MLA Formatting - Full Paper
MLA - What Should it Look Like?
Formatting a Research Paper
The following formatting rules can be found in the MLA Style Center.
- Format your paper with 1 inch margins on all sides.
- Select an easily readable font (e.g. 12 point, Times New Roman)
- Double-space the entire paper. This should include text and the list of works cited.
- Indent the first line of each paragraph one inch from the margin.
- At the top left margin of the first page, type your name, your instructor’s name, the course number, and the date.
- Type the title of your paper in the top, center of the first page following the standard rules for titles in MLA Style.
- Include your last name and page numbers, consecutively on all pages in the upper right-hand corner.
- Include a list of works cited beginning on a new page at the end of your paper.
Click the pictures below for more examples and MLA formatting tips.
Sample "Works Cited" Page from Purdue Writing Lab Sample Papers from the Excelsior Online Writing Lab
