We explain how to configure the APA margin in your degree work
Surely you noticed that the investigations, theses, degree works and other dissertations made under the format of the It seems like too much information to you, there are plenty of platforms and applications on the web that can make the appointment and the reference for you, that is, including all the data that it asks for. they seem to be “framed”, neatly placed page after page, each line properly arranged as if it were a beautifully edited book. This is because, among the many stipulations of the organization, there is a WHAT MARGEN, that is, a stipulated margin for the presentation of documents under the APA format.
This time we will talk about that margin, we will tell you the why of it, how to configure it in your Word document, what are the variants for the documents to be printed and bound and other interesting details on how to set the APA margin.
But why an APA margin?
The APA standards were two designed for two purposes. The first is to protect the intellectual property of researchers: that is why so much emphasis is placed on how to cite and reference various sources, because what is sought is that everyone receives credit for their research and their words.
This interest is so great that comments can even be quoted in social networks, blogs or news portalsOf course, as long as the writer considers that what is there is worth making the quote. There's no point in filling a grad paper with citations left and right; the researcher must refine his criteria and also be able to give his own analyzes and conclusions.
APA's second concern is standardize the presentation of degree projects, theses and research articles. The idea is to maintain a homogeneous design, which does not highlight one thesis over another because it contains striking designs, but, on the contrary, maintain elegance and relationship with each other, even if it is only about design.
That is why every detail of the presentation of these works is taken care of, including the APA margin.
How is the APA margin
According to the latest edition of the APA standards (the seventh), the margins of a work written under the APA format must be the same: the equivalent of 1 inch or, what is the same for the metric system, 2.54 centimeters. To avoid confusion, we refer to the four margins: top, bottom, left, and right.
In this way, the information will be perfectly framed on the sheet, which must be letter size.
but it can be different
Yes, the size of the margins can change if one of the requirements of the person who requires the degree work, thesis or scientific article is that it be bound.
Obviously the binding ring or binding it will take space away from the left margin and by making it the same size, the information could be crowded to the left and may even be at risk of being cut off.
To maintain visual balance, in cases like these it is requested that the left margin is 1.5 inches, that is, 3.81 centimeters, although it is something that can change depending on the university or institution that makes the change.
It's important that you ask for this information from the start, as moving the margin a few inches could change the rest of the research format in terms of spacing between paragraphs, tables, diagrams, images, and the like.
Start off on the right foot
This is why, when you start writing your dissertation or degree work, you should open the blank page and set the margins of your work. It is the starting point for the final phase of the investigation and you must not forget it.
Once you are in front of the new Word document, follow these steps:
- Click on page layout.
- Click on margins and scroll down to the “custom margins” option.
- Configure the four margins, according to what has already been established: 2.54 centimeters in the four for works without binding and 3.81 centimeters only on the left in case of binding.
- Click on “apply to entire document”, located at the bottom left of the tab.
- There you can also choose the page size that should be formatted Carta.
- Click accept.
Ready, you already have your margins configured for you to write your research. As we already mentioned, this is the best way to start writing your degree work; It's a way to start off on the right foot.
Like it was before
Those of you who wrote your dissertation a few years ago will remember that the margins used to be different.
In the APA standards sixth edition Margins were required to be at least 1 inch. It was left to the discretion of the researcher and the university if the size was greater.
Now the size in which it can be written is much more defined and standardized so that it is more visually attractive and the reader can access the information more easily.
Remember that the design of the page is very important, since an ideal font and a good layout of the space (in addition to an interesting topic) will be much better received by the eyes of the reader, who has before him the immense task of digesting a lot of information.
With tasks like this, it is important then to be able to read fully, without eyes getting tired and causing reading.
templates set
If configuring margins seems too complicated for you and that it is something you prefer not to mess with or spend time on, there are web pages with pre-established templates that you can download and write directly on them.
When in doubt, it is always good to have the help of someone who already knows the process and facilitates it for you, so there is nothing wrong with accessing them. Of course, make sure that the templates are configured with the margins established in the seventh edition of the APA standards and that you are not running into an outdated template that gives you more headaches than you want to save yourself.
You have technology on your side. The important thing will always be that you write an investigation that is worth reading and well structured.