Incorporating Headings & Subheadings

by | May 18, 2024 | Resources for Students, Writing Resources

Think about the last time you read a really long academic article or publication for a class. When the text just seemed to drone on and on to no end, think back – weren’t you really grateful for those headings (and sometimes subheadings) that broke up the longer text, switched or elaborated on a topic, stimulated your eyesight, and gave your noggin a much needed break? I bet you were! Headings and subheadings enable longer texts and differing topics and subtopics to be clearly differentiated for your reader, yet linked in a way that can be clearly understood and appreciated. Let’s go through a few other benefits to using headings and subheadings in your writing!

Incorporating headings and subheadings into your longer pieces of writing;

  • Enhances the readability of your work by organizing the content in your essay and guiding your reader.
  • Delineates subsections of a topic and provides an avenue to expanding on more complex ideas within a main idea.
  • Demonstrates your understanding of a particular citation style.

While headings and subheadings don’t replace the use of effective transitions, they can be used in tandem to further organize your paper, guiding your reader through your topic of choice. To use headings and subheadings appropriately, you’ll want to keep in mind three very important considerations:

  1. the hierarchy of a heading versus a subheading (and everything that may come after)
  2. the format (i.e., which citation style you are aiming to follow, and
  3. accessibility, to be sure that your paper is intelligible to all readers.
The Hierarchy

Headings and subheadings are represented in the form of a hierarchy, or a ranking that clearly characterizes your main topic from your subtopic or issue. The prefix “sub” in “subheading” means under or beneath so your subheading (or subissue) will always be placed underneath your heading. Use a heading whenever you are switching subjects and want to outline the main idea of a section and use subheadings to delineate the varying subsections underneath the main idea. Think of it like a pyramid structure, not in shape, but with your heading on the very top, subheading just beneath, and so on and so forth, going “deeper” into your research until you begin a new section.

Citation styles, including APA format, utilize a system of “Levels” to distinguish the format of headings and subheadings as they move throughout your essay. The number of headings to use in a paper depends on the length and complexity of the work (APAStyle).

The Format
APA

In APA format, headings and subheadings are delineated into five possible levels:  Level 1 is the highest or main level of heading, Level 2 is a subheading of Level 1, Level 3 is a subheading of Level 2, and so on through Levels 4 and 5 (APAStyle). Most students utilize Levels 1-3 for their work. If only one heading is needed for your assignment, use Level 1. If two levels are needed, use Levels 1 and 2 (and so on.) (APAStyle). The first image below provides a visualization of the APA heading format; the second image is an example of APA headings in a research paper from the field of education (APAStyle).

A visual representation of the APA heading style guidelines as described in the text.
An example of APA heading in a paper; this is a visual representation of the APA heading style as described in the text.
MLA

MLA in contrast emphasizes consistency over a specific style. Purdue Owl offers two examples of how to structure your essay using section headings and subheadings, although it is important to remember that while these can be used as a reference, they are by no means the rule. Remember, the goal is consistency throughout your paper.

Note: Although MLA does not have specific style for headings within your paper, there is a general format used for the first page of your paper. See Purdue Owl for more information.

Below, you can see two examples of acceptable headings for a paper that requires MLA formatting. The first follows a system of Levels, like what is used for APA format. The second example uses a format that numbers different sections and subsections. According to this example, Erosion and Terracing are examples of Soil Conservation, while Water Conservation and Energy Conservation require their own, main headings.

Visual representation of the formatted style in MLA.
Visual representation of the numbered heading style in MLA
Accessibility

While the use of headings and subheadings work to enhance the readability of your work, without keeping accessibility in mind, your headings and subheadings can seem thorough and conducive to you, while being inaccessible and confusing to someone else. Check out these accessibility guidelines suggested by West Virginia University;

  1. Make sure your headings and subheadings always follow a consecutive hierarchy.
  2. Particularly when following APA format, do not skip a header for stylistic reasons.
  3. While using bold or italics may be unavoidable, do not use all caps. Doing so may cause some assistive technology to substitute full words for individual letters.
  4. Avoid using abbreviations.
  5. Aim to avoid language that can be confusing to non-native speakers of English (e.g., puns, a play on words).

Note: Visit the Writing Center for additional help on how to format with accessibility in mind!

Sources
“General Format.” General Format – Purdue OWL® – Purdue University, owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html. Accessed 21 May 2024.
“Headings and Subheadings.” Headings and Subheadings | Health Sciences Website Content Guide | West Virginia University, www.hsc.wvu.edu/website-content-guide/creation/headings-and-subheadings/#:~:text=Headings%20and%20subheadings%20organize%20content,%22THIS%20IS%20A%20HEADING%22. Accessed 21 May 2024.
“Headings.” American Psychological Association, American Psychological Association, apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings. Accessed 21 May 2024.
“MLA Formatting and Style Guide.” MLA Formatting and Style Guide – Purdue OWL® – Purdue University, owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html. Accessed 21 May 2024.

Streefkerk, Raimo. “APA Headings and Subheadings | With Sample Paper.” Scribber, https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-headings/. Accessed 18 May 2024.