How to fix the reference list layout and hanging indent in Word
What the rule sets in the TypesetOS checker apply for reference list layout. Single-spaced within each entry: MIT Thesis, Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD Dissertation, University of Michigan Rackham Dissertation, ProQuest / UMI Dissertation Submission and Generic US Graduate School Thesis. Hanging indent of 0.5 in, double-spaced: APA 7th Edition: Student Paper. Hanging indent of 0.5 in, single-spaced: Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition.
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What this rule means
The reference list has its own layout: the spacing inside each entry and, for some styles, a hanging indent, where the first line of an entry sits at the margin and the lines after it are indented.
The table shows what each rule set asks for. Only some of them ask for a hanging indent.
What each rule set asks for
Each row is the rule set the TypesetOS checker applies, taken from the guide linked in its last column. Open the school’s own page for the full list of rules.
| School or style | What the checker applies | How it is handled | Guide it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| MIT ThesisMIT Thesis format requirements | Single-spaced within each entry | Shown for reviewThe TypesetOS formatter normally fixes this. | MIT Libraries: Specifications for Thesis Preparation |
| Harvard Griffin GSAS PhD DissertationHarvard Griffin GSAS PhD Dissertation format requirements | Single-spaced within each entry | Checked automaticallyThe TypesetOS formatter normally fixes this. | Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences: Dissertation Formatting Guidance |
| University of Michigan Rackham DissertationUniversity of Michigan Rackham Dissertation format requirements | Single-spaced within each entry | Shown for reviewThe TypesetOS formatter normally fixes this. | University of Michigan Rackham Graduate School: Formatting Guidelines |
| ProQuest / UMI Dissertation SubmissionProQuest / UMI Dissertation Submission format requirements | Single-spaced within each entry | Shown for reviewThe TypesetOS formatter normally fixes this. | ProQuest: Preparing Your Manuscript for Submission to ProQuest |
| Generic US Graduate School ThesisGeneric US Graduate School Thesis format requirements | Single-spaced within each entryWorking reading: source being re-checked. | Shown for reviewThe TypesetOS formatter normally fixes this. | University of Notre Dame Graduate School: Style Guide for Formatting Dissertations and Theses |
| APA 7th Edition: Student PaperAPA 7th Edition: Student Paper format requirements | Hanging indent of 0.5 in, double-spaced | Checked automaticallyThe TypesetOS formatter normally fixes this. | Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition: APA Style student paper setup guide |
| Chicago Manual of Style, 17th EditionChicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition format requirements | Hanging indent of 0.5 in, single-spacedWorking reading: source being re-checked. | Shown for reviewThe TypesetOS formatter normally fixes this. | The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed.: CMOS Shop Talk (official CMOS editorial guidance on margins and page numbers for Turabian/Chicago-style papers) |
Generic US Graduate School Thesis and Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition are working readings, because the source for each is being re-checked.
The checker does not apply this rule for Stanford Dissertation, UC Berkeley Dissertation, Columbia GSAS Dissertation.
TypesetOS is not affiliated with the schools and organisations named on this page. Compare the values with the current guide that applies to your submission.
Fix it in Word
Steps in Word (Windows and Mac)
- Click the first reference, then Shift-click the last one to select the whole list.
- Open the Paragraph dialog: on the Home tab click the small arrow at the bottom right of the Paragraph group (on a Mac, Format menu, then Paragraph…).
- Under Indentation, if the table asks for a hanging indent, set Special to Hanging and By to the size it shows.
- Under Spacing, set Line spacing to Single or Double as the table shows, then click OK.
- Ctrl+T (Command+T on a Mac) makes a hanging indent at the next tab stop, which is 0.5 in unless you changed it.
Microsoft’s own instructions:
Then check the file
Run the free format checker on the saved file to see whether this rule now passes. It names what it checked and what it could not check. It does not decide whether your school will accept the file.
Other fixes in Word
- How to fix thesis margins in Word
- How to set the page size of a thesis in Word
- How to fix the body font and size in Word
- How to fix thesis line spacing in Word
- How to fix skipped heading levels in Word
- How to start every chapter on a new page in Word
- How to number tables and figures in Word
- How to put the front pages of a thesis in order in Word
- How to add page numbers to a thesis in Word
- How to fix the position of page numbers in Word
- How to fix Roman and Arabic page number formats in Word
Word steps last reviewed: 2026-10-17.