12 formats · Structure, length, style, checklist
Every paper type your degree assigns
Each format page gives you the whole picture: what the genre is for, its exact section skeleton, realistic word counts, which citation style applies, how long it genuinely takes, and a pre-submission checklist mapped to real rubric lines.
APA 7 vs MLA 9 vs Chicago — at a glance
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| Dimension | APA 7sciences & nursing | MLA 9humanities | Chicagohistory & fine arts |
|---|---|---|---|
| In-text citation | (Smith, 2024) | (Smith 12) | Footnote + bibliography |
| Two authors | (Smith & Jones, 2024) | (Smith and Jones 12) | Both names in the footnote |
| 3+ authors | (Smith et al., 2024) — first citation | (Smith et al. 12) | First author et al. in note |
WhyAPA 7 simplified: et al. from the very first citation (APA 6 made you list up to five names first — that era is over). MLA and Chicago agree on the et al. form, making this the one rule that transfers across all three styles. | |||
| Title page | Required: title, name, school, course, instructor, date | None — heading block on page 1 | Title page common in papers |
| Headings | 5 levels: centered bold → flush bold → bold italic → inline bold | Usually none; styled prose only | Headline-style or sentence-style levels |
| Running head | Professional papers only: CAPS title, flush left, ≤50 chars | Surname + page number, top right | Page numbers only |
| Quotes 40+ words | Block quote: indent 0.5", no quotation marks | Block quote: indent 1", no quotation marks | Block quote: indent, single-spaced allowed |
| Reference list name | References | Works Cited | Bibliography |
| Article titles in the list | Sentence case, no quotes, no italics | “Headline Case in quotes” | “Headline Case in quotes” |
| DOI / URL | DOI as https://doi.org/... link, no 'Retrieved from' | URL or DOI without https:// | DOI or URL at note's end |