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How to Cite Sources in SBL and Format Papers: Formats for Paper

by Steve Jung, rev./exp. 5/2024 by Sharon Ralston

Title Page Format - Student Supplement 2nd ed. - 2.8 and 3.1

Use all capital letters on the title page.

Center all elements, allowing two inches at the top and bottom margins and approximately two inches between each element.

ELEMENTS (in order):

  • [Name of Institution]
  • [Title of paper]
  • Submitted to [professor's name]
  • In partial fulfillment of [course number and name]
  • by [your name]
  • [month, day, year]

Headers and Page Numbers - Student Supplement 2nd ed. - 3

Page numbers appear on all pages except title page.

The numeral is centered, in the footer, one-half inch from bottom, on all pages that have a first level heading (section headings, chapter headings, and things like reference page or appendices).

On all other pages, the numeral is set flush right, in the header, one-half inch from the top.

Instructions about other items in a header are up to the instructor. It is not uncommon to have student name (last and first initial), course number, and/or the instructor's name in a header. Consult your instructions or ask.

Levels of Headings - Student Supplement 2nd ed. - 2.6

1 - CENTERED, ALL UPPERCASE, LONG TITLES ARE SINGLE-SPACED

2 - Centered, Bold, Upper and Lowercase Heading

3 - Centered, Upper and Lowercase Heading, not bolded

4 - Flush Left, Bold, Italics, Upper and Lowercase Heading

5 - Flush Left, Upper and Lowercase Heading

Spacing - Student Supplement 2nd ed. - 2.2

Text

Double space. No extra line between paragraphs.

Reference Page

Single-spaced, with a blank line between

Block Quotations (five or more lines)

Single-spaced, indented one-half inch, and set off from main text above and below by a blank line.

Margins, Fonts, and Indents - Student Supplement 2nd ed. - 2.1

Margins

1" margins on all sides.

Fonts
  • 12 pt (10 point in notes or below tables and figures)
  • a scalable font (Times New Roman or Arial, as examples)
Indents
  • First paragraph of new section or subsection should be justified to the left margin.
  • Indent first line of subsequent paragraphs one-half inch.

Citation Placement - Student Supplement 2nd ed. - 2.9

The citation should be placed where there is a pause in the text. It is often best at the end of the sentence, just before the final punctuation.

If there is a quotation, then the citation goes after the quotation mark, but before the final punctuation.

Block Quotations - Student Supplement 2nd ed. - 2.2

  • Five or more lines of text.
  • No quotation marks.
  • Single spaced.
  • one blank line before and one after the block quotation.
  • Entire quotation is indented 1/2" from left margin.
  • Citation comes after closing punctuation.

Reference Page Format - Student Supplement 2nd ed. - 3.5

  • Same font as the main text
  • Reference page has a two inch top margin
  • Title of reference page is centered and in uppercase (any of the following titles: Works Cited, Works Consulted, References, or Bibliography, depending on instructions)
  • leave two blank lines between title and first entry
  • First line is flush to left margin; subsequent lines indented one-half inch
  • one black line between entries
  • Entries are single-spaced
  • Entries arranged alphabetically by first element in citation (typically an author's last name)