The following are general guidelines for formatting papers in MLA 9th style. If your professor provides alternate instructions, follow those instead.
- Margins: 1" all around (except for the page number)
- Font: Select an easily readable font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc. Size should be 12pt.
- Line-spacing: Double-space throughout the paper, including the heading, title, any block quotes, and your Works Cited page.
- Page Numbers: All pages should be numbered in the top right hand corner, ½ inch from top. Last name appears before the page numbers.
- Heading: Appears in top left corner. Include your name, your instructor's name, the course number, and the date. Date must be written in the following format: dd Month yyyy.
- Title: Centered and plain text (no italics, underlining, or other special formatting).
- Works Cited: Double-spaced with ½ inch hanging indent. Alphabetize citations by the author's last name. If no author is provided, use the title of the source instead.
Want to save time formatting your paper? Download this MLA Research Paper Template for Microsoft Word.
MLA Handbook 9th Edition