Select the paper on which your report will be printed. Research papers should be typed, on a clean piece of 8-inch by 11-inch paper. Use only one sheet for each page -- do not double side your research paper.
Ask your teacher if he or she requires a title page for proper research paper format. Some instructors do, while others prefer not to have a title page. It is always best to ask the teacher for specific guidelines and preferences. A basic title page should include the title of the paper, your name, your instructor's name and the course number.
If you are writing a long research paper, you may need to include a table of contents. Again, ask your instructor if he or she requires one. If so, outline the introduction, each body paragraph, your conclusion and your works cited, along with the page numbers on which the sections begin, for easy reference.
Double space your entire paper. This formatting style is preferred because it makes it easier for instructors to read and make corrections and comments.
Choose a standard font, such as Times New Roman or New Courier. Keep the size around 9 to 10 points. If you use a larger font, your instructor will likely think you are just trying to stretch out your paper to fill a page count requirement. Do not type your paper in all caps. This does not follow correct research paper format and your grade could suffer. Instead, capitalize the first word of each sentence and proper nouns. Leave a 1-inch margin around all sides of the paper.
Get your instructor's requirements on indentation. Some like the first line of each paragraph to be indented while others prefer it to begin at the left margin. Whichever they prefer, be sure to use that format throughout your entire research paper. Consistency in formatting improves the readability and look of your paper.