Ways to Format a Paper

Essentially there are a number of different possible formats for writing a paper. However, it is important to note that your papers should always conform exactly with what your instructore has pointed out he is looking for. The paper format generally gives an answer to the question "what does your paper look like?" the format of the paper provides the first impression to the reader and may communicate a message to them, for instance, whether you are keen in following set rules. Basically, there are several rules of formatting styles that you may use in accordance to the needs of the paper, such as APA, MLA, AMA, ASA, CSE, Chicago, AP, and Turabian.

Despite this there also some important points to consider while formatting the paper. First, you may need to choose word processing while writing your paper. Actually, word processing is not only a good thing, but it is also an important technological device that makes your work to look good. Ignore word processing technology at your own peril!

Secondly, you should also consider spacing while formatting the paper. The most common spacing in the academic papers is double spacing. Similarly, the choice of font is also crucial. A serif typing font is commonly used, something like Times New Roman, and Calibri in a 12-point font size. You should not use anything fancy, for instance non-serif fonts, since they are not only hard to read but also they do not depict your seriousness in your work. It is also recommended that you use one-inch margins all the way around the edges, and the right margins are the most appropriate. Mainly, justified margins normally produces word divisions along with inappropriate spacing.

Titles are important, and should therefore be included. You should capitalize the first, last and important words of the title. It is also worth pointing out that a title can end in an exclamation mark or a question mark, but it does not end with a period. The structure of the title page normally depends on the formatting style that you have chosen. However, it is important to always place your name, date and the course number at the first page. It is important to ensure that you are familiar with the style you desire or that the instructor has requested you to use. More importantly, avoid using fancy graphics while preparing the title page.