Different disciplines use different formatting styles. Your assignment rubric tells you which one to use. Here's how each works.
Universal formatting rules
- 1-inch margins on all sides
- Double-spaced throughout
- 12-point standard font (Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri)
- Page numbers (usually top-right)
APA (American Psychological Association)
Used in: Sciences, social sciences, psychology
Key features:
- Title page with author name, institution, date
- Running header with page numbers
- In-text citations: (Author, Year)
- References page (not "Bibliography")
- Headings: Centered, bold, sentence case
MLA (Modern Language Association)
Used in: Humanities, literature, language
Key features:
- No separate title page (heading on first page)
- Heading: Student name, instructor, course, date (left-aligned)
- In-text citations: (Author Page#)
- Works Cited page (not "References")
- Italicize titles of books, journals, films
Chicago (Chicago Manual of Style)
Used in: History, humanities, some business writing
Key features:
- Title page optional (check your program)
- Footnotes or endnotes for citations (superscript numbers)
- Bibliography at end
- No parenthetical citations in text
Citation checklist
- Is my citation format consistent throughout?
- Do I have a works cited/references/bibliography page?
- Is every source cited where I use it?
- Are all titles capitalized and formatted correctly (italics vs. quotation marks)?
- Did I cite the correct edition/publication year?
Common formatting mistakes
- Mixing citation styles
- Using quotation marks for book titles (should be italics in MLA/APA)
- Single-spacing instead of double-spacing
- Forgetting page numbers
- Widening margins to make short essays look longer
What if my assignment doesn't specify a style?
Ask your instructor. If you can't, use MLA (it's the most common for general essays).
Do I need to cite common knowledge?
No. If something is widely known (e.g., "the earth orbits the sun"), you don't need a citation. When in doubt, cite.
Formatting confusion?
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