To change the indentation format for a document, choose Select All from the Edit menu. Instructions: This should be the default for Word, but if not, you might want to change your Normal style, as described above.

Rule: The first line of each paragraph should be automatically indented. Make sure you leave the gutter set to 0” or you’ll mess up your document formatting. Instructions: Go to the Format menu, drag down to Document, change the margins, and the click on the Default button and accept the change to the Normal template. Page length requirements are based on 1” margins. This should be the default for Word, but if your default setting is to have left and right margins of 1.25”, change your default. Rule: Papers submitted for review or grading should have 1” margins all around. I haven’t yet updated them to include instructions for the 2007 version of Word for Windows, but the tools should nevertheless be easy to find if you look around on the toolbar at the top. Note: These instructions apply to all versions of Word for Mac and for the 2003 version of Word for Windows. Consider the impact of unusual formatting: not only does it call attention to your paper in a way that might not be positive, professors might also see it as a sign that you’re trying to artificially inflate page length. Using unusual or highly distinctive formatting, on the other hand, suggests that your previous schooling did not adequately prepare you for university work. Using standard formatting for academic papers shows that you understand the customs of the university community and therefore helps to boost your own credibility. Always clarify with your professor which set of guidelines he or she wants you to follow before you submit a paper. These rules apply to most of the papers you will submit in your college classes, but in some cases your professors will want you to follow specific guidelines that may differ from those below. This guide explains how to format your documents in Microsoft Word so that they follow the standard rules for formatting academic papers as described in most MLA and APA style books for undergraduate writing.

How to change source formatting in word