| Truex 1 Linda Truex Mrs. Sharp History 1 9 September 2002 How To Type a MLA Research Paper A MLA research paper is a formal paper. There are specific instructions that must be followed in order to format the paper correctly. All MLA research papers are double-spaced. The font size is 12- point font size and the font style is either Times New Roman or Courier New. The margins are 1� inch top and bottom and 1� left and right. This paper is an example of MLA style. Notice that the writer�s last name and the page number is placed .5 inch from the top of the page. In order to accomplish this, the typist must put the cursor on the first page of the report, go to View in the Menu Bar and down to Header and Footer. A header box will appear. Go to align right. Type the writer�s last name, space one time, and click on the �Insert Page Number� icon on the Header and Footer toolbar to insert a page number for the first page. Doing this will automatically number the following pages consecutively. After the header has been typed, click on the word, �close,� and the dialog box will disappear. You are now ready to begin the four-line heading. The four-line heading has to be typed in special order. The order is as follows: the writer�s name, the teacher�s name, the name of the course, and the date written in military style (i.e. 20 November 1999). When proceeding to page two, the program will automatically put the writer�s name and page 2 (i.e. Truex 2) at the top of the next page in the header. Each of the pages in the report, two through two billion, will be numbered automatically by the computer. Paragraphs should be indented. Pressing the tab key on the keyboard indents paragraphs. When the author�s last name and the page number(s) are cited within a parenthesis, two spaces precede the opening parenthesis like this: This is an internal citation (Truex 120). The Works Cited page contains all the resources for the report. It is double-spaced and indented in reverse order (second line indented instead of the first). The resources are in alphabetical order. Be sure to space two times after a period that separates the sections in a resource. (For citations, refer to MLA Handbook.) Remember, the paper that you type is really a �picture of you.� Your paper should be neat, clean, and error free. Your paper will look good�and you will, too. |