How to Write a Manuscript in ASA Format
Take care of the technicalities., Begin with a title page., Include the abstract after the title page., Understand how to format the different levels of heading.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Take care of the technicalities.
There are a number of small technical features that are characteristics of ASA.
Although they are only minor details, it is very important to get them correct.
Remember to:
Choose a legible font; it should generally be 12 point.
Set margins to
1.25 inches (3.2 cm) on all sides, unless otherwise specified.
Double space the lines of the text.
Number your pages beginning with the title page.
Number graphs or tables in order, as well.
Only use one space after end punctuation.
Use italics to place emphasis on a word.
Use footnotes or endnotes to add more information. -
Step 2: Begin with a title page.
Center the title horizontally at least five lines down from the top of the page.
Use title case for capitalization, meaning you only capitalize the important words.
Don’t capitalize prepositions, articles, or conjunctions unless they are at the beginning or the end or follow colons.
Besides the title, you should also include the author’s name, as well as the university or organization the author(s) are affiliated with.
It’s standard to include a word count on this page.
An example of a title case capitalization would be: “The Mad Dog in the Fog”. , If you need to include an abstract, it should go after the title page.
The abstract is a short summary of your paper.
It should include your thesis, your main ideas, and your conclusions, all written as concisely as possible in about 100 words.
You want to give your reader enough of your argument so that she knows if she wants to read the whole thing for her research.
Begin the text of the paper on a new page.
Use the title again here. , You generally use three levels of subheadings in papers.
With the top level, capitalize all letters in the heading.
With the second level, use title case.
With the third heading, use sentence case for capitalization, meaning you only capitalize the first letter of the heading and the first letter after a colon.
Don’t use a bold font for any heading, but do use italics for the third level.
Also, the third level should be pushed all the way to the left.
The headings levels look like this:
LEVEL ONE HEADINGS Level Two Headings Level 3 headings -
Step 3: Include the abstract after the title page.
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Step 4: Understand how to format the different levels of heading.
Detailed Guide
There are a number of small technical features that are characteristics of ASA.
Although they are only minor details, it is very important to get them correct.
Remember to:
Choose a legible font; it should generally be 12 point.
Set margins to
1.25 inches (3.2 cm) on all sides, unless otherwise specified.
Double space the lines of the text.
Number your pages beginning with the title page.
Number graphs or tables in order, as well.
Only use one space after end punctuation.
Use italics to place emphasis on a word.
Use footnotes or endnotes to add more information.
Center the title horizontally at least five lines down from the top of the page.
Use title case for capitalization, meaning you only capitalize the important words.
Don’t capitalize prepositions, articles, or conjunctions unless they are at the beginning or the end or follow colons.
Besides the title, you should also include the author’s name, as well as the university or organization the author(s) are affiliated with.
It’s standard to include a word count on this page.
An example of a title case capitalization would be: “The Mad Dog in the Fog”. , If you need to include an abstract, it should go after the title page.
The abstract is a short summary of your paper.
It should include your thesis, your main ideas, and your conclusions, all written as concisely as possible in about 100 words.
You want to give your reader enough of your argument so that she knows if she wants to read the whole thing for her research.
Begin the text of the paper on a new page.
Use the title again here. , You generally use three levels of subheadings in papers.
With the top level, capitalize all letters in the heading.
With the second level, use title case.
With the third heading, use sentence case for capitalization, meaning you only capitalize the first letter of the heading and the first letter after a colon.
Don’t use a bold font for any heading, but do use italics for the third level.
Also, the third level should be pushed all the way to the left.
The headings levels look like this:
LEVEL ONE HEADINGS Level Two Headings Level 3 headings
About the Author
Frances Knight
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in crafts and beyond.
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