How to format a research paper

essay-guidelines-bg

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:

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:

Formatting an APA paper

The following are the key principles for formatting a paper in APA Style:

Title page

The following information appears on the title page of your paper:

In practice, your APA title page should look like this:

apa cover
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

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.

apa references

Formatting an MLA paper

The following are the significant guidelines for writing an MLA style paper:

MLA first page

A heading appears above your title on the first page of an MLA paper, with the following information:

mla first page

In-text citations in MLA papers

The author-page approach of in-text citation is used in MLA style.

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.

mla works cited

Formatting a Chicago paper

The following are the key criteria for writing in Chicago style:

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:

chicago title page

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.

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.

chicago ref

Employs numbered footnotes throughout the text to refer the reader to a condensed reference at the bottom of the page.

A book reference that appears in the text as:

Would be found in the following format in the reference list:

Frequently Asked Questions

Thank you for reading. If you need further information, feel free to have a look at our essay samples or contact us at live chat.

Ibrahim Akturk
Ibrahim Akturk
Content editor at Tamara Research. Translation major, huge coffee and baking nerd. Addicted to good music and great articles.

Recently on Tamara Blog

daily-newspaper
Asena Kocakusak

How to write a horror story

This article will guide you on how to write a horror story. You will learn how to plan your setting, characters, and outline and see examples of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. 

Read More »
pen-written-page
Asena Kocakusak

How to write a story

Learn how to write a story with our guide on the steps of story writing and see examples of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution.

Read More »
pen-written-page
Asena Kocakusak

Writing a Great Autobiography (Steps & Examples)

An autobiography essay is simply writing about your personal experiences or a specific event, but not a story of your whole life. Although the writing process may take a lot of time, it’s easy to overcome with a good preparation and planning.

Read More »
Education concept. Student studying and brainstorming campus con
Asena Kocakusak

How to structure an essay

Learn how to structure an essay with our comprehensive guide. We also give tips on writing a solid thesis statement and supporting your arguments with evidence.

Read More »
How to format a research paper
Fatih Gul

Essay Topic Ideas

Get inspiration for your essay with our list of essay topic ideas, from persuasive and argumentative to narrative and research essay topics.

Read More »