Formatting Guide

Citation styles, formatting life

hacks, etc.
 MLA
formatting guidelines
Title and Title Page
Do not make a separate MLA Title Page unless specifically requested in the instructions. The main identifications are in the upper left
corner:
● First line: Author’s Name
● Second line: Professor’s Name
● Third line: Subject Course # (ex. English 111)
● Fourth line: Date: Day Month Year (ex. 23 May 2023)
Title
Double space after the date and center your title.
Do not use quotation marks or italicize the title.
Only use quotation marks or italicize when recognizing another piece of work.
Do not place a period after the title or after any headings
Example: The Brick is Red: A Story of the Three Little Pigs
MLA Documentation
Refers to the Works Cited page at the end of the paper & in-text citations.
The List
– is labeled Works Cited (centered, no font changes, both words are capitalized)
– starts at the top of a new page
– continues page numbering from the last page of text
– List only the sources cited in paper (no phantom sources should be present - it's plagiarism)
– Alphabetize by authors’ last names (if no author, alphabetize by title)
– is double spaced
– uses a hanging indent (indent after first line) (1/2 inch – can be formatted from the Paragraph dialog box in MS Word)

Indenting Paragraphs in MLA

Indent the first word in every paragraph. Sentences should begin one half inch from the left margin.
NB! It is not necessary to manually measure half an inch. Use the “Tab” button on the keyboard to create a half inch space.

Double Space Paragraphs in MLA

MLA research paper format requires that the entire research paper or MLA format essay includes double-spaced lines. Double-spaced
lines should be found in between the written body of the work, in the heading, and also on the MLA reference page.
While it may seem tempting to place a few extra lines between the heading, title, and beginning of the paper, lines should all be
double-spaced.
Adding a Header
Google Docs Microsoft Word Document

1. Go to the menu section “Insert.” 1. Go to the menu section “Insert.”

2. Select “Page numbers” and select the option that 2. Select “Page numbers” and select the option that
places the page number in the upper-right corner. places the page number in the upper-right corner.
3. A page number will appear; your cursor will blink next 3. Either:
to it. a. Double-click in the space at the top of the page
4. Move your cursor to the left of the page number. (where the page number is).
5. Type your last name. Add a space between your name b. OR Go to the “Insert” menu, select “Header,”
and the page number. and select “Edit Header.”
6. You should now have a properly formatted header on 4. Type your last name next to page number. If it isn’t
every page! already right-aligned, go to the “Home” menu and
right-align your name.
5. You should now have a properly formatted header on
every page!
Citing Information
Quotes should not take up the majority of your paper or assignment. Quotes should be sprinkled sparingly throughout, and quotes longer than 4 lines (40 words) should be
formatted as MLA block quotes
- An example of a block quote includes any passage you cite that is more than 40 words.
- The block quote consists of a lead-in line, and it is set off with a 1/2 inch indent for the entire passage. You also need to include a citation, either at the beginning or end of the
passage.

If you’re wondering which one is better to consistently use, quotes or paraphrases, there’s a clear winner. Paraphrases come out on top. Sure, direct quotes are incredibly
beneficial, but copying and pasting too many of these into a project can cause a reader to lose sight of the writer’s own voice. Mixing your own voice with another author’s too much
can make for choppy and disjointed reading.
Work(s) Cited
Write “Work Cited” if there is only one source
Number of Authors Example

1 author Gleick, James. Chaos: Making a New Science.

Penguin, 1987
(Last name + Comma + First name)

2 authors Gillespie, Paula, and Neal Lerner. The Allyn and

Bacon Guide to Peer Tutoring. Allyn and Bacon,
(Author 1: Last name + Comma + First name
2000
, and
Author 2: First name + Comma + Last name)

3 and more Wysocki, Anne Frances, et al. Writing New Media:

Theory and Applications for Expanding the
(Author 1 (last name + comma + first name) + et
Teaching of Composition. Utah State UP, 2004.
al.)
 APA
formatting guidelines
APA Formatting Basics
● All text should be double-spaced
● Use one-inch margins on all sides
● All paragraphs in the body are indented
● Make sure that the title is centered on the page with your name
and school/institution underneath
● Use 12-point font throughout
● All pages should be numbered in the upper right hand corner
● The manual recommends using one space after most punctuation
marks
● A shortened version of the title (“running head”) should be placed
in the upper left hand corner (More detailed information about the
running head is on the slide #12)
APA Title Page
The APA format title page for student papers includes six main components:
● the title of the APA format paper
● names of all authors
● institutional affiliation
● course number and title
● instructor’s name
● due date
Title pages for professional papers also require a running head; student papers do not.

