For most people, style guides, also known as style manuals, are a set of rules for formatting citations in academic papers.
However, style guides do much more than that. They also guide writers and editors in all matters related to writing – spelling, grammar, punctuation, word usage, and more.
Historically published as books and now also as online databases, they offer a variety of rules for documents in their discipline – from language use and grammar to fonts, headings, tone, look, and the way sources are referenced in the body of the work. In a nutshell, writing style guides are a set of writing conventions for an academic discipline, an industry, a brand, or a project. They have everything a writer needs to ensure uniformity and consistency in style.
When many writers, in varied circumstances and places, use a common style guide, their readers will immediately know how to navigate the headings of the paper, how quotes will be marked, what the contents of the abstract will be, where citations will be located, and what each element of the citation will represent.
Benefits of Using Style Guides
The benefits of using style guides listed below are particularly significant for academic writing.
- Adhering to a style guide ensures that a document has clarity and consistency in writing across a discipline, an industry, or a brand.
- The English language has myriad ways to write almost anything. Sometimes, the answer to a writer’s language questions can be found in common grammar rules. But quite often, there may be multiple answers or no correct answer – like whether it is permissible to start a sentence with “and.” In such cases, following a style guide can prevent the document from turning into an inconsistent mess directed solely by personal preferences.
- Using a style guide forces the writer to pay attention to a variety of details related to spelling, punctuation, word usage, and more. Each sentence must be closely examined to see if it is clear, focused, and purposeful. A style guide can be the foundation for good writing.
- Following a style guide also helps the writer avoid continuity errors that might distract readers. This can happen when, for example, a book title is set in quotes in one place and italicized in another. Or when the Oxford comma is used in some places but not in others. These seemingly minor inconsistencies distract readers from the true goal of the writing. Adhering to a style guide takes care of such inconsistencies, enhances readability, and keeps the reader focused on the message of the text.
- A style manual is a great aid to collaborative writing, which can be messy at times. When two or more writers work on a document together, the style guide keeps them on the same page (figuratively speaking). This is especially true when there are questions or disputes about, for example, how to write numbers, how to spell names, whether American spellings should be scrapped in favor of British ones, and so on.
A List of Popular Style Guides
1. American Psychological Association (APA) Style
The Publication Manual of the APA first appeared as an article authored by a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers. The first edition of the guide appeared in book form in 1952, while the APA Style Blog has been in existence since 2009.
The APA style is largely used in scientific writing; it contains recommendations for spelling, grammar, word usage, in-text citation, formatting, and standards for publishing research. APA style is primarily followed by those writing for the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and health care.
2. Modern Language Association (MLA) Style
MLA style came into existence in 1951 when the MLA Style Sheet was published by the Modern Language Association of America. The MLA Handbook has been in publication since 1977 and its online version – the MLA Style Center – since 2009.
MLA Style offers guidelines for formatting and citation in academic papers. It includes a source citation template that is widely used by writers and researchers. It also offers some guidance on the mechanics of writing but no recommendation for usage.
This style is generally followed by writers in the humanities, particularly those writing for language studies and literary criticism. Students of English often use MLA style for formatting and citation.
3. Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)
The Chicago Manual of Style has been published by the University of Chicago Press since 1906, while the Chicago Manual of Style Online has been in existence since 2006. CMOS is one of the most widely used style guides and is extensively used in commercial and academic publishing. It offers guidelines for spelling, grammar, punctuation, word usage, manuscript formatting, and source citation.
It is the style guide of choice for academic journals in the humanities as well as fiction and non-fiction publishing.
4. Associated Press Stylebook
The AP Stylebook is a comprehensive set of conventions for writing in journalism and news media. It offers recommendations for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and word usage, along with topical guides that define standards for cultural trends and news topics. It is printed biennially as a spiral-bound book and appears online as the AP Stylebook Online.
AP Stylebook is the industry standard for media and journalism writing as well as for content marketing and blogs.
Academic writers ought to confirm the style guide they’re required to refer to before they begin work on a research paper. Doing so will help them ensure that they follow the right citation and writing guidelines for their discipline.
