Page 1 of 4

Tips for Academic Writing
Pacific Oaks requires a lot of writing. Even though each paper will be unique in content there are some general rules of academic writing that can be applied to almost any assignment. The following tips are recommended for students writing papers at Pacific Oaks College. The writing recommendations in this handout are not meant to apply to the writing of a thesis. Margins The margins should be one inch on all sides of the paper. It is suggested that the margins be set before any writing is done. To set the margins in Microsoft Word click on “Page Setup” which is in the “File” menu and enter 1 in the margin boxes. Do not enter anything in the boxes that say “Gutter.” Press “OK” and the margins will be set for the rest of the paper. Other word processing programs work in a similar way.

Double Spacing Double spacing is a standard of academic writing. With a few exceptions all text should be double spaced and printed on only one side of the page. To set the line spacing go to the “Format” menu and click on “Paragraph.” Set the line spacing to “Double” and the “Before” and “After” settings to 0.

Complied by Keith Brown Ed.D.

8/25/09

Page 2 of 4

Font The most common fonts for academic writing are “Times,” “Times New Roman,” or “Courier.” with the size set to 12. Larger or smaller font sizes are not recommended. What is most important is to choose a font that is simple and easy to read. Justification The left side of the document is flush, that means all of the words on the left side line up to make a smooth edge. The right side is ragged meaning the words do not make a smooth edge. Title Page If a title page is to be included, place the title of the paper approximately one third of the way down the page. There are two basic styles to choose from. Center the title. In the lower right corner of the page put your name,