APA Formatting

APA Formatting Checklist for Your Final Dissertation Submission

By Dr. Tiffanie James Parker · June 30, 2025

Submitting a dissertation is a major milestone. A final APA 7 review can help identify small issues before they lead to revision requests or delays.

Check the title page requirements for your program, including title case, institutional affiliation, course details where required, and due date.

Confirm page numbers and determine whether your program requires a running head. Most student papers do not, but local requirements matter.

Review heading levels for hierarchy and consistency. Headings help readers follow your argument and make a long manuscript easier to navigate.

Cross-check in-text citations against the reference list. Pay close attention to author names, dates, capitalization, punctuation, italicization, DOI and URL formatting, and hanging indents.

Review tables and figures for clear numbers, titles, notes, and consistent formatting. Then complete one final check for margins, fonts, double spacing, first-line indents, and pagination.