers reduce bottlenecks and submit with confidence: clearer drafts, easier guideline compliance, and less back and forth with co‑authors and reviewers.
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
I use it to review my students' papers. It instantly highlights typos, missing references, and unclear sections, helping me focus my feedback on the quality of the research instead of surface errors.
Ilyass
Professor in Mechanical Engineering, ÉTS Montréal
I relied on it throughout my thesis to strengthen my writing. It suggested clearer phrasing, improved flow between sections, and ensured my references were complete before the final deadline.
Manon
Master's Student in Speech Therapy
I write research in both Portuguese and English, and it adapts perfectly to either language. It provided precise feedback in Portuguese, helping me maintain academic tone and consistency across my drafts.
Afonso
PhD Candidate, UFPE
It gave excellent advice on how to rephrase and present ideas more clearly and concisely. The suggestions helped me refine my arguments and make my research more impactful.
Félix
Postdoc Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology
A round of suggestions helped to generally refine the text of my paper and, moreover, to present some of its key points in a more focused form.
Oleg
Professor, Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
Frequently asked questions
Key APA 7 changes: (1) Running head no longer required for student papers; (2) No 'et al.' limit change, now 3 or more authors use et al. from first citation; (3) Publisher location no longer required in book references; (4) DOIs formatted as URLs; (5) Use of singular 'they' for unknown gender.
In APA 7, DOIs use full URL format, e.g., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2649-2, not the old 'doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2649-2' prefix.
No: 'Retrieved from' is no longer required in APA 7 before URLs, unless the content might change over time (websites, social media).