Research Paper Format: APA, MLA, IEEE & Chicago Complete Guide 2026

Meet the Expert

Vignesh Kumar

PhD Research Consultant & Academic Writing Specialist

• 10+ years guiding PhD scholars on research paper formatting and journal submission
• Expert in APA 7th, MLA 9th, IEEE, Chicago, and Vancouver citation styles
• Helped 400+ researchers format and publish in Scopus and Web of Science journals

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Indian PhD scholars writing for international journals face a consistent problem: they write excellent research but lose time in revisions because of formatting errors. This guide gives you the exact rules for each major format so you can format your paper correctly the first time.

APA Format (7th Edition) — Social Sciences, Management, Psychology

When to Use APA

APA (American Psychological Association) format is used in management, business, psychology, education, social sciences, and nursing. It is the most widely used academic citation style in India for PhD theses in management and social science disciplines.

APA 7th Edition Paper Structure

1. Title page — Paper title (bold, centred), author name, institutional affiliation, course/department, date. Running head is no longer required in student papers (removed in 7th edition)
2. Abstract — 150–250 words, single paragraph, no indentation, keywords listed below
3. Introduction — No heading labelled "Introduction" — the title of the paper serves as the heading
4. Method/Methodology — Bold heading, Level 1
5. Results — Bold heading, Level 1
6. Discussion — Bold heading, Level 1
7. References — Starts on a new page, centred bold heading

APA 7th In-Text Citation Format

• Author-date format: (Smith, 2023) or Smith (2023)
• Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2023)
• Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2023) from first citation
• Direct quote: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

APA 7th Reference List Examples

Journal article:
Smith, J. A., & Jones, B. C. (2023). Title of article. Journal Name, 45(3), 123–145. https://doi.org/10.xxxx

Book:
Kumar, R. (2022). Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners (5th ed.). SAGE.

Website:
Author, A. (2023, June 15). Title of page. Website Name. URL

APA Formatting Rules

• Font: Times New Roman 12pt or Calibri 11pt
• Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
• Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout
• Paragraph indent: 0.5 inch for first line of every paragraph
• Reference list: Hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inch)

MLA Format (9th Edition) — Humanities, Literature, Arts

When to Use MLA

MLA (Modern Language Association) format is standard in English literature, comparative literature, cultural studies, arts, and some humanities disciplines. Less commonly used in Indian PhD programmes but required by some universities for humanities theses.

MLA 9th Edition Paper Structure

MLA does not use a separate title page for most papers. Instead:

1. Top left of first page: Author name, instructor name, course, date (day month year format)
2. Title: Centred, not bolded, not italicised
3. Body paragraphs with no section headings (for short papers)
4. Works Cited page at the end

MLA In-Text Citation Format

• Author-page format: (Smith 45)
• Two authors: (Smith and Jones 45)
• Three or more: (Smith et al. 45)
• No comma between author name and page number

MLA Works Cited Examples

Journal article:
Smith, John A. "Title of Article." Journal Name, vol. 45, no. 3, 2023, pp. 123–145.

Book:
Kumar, Ranjit. Research Methodology. 5th ed., SAGE, 2022.

IEEE Format — Engineering, Computer Science, Technology

When to Use IEEE

IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) format is standard for engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, electronics, and technology disciplines. Required by all IEEE journals and conferences, and commonly used in Indian engineering PhD theses.

IEEE Paper Structure

1. Title — Centred, 24pt font in IEEE template
2. Author names and affiliations — Below title
3. Abstract — Italicised label "Abstract—", 150–250 words
4. Index Terms — Italicised label "Index Terms—", keywords listed
5. Introduction (Section I)
6. Body sections (Section II, III, etc.)
7. Conclusion
8. References — Numbered list in square brackets

IEEE In-Text Citation Format

• Numbered references in square brackets: [1], [2], [1], [3]
• References are numbered in order of first appearance in the text — not alphabetically
• Author name is not mentioned in-text — only the number

IEEE Reference List Examples

Journal article:
[1] J. A. Smith and B. C. Jones, "Title of paper," IEEE Trans. Neural Netw. Learn. Syst., vol. 34, no. 5, pp. 2345–2356, May 2023.

Conference paper:
[2] A. Kumar, "Title of paper," in Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Machine Learning, 2023, pp. 101–108.

IEEE Formatting Rules

• Two-column format for journal papers (use IEEE template)
• Times New Roman 10pt for body text
• Download IEEE LaTeX or Word templates from ieee.org for exact compliance

Chicago Format — History, Social Sciences, Some Humanities

When to Use Chicago

Chicago format (Chicago Manual of Style) is used in history, some social sciences, and fine arts. It has two systems: Notes-Bibliography (footnotes + bibliography, used in humanities) and Author-Date (in-text citations + reference list, used in social sciences).

Chicago Notes-Bibliography In-Text Citation

Uses footnotes: ¹ Smith, Research Methods, 45.

Chicago Author-Date In-Text Citation

Same as APA: (Smith 2023, 45)

Vancouver Format — Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy

Vancouver style (used in medical and health sciences) uses numbered references like IEEE but with a specific format for medical journals. Example: Smith JA, Jones BC. Title of article. J Med Res. 2023;45(3):123-145.

Choosing the Right Format: Quick Reference

"Formatting errors are the easiest rejections to avoid — and the most embarrassing. Format correctly before submission, not after the editor tells you to revise and resubmit on style grounds alone."

— Vignesh Kumar, PhD Research Consultant, Thesis Ace Writers