How do I check for APA Style and formatting mistakes in my paper?

In addition to the Style and formatting guidance Academic Writer provides as you write, it also offers tools to check for mistakes before you submit a draft or final paper.

First, go to the Writing Center and open your paper. In the Main Menu on the left, select Check. This will expand the suite of tools you can use to identify common writing and APA Style mistakes, including:

Paper body editor in the Writing Center showing the expanded Check menu

Check My Writing: This tool evaluates your paper for potential issues with repetition, cliches, transition words, and more. The Check My Writing panel on the right will display these details.

Check Headings Order: In APA Style, headings follow a top-down progression. The first heading in the paper should be at Level 1. Level 2 is a subheading of Level 1, Level 3 is a subheading of Level 2, and so on. This tool searches the paper for errors in the progression of headings and allows you to make corrections.

Check Unbalanced Headings: APA Style recommends avoiding including a single subheading under a broader level of heading. This tool searches the paper to ensure you are using at least two subheadings, or none.

Check References: References imported from a file may be missing required elements. This tool checks that all of the references in the Paper Reference List contain the elements required by APA Style guidelines. If any reference is marked as "Verification Needed (!)," you will be prompted to update the reference.

Match Reference Citations: This tool checks for any references in the Paper Reference List that are not cited in the paper text. APA Style guidelines require all references in a paper's reference list to be cited in the text.

Match Table Callouts: This tool checks for any tables in the Paper Table List that are not mentioned (called out) in the paper text. APA Style requires that all tables in a paper's Paper Table List be called out in the text. When you export the paper, only tables that are called out will be included in the exported paper.

Match Figure Callouts: Similar to tables, figures must be called out in the paper text. This tool checks for any figures in the paper that are not called out.

Match Appendix Callouts: Appendices must also be called out in the paper text. This tool checks for any appendices that are not called out.

Check Word Count: This tool counts the words, characters, and pages in the paper, including the title page, abstract, keywords, paper body, reference list, tables, figures, and appendices.