Formatting an Academic Paper
This handout will provide guidance in formatting an academic paper: how to set
up document margins, indentations, font, alignment, page numbers, and document and
paragraph spacing in Microsoft Word (Note: this is a guide for standard setup. If a
student writer’s professor gives specific instruction for an academic paper
format, follow the instructed guidelines on the assignment’s rubric).
Document Margins
Final papers should have 1” margins on all sides. This can be changed by going
to the “Layout” tab and changing the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right margins to 1”, or by
going to Format > Document in the menu bar and changing the margins there. Make
sure the gutter is set to 0”.
Indentations
The first line of every new paragraph should automatically indent. If this is not the
default setting, change the indentation format for a document by clicking Format >
Paragraph in the menu bar. Look under the “Special” drop-down menu in the Indentation
section, and select “First Line.” This setting automatically indents the first line so that
student writers don’t have to do it manually.
Font
Academic papers should be written in an academic font: either Times New
Roman or Cambria. All papers should also be written with 12-point font. (Note:
Times New Roman and Cambria are the default fonts for Microsoft Word, and 12-point
font is also the default setting for font size).
Alignment
The text of your paper should be left aligned, NOT justified, as justified text is
hard to read if it hasn’t been professionally typeset. The default in Word is left alignment
so don’t change it.
