Proper formatting is not just about aesthetics — it signals professionalism, makes your paper easier to read, and is often a hard requirement for acceptance. This guide covers the three most common academic formats.
General Structure
Regardless of the citation style, every research paper should include:
- Title Page — Paper title, author name(s), institutional affiliation, date.
- Abstract — A 150–250 word summary of the paper.
- Body — Introduction, Literature Review (optional), Methodology, Results, Discussion, Conclusion.
- References — Every source you cited, formatted consistently.
APA Format (7th Edition)
Used widely in social sciences, education, and psychology.
- 12pt Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.
- Running head on every page (shortened title, up to 50 characters).
- In-text citations:
(Author, Year)orAuthor (Year). - Reference list alphabetised by last name; hanging indent.
- Headings follow a five-level hierarchy (bold, italic, indented, etc.).
IEEE Format
Standard in engineering and computer science. Published papers use a two-column layout.
- 10pt Times New Roman, single-spaced, two columns.
- In-text citations: numbered in square brackets
[1], in order of appearance. - References numbered sequentially (not alphabetised).
- Figures and tables centered within a column or spanning both.
MLA Format (9th Edition)
Common in humanities, literature, and languages.
- 12pt Times New Roman, double-spaced, 1-inch margins.
- No separate title page (header with name, instructor, course, date on page 1).
- In-text citations:
(Author Page)— no comma, no "p." - Works Cited page alphabetised; hanging indent; italicised titles.
Which Format Should You Use?
Check your institution or target journal's guidelines. When in doubt:
- Science / Engineering → IEEE
- Social Sciences / Education → APA
- Humanities / Literature → MLA
PaperNova accepts all major formatting styles. Just make sure your chosen format is applied consistently throughout the paper.