PHYS 280 :: Physics Illinois :: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Phys 280 Style and Format Guide

Following a writing assignment's specifications of style and format precisely is an important technical writing skill to develop. This skill communicates that you pay attention to the details (in writing and elsewhere), and there are few fields where the details are as vitally important as Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control. The PHYS 280 writing assignments have a number of important guidelines that you must follow exactly to receive full credit. The guidelines are perhaps abstruse simply because the guidelines for NSF or DOD are as well—and they are different from each other. Guidelines that apply to most writing assignments are described here, while additional ones are included in the individual assignment prompts.

All Required Essays

12-point Times New Roman font throughout (including header block and page numbers, but potentially excluding the title and section headers)
1.25" side margins, 1" top margin, and .5" bottom margin
Single-spaced throughout, with no extra spacing between paragraphs (See exception for RPv1, RPv2—both versions of the research paper are double-spaced throughout to conform to IJOIS guidelines.)
Every page of your paper must include:
- In a centered footer, the page number (only the number)
- In the header block, single-spaced and right-justified: your name (on the first line of the header block), the Assignment Code and your Writing Lab section (on the second line of the head block). It should look exactly like this:
John Doe

RE2v1 WL1
The first page of your paper must include:
- Just under the header block, right-justified: the date the paper is being submitted electronically. The date must have this exact format: #/##/#### (month/day/year, e.g. 1/28/2020). N.b. Phys 280 is only offered in the spring so no need to worry about two-digit months.
- Centered at the top: the title of your paper. There may be additional guidelines for the title in the individual assignment prompts.
Paper submissions must be stapled.

All Writer's Memos

12-point Times New Roman font throughout; 1.25" side margins, 1" top margin, and .5" bottom margin; single-spaced throughout
On a separate page with your name on the first line
A title on the second line, centered, in the following format: "[Assignment Code] - Memo" (e.g., "RE1 - Memo" or "RPv2 - Memo")
No longer than one page in length