Scholarly and Professional Style Manuals

Here are some Web sites that have general information on writing a paper and creating citations in various styles:

Dr. Abel Scribe's Guides to Research Style (www.docstyles.com)

Doc's Guides are concise (free!) guides to formatting and documenting research papers in AMA, APA, ASA, CBE, Chicago, and MLA style. The main focus is on preparing papers for classes, seminars, and conferences.

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) (Purdue University)

The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University provides online writing resources and instructional material as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction. In addition, users are encouraged to submit brief, writing-related questions to OWL Mail Tutors. You may also find the grammar blog helpful.

The Ultimate Writing Style Guide Resources for MLA, APA, Chicago, and CSE (Guide to Online Schools)

Links to resource pages for each different style, university tutorials, and free works-cited generators. By viewing examples of research papers and using programs that are designed to facilitate your style accuracy, you can be sure that your completed paper is perfect.

Writing Process (FindHow)

Information and resources to aid in every aspect of the writing process, including citing sources, editing, grammar, inspiration, organization, and style.

Many publishing houses and universities have developed their own house style manuals to govern the presentation of text in their own publications. Some of these have become widely used by other publishers and by universities.

Many professional organizations have developed style guides for the use of scholars publishing in specific fields, such as political science or medicine.

The most frequently used styles used for scholarly writing are APA, MLA, and Chicago/Turabian.

• AAA Style (Anthropology)
  
• ACS Style (Chemistry)
  
• AMA Style (Medicine)
  
• APA Style (Sciences)
  
• APSA Style (Political Science)
  
• ASA Style (Sociology)
  
• CBE/CSE Style (Sciences)
  
• Chicago/Turabian Style (Humanities)
  
• Harvard Reference System (Author-Date Style)
• MLA Style (Languages and Literature)
  
• Vancouver/ICMJE Style (Biomedical Sciences)

AAA Style (Anthropology)

The American Anthropological Association (AAA) uses The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

AAA Style Guide (American Anthropological Association)

This guide is an outline of style rules basic to AAA journal editing. Where no rule is present on this list, follow Chicago. In Webster's use the first spelling is there is a choice, and use American spellings rather than British ones. AAA newsletters frequently deviate from these guidelines in the interest of space, and tend to follow many Associated Press style rules.

ACS Style (Chemistry)

The ACS Style Guide: A Manual for Authors and Editors. Janet S. Dodd, editor.

Style manual of the American Chemical Society (ACS). This is the definitive reference for all chemists writing for publication.

• Available at the Science and Technology Library Reserves Desk under Call Number QD8.5.A25 1997.
• ACS Guidelines for Documenting Sources, available on the Chemistry/OhioLINK Resource Explorer (CORE), provides a brief overview of the rules associated with documenting your work according to ACS guidelines.
• ACS (American Chemical Society) Style Guidelines Quick Guide from the UC Berkeley Libraries provides a brief overview and selected examples of citations in ACS style.

AMA Style (Medicine)

American Medical Association Manual of Style: A Guide for Authors and Editors, 9th ed.

Style manual of the American Medical Association (AMA). This is the most comprehensive style guide in the medical and public health fields, and is closely related to the Uniform Requirements of the ICMJE (Vancouver style).

• Available in the Science and Technology Library Reference Collection under Call Number R119 .A533 1998.
• Dr. Abel Scribe’s Guide to AMA Style and Documentation, available from Dr. Abel Scribe, PhD., provides a summary and sample citations in AMA style.
• AMA Citation Style, available from the B. Davis Schwartz Memorial Library at Long Island University, provides a summary and sample citations in AMA style.

APA Style (Sciences)

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed.

Style Manual of the American Psychological Association, frequently used for scientific papers. APA style is used for research in linguistics; human, behavioral, social, and political sciences; education; computer science and information management; business and management; and environmental and physical sciences.

