If you’re writing a paper in APA Style and want to use subtitles to organize your content, you’re not alone. Subtitles—technically called section headings in APA Style—are a fantastic way to clarify your structure, guide your reader, and present your arguments more effectively. But here’s the catch: APA has strict formatting rules, and using subtitles incorrectly can lead to confusion or worse—a lower grade from your professor.
TL;DR
APA Style recommends a specific hierarchy of headings to organize content. Using the correct formatting—like boldface, italics, and indentation—is key to ensuring your subtitles are helping, not hindering, your clarity. Avoid adding unnecessary creative flair or making headings look like titles or decorations. Instead, stick closely to APA guidelines to keep your writing clean, professional, and professor-approved.
Why Use Subtitles in APA Style at All?
Subtitles make your writing easier to scan, more professional-looking, and better organized. If you’ve ever seen a wall of text without a single break, you know how exhausting it can be to read. Thoughtfully placed subtitles help your readers—and your professor—find what they’re looking for and follow your argument more easily.
The 5 Levels of APA Headings
APA Style outlines five levels of heading formats. Each one denotes a different level of subordination, or hierarchy, in your document. Let’s break down what they are and how you should format them:
- Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case Heading
Text begins as a new paragraph beneath the heading. - Level 2: Flush Left, Bold, Title Case Heading
Text begins as a new paragraph beneath the heading. - Level 3: Flush Left, Bold Italic, Title Case Heading
Text begins as a new paragraph beneath the heading. - Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Period.
Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph. - Level 5: Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Period.
Text begins on the same line and continues as a regular paragraph.
It’s important to follow these meticulously. They aren’t optional, and deviating from them can make your paper look inconsistent or wrong—even if your content is stellar.
When (and When Not) to Use Subtitles
Before inserting subtitles all over your work, ask yourself these questions:
- Is this section introducing a new idea, method, or topic? If yes, a subtitle might help clarify that for the reader.
- Could this section be a paragraph within an existing heading instead? If yes, consider skipping the subtitle and maintaining flow.
- Does adding a subtitle actually improve comprehension? A subtitle should highlight a shift in content, not just divide the page for decorative purposes.
Used judiciously, subtitles improve flow. Overused, they can fragment your argument or come off as filler.
How to Choose the Right Level
In APA, heading levels aren’t chosen randomly; they reflect your paper’s structure. Always start with Level 1 for primary headings (like Methods, Results, or Conclusion), and then nest subsequent headings as needed.
Imagine your work as an outline:
- Introduction (no heading typically, per APA guidelines)
- Methods (Level 1)
- Participants (Level 2)
- Procedures (Level 2)
- Recruitment (Level 3)
Choose levels based on what’s subordinate to what—not based on what looks “cool.”
Formatting Pitfalls That Confuse Professors
Here are some classic APA subtitle mistakes that might make your professor reach for a red pen:
- Using all caps or underlining instead of proper formatting. APA doesn’t use underlining or all caps for emphasis.
- Inconsistent heading styles throughout different sections. This signals sloppy reading or formatting habits.
- Creative or humorous headings. While they might be fun, academic writing usually leans toward clarity and neutrality.
- Adding manual page breaks between headings. Let your formatting do the work—no need to force whitespace by hitting the return key a dozen times.
Best Practices for Subtitles in Student Papers
Professors can immediately tell when a student has a good grasp of APA conventions. Make a great impression by following these smart practices:
- Use the same verb tense consistently across sections—changing tense between headings can create cognitive friction.
- Stick to Title Case in your headings: Capitalize major words, but don’t make every word uppercase.
- Use bold and italic formatting only as prescribed. Don’t stylize for style’s sake.
- Save heading level 4 and 5 for large, complex papers, such as theses or dissertations. Most class essays never need those depths.
Real-World Examples of Proper Heading Hierarchies
Let’s take a practical look at how subtitles might appear in a short APA-style research paper:
Level 1: The Impact of Social Media on Attention Span
This is your main section discussing the large themes.
Level 2: Study Participants
A subsection explaining demographic details.
Level 2: Behavioral Observations
Another subsection focused on what was seen in the experiment.
Level 3: Offline Behavior Trends
This is nested even further under Behavioral Observations.
Notice how everything lines up logically? Your subtitles should serve the same clear, intentional role.
APA-Style Headings in Microsoft Word and Google Docs
Most students use Microsoft Word or Google Docs. Thankfully, both support easy style formatting. Use built-in styles (like Heading 1, Heading 2) and modify them to fit APA rules:
- In Word: Go to the “Home” tab, right-click on Heading 1, and select “Modify.” Set font size, bolding, centering, etc., to APA specs.
- In Google Docs: Select text, apply formatting, then click the styles dropdown and update the heading style to match. This way, future uses will match APA format.
Bonus: These formatting tools also help automatically generate a Table of Contents—handy for longer projects.
Final Thoughts
Subtitles, used properly in APA Style, can greatly enhance the readability and flow of your paper. But they must be used with care. The goal is to guide the reader, not distract or disorient them. Stick to the APA rules on headings, follow the hierarchy, and keep consistency top of mind. Do that, and your professor won’t just understand your structure—they’ll appreciate the clarity of your thought process.
And at the end of the day, that’s what good academic writing is all about.
