Order of Sections for Student Papers (2.2)
- Title Page with Page Number: Title in bold, Author, College, Course, Instructor, Due Date
- Body (including title, introduction, literature review or background, discussion, and conclusion)
- References
- Appendices (including tables & figures)
Margins, Fonts, & Page Numbers (2.18-24)
- Margin: 1 inch at top, bottom, and both sides
- Use page numbers, including title page, 1/2 inch from top and aligned right
- Use Calibri 11, Arial 11, Lucida Sans Unicode 10, Times New Roman 12, or Georgia 11
Title Page (2.03)
- Include your name, college name, course name, instructor name, and due date
- Title should be concise and state the paper's main idea
- Title should be bolded
- Capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle as well as all main words and leave all minor words (and, at, about, for, the, etc.) lowercase
- Do not use periods or abbreviations
- Do not italicize, underline, or use all capital letters
- Center horizontally in upper half of the page
Body (2.26-27)
- Indent first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch from left margin
- Double-space and align text to the left (do not justify text)
- Include sections: introduction, literature review or background, discussion, and conclusion
- Write concisely and clearly, using professional language; however, favor active over passive voice, and use “I” and “you” to this end
- Do not overuse technical jargon
- Spell out long organization names and add the abbreviation in parenthesis, then just use the abbreviation
- Write out numbers up to nine and use a number for 10 or more, but always write out numbers that start a sentence
- Use a number for units of measurement, in tables, to represent statistical or math functions, and dates or times
- Capitalize major words in the titles of books and articles
- Center and bold level 1 heading, align level 2 headings left and bold, and align level 3 headings left, bold, and italicized
Quotations (8.23-27)
- Include short quotations (40 words or less) in-text with quotation marks
- For quotes more than 40 words, indent the entire quote a half inch from the left margin and double-space it with no quotation marks
- If citing only one source multiple times within one paragraph, cite it once in the first sentence as long as the source remains clear
- When quoting two or more paragraphs from an original source, indent the first line of each paragraph a half inch from the left margin
- Use ellipsis (...) when omitting sections from a quote and use four periods (....) if omitting the end section of a quote
References (2.12 & 9.4-5)
Begins on a new page following the text of your paper and includes complete citations for the resources you've used in your writing.
- Center and bold "References" at the top of the new page
- Double-space and use hanging indents (first line is on the left margin and the following lines are indented a half inch from the left)
- List authors' last name first followed by the first and middle initials (ex. Skinner, B.F.)
- Alphabetize the list by the first author's last name; if no author, by title (not including a, the, or an)
- Capitalize only the first word, the first after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns
- Don't capitalize the second word of a hyphenated compound
- No quotation marks around titles of articles
Appendices with Tables, Figures, & Illustrations (2.15)
- Include appendices only to help the reader understand, evaluate, or replicate the study or argument
- Put each appendix on a separate page and align left
- For text, do not indent the first paragraph, but do indent the rest
- If you have only one appendix, label it "Appendix"
- If you have two or more appendices, label them "Appendix A" and so forth as they appear in the body of your paper
- Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1)
- Give each table column a heading and use separating lines only when necessary
- Notes go below tables and figures
Annotated Bibliography (9.51)
- Double-space and align text to the left (do not justify text)
- Give each entry a hanging indent
- Alphabetize the list by the first author's last name; if no author, by title (not including a, the, or an)
- Indent the annotation a half inch from the left margin
- If the annotation has multiple paragraphs, indent the first line of each paragraph after the first another half inch
- Check with your professor for the length of the annotation and which elements you should evaluate
