The Chicago Manual of Style does not prescribe rules of formatting an essay or research paper; the following are generally held standards for title pages, print size, margins, and spacing.
Note: If your instructor has his or her own requirements, follow them. These guidelines are the most commonly required.
Font
Writers should use a widely supported, legible font like the following:
Times New Roman, 12 pt.
Calibri, 11 pt.
Aptos, 11 pt.
Arial, 10 pt.
Style
Double-space throughout the essay, including the bibliography (some course instructors may prefer entries to be single-spaced; check with your professor). Note that footnotes, endnotes, and block quotations are single-spaced.
Indent
When beginning a new paragraph, indent five spaces or 1/2 inch. Keep the text alignment to the left.
Title Page
There is no official guidance on title pages presented in the 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. However, their editors recommend the following format, noting that a professor's preference overrules their suggestions.
- Place the title one third down the page, center-aligned
- If there is a subtitle, include the colon on the title line and have the subtitle on the line below
- Several lines below it, include any information requested by the professor. Typical information includes the professor's name, course title, and date
Don't underline, italicize, or bold the title, and it is not necessary to put in quotation marks or in block capitals.
Capital Case
Capitalize the first word, the last word, a word following a colon, and all principal words: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, subordinating conjunctions.
Don't capitalize the following parts of speech if they fall in the middle of a title: articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, "to" in an infinitive, such as to go, to sleep, to believe.
Number All Pages but the Title Page
Number all pages, except the title page, at the top right corner. You don't need p or pp, or any punctuation following the number. You may include your last name before each page number as a precaution against lost pages: (Bealey 4). Microsoft word will save you time by numbering every page and will let you create a running head of your name and the page number.
Notice:
Don't forget to proofread carefully as well as running a spell check and grammar check. There are many differences among Canadian, American, and British spellings of some words, so choose your preference (Canadian) and make sure your spell check is set to it. Be consistent throughout your essay. Don't spell the word "centre", as "centre" in one place and as "center" in another.