A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

hand) before submitting it. Software has simplified the task of formatting a paper, but it cannever fully replace your own judgment.A.1 General Format RequirementsThis section describes general format issues that apply to your paper as a whole. Fordiscussion of specific elements and their individual format requirements, see A.2. Yourinstructor, department, or university may have guidelines that differ from the advice offeredhere. If so, those guidelines take precedence.A.1.1 MarginsNearly all papers in the United States are produced on standard pages of 8½ × 11 inches.Leave a margin of at least one inch on all four edges of the page. For a thesis or dissertationintended to be bound, you may need to leave a bigger margin on the left side—usually 1½inches.Be sure that any material placed in headers or footers, including page numbers and otheridentifiers (see A.1.4), falls within the margins specified in your local guidelines.A.1.2 TypefaceChoose a readable typeface designed for text, such as Times Roman or Palatino, and use itthroughout. Avoid ornamental typefaces that distract readers and make your work seem lessserious. (For the characteristics of specific typefaces, see Robert Bringhurst, The Elements ofTypographic Style [Point Roberts, WA: Hartley & Marks, 2004].) For most papers, use atleast ten-point and preferably twelve-point type. Some universities require twelve-point typefor text and ten-point for footnotes or endnotes, table titles, and figure captions.A.1.3 Spacing and IndentationDouble-space all text in papers except the following items, which should be single-spaced:block quotations (see 25.2.2)table titles and figure captionsThe following items should be single-spaced internally but with a blank line between items:certain elements in the front matter (see A.2.1), including the table of contents and anylists of figures, tables, and abbreviationsfootnotes or endnotesbibliographies or reference listswww.itpub.net