• Available at several locations under Call Number BF76.7 .P83 2010.
• APA Formatting and Style Guide, available online from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue, provides guidelines and examples for formatting a paper and for citing sources in APA style.
• Son of Citation Machine: APA Format, created by David Warlick of The Landmark Project, automatically generates citations in APA style based on information you enter into a template.
  
• The APA Wizard from StyleWizard.com will take you through the steps for the most common types of cited works providing you with assistance on how to input specific information. As long as you enter the information correctly, the Wizard will result in a correct APA citation.
• APA Quick Study, prepared by Dr. Abel Scribe Ph.D., is a concise guide to the basic features and essential rules of APA style.
  
• APA Style Lite for College Papers, prepared by Russ Dewey and Dr. Abel Scribe Ph.D., provides a brief summary of rules for formatting papers and citing sources in APA format. The style sheet is also available in PDF Format for easy printing [requires Adobe Reader].
• APA Lite Instructor's Precis, prepared by Russ Dewey and Dr. Abel Scribe Ph.D., is a short summary of major changes to APA style, useful mostly to those familiar with the style (6 pages). It also explains how APA Lite adapts the style for college papers. The style sheet is in PDF Format for easy printing [requires Adobe Reader].
• Citation Styles: APA, available from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Center for Writing Studies, includes a summary of APA style and numerous examples of citations.
• APA Style, available online from The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides examples of paper formatting, citations, and bibliographies in APA style.
• Find a Reference in the APA Style, available from Laerd Publishing, lets you select select the type of reference you are looking for and shows you an example of that type of reference (and citation) in the APA style. It explains each element of how the reference is generated so that you can apply the same style to your references and citations.
• Learning APA Style, available online from the American Psychological Association, provides extensive guidelines and examples for writing papers and citing sources in APA style.
• The Basics of APA Style, a tutorial available at the APA Web site, is designed for those who have no previous knowledge of APA Style. It shows users how to structure and format their work, recommends ways to reduce bias in language, identifies how to avoid charges of plagiarism, shows how to cite references in text, and provides selected reference examples. For those already familiar with APA style who would like to learn the changes introduced in the new edition of the APA manual, there is a tutorial on What's New in the Sixth Edition.
• American Psychological Association Style Guides, available from the Ely Library at Westfield State College, lists sites that provide examples of citations in APA style.

 

APSA Style (Political Science)

APSA Style Manual for Political Science, rev. ed.

Style Manual of the American Political Science Association, based on the Chicago Manual of Style. Used by many American political science journals.

• Available at General Reference desk and General Reserves desk under Call Number JA86 .A42 2006.
• Guide to APSA Style Basics, available from the Meriam Library at the California State University, Chico, includes a summary of APSA style and a smattering of sample citations. [PDF format requires Adobe Reader.]
• APSA Style: Print and Electronic Sources, available from the Albert S. Cook Library at Towson University, provides examples of citations in APA style.
• APSA Documentation, available online from The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides examples of citations and bibliographies in APSA style.

ASA Style (Sociology)

ASA Style Guide, Third Edition.

Style Manual of the American Sociological Association. Used to establish uniformity and consistency in style among ASA publications, to provide an authoritative reference source on style issues for authors who are writing for American Sociological Review and other ASA journals, and to summarize basic issues on effective writing for authors in general.

• Second edition is available on at the General Reference Desk on the First Floor of Willis Library under Call Number HM73 .A54 1997.
• Third edition can be purchased from the American Sociological Association.
  
• The ASA's Notice to Contributors provides guidelines for submitting manuscripts to ASA publications, with examples of citations in ASA format. [PDF format requires Adobe Reader.]
• The American Sociological Review's ASR Manuscript Submission Information for Authors provides guidelines for submitting manuscripts to American Sociological Review, with links to checklists and examples of citations in ASA format.
• The University Library at California State University, Los Angeles provides a short ASA Guide summarizing ASA style and providing examples of references in ASA format. The guide is available in Word and PDF formats.

