Main headings are used for chapters or titled sections (CHAPTER 1, INTRODUCTION), the titles of the preliminary divisions of the paper (ABSTRACT, TABLE OF CONTENTS, LISTS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS), and other titled sections of the paper. They always begin on a new page, are centered, and printed in all capital letters (APPENDIX). The word "Chapter" appears before the first main heading on each page of the manuscript.
An example of a manuscript with two chapters and three appendices would look like this: Chapter One Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Chapter Two Table of Contents List of Figures List of Tables Abbreviations Index
Only one chapter is shown here, but there can be many more. You should not refer to them as Appendices unless they are actual appendices that follow after this title.
The style of your manuscript will determine how many pages these should be. If you are writing a book, then each chapter needs to have a clear title and be separated by a blank page. If you are writing an article, then these can be called sections instead.
Some journals have specific requirements for the number of pages below the main heading. These should be consistent with their policy published in the instructions for authors.
In any text, there are two sorts of headers: main headings and subheadings. Main headings are the first words on a new page or line. They indicate the major sections of your essay or article. Subheadings are subordinate headings within these major sections.
Main headings should be typed in boldface type. Subheadings can be typed in regular face type. A parenthetical note: Some authors prefer to start each section with a capital letter. This is optional but recommended by some editors. I have chosen not to follow this convention because I find it difficult to distinguish between starting letters with upper- and lowercase letters. I would rather keep my essays clean and simple than use fancy formatting just for the sake of making them look unique.
Headings and subheadings structure text to help readers navigate. A header or subheading appears at the top of a page or section and explains the information that follows succinctly.
Do not use full capital letters in headers, such as "THIS IS A HEADING." Use lowercase letters only. A couple examples of headers/subheadings include: Title (of article or book), Abstract, Introduction, Body paragraphs (also called main ideas).
Here is an example of a header/subheading used on a page of text: Title: How I Met My Wife. Body paragraph 1: One day at work, I saw an ad for a new product that could track people's interests online. Two weeks later, I met her online! Body paragraph 2: We got married two years ago!
See how simply using headers and subheadings helped readers understand the content more easily? You should use this organizational tool often when writing essays, reports, and other documents because it helps them read more efficiently while still giving them the basic information they need.
The chapter title appears after a heading space. If no subheadings are used, the content begins after a header space. The text begins after a double space if a subsection follows the main heading. Subheadings are used to divide the manuscript's multiple chapters or named parts. They should be written in 12-point type for consistency.
A title heading is used to give importance to a section of the book. These can be included at the beginning of any chapter or article. Title headings are usually printed in large, eye-catching type and often include some abbreviation or acronym to identify the subject matter. For example, "HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND LOVER" might be used as a title heading for a chapter on developing social skills.
A subtitle is a short title that appears below the title page or within the margins of the page. It provides more detail about the topic covered in the book. For example, a subtitle for a chapter on social skills could be "how to win friends and lovers: a guide for successful interpersonal interactions."
Subheadings should be written in 12-point type for consistency. They should be limited in number (usually between three and five) and should always appear under a major heading in the manuscript. Additional subheadings may be needed only for specific sections of the book.
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