Here are key guidelines to developing a title page of a paper:

● The title of the paper should capture the main idea of the essay, but should not contain abbreviations or words that serve no
purpose. For example, instead of using the title “A Look at Amphibians From the Past,” title the paper “Amphibians From the
Past.” Delete the unnecessary fluff!
● The title should be bolded, in title case, and the same font size as your other page text. DO NOT underline or italicize the title.
Other text on the page should be plain (not bolded, underlined, or italicized).
APA Title Page Example
Here is an example of a professional paper title.
In the student paper, the running head may be omitted. The rest is the same
Running Head in The 7th edition of the American Psychological
Association Publication Manual (p. 37) states that

APA
running heads are not required for student papers
unless requested by the instructor.
Student papers still need a page number
included in the upper right-hand corner of every page.

This guide follows the 7th

The 6th edition required a running head for student
papers, so be sure to confirm with your instructor

edition which edition you should follow.

APA Abstract
Usually, student papers do not
require an abstract. Abstracts are not
typically seen in class assignments, and
are usually only included when submitting
a paper for publication.
However, if the instructions ask
for abstract, follow the next format:
General Format of the Paper
1. At the top of the page, add the
page number in the upper right
corner of all pages, including the
title page.
2. On the next line write the title in
bold font and center it. Do not
underline or italicize it.
3. Begin with the introduction and
indent the first line of the
paragraph. All paragraphs in the
body are indented.
APA Citations With Different Number of Authors
● Give the last name and first/middle initials for all authors of a particular work up to and including 20 authors.
● Separate each author’s initials from the next author in the list with a comma. Use an ampersand (&) before the last
author’s name.
● If there are 21 or more authors, use an ellipsis after the 19th author, and then add the final author’s name.

Number of Authors Example

1 author Brown, E. (2013). Comedy and the feminine middlebrow novel. Pickering & Chatto.

2 authors Soto, C. J., & John, O. P. (2017). The next big five inventory (BFI-2): Developing and assessing a
NB: the ampersand (&) is hierarchical model with 15 facets to enhance bandwidth, fidelity, and predictive power. Journal of
used instead of "and." Personality and Social Psychology, 113(1), 117-143. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspp0000096

3 - 20 authors Ouyang, K., Cheng, B. H., Lam, W., & Parker, S. K. (2019). Enjoy your evening, be proactive tomorrow:
How off-job experiences shape daily proactivity. Journal of Applied Psychology, 104(8), 1003–1019.
https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000391

Pegion, K., Kirtman, B. P., Becker, E., Collins, D. C., LaJoie, E., Burgman, R., Bell, R., DelSole, R., Min,
21 AND MORE
D., Zhu, Y., Li, W., Sinsky, E., Guan, H., Gottschalck, J., Metzger, E. J., Barton, N. P., Achuthavarier, D.,
Marshak, J., Koster, R., . . . Kim, H. (2019). The subseasonal experiment (SubX): A multimodel
subseasonal prediction experiment. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 100(10), 2043-2061.
https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0270.1
Chicago/Turabian
formatting guidelines
General Information
Chicago and Turabian, which are two separate styles but very similar ones, are widely used for history and
economics.
Chicago style has two citation styles to let readers know that you used information from somewhere else and to show
them where to find it.
1. notes and bibliography style
2. author-date style.
Though different, each style allows you to tell your readers how you found your information.

The Chicago Notes and Bibliography (NB) system is often used in the humanities and provides writers with a system
for referencing their sources through footnote or endnote citation in their writing and through bibliography pages.

