MLA        Set up for your research paper- BEFORE YOU BEGIN TYPING

General Guidelines

1.    Double-space the text of your paper, and use a legible font (e.g. Times New Roman). Whatever font you choose, MLA recommends that the regular and italics type styles contrast enough that they are recognizable one from another. The font size should be 12 pt.

2.    Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks (unless otherwise instructed by your instructor).

3.    Set the margins of your document to 1 inch on all sides.

4.    Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times.

5.     INSERT/Create a header that numbers all pages consecutively in the upper right-hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right margin.