Student's guide to writing college papers, Fourth edition - Kate L. Turabian 2010

Appendix A: Formatting your paper

A.1.1 Title

Every paper must have a title and identifying information. For papers of five or more pages, you should locate the title and identifying information (name and class) on a separate title page. For papers of four or fewer pages, you may omit a title page and locate this information at the top of page 1. Ask your teacher which he prefers.

✵ Title page. On a separate page, print the title about one-third from the top. Add your identifying information and the date about one-third from the bottom.

✵ Title on page 1. Print your title at the top of the first page of your paper. Skip two double-spaced lines and add your identifying information and the date. Skip two more double-spaced lines and begin the main text of your paper.

Print the title and identifying information in the same typeface as the main text, centered. If you have a subtitle, put the main title on the first line, followed by a colon, with the subtitle on the next line. Capitalize your title headline style (see 23.1.3). For identifying information, print on separate lines your name, your course and teacher, and the date you turn in the paper.

A.1.2 Text

Set up your word processor to print with the following characteristics:

✵ typeface: 12 point, roman, proportional serif font (such as Times or Palatino)

✵ double-spaced, including block quotations

✵ margins: at least 1 inch and no more than 1.5 inches

✵ paragraphs: first line indented .25 or .5 inch

A.1.3 Header

Create a header for all pages starting at page 2. Against the right margin put your name, followed by a hyphen, followed by the page number, all in 10-point type. The title page is page 0; the first page of text is page 1. Do not put a header on page 1.

A.1.4 Notes

Use the same format for individual notes, whether you print them as footnotes or endnotes. They should be single-spaced with 10-point type. Indent the first line the same amount as paragraphs. Note numbers can be superscripts or in regular type followed by a period. Print all notes as footnotes unless your teacher directs otherwise.

FOOTNOTES. If your software does not do it for you, place each footnote at the bottom of the page that includes its in-text reference. Use a two-inch line to separate footnotes from the main body of the paper.

ENDNOTES. Place endnotes on a separate page after the main text but before the bibliography. Center the heading “Notes” at the top of the page. Skip a line, then list the notes in numerical order. Skip a line between notes.

A.1.5 Bibliography

List all your sources on a separate page at the end. At the top of the page, center the title of the list appropriate to your citation style (Bibliography, Works Cited, or Reference List). Put bibliographical entries in the same typeface as the main text, double-spaced, with a hanging indent that matches the paragraph indentation. Consult part 2 for detailed information on how to create bibliographical entries.