Introduction:
When preparing a formal paper, the paper must be plain, white, 8 ½ x 11”, and bound by one staple in the upper left-hand corner.
Title Page Directions:
Follow the directions below and your title page will be centered perfectly.
A. 8 enters (moves about one-third down the page)
B. Title is in Capital letters.
C. Title must be centered in the middle of the page.
Path Structure: Under FormatYJustificationYCenter
D. Title can be in slightly larger font size then the text.
A. Hit Enter 12 times after the title.
B. Type and center the name of the writer.
C. Enter 16 times after the name of the writer.
D. Type and center the name of the course.
E. Enter 2 times and type the name of the teacher
F. Enter 2 times and type the date
Course, teacher, and date are near the bottom of the page
Format:
A. Spacing:
All papers are to be double-spaced. DO NOT force the double spacing by pressing enter at the end of each line. INSTEAD, let WordPerfect adjust the line spacing. This can be done as one step at the beginning of the document.
Path Structure: Under FormatYLineYSpacing
If you should forget to do this at the beginning of your paper, you can still change part or all of your paper to double spacing by following these steps:
Select YControl A (highlights all of your work), then follow the Path Structure above. Your work will then be correctly spaced. You may have to do some manual corrections but the work from that point on will be double spaced.
B. Margins:
DO NOT move the margins. They are defaulted to the correct measurements.
C. Page Numbers:
The first page is started one-third down the page, at the 3” line (left hand side of screen). No title or page number is required for the first page.
For all the other pages, the page number is typed one inch from the top at the right hand margin. Let the computer do it for you!
Path Structure: Under FormatYPageYNumbering.
D. Font and Size:
When typing a report, use a regular font such as Times New Roman or Arial and size 14.
E. Justification:
Justification means how the text is lined up and distributed on the page. To fully justify is to make the text to be equally spaced and in block style. You can do this at the beginning or at any time during or after you are finished typing your essay by following these steps:
Path Structure: Under FormatYJustificationYFull
Or if after beginning or finished typing - Control A then the steps above
F. Word Count:
To find out the number of words that your report follow these directions if using WordPerfect:
Path Structure: Under FileY PropertiesY Information
G. Referencing Within The Text:
In research papers and in any other writing that borrows information from other sources, the borrowed information – whether it be quotations, summaries, statistics, or anything not considered common knowledge – must be clearly documented. The most commonly used and simplest, means of documenting your sources is to use “in-text citations”. This method recommends that the reference be given in the text of the paper instead of at the end of the page. This means placing the name of the person whom you took your information from, and the page number in brackets immediately after where you placed the borrowed information. (Jones 36)
Each type of book, magazine, newspaper, and encyclopedia are done a little bit different, however, examples are given below of the most commonly used. If your source does not fall into these categories, please ask your teacher for assistance for citing your reference material.
Example 1 – Single Author
“ Hitler lead his troops into battle on foot because the railroads had to be used to take the Jews to the concentration camps (Hughs 256). ZNote that the period for the sentence is after the brackets.
Example 2 – Internet (with Author listed)
If there is an author for the site that you have used, cite in the same as if it were a book but with no page number but the word “Internet” instead.
“ It was thought that Hitler had planned his suicide in advance” (Hardy Internet).
Example 3 – Internet ( with no author listed)
“The Renaissance is a French word meaning rebirth” (“Revival of Learning” Internet).ZNote quotation marks around title and again period after the brackets.
A list of all works used is listed on a separate sheet of paper, at the end of you paper. This page gives all the necessary publishing information about the work used in your paper, and is title Works Cited. This title is centered at the top of the page.
Your sources are listed in alphabetical order, beginning with the author’s surname (last name), if provided.
Example # 1 - Books with one Author
Atwood, Margaret. Lady Oracle. Toronto: McCelland & Stewart, 1976. Z Note comma after last name, period, after first name of author, two spaces between title and place of publication, colon after place of publication, comma after name of publisher and period after the date. ALL PUNCTUATION MUST BE CORRECT!
Example # 2 - Encyclopedia Article with Author Given
Collins, Kenneth. “Charles Dickens.” World Book Encyclopedia. 1995 ed.Z Again note punctuation and underlining.
Example # 3 - Encyclopedia Article with No Author
“ Columbia Icefield.” The Canadian Encyclopedia. 1988 ed.
Example # 4 – Internet (WWW): Author Given
Jones, Leonard. “Guidelines for Better Writing.” Online. Internet. 9 January, 2004. Available: http://www.usa.net/~jonesl/home/betterwriting.html Z Note punctuation!
Example # 5 – Internet (WWW): No Author Given (date is date read)
“Stalinism.” Online. Internet. 18 June, 2004. Available:http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Stalinism
If you have any other sources that do not fit these examples, please see your teacher for assistance.
Please note all punctuation that is used on the Word Cited Page.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
This booklet has been prepared in conjunction with the “Directions for Formal Papers at Three Oaks” Handbook