To format a research paper, use one-inch margins, a readable font, double spacing and the title page, headings, citations and source list your style requires. APA, MLA and Chicago share the basics but differ in the details.
This guide compares the three styles side by side, then walks through each one: page setup, first page, headings, citations and the source list, ending with a checklist you can use before submitting.
Research Paper Formatting at a Glance
All three styles use one-inch margins, a readable font and double-spaced text. The differences are in the first page, citations and source list:
- APA 7: separate title page, page numbers top right, (Author, year) citations, a References list.
- MLA 9: heading block on page one, surname and page number top right, (Author page) citations, a Works Cited list.
- Chicago or Turabian: title page for class papers, footnotes, a Bibliography; notes and bibliography entries single spaced with blank lines between.
Formatting Basics Every Style Shares
Whatever the style, a research paper should look clean and consistent. Most of the effort goes into a few settings you choose once and then apply everywhere.
- Letter or A4 paper, as your institution expects.
- One-inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides.
- A readable font at a standard size, used throughout.
- Double spacing for the main text, with no extra space between paragraphs.
- First line of each paragraph indented half an inch.
- Left-aligned text with a ragged right edge, not justified.
Set these in your word processor's styles before you start writing. Changing formatting at the end of a long paper is slow and error-prone.
Formatting a Research Paper in APA 7
APA 7 has separate guidance for student and professional papers. Student papers do not need a running head or an abstract unless your instructor asks for them.
| Element | APA 7 student paper |
|---|---|
| Fonts | Options include Times New Roman 12, Calibri 11, Arial 11, Georgia 11 and Lucida Sans Unicode 10 |
| Title page | Bold, centred title in the upper half; then author, affiliation, course number and name, instructor and due date |
| Page numbers | Top right on every page, including the title page |
| First page of text | Repeat the title in bold, centred; no "Introduction" heading |
| Block quotations | 40 words or more, indented 0.5 inch, no quotation marks |
| References | New page, "References" bold and centred, hanging indent |
APA Heading Levels
| Level | Format |
|---|---|
| 1 | Centred, bold, title case |
| 2 | Flush left, bold, title case |
| 3 | Flush left, bold italic, title case |
| 4 | Indented, bold, title case, ending with a full stop; text follows on the same line |
| 5 | Indented, bold italic, title case, ending with a full stop; text follows on the same line |
Most student papers need only levels 1 and 2. Use them in order, without skipping a level. Sections such as Method, Results and Discussion each take a level 1 heading in an empirical paper.
Formatting a Research Paper in MLA 9
MLA papers usually have no title page. Instead, the first page carries a heading block and a centred title.
- Heading block, top left, double spaced: your name, instructor, course and date (day month year).
- Title centred on the next line, in title case, with no bold, italics or underlining.
- Running header half an inch from the top right: your surname and the page number.
- Headings are optional; if you use them, keep levels consistent.
- Block quotations for prose longer than four lines, indented half an inch.
- "Works Cited" centred on a new page, double spaced, with hanging indents.
Amara Osei
Professor Lindqvist
English 210
9 March 2025
Memory and Water in Contemporary Coastal Fiction
Formatting a Research Paper in Chicago or Turabian
Students formatting a Chicago-style paper usually follow Turabian, the student adaptation of Chicago. Most use the notes-bibliography system.
- Title page for class papers: title about a third of the way down, then your name, course and date lower on the page.
- Main text double spaced, with block quotations of five or more lines single spaced and indented.
- Superscript note numbers after punctuation, with footnotes single spaced and a blank line between notes.
- Bibliography on a new page, entries single spaced with a blank line between them and hanging indents.
- Page numbers top right or bottom centre, consistently.
If your instructor asks for Chicago author-date, citations move into the text as (Author Year, page) and the source list becomes a reference list.
Citations and Source Lists Side by Side
The same journal article looks different in each style. The article below is invented to show the pattern.
APA 7: Hale, R., & Ward, T. (2021). Flood risk and urban planning. Journal of Water Policy, 13(2), 211–236. In text: (Hale & Ward, 2021)
MLA 9: Hale, Rose, and Tom Ward. "Flood Risk and Urban Planning." Journal of Water Policy, vol. 13, no. 2, 2021, pp. 211–36. In text: (Hale and Ward 215)
Chicago note: 1. Rose Hale and Tom Ward, "Flood Risk and Urban Planning," Journal of Water Policy 13, no. 2 (2021): 215.
Chicago bibliography: Hale, Rose, and Tom Ward. "Flood Risk and Urban Planning." Journal of Water Policy 13, no. 2 (2021): 211–36.
For single entries, our free citation generator builds references in APA, MLA and Chicago from a DOI, ISBN or URL.
Tables, Figures, Appendices and Abstracts
| Element | APA 7 | MLA 9 | Chicago / Turabian |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tables | Bold number above, italic title below it, notes underneath | "Table 1" and caption above, source below | Number and title above, source note below |
| Figures | Bold number and italic title above the image | "Fig. 1" with caption below | Number and caption below |
| Appendices | After references, each on a new page, labelled Appendix A, B | Before Works Cited | After the text, before the bibliography |
| Abstract | Only if your instructor asks (student papers) | Not standard | Not standard for class papers |
Refer to every table and figure in your text, and number them in the order they appear. If a table or figure comes from a source, cite that source in a note or caption.
Common Formatting Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Mixing elements from two styles, such as an APA title page on an MLA paper | Pick one style and follow it from first page to last |
| Extra space between paragraphs | Turn off "space after paragraph" and use double spacing only |
| Headings styled by hand, inconsistently | Use word processor heading styles set to your style's rules |
| Reference list single spaced in APA or MLA | Double space it, with hanging indents |
| Manual line breaks to create hanging indents | Use the paragraph setting for a hanging indent |
| Following an old edition from a template | Check the template against APA 7, MLA 9 or your Chicago edition |
Old templates are a common trap. Many circulating files still follow APA 6, with running heads on student papers and publisher locations in references. Rebuild from the current rules rather than trusting an inherited file.
Formatting Checklist Before You Submit
- Margins, font, spacing and indentation are consistent throughout.
- The first page or title page follows your style.
- Page numbers or running headers appear correctly on every page.
- Headings follow one consistent system.
- Block quotations meet the style's length threshold and indentation.
- Every citation matches an entry in the source list.
- The source list starts on a new page with the correct title and hanging indents.
- Tables, figures and appendices are labelled and referred to in the text.
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Frequently Asked Questions
One-inch margins, a readable font, double spacing and the title page, headings, citations and source list your style requires.
Only if your instructor asks for one. APA 7 student papers do not require an abstract by default.
No. MLA uses a heading block on the first page unless your instructor requests a title page.
APA 7 accepts several fonts, such as Times New Roman 12 or Calibri 11. MLA and Chicago ask for a readable font, usually 12 point.
No. APA 7 student papers need only a page number in the top right corner.
At the end of the paper on a new page. In APA, appendices follow the references; in MLA, they come before Works Cited.
No. Align text to the left with a ragged right edge in all three styles.
Yes, if they help readers, though short MLA papers often do without them.
Often yes. Many rubrics include presentation and referencing, and poor formatting distracts markers from your argument.
Follow your instructor. Course requirements override the general style rules.