How to Format a Written Report
When composing a written report in college, you will often have to format the document in a particular way. Academia requires a uniform way of formatting a document so as to keep work neat and not to distract the content from its format on the page. There are various recognized formatting styles such as APA, Chicago and MLA. The method that you must adhere to will be dependent upon your school, college or examining body. There are, however, universal format techniques that you can implement.
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Instructions
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Find out which style guide you need to refer to. The American Psychological Association (APA) is particularly associated with the social sciences. MLA is considered a choice for graduates and professional writers. The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago) is considered the de facto standard for American English reports.
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Double space your work. All style guides will require you to double space your work; this is to make sure that your copy is easy to read and mark.
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Use a 10- to 12-pt font size, with a Times New Roman or similar font, on regular-sized paper. These rules are universal rules between different style guides and implemented to maintain a uniform look in work. These style rules also stop the usage of illegible font sizes or faces.
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Set your paper margins to be around an inch in size and always use standard size paper for your work. When laying out the headers and footers on each page, consult your particular style guide for what is required in each (this differs between guides).
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Reference all quoted or paraphrased work in line with your style guide format.
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