Research papers require a bibliography or list of sources, which the MLA style guide calls the Works Cited list and the APA style guide calls the References list. When creating a bibliography, many style guides like MLA and APA ask for the list to be formatted with a hanging indent. This format keeps the first line flush to the left-hand margin and the second and subsequent lines indented. See the examples from an MLA Works Cited below: 

 

“Cheating Scandal Met Its Foil in U. Va. Leader.” University of Virginia News, 6 May 2002, 

             www.virginia.edu/topnews/releases2002/hall-may-6-2002.html. 

Gooden, Angela, et al. “Learning to Make a Difference.” College and Research Libraries News, vol. 64, no. 7,

            2003, pp. 443-454. 

McCabe, Donald L., and Patrick Drinan. “Toward a Culture of Academic Integrity.” 

            Chronicle of Higher Education, 15 Oct. 1999, pp. B7, www.chronicle.com/article/Toward-a Culture-of-

            Academic/15639.  

 

Microsoft Word Instructions

Using Microsoft Word, you can format the hanging indentation automatically with these steps:

1. Select all the sources.
2. Right click on the highlighted text and click “Paragraph.”
3. Near the top of the box, under Indentation, where it says Special: (none), click the drop-down box and choose Hanging. Note that you want the numbers under Spacing to both be set to zero. See example to the right. 
4. Click OK at the bottom of the box and your source list should be properly formatted.

Office 365 Instructions

When using Office 365, you can format the hanging indentation with the same steps as you would with Word, or you can follow these steps:

1. Select all the sources so that the text is highlighted.
2. Click on the three dots next to the “Find” option.
3. Scroll down to “Special indent” and in the sub-menu, scroll down to “Hanging” and left click and your source list should be properly formatted.

Google Docs Instructions

Using Google Docs, you can format the hanging indentation automatically with these steps:

1. Select all the sources. 
2. Choose “Format” from the top menu. In the pop-up menu, choose “Align & indent,” and in the sub-menu, choose “Indentation options” at the very bottom of the list.
3. In the new window, titled Indentation options, where it says Special: (none), click the drop-down box and choose Hanging. Leave the spacing at 0.5 inches, which is the default. See example to the right. 
4. Click OK at the bottom of the box and your source list should be properly formatted.

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