A hanging indent is a formatting style in which the first line of a paragraph starts at the left margin and all subsequent lines are indented. In citation formatting, it is the standard layout for reference lists and bibliographies in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles.
It is preferred because it makes references easier to read and sort alphabetically. The author's last name is easier to identify when scanning an alphabetical list. In most word processors, you can create a hanging indent by setting the indent to 0.5 inches and selecting the hanging indent option. For more formatting guidance, see our guide on how to cite a letter in APA, MLA, and Chicago style. Quetext's Citation Generator applies hanging indents automatically.