The way you present your research tells a lot. First of all, the teacher will be able to know if you used the correct format which you were instructed to use in your research paper. Your cover page can also determine your grade since it is the first thing your professor will see whenever you hand in your research paper.
Therefore, ensuring that you do the correct thing is critical since your professor will begin marking from the cover page. Here are some tips you can consider to be able to improve on the way you present your cover page.
Understand What is a Research Paper Cover Page
This where the reader gets the first impression of your work. The reader can tell at this point that you have read and understood the instructions given since there are different ways you should write your cover page. It provides a glimpse of the topic and what is in the paper.
In most cases, the purpose of the cover page is to give your information, that is:
- Your full names and admission number
- The course names
- The title of your paper
- Your teacher’s name
- The date you submit the paper
Your professor might also ask you to include more information in your cover page other than those outlined above. Therefore, you should make sure that you read the instructions carefully. The header and the footer should also be as per the guidelines given by your instructor.
Tips on How to Make a Research Paper Cover Page
The most important thing you should first look is whether you are asked to use the MLA format or the APA format since both papers are presented differently.
In APA way of presenting your paper, there are several things that you should observe. These include:
- Running head
Put it on the first page on the header in all caps, making sure you only use necessary points. It should look like “Running head: KEY HEADING WORDS.” Also, remember to include the page numbers (right justified).
- Title
Place your heading at about a third of your page. The heading should be specific; therefore, you should avoid using too many words and abbreviations. It is okay when it is a two-line subject heading.
- Name
Your name should be under the title. Ensure you write your full name but do not use titles. In case you are doing your research with another person, include their name too right after yours.
- Institutional affiliation
This appears right after where you write the name of your school. In a case where you are doing your research paper with a person from a different university, separate your names writing the name of your school under each name.
NB: Ensure that the heading is well centered.
In an MLA format of a research paper, things to be followed are:
- Title
Write your title a third way down your cover page. Ensure that you capitalize the first letter of each word except articles like the, a, an, etc. Note that no punctuations should be used in your heading and the spacing should be double-spaced.
- Name
Skip several lines and write your name. If there are two or more people who you did the paper with, separate your names using “and.”
- Course or Class name
Skip several lines and write your course or class name.
- Instructor’s name
The name of your instructor should follow right after. Make sure you use of their appropriate titles — for example, Dr, Prof.
- Date
The date should follow in the next line. You are required to start with the day, then the month, finally the year.
NB: you should left justify your text contrary to that of the APA style. And make sure you format your paper appropriately whereby the margins are set to 1 inch.
There are times you might experience difficulties as soon as you begin writing your research paper. Making sure that the cover page of a research paper is well presented. It is essential since it is what the reader will see first. There are different places you can get help in such difficult times. You can seek professional advice from our qualified writers, and we will guide you on how to go about it.
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