Style manuals

Two frequently consulted style manuals and style procedures for research papers are the Modern Language Association (MLA) style of documentation and the American Psychological Association (APA) style of documentation. There are several specific differences between the two style manuals and their procedures, so it is very important to find out the preferred style policy for your paper. Some professors and professionals prefer MLA style, while others prefer the APA style of documentation. However, no matter which style guide you use, all three types of documentation— footnotes, endnotes, and parenthetical citations—follow specific and standard formats. 

The precise punctuation and format required for footnotes and endnotes can be confusing and complicated to follow. A good way to insure that your format and punctuation are correct is to keep a style manual on hand. (Appendix B includes a list of several style manuals that will help you.) They provide easy and quick visual illustrations of what footnotes should look like and answer many questions that you might have such as, How do I document a book by two authors or... 

How do I cite an article rather than a book or What if the book lists an editor rather than an author If you are writing a paper for a particular class or professor, be sure to ask him or her what style of documentation he or she would prefer you to follow. Often, the professor will tell you or list specific style manuals that you can use for reference. 

Two of the most commonly used style manuals for research papers are... 

It is important to remember that many style manuals, as well as other printed texts, collections, and websites, are continuously being updated and revised. Be sure to check with your local librarian, bookstore, or the publisher to confirm that you have the most current edition of the materials that you need. In addition, it is always helpful to confirm with your instructor beforehand whether he or she favors a particular style manual or text. As mentioned previously, many academic disciplines and institutions prefer certain style manuals, while the business and professional world may use other texts. In the end, however, any text or other material you consult... 

MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing 2nd Edition by Joseph Gibaldi, New York Modern Language Association. 

Prentice Hall Style Manual A Complete Guide with Model Formats for Every Business Writing Occasion by Mary Ann De Vries. Englewood, NJ Prentice Hall. 

Executive Writing A Style Manual for the Business World by Harriet Diamond, et al. Upper Saddle River, NJ Prentice Hall. 

Style Manual for Political Science. Washington, DC American Political Science Association. 

This chapter presents recommended stylistic and editorial conventions, mainly but not solely for ACS publications. The style recommended by ACS is, for the most part, taken from established authoritative sources, such as The Chicago Manual of Style, Words into Type, and the United States Government Printing Office Style Manual. 

AIP Style Manual, 4th ed. American Institute of Physics New York, 1990. 

ASM Style Manual for Journals and Books American Society for Microbiology Washington, DC, 1992. 

Merriam-Webster s Standard American Style Manual Merriam-Webster Springfield, MA, 1994. 

U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual 2000, 29th ed. Government Printing Office Washington, DC, 2000. 

Chemical literature—Authorship—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 2. Scientific literature— Authorship—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. English language—Style—Handbooks, manuals, etc. 4. Authorship—Style manuals. 

J. S. Dodd (ed.). The ACS Style Guide, 2ded., American Chemical Society, Washington, DC (1997). [A general reference book on scientific writing with emphasis on manuscripts intended for one of the jomnals published by the American Chemical Society ] J. T. Scott, AIP Style Manual, 4th ed., American Institute of Physics. New York (1990). [Provides guidance in the preparation of papers for AIP journals ]... 

Instruction Manuals. Today, many companies have made style manuals available to their entire technical staffs. Even where this is not the case, it is not uncommon for the literature chemist to be provided with a style manual which delineates rules for writing, nomenclature, preparation of graphs and tables, report layout and duplication, and general typing instructions. For literature searchers, such special manuals also often include specific information on abstracting rules, techniques of searching, and basic sources --Information which will enable them to do their work in themanner specifically required by their company. 

United States Governifient Printing Office Style Manual," rev. ed., U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., 1953. 

Conference of Biological Editors, Committee on Form and Style, Style Manual for Biological Journals, American Institute of Biological Sciences, Washin on, 1960. 

If you wish a more detailed description of the current MLA form, ask your local bookstore or library for the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 5th ed. (New York MLA, 1999) and also the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 2nd ed. (New York MLA, 1998). The most up-to-date documentation forms may be found on the MLA Web site . 

Webster s Standard American Style Manual Merriam-Webster Springfield, MA, 1985. Wired Style Principles of English Usage in the Digital Age Hale, Constance, Ed. Hard-Wired San Francisco, CA, 1996. 

In fact, in most modem writing, the use of. in this sort of abbreviation is not common. Professional publishers make use of style manuals to help authors with various issues in writing and layout. Conventions differ, but instmctions from one academic journal include ... 

Grossman, J. (1993) The Chicago Manual of Style The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers, Nth ed. University of Chicago Press 921 p. Hathwell, D. METZNER, A.W.K. (1978) Style Manual, 3rd. ed. American Institute of Physics (AIP), New York. 

Certain interesting applications for synthetic polymers in the life sciences are unfortunately not treated in this short book. The use of hybrid molecules (bioconjugates) for drug delivery and other purposes is one example, and the use of polymers in bioseparation by aqueous two-phase systems is another. However, the authors nevertheless hope to have given some indication of the importance of polymeric materials for the life sciences and look forward to future results of the continuous research in this area. As an editor, I would like to thank all contributors to this book for their work and their patience with my sometimes sporadic editing efforts. Last but not least, 1 would like to thank Ms. Francoise Wyssbrod, who has read and reread (and sometimes retyped) the chapters making sure that they adhered in every detail to the House Style Manual provided by the publisher. Without her help, this book would not have been possible. 

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