All text editors (Google Docs, MS Word, LibreOffice) have in-built function of making foot/endnotes. Do not
try to format them on your own! Go to ‘insert’ → ‘endnote/footnote’
Two Citation Styles

1) Notes and bibliography style.

This style uses footnotes or
endnotes to point readers to the
original source of the information.
This style also often provides a
bibliography at the end that
readers consult, but this is not
always necessary if sources are
cited in full in your text.
2) Author-date style. This style uses
parenthetical in-text citation to let
readers know to look at the
reference list at the end to find the
full citation for the information you
have used.
Footnotes or Endnotes?
● The most obvious difference between footnotes and endnotes is the placement of each within a paper. Footnotes are found
at the bottom of a page (i.e. in the footer) and endnotes are located at the end of a complete document, or sometimes at the
end of a chapter or section.
● Unless the instructions has told you otherwise, the choice between footnotes and endnotes is up to you. You just need to be
consistent and stick to one style or the other.
● If you don’t plan to have a bibliography at the end of your work, make sure you use the full footnote citation form the first time
you cite from a work. After the first citation, any other citations to the same work can then use a shortened form.
 ● It’s important to note that previous editions of the
Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) encouraged the
use of “ibid” when the same source was cited
multiple times in a row. “Ibid” is a Latin word
meaning “in the same place.”

● The 17th edition of the CMOS, however, overturns

"Ibid" Explainer
this recommendation because the use of “ibid” can
be confusing for readers and authors can easily cite
to the wrong source if they are not careful.

Use it or not?
● The current recommendation of the CMOS is to
always use the shortened form of the citation. If you
refer to the same work multiple times in a row, you
may leave out the shortened title and just list the
author’s last name and the page number to which
you are citing (See CMOS 14.34 for more
information.).
Author-Date Style
This style uses parenthetical in-text citations and a reference list to guide readers to the sources you cite. The in-text citation generally
includes the:
● Author’s last name
● Year of publication
● Page numbers referenced

Using the parenthetical citation, the reader can then look at the reference list and find full information for the source. The reference list
for this style is usually titled “References” or “Works Cited” and is organized in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. The
parenthetical in-text citation always comes at the end of a sentence, and is placed before the final punctuation.

The structure of in-text citation differs depending on the number of authors. If the source has 1-3 authors, they all are mentioned in the
parenthetical in-text citations. If the number of authors is 4+, then only the first author is mentioned with the subsequent "et.al."
Superscript Numbers for Footnotes
The small, raised numbers you see in footnotes are called superscript. It looks like
this:
See the example of superscript at the end of this sentence.1
Below, we will cover how to create superscript in a Google Doc and in a Word
document.
Google Doc
1. Highlight the number you want to turn into superscript.
2. Go to the “Format” section and follow this page: Format –> Text –> Superscript
3. Select “Superscript” to format the number.
4. If you’re using a keyboard, you can also try the following key combinations:
● Windows: [Ctrl] and [.]
● Mac: [Command] and [.]
Word document
1. Highlight the number you want to turn into superscript.
2. On the “Home” editing bar/menu, look for the superscript button. It looks like this:
[X2]
 HARVARD
formatting guidelines
Harvard style: general insights
● Harvard Style. While APA is primarily used in the USA, Harvard referencing is the most well used
referencing style in the UK and Australia, and is encouraged for use with the humanities.

● A Harvard in-text citation appears in brackets beside any quotation or paraphrase of a source.

● It gives the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication, as well as a page number or range
locating the passage referenced, if applicable.
A Colon and "p." in In-text Citations
There are 2 ways the page numbers may be indicated in the in-text citations in
Harvard style:
1) A page number is included for a direct quote. Place a colon directly after the year and separate multiple pages with a dash eg.
(Dombrow 2014:155) or (Wardell 2018:32-33). There is no spacing between these elements.
Ex.: Qualitative research is "an approach for exploring and understanding the meaning individuals or groups ascribe to a social or human
problem" (Creswell, 2014: 4).
2) After the year, there is a coma, and page number(s) are preceded by p./pp.
Note that ‘p.’ is used for a single page, ‘pp.’ for multiple pages (e.g. ‘pp. 1–5’).
Ex.: The novel begins with the grim image of the train passengers’ faces, which are described as ‘pale yellow, the colour of the fog’
(Dostoyevsky, 2004, p. 5).

