Presentation and Layout of a Research paper
Academic Writing -term paper, thesis, research paper or a Masters dissertation- is more ambitious and demanding than essay writing of any form. It requires a student to follow specific requirements that are peculiar to the type of research assignment undertaken. Apart from conducting rigorous research and writing, it is essential to present your research in a definite format.
While typing the final draft of your thesis or dissertation on the computer, follow the given guidelines:
1. Font Style and Size: You must choose an easily readable type font. Times new Roman and arial are the most recommended. The advisable font size is 12 point.
2.Margins, spacing and Indentation: Format your pages and paragraphs before you begin writing. Leave one inch margin on all the four sides of the text, except for the page numbers which are half inch margined from below or bottom, as per the format. Some instructors might insist on one and half inch margin on the left.
Indentation is the space left before the beginning of a line or a sentence. The first word of each new paragraph is indented half an inch from the left margin. Quotations which are long are set off from the text and are indented one inch from the left margin.
Set your paragraph formatting to double line spacing. A research paper is double spaced throughout, including the paragraphs, quotations and bibliographic entries.
3. Turn off the justify and automatic hyphenation options.
4. Pagination: Turn on the automatic page numbering option in your word processor. Page numbers are written on the upper right-hand corner, half inch from the top and flush with the right margin. When writing a research paper it is essential to mention your last name before the page number as a precaution in case of misplaced pages. This can be omitted in case of a lengthy work like thesis which are bound.
One you have a final draft ready for print, you must keep the following guidelines in mind while printing, binding and submitting your research paper.
1. Quality and size of Paper: Use only white, thick and non erasable paper. The ideal size is 8-1/2-by-11 inch.
2. Quality of Printer: The quality of printer and the ink used in printing should be good. Pages printed with low quality printers and ink smudges easily and fades soon.
3. Presentation: The way you present your research paper depends entirely on your instructor. You may choose to bind your research paper to avoid getting the pages misplaced or lost. For more attractive finish you may use a plastic folder with a clip which can be easily removed and adjusted.
An effective presentation of your research increases the chances of your work being widely read as good presentation not only enhances aesthetic appeal of the text but also makes it legible and easily understandable. Proofread and correct your research paper for typos, spelling errors or other formatting problems which are not easily picked up on screen. We tend to skip many errors when we proofread our own writing, in such cases it is advisable to opt for excellent proofreading and editing services offered by custom writing UK.
