"Technical Talk"
All That Technical Stuff You Need to Know
Why? There are several reasons for following a strict set of rules for the technical aspects of an academic writing assignment. One of these reasons is just the practical side that says: “It looks and reads best this way.” With double spaced lines, the text is easier to read and size twelve font seems to be large enough to not be hard on the eyes, but small enough to not take up the whole page. Another reason is consistency. Typically, when an academic paper is assigned, its length is usually gauged by page number. In order to keep the amount of writing on a single page the same every time, certain guidelines have to be applied. For instance, if you could make the margins as large as you want, you may only write one page worth but spread it over five pages. Or if you make the margins teeny tiny, you can fit much more than one page worth of writing in. The last reason is simply to practice. You will be asked to format all your academic papers in this manner, so why not start practicing now?
How?
Example Essay:
Student Name
Hist. Gov. Writ.
Assignment #1
01/01/11
How?
- Size 12 font, Times New Roman (Or any other “Academic” font)
- Double Spaced (Always! This is a Biggie! I need to be able to read it
- 1” (One Inch) Margins (Always! Even if you need to fit more on the page, it’s better to go over the page limit than over the margin limit)
- Paragraph Indentation (On all paragraphs, including the first one
- Name, class name, assignment number, and date (in this order) in the upper left hand corner of paper.
- Title (Marked by something, may be larger font, bold font, underlined font. Always centered!)
Example Essay:
Student Name
Hist. Gov. Writ.
Assignment #1
01/01/11
Title
Paragraph indentation, you must have, and
double spaced lines for your paper to not be bad.
Don’t forget 12pt. Font. It’s a must!
And 1” margins, I trust. Do this, and you’ll see,
A perfect paper it will be.
double spaced lines for your paper to not be bad.
Don’t forget 12pt. Font. It’s a must!
And 1” margins, I trust. Do this, and you’ll see,
A perfect paper it will be.