When your sentence already mentions the name of the author, it should not be repeated in the citation:
Ex.: Woolf introduces the essay’s topic as ‘women and fiction’ (2000, p. 5), going on to discuss the various connotations of the phrase.

P.S.: To understand, which way to follow, look at the instructions or specify this information with your Customer
In-text Citations in Different Cases
Sources with multiple authors
When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors’ names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ‘et al.’:
Number of authors In-text citation example
1 author - (Davis, 2019)
2 authors - (Davis and Barrett, 2019)
3 authors - (Davis, Barrett and McLachlan, 2019)
4+ authors - (Davis et al., 2019)

Sources with no page numbers

Some sources, such as websites, often don’t have page numbers. If the source is a short text, you can simply leave out the page number. With
longer sources, you can use an alternate locator such as a subheading or paragraph number if you need to specify where to find the quote:
Ex.: (CDC, para. 4)
Multiple citations at the same point
When you need multiple citations to appear at the same point in your text – for example, when you refer to several sources with one phrase – you
can present them in the same set of brackets, separated by semicolons. List them in order of publication date:
Ex.: Several in-depth studies have investigated this phenomenon during the last decade (Singh, 2011; Davidson, 2015; Harding, 2018).
Multiple sources with the same author and date
If you cite multiple sources by the same author which were published in the same year, it’s important to distinguish between them in your citations.
To do this, insert an ‘a’ after the year in the first one you reference, a ‘b’ in the second, and so on:
Ex.: The results of the first study (Woodhouse, 2018a) were inconclusive, but a follow up study (Woodhouse, 2018b) achieved a clearer outcome.
 ASA Style
formatting guidelines
General Information
ASA style is one more format that is used by the world's universities and was presented by American Sociological
Association.

If an abstract is needed, it should be on a separate page, immediately after the title page, with the title of the
document as the heading. On the same page as the abstract, include a list of three to five words that help to
identify main themes in the manuscript.

Use subheadings to organize the body of the manuscript. Usually, three different levels of headings should be
sufficient.

Footnotes and endnotes are used to cite materials of limited availability, expand upon the text, or to add
information presented in a table. You can generate citations either by yourself, or by means of any of the
citation tool choosing APA format.
Pages should be numbered consecutively (1, 2, 3...) starting with the title page and including the references
page(s), or as specified by journal or course instructor.
General Life Hacks and
Pieces of Advice
Citation Tools
In the majority of cases, you do not need to generate the citations for the
Reference, Works Cited, Bibliography etc. pages manually. Use citation
generating tools instead:

● Citation Machine
● MyBib
● CiteThisForMe
Titles Formatting
Titles of different sources are capitalized, quoted, and italicized. The table
shows when:
Italics "Quotation Marks" Capitalized Text

Book Long poem Articles Sacred Writings

Pamphlet Essays Diseases (personal names
Movie Music album Play Book Chapters that appear within these)
Journal Newspaper Short Stories Acronyms
Magazine Short Poems Conventional Titles
Musical Opera Songs
Painting Sculpture Website Radio Episodes
TV show Radio show TV Episodes
Court case
Computer/video game
Anthology/collections
Airplane/spacecraft/train
Other Important Nuances
Quotation: always place the quotation in double quotation marks ("......")

N.D. - in APA (and all styles where the date of publication is required), when the year of
publication is not available, place "n.d" after the author's name. Ex.: (Anderson, n.d.)

Year + Month: when citing information taken from newspapers and magazines, the
(year + month) format is applicable in the Reference page (in-text citations mention only
the year).
Ex.: Popkin, G. (2020, August 12). Global warming could unlock carbon from tropical soil.
The New York Times.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/12/climate/tropical-soils-climate-change.html

When there is no author: If the work does not have an author, cite the source by its
publisher, title, its shorter variant or use the first word or two in the parentheses.
Ex.: Organization Name. (n.d.). Page title. Website Name. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
Good Luck! and
Thank you for you attention!