The Research Paper Format Survival Guide

You’ve poured hours into researching and drafting your paper. You’re finally ready to hit submit until you realize your formatting is all over the place. Wrong font? Double vs. single spacing? Where do the citations even go? Suddenly, your straightforward paper turns into a formatting nightmare.

The formatting of a research paper isn’t just about making it look nice. It’s about following specific academic style rules — APA, MLA, or Chicago — all of which have their own guidelines for citations, headings, margins, and that ever-important reference page. Get it wrong, and you risk losing points (or worse, credibility).

But don’t panic. This guide will break down exactly what you need to know about research paper format, style by style. 

And if you’d rather skip the stress, a custom research paper at PaperWriter will save you the stress of figuring out citations, margins, and headers.

Key Formatting Styles: Why Does It Matter?

Formatting a research paper is part of the grade. Professors don’t want random fonts or incorrect spacing. They want consistency. That’s why different academic fields have specific formatting requirements that dictate everything from the title page to the reference section. 

Every format of a research paper has its own rules, and they’re not interchangeable. What works for an English paper won’t cut it for a psychology assignment. Here’s a quick guide to the three most common styles:

APA Style is all about structure and clarity. If you’re in psychology, sociology, or education, expect a title page, an abstract, and in-text citations in (Author, Year) format. The reference page is strict about punctuation and formatting, so even a small mistake stands out.

MLA Style is minimalist but precise: no title page unless required, author’s name and page number (Author 23) for in-text citations, and a “Works Cited” page instead of a bibliography.

Chicago Style prefers footnotes over in-text citations and a detailed bibliography at the end. History professors love it because it gives more space for explanations in footnotes.

Formatting a Research Paper in APA

Formatting a paper in APA can feel like busywork. But if you're writing for psychology, sociology, or any social science, you have to get it right. APA format keeps everything structured, easy to follow, and uniform. Mess up the margins, forget the running head, or use the wrong font, and your professor will notice.

Here’s exactly how your paper should look in APA format:

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Title Page

Your APA title page is the first thing your professor will look at. Get it right, and you make a solid first impression. Get it wrong, and it looks sloppy before they even read a word of your paper. The good news is that the APA title page follows a simple structure. Just make sure everything is centered, properly spaced, and in the right order:

• Paper title: Bold, centered, and in title case (Capitalize Major Words)
• Your name: First and last name
• Institution: The name of your school or university
• Course name & number: For example, PSY 101: Introduction to Psychology
• Instructor’s name: As listed on your syllabus
• Due date: Written as Month Day, Year (Example: February 17, 2025)
• Page number: Top right corner of the page

Running Head

In APA 7th edition, the running head is simply the paper's title in all capital letters, aligned to the left in the header, with the page number aligned to the right.

For example, if your paper title is The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on College Students, your running head would be:

Headings

Headings in APA format help organize your paper and make it easier to read. They’re like signposts, guiding your professor through your arguments without confusion. There are five levels of APA headings, each with a specific format:

Reference Page

The APA reference page is where you list every source you cited in your paper with no exceptions. Professors pay close attention to this section, and mistakes (like missing a period or incorrect italics) can cost you points:

• Start on a new page titled “References” (bold and centered).
• List entries alphabetically by the author’s last name.
• Use hanging indent (first line flush left, rest indented 0.5 inches).
• Double-space everything with no extra spaces between entries.
• Italicize book titles and journal names but not article titles.
• Use (Author, Year) format for citations. Example: Walker, M. (2017).

Formatting a Research Paper in MLA

If you’re writing a paper for literature, philosophy, or the humanities, MLA format is the go-to style. It’s simpler than APA: no title page (unless required), no running head, and no abstract. 

But don’t let the simplicity fool you. MLA has its own set of rules, and your professor expects you to follow them exactly. From the first page to the Works Cited list, everything has to be formatted just right:

First Page

MLA format keeps things simple, which means no separate title page (unless your professor asks for one). Instead, everything you need goes right on the first page, formatted exactly as MLA requires:

• Your name: First and last name, aligned left
• Instructor’s name: Spelled correctly (seriously, don’t get this wrong)
• Course name & number: For example, PSY 101: Foundations of Psychology
• Date: Written as Day Month Year (Example: 17 February 2025)
• Paper title: Centered, in Title Case (No Bold, No Italics, No Underline)
• Header: Your last name + page number, right-aligned in the top corner

Page Header

The MLA page header goes in the top right corner of every page and includes:

• Your last name
• The page number (automatically updates as pages increase)

Works Cited Page

The Works Cited page is where you list every source you used in your paper. MLA has strict rules for formatting, so make sure to follow these guidelines:

• Start on a new page titled "Works Cited" (centered, no bold, no underline).
• Alphabetize by the author’s last name (or by title if no author).
• Use a hanging indent (first line flush left, the rest indented 0.5 inches).
• Double-space everything with no extra spaces between entries.
• Italicize book and journal titles, but article and webpage titles go in quotes.

Formatting a Research Paper in Chicago

If you’re writing a paper for history, business, or the arts, Chicago style (sometimes called Turabian) is likely the format you need. Unlike APA or MLA, Chicago gives you two options for citations:

1. Notes and bibliography style (most common for humanities): Uses footnotes or endnotes for citations and a full bibliography at the end.
2. Author-date style (used in sciences and social sciences): Uses in-text citations (Author, Year) similar to APA, with a reference list.

Whichever method you use, Chicago formatting has strict rules for margins, fonts, and spacing:

Title Page

In Chicago style, the title page is required for most research papers. Unlike MLA (which skips it) and APA (which follows a strict format), Chicago gives you more flexibility, but there are still clear rules to follow:

• Title of your paper: Bold, centered, and placed about one-third down the page.
• Your name: Centered a few lines below the title.
• Course name & number: Centered below your name.
• Instructor’s name: Listed under the course information.
• Due date: Written as Month Day, Year (Example: February 17, 2025).

Bibliography or Reference List

In Chicago style, your source list goes at the very end of your paper:

• Title it “Bibliography” or “References,” centered at the top of a new page.
• Alphabetize sources by the author's last name.
• Use a hanging indent with the first line flush left, the rest indented 0.5 inches.
• Single-space within entries, double-space between them.
• Italicize book and journal titles; article and webpage titles go in quotation marks.

Need more guidance? Check out these research paper examples to see how proper formatting looks in action.

Final Tips for Getting Your Research Paper Format Right

Formatting might seem like a small detail, but getting it wrong can cost you points even if your paper is well-written. Here’s a simple checklist to keep everything in order:

• Use the right format
• Stick to standard fonts & spacing
• Determine if you need a title page or not
• Page numbers & headers matter
• Citations must be spot-on

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