How to Format Your Research Paper

Things to know before you begin:

• Font & Font Size: Be sure to use the same font throughout your entire paper. APA recommends the use of the following fonts:
  • Sans serif fonts: Arial (11-point), Calibri (11-point), or Lucinda Sans Unicode (10-point)
  • Serif fonts: Times New Roman (12-point), Georgia (11-point), or Computer Modern (10-point)
• Margins: 1 inch on all sides
• Paragraphs: All paragraphs (except in the Abstract) should be indented.
• Spacing: All of the text in your paper should be double-spaced (title page included).
• Typical APA style papers have four main sections: Title Page, Abstract (if required), Main Body, and References.

Title Page

• Insert only page numbers in the header.
• Your paper should have the full title in bold. Place an extra space beneath the title and before your name.
• Your name, your affiliation, the course title, professor’s name, and due date should be double spaced beneath the title.
• All of this should be in the center of the title page.

Abstract

• Put the word Abstract at the top of the page. Be sure it is center-aligned and in bold.
• Do not indent any paragraphs on this page.

• Indent all other paragraphs throughout the body of the paper. 

Main Body

• Place the entire title of your paper in Title Case on the top line of a new page.
• Be sure it is center-aligned and in bold.

References

• Center-align the word References on the first line of a new page; be sure that it is in bold.
• Your citations should be alphabetized.
• Entries are double-spaced with no extra lines between them.
• Be sure to use a hanging indent for any citations that require more than one line.