How do I format citations with a hanging indent?

Answer

Both MLA and APA formats require full citations to be indented with a hanging indent on the Works Cited/Reference pages. Hanging indent is an indentation style that leaves the first line of the citation even with the left margin and all subsequent lines indented, so they "hang" under the first. 

How you apply a hanging indent depends on the type of program you are using to write. 

On Microsoft Word (offline) 

Highlight the citations you want to format. Click the button in the bottom right corner of the Paragraph box called "Paragraph Settings". This will open a new menu. Near the center is an option to change the Special indentation to hanging. Click "OK" at the bottom to apply this change.   

On Microsoft Word (office.com) 

Highlight the citations you want to format. Click the three dots at the far right of the menu. This will open a drop down menu where you can click "Special Indent". From there, pick "Hanging". 

On Google Docs/Drive 

Highlight the citations you want to format. Click the Format button in the top meny and choose "Align & Indent". This will bring up another list of options, including "Indentation options". Here you can change the Special indentation to Hanging and click apply.  

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  • Last Updated Jan 20, 2023
  • Views 139
  • Answered By Elyse Gustafson

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