CBE/CSE Style (Sciences)

Scientific Style and Format: The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 6th ed.

Style Manual of the Council of Science Editors (formerly the Council of Biology Editors). The most recognized and authoritative reference for authors, editors, publishers, students, and translators in all areas of science and related fields. A new edition is due in June 2006.

• Available in the Science and Technology Library Reference Collection under Call Number T11 .S386 1994.
• The Council of Biology Editors (CBE) Style of Documentation in Science and Mathematics, available from the Monroe Community College Libraries, provides examples of citations in CBE/CSE style.
• CBE Documentation, available online from The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides examples of citations and bibliographies in CBE/CSE style.

Chicago/Turabian Style (Humanities)

The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed.

Style manual of the University of Chicago Press. This manual is used by many publishers, editors, and professors throughout the English-speaking world as a guide to manuscript preparation. Chicago style is used for academic writing in history, political science, business, and the humanities.

• Available at several locations under Call Number Z253 U69 2003.
• Chicago-Turabian Style Quick Reference, prepared by Dr. Abel Scribe Ph.D., is a concise guide to the basic features and essential rules of Chicago-Turabian style.
• CMS Crib Sheet, prepared by Russ Dewey and Dr. Abel Scribe Ph.D., provides a brief summary of rules for formatting papers and citing sources in Chicago style.
• Son of Citation Machine: Chicago Format, created by David Warlick of The Landmark Project, automatically generates citations in Chicago style based on information you enter into a template.
• The Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide from the Ohio State University Libraries Web site provides sample bibliography and in-text citations for both the Author-Date style of citation (recommended for natural sciences and social sciences) and the Notes-Bibliography style (used for fine arts, history, literature, etc.).
• The University of Chicago Press Web site provides Examples of Chicago-Style Documentation, as well as a Q&A that discusses particular situations and examples that were not covered in detail in the book.
• The American Anthropological Association (AAA) has created an AAA Style Guide, based on The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, for authors and editors of their in-house publications.

A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 7th edition, by Kate L. Turabian, revised by John Grossman and Alice Bennett.

Based on The Chicago Manual of Style, this is one of the most frequently used style manuals for student papers at UNT.

• Available at several locations under Call Number LB2369 T8 2007.
• Chicago/Turabian Documentation, available online from The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides examples of citations and bibliographies in the Chicago/Turabian style.
• Turabian Style Guide, from the USM Libraries Web site, provides samples of some of the most common types of citations in bibliographies, including government documents and electronic resources.
• Turabian Citation Guide, from the OSU Libraries Web site, provides samples of citations in bibliography, footnote, and in-text style.
• Citation Guide: Turabian, from Concordia University Libraries, provides a brief introduction with examples for citations in Turabian format. [PDF format requires Adobe Reader.]
• The Clement C. Maxwell Library Web site at Bridgewater State College provides online guides to both the Chicago style and the Turabian style.

Harvard Reference System (Author-Date Style)

Harvard referencing, also known as the author-date system, was developed at Harvard University in the 1950s and 1960s and is now used by publishers and academics all over the world. Under this system, a source is cited in the text in parentheses immediately after the passage that is based on it, using the last name of the author and the year of publication only, as in (Author 2005). Other refinements are added for special situation, such as multiple authors or an author with multiple publications in one year.

Basic reference and citation (Harvard APA)  (University of Portsmouth)

This handout provides examples of references and citations for three common source types: books, journal articles, and Internet documents.

CiteThisForMe - The Harvard Reference Generator

CiteThisForMe is a tool designed to help students prepare a whole bibliography or reference list quickly and easily. It uses the Harvard APA (Harvard Referencing), the most common referencing style in the UK.

