
In almost all cases, you will use a reference list at the end of your essay. The running header on your abstract page is formatted in the same way as in the paper's body. If your professor requires an abstract between your title page and the main body of your paper, you must include a running header on it as well. Include the title of your paper in all capital letters flush left, along with the page number flush right. As Purdue's OWL notes, you simply remove the "Running head:" portion. The running header throughout the remainder of your APA Style paper differs slightly from the title page.


Take up no more than two lines of space with your paper's title. As for your title, it should be no more than 12 words long. Locate the title flush left on your paper and the page number flush right. On the title page, use "1" as your page number. Inside of it, you type "Running head:" followed by the title of your paper in all capital letters and the page number. As illustrated at the Purdue University Online Writing Lab's (OWL) website, create a header on your title page. The title page of your APA Style paper includes a running header that is distinct from the header that leads off all other pages.

But the particulars on the title page differ from all other pages, which maintain consistency throughout. You should include a running header on every page of your document. Each section must follow stringent stylistic guidelines. In addition to requiring a running header, the APA format necessitates a title page, abstract, main body and reference list in your paper, although individual professors often tweak these requirements. Though best known as the primary way to cite research paper sources in the social and behavioral sciences, APA Style covers general essay structure extensively.
