Materials and typeface
Use good-quality 8½″ × 11″ white paper. Secure the pages with a paper clip.
Avoid a font that is unusual or hard to read.
Title page
Begin a college paper with a title page. Center all information on the page: the title of your paper, your name, the name of the course, and the date.
Pagination
The title page is counted as page 1, although a number does not appear. Number the first page of the text of the paper as page 2. Type the number in the top right corner of the page. Many instructors will want you to use a shortened form of the title before the page number.
Margins, spacing, and indentation
Leave margins of at least one inch on all sides of the page.
Double-space throughout the paper. Indent the first line of each paragraph one-half inch. When a quotation is set off from the text, indent it one-half inch from the left margin.
Abstract
Many science instructors require an abstract, a single paragraph that summarizes your paper. If your paper reports on research you conducted, use the abstract to describe your research methods, findings, and conclusions. Do not include bibliographic references in the abstract.
Headings
CSE encourages the use of headings to help readers follow the organization of a paper. Common headings for papers reporting research are Introduction, Methods (or Methods and Materials), Results, and Discussion. If you use both headings and subheadings for a long paper, make sure to distinguish clearly between them with your choice of typography.
Visuals
A visual should be placed as close as possible to the text that discusses it. In general, try to place visuals at the top of a page.
Appendixes
Appendixes may be used for relevant information that is too long to include in the body of the paper. Label each appendix and give it a title (for example, Appendix 1: Methodologies Used by Previous Researchers).
Acknowledgments
An acknowledgments section is common in scientific writing because research is often conducted with help from others. For example, you might give credit to colleagues who reviewed your work, to organizations that funded your work, and to writers who allowed you to cite their unpublished work.
Sample CSE title page
Johnson/Arnold, “Distribution Pattern of Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) on an Abandoned Golf Course”
Martin, “Hypothermia, the Diving Reflex, and Survival” (CSE)
Related topic:
CSE guidelines, reference list