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MLA Style Research Papers Formatting Tips
Just like any format for professional writing, MLA format has a specific set of rules and formatting restrictions that you must follow in order to ensure that the paper is written properly. MLA format is typically used for writing assignments in English classes. Some of the most important guidelines for properly formatting your paper in MLA format include:
- You will need to write the paper in 12 point font
- The font will also need to be Times New Roman
- There are going to need to be one inch margins surrounding the entire paper
- You will need to have your paper double spaced through out the course of the entire paper
- You will only add one space after periods through out the entire paper
- At the beginning of every single paragraph through out the entire paper you will indent the first line of the paragraph
- The upper right hand corner will have your header repeated at the top of every page
- There are specific ways to type the names of longer works versus shorter works that are referenced through out your paper
These are just a few of the most important elements of writing a research paper in MLA style. There are a couple other elements of research papers in general that you are going to need to follow in order to have a properly formatted paper. If you are writing a research paper then you must:
- Cite any and all sources that are used in order to find information to support your argument
- The citations will have to follow every single usage of information that is not common knowledge
- The works will also need to be cited properly at the very end of the research paper on a works cited page
- The citations must be written properly for each specific type of literature
These are the most important facts that you need to consider about MLA formatting for research papers so that you make sure that you are writing your paper in the most appropriate ways possible. If you have been assigned a research paper for an English class then you are going to get very familiar with MLA formatting for research papers over the course of the next couple of days. While your teacher or professor might have very specific guidelines for the entire paper, these are the guidelines for MLA research papers in general so that you know that you are making sure that you are following the standardized format of MLA style writing.