Harvard reference generator for citing references (Dr. Michael Mullen - Dairy Science and Food Technology)

This free Harvard reference generator can be used to create virtually every kind of reference a student may encounter. Just add the information requested (e.g., author, year of publication, title of article) to the form. The software will do the formatting. Note that the Harvard system of referencing is not tightly specified, and some variation in the use of capital letters, italics, the use of parentheses and text styles does occur in different institutions and journals. Please check the 'house style' that is specified for your publication, thesis, dissertation or assignment before submitting your work.

Harvard-style Reference List Writer (Dr. Michael Mullen - Dairy Science and Food Technology)

Using this software you can use wizards to correctly format most reference types and produce a list of references arranged alphabetically and in date order. You can choose to edit this list further or export to a Word document for saving or printing.

Harvard Reference Generator (Neil’s Toolbox)

This tool takes in raw information—author, title, year of publication—and creates the reference in the correct Harvard Reference format.

Harvard System of Referencing Guide (Angela Ruskin University)

Detailed explanation with many examples.

Harvard (author-date) referencing guide (Central Queensland University)

Detailed guide with many examples, based on Style manual for authors, editors and printers, 6th ed, 2002. (PDF format requires Adobe Reader).

Harvard (Author-Date) Style (University of Melbourne)

This brief guide provides an introduction to the Harvard Referencing System and includes many examples (PDF format requires Adobe Reader).

The Harvard System Referencing Guide (UWE - Bristol)

This guide, based on British standards,  provides details of how to use the Harvard System for both print and electronic resources. A Harvard System  Referencing Quiz is available to check your skills.

MLA Style (Humanities)

MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th ed., by Joseph Gibaldi.

Style manual of the Modern Language Association of America, this is a standard guide for high school students and undergraduate college students. MLA style is used for writing about language and literature, the arts, the humanities, and some sciences.

• Available at several locations under Call Number LB2369 G53 2003.
• Citation Styles: MLA, available from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Center for Writing Studies, includes a summary of MLA style.
• Frequently Asked Questions About MLA Style are answered on the MLA Web site.

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd ed., by Joseph Gibaldi.

This is the official MLA guide for graduate students, scholars, and professional writers.

• Available at several locations under Call Number PN147 .G444 2008.
• MLA Quick Study, prepared by Dr. Abel Scribe Ph.D., is a concise guide to the basic features and essential rules of MLA style. The guide is also available in PDF Format for easy printing [requires Adobe Reader].
• MLA Style Lite, prepared by Russ Dewey and Dr. Abel Scribe Ph.D., provides a brief summary of rules for formatting papers and citing sources in MLA format. The guide is also available in PDF Format for easy printing [requires Adobe Reader].
• Son of Citation Machine: MLA Format, created by David Warlick of The Landmark Project, automatically generates citations in MLA style based on information you enter into a template.
• Citation Styles: MLA, available from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Center for Writing Studies, includes a summary of MLA style.
• Citing Government Information Sources Using MLA Style, available from the University of Nevada, includes sample citations in MLA format for various types of government publications.
• MLA Documentation, available online from The Writing Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, provides examples of citations and bibliographies in MLA style.
• MLA Formatting and Style Guide, available online from the OWL at Purdue, provides guidelines and examples for formatting a paper and for citing sources in MLA style.
• Modern Language Association Style Guides, available from the Ely Library at Westfield State College, lists Web sites that provide examples of citations in MLA style.

Vancouver/ICMJE Style (Biomedical Sciences)

Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals: Writing and Editing for Biomedical Publication (ICMJE)

Vancouver style follows standards established by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE), which evolved out of a small group of editors of general medical journals that first met informally in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1978. The ICMJE created the Uniform Requirements primarily to help authors and editors in their mutual task of creating and distributing accurate, clear, easily accessible reports of biomedical studies.

• Vancouver style, citing and referencing tutorial is available online from Monash University Library.
• Vancouver Style Quick Guide from the University of Queensland provides a brief summary and examples. [PDF format requires Adobe Reader.]