Depending on the style guide you are using, the formatting of a research paper will change. APA, MLA, and Chicago include other formatting standards for things such as:
- The font you use
- Page layout
- Headings format
- Reference page format
You can use pre-made Microsoft Word templates if you do not want to deal with the details during the writing process.
Following the formatting has a number of advantages:
- It sends a message to your readers that your paper should be treated seriously as a student’s contribution to a certain academic or professional subject.
- It demonstrates that you value other people’s efforts enough to credit them properly in different styles such as APA, MLA, etc.
- It assists your reader in finding further resources if they want to learn more about your subject.
Formatting an APA paper
The following are the key principles for formatting a paper in APA Style:
- Use a standard font like Times New Roman 12 pt. or Arial 11 pt.
- Set the page margins to 1 inch.
- Double-space your lines.
- If you’re submitting for publication, be sure to include a running head on each page.
- Every new paragraph should be indented ½ inches.
Title page
The following information appears on the title page of your paper:
- The paper’s title
- Name of the author
- The author’s affiliation with the institution
- The paper title (in capital letters) and the page number in a header at the top of the page. (You can use a condensed version of the title in the header if the title is long.)
In practice, your APA title page should look like this:
| Level | Heading format |
|---|---|
1 | Centered, Boldface, Title Case Heading (The text starts a new paragraph.) |
2 | Flush Left, Boldface, Title Case Heading (The text starts a new paragraph.) |
3 | Flush Left, Boldface Italic, Title Case Heading,
(The text starts a new paragraph) |
4 | Indented, Boldface Title Case Heading Ending with a Period. (Paragraph text continues on the same line as the same paragraph.) |
5 | Indented, Boldface Italic, Title Case Heading Ending with a Period. (Paragraph text continues on the same line as the same paragraph.) |
In-text citations in APA papers
- The author’s last name and the year of publication are used in the APA in-text citation format, for example: (Reed, 2009).
- Include the page number as well for direct quotations, such as: (Reed, 2009, p. 27).
- Use a paragraph number for sources without page numbers, such as websites and e-books.
Reference page
Author-date in-text citations throughout the text, as well as a reference page at the conclusion, are required in APA Style citation. The reference page should be formatted as shown in the image below.
Reminder
It’s worth noting that the format of reference varies based on the kind of source. Using a free APA Citation Generator (for example, MyBib), you can quickly construct your citations and reference list.Formatting an MLA paper
The following are the significant guidelines for writing an MLA style paper:
- Use a legible font, such as Times New Roman 12 pt.
- Set the page margins to 1 inch.
- Double-space your lines.
- Every new paragraph should be indented ½ inches.
- For headings, use title case capitalization.
MLA first page
A heading appears above your title on the first page of an MLA paper, with the following information:
- Your full name
- Name of your instructor or supervisor
- The name or number of the course
- The assignment’s deadline
Reminder
Your surname and page number should be written in the right header at the top of each page.In-text citations in MLA papers
The author-page approach of in-text citation is used in MLA style.
- This implies that the author’s last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is derived must appear in the text, and your Works Cited page should have a comprehensive citation.
- The author’s name can be included in the sentence or in parenthesis after the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always be in parentheses, not in the sentence itself.
MLA in-text citation example
The “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” characterizes Romantic poetry (Wordsworth 263).Works cited page
Wherever you refer to a source in your work, you should use MLA in-text citations. At the conclusion of your paper, you’ll need to include a Works Cited page that lists all of the sources you used. It is formatted in the following manner.
Formatting a Chicago paper
The following are the key criteria for writing in Chicago style:
- Use a regular font, such as Times New Roman 12 pt.
- Use 1 inch or greater margins.
- Double-space your lines.
- Every new paragraph should be indented ½ inches.
- Page numbers should be placed at the top right or bottom center of the page.
Title page
Class papers will either include a title page or the title will be on the first page of the paper, according to Chicago style. If your teacher or professor requires a title page, follow these guidelines:
- The title should be centered a third of the way down the page.
- A few lines later, your name, class details, and the date should appear.
- For subtitles, use a colon at the end of the title line and the subtitle on the line below the title.
- Each line of the title page should be double-spaced.
Bibliography or reference list
There are two citation types available in Chicago: author-date citations with a reference list and a bibliography or footnote citations with a bibliography. Choose one of the two styles and stick with it.
-
Author-date style
Employs parenthetical citations in the text to refer to the source’s author’s last name and the year of publication, as the name implies.
- Each parenthetical citation refers to a reference entry on the document’s References page.
- In these ways, Author-date is similar to APA style.
-
Footnote citations
Employs numbered footnotes throughout the text to refer the reader to a condensed reference at the bottom of the page.
- This relates to a more detailed citation on the paper’s Bibliography page.
- The citations are formatted differently than in Author-Date, despite the fact that the essential citation principles are the same.
-
Chicago style citation examples
A book reference that appears in the text as:
- Scarring of the intestines can occur for a variety of causes (Ogilvie 1998, 26-28).
Would be found in the following format in the reference list:
- Ogilvie, Timothy H. 1998. Large Animal Internal Medicine. Baltimore, MD: Williams and Wilkins.
Frequently Asked Questions
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