VCSU Library Citation Guide

General Formatting Guidelines in Chicago Style

These guidelines are general formatting expectations, but always refer to your professor's requirements for formatting papers.

• Double space the main text of your paper
• Single space footnotes, block quotes, and bibliography entries
• Use 1 inch margins, this is the default for most word processors
• Start page numbers on the first page of your text.
• Use a legible 10-12 point font, for example Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri

Title Page

• Class papers should begin with a title page (but some put the title on the first page - consult with your instructor). 
• Place the title of the paper a third of the way down the page (centered)
• Several lines below the title, place your name, and other relevant information (such as date, instructor's name, etc.) 

Visit the Purdue Owl sample paper for an example title page.

Bibliography

• Put "Bibliography" at the top center of the page
• Leave two lines between "Bibliography" and the first entry
• Put one blank line between each entry
• Entries should be single spaced
• Arrange entries alphabetically
• When using multiple sources by the same author, alphabetize by title