Overview of MLA Style Research Papers

MLA Citation Links & Citation Makers

Title Page Format & Layout

Works Cited Page Format & Layout

MLA Citations

Please follow the links above for assistance with your page layout.

MLA recommends the use of a professional font. Therefore the following are to be used at Riverheads High School.

• Times New Roman

• 12 pt.

• Use a high quality printer (e.g. ink jet or laser jet)

• Use the front side of the paper only

• Use good quality 8½ x 11 white paper

MLA recommends the use of the following for all formal papers.

• Top, bottom, & sides margins are all 1 inch.

• Indentions for all paragraphs are ½ inch or 5 spaces.

• For all large or set-off quotations use 1 inch spacing from the left margin.

MLA recommends the following for spacing of all research papers.

• Double spacing between all lines of written text.

• One space between all punctuation marks (although 2 spaces after a period in optional).

MLA does not recommend the use of a title page; therefore page 1 should follow the format listed below. 

(Title page use is at the discretion of the classroom teacher and their requirements may vary.)

The heading for a research paper does not go into the header of a paper and follows the format listed below.

• The heading begins 1 inch from the top of the page and is double spaced between each required item.

• First Name, Middle Initial, Last Name

• Teacher Name

• Course Name and/or Course Number

• Date (Day Month Year) [e.g., 8 Oct. 2008]

The title of the paper should follow the following format.

• Titles should follow directly follow a double space under the heading.

• Titles should be centered.

• Titles should be 12 pt.

• DO NOT use the following in research paper titles:

  • Underlined text unless it is another author’s work such as the title of a book (e.g., The Great Gatsby)

  • All capital letters

  • Bold print

  • Quotations marks unless using another author’s work such as the name of a poem or magazine article (e.g., “Richard Corey”)

MLA recommends the use of a page numbering in the following manner:

• All pages are consecutively numbered.

• Page numbers should be in the header of the paper with a right margin justification.

• The student’s last name should in front of the page number.

• DO NOT use a comma before the page number

• Spacing should be a ½ inch from the top of the page.