Academic Formatting Standards

We follow official APA 7th Edition, MLA 9th Edition, and Chicago 17th Edition guidelines to ensure your academic papers meet professional standards. Click each style below to view our formatting specifications.

APA 7th Edition

General Format

  • Font: Times New Roman 12pt
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides
  • Spacing: Double-spaced throughout (including references)
  • Alignment: Left-aligned text with ragged right margin
  • Indentation: 0.5 inch first line indent for all paragraphs

Title Page

  • Running Head: Shortened title (max 50 characters) in header, aligned left
  • Page Number: Top right corner of header (starting with 1)
  • Title: Centered, bold, middle of page
  • Author Name: Centered, one double-space below title
  • Affiliation: Centered, one double-space below author name
  • Course/Date: Centered, below affiliation (if required)

Abstract

  • Location: Begins on page 2
  • Title: "Abstract" centered and bold at top of page
  • Text: Single paragraph, not indented, 150-250 words
  • Keywords: Indented, italicized "Keywords:" followed by 3-5 keywords

Headings

  • Level 1: Centered, bold, title case
  • Level 2: Flush left, bold, title case
  • Level 3: Flush left, bold italic, title case
  • Level 4: Indented, bold, title case, ending with period
  • Level 5: Indented, bold italic, title case, ending with period

References

  • New Page: Begins on separate page after text
  • Title: "References" centered and bold at top
  • Formatting: Hanging indent (0.5 inch)
  • Order: Alphabetical by author's last name
  • Spacing: Double-spaced, no extra spaces between entries

MLA 9th Edition

General Format

  • Font: Times New Roman 12pt
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides
  • Spacing: Double-spaced throughout (including works cited)
  • Alignment: Left-aligned text with ragged right margin
  • Indentation: 0.5 inch first line indent for all paragraphs

First Page Header

  • Page Header: Last name and page number in upper right corner
  • Your Name: Upper left, flush left
  • Instructor Name: One double-space below your name
  • Course: One double-space below instructor name
  • Date: One double-space below course (Day Month Year format)

Title

  • Location: One double-space below date
  • Format: Centered, plain text (no bold, italics, or underline)
  • Capitalization: Title case (capitalize major words)
  • Special Cases: Use italics only for titles within your title

Body Text

  • Start: One double-space below title
  • Paragraphs: 0.5 inch first line indent
  • Block Quotes: Indent entire quote 0.5 inch (for quotes 4+ lines)
  • Page Numbers: Continue consecutively in header (Last name + number)

Works Cited

  • New Page: Begins on separate page after text
  • Title: "Works Cited" centered at top (plain text, not bold)
  • Formatting: Hanging indent (0.5 inch) for each entry
  • Order: Alphabetical by first element (usually author's last name)
  • Spacing: Double-spaced, no extra spaces between entries
  • Page Header: Continue last name + page number

Chicago 17th Edition (Notes and Bibliography)

Basic Formatting

  • Font: Times New Roman 12pt
  • Margins: 1 inch on all sides
  • Spacing: Double-spaced (except footnotes and block quotes)
  • Page Numbers: Top right corner or bottom center
  • Paragraphs: First-line indent (0.5 inch)

Title Page (Optional)

  • Title: Centered, 1/3 down the page, bold
  • Subtitle: Centered below title (if applicable)
  • Author Information: Centered, 2/3 down the page
  • Your name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor name
  • Date

Headings

  • Level 1: Centered, bold
  • Level 2: Left-aligned, bold
  • Level 3: Left-aligned, bold italic

Citations (Footnotes)

  • Location: Bottom of each page
  • Font Size: 10pt
  • Spacing: Single-spaced
  • In-Text: Superscript numbers correspond to footnote numbers
  • Numbering: Consecutive throughout the paper

Block Quotes (5+ lines)

  • Indentation: 0.5 inch from left margin
  • Spacing: Single-spaced
  • Font Size: 10pt
  • Quotation Marks: None (indentation indicates the quote)

Bibliography

  • New Page: Begins on separate page with "Bibliography" heading
  • Order: Alphabetical by author's last name
  • Formatting: Hanging indent (0.5 inch)
  • Spacing: Single-spaced entries with blank line between

📝 Important Note About Customization

These templates follow official formatting guidelines from the American Psychological Association (APA), the Modern Language Association (MLA), and The Chicago Manual of Style. If your instructor has specific variations or additional requirements, please provide those details when submitting your project. We're happy to customize formatting to match your professor's requirements exactly.

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