Choose Your Format
APA Format
American Psychological Association style for psychology and social sciences
MLA Format
Modern Language Association style for literature and humanities
Chicago Format
Chicago Manual of Style for history and literature
IEEE Format
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers style for technical papers
Formatting Guidelines
APA Guidelines
- 12-point Times New Roman font
- Double-spaced throughout
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- Title page with running head
- Page numbers in top right
- In-text citations (Author, Year)
MLA Guidelines
- 12-point Times New Roman font
- Double-spaced throughout
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- Header with last name and page number
- In-text citations (Author Page)
- Works Cited page
Chicago Guidelines
- 12-point Times New Roman font
- Double-spaced text
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- Title page with centered title
- Footnotes or endnotes
- Bibliography page
IEEE Guidelines
- 10-point Times New Roman font
- Single-spaced text
- Two-column format
- Numbered references
- Abstract required
- Keywords section
Formatting Tips
General Tips
- Always check your institution's specific requirements
- Use consistent formatting throughout
- Proofread for formatting errors
- Save multiple versions of your document
Common Mistakes
- Inconsistent spacing
- Wrong font or font size
- Incorrect margin settings
- Missing page numbers
Tools to Use
- Word processor templates
- Citation managers (Zotero, Mendeley)
- Grammar checkers
- Style guide references
Final Checklist
- ✓ Correct format selected
- ✓ All required sections included
- ✓ Citations properly formatted
- ✓ Page numbers present