This post is intended for authors who are using MS Word to prepare a manuscript, paper, report or other document. It highlights some of the aspects that many people get wrong, in the hope that others won’t make the same mistakes.
Of course, a Word document will sometimes get converted into another format prior to publishing, in which case the formatting is not quite so important. But in other cases, the reader will eventually see your text exactly as it’s laid out in the Word document, and so it’s vital to get things right and portray a professional image.
The usual disclaimer: Formatting requirements will vary between publishers, institutions, industries, etc. Therefore, the list below is only intended as general guidance and should be read alongside any other specific instructions that are relevant to your work.
If you don’t have time to read the whole post, the key takeaway is that MS Word’s Styles are very useful and can save you a lot of time!
1. Font
All ‘normal’ text should generally be styled in the same way (with a few exceptions, such as non-English words, using bold or italics for emphasis perhaps, and so on). Similarly, headings at the same level should be styled identically.
2. Text justification
The text should be justified consistently throughout the document, i.e. in most cases either justified left or fully justified. Beware that copying and pasting text from a different document can sometimes lead to inconsistent justification.
3. Line spacing
The spacing between lines should also be consistent throughout the document. (Note: It’s common for extra spacing to be shown at the end of a paragraph or after a list, for example.) Copying and pasting from elsewhere can once again lead to inconsistencies.
4. Paragraph indents
Paragraphs should be consistently indented (or not) throughout. (Note: It’s common for the first paragraph in a chapter or section not to be indented, unlike the subsequent paragraphs.) Also, the indentations should all be the same size.
5. Captions
Captions should all be styled consistently. This might, or might not, include: the use of bold text; a full stop at the end of the caption; “Figure 1.” or “Figure 1:” (for example); and the size and type of font.
6. Bulleted/numbered lists
In general, there should be a degree of consistency between bulleted/numbered lists. Are they indented or not? Is the numbering sequential? Is the line spacing consistent before and after each list? If required, is the punctuation at the end of each item on the list correct?
MS Word’s Styles can be a BIG help
While most of the aspects mentioned above are relatively minor when taken on their own, the cumulative effect of a poorly formatted document can really detract from the content. Ultimately, the professionalism of the author is reflected in both the content and appearance of the material.
As with creating top-quality content, consistency is also the key with formatting. One of the easiest ways to achieve this is to use MS Word’s Styles function, as this will do most of the work for you. If you’re unaware of the power of Styles, I recommend that you look for some online learning (e.g. How to use Styles in Microsoft Word, Deep Dive Into Microsoft Word Styles and Word 2016 Tutorial at around 14 mins, to name just three of the many available resources).
