Introduction to Style Guides
Introduction
Style guides are used for proper citation, formatting, grammar, and the proper use of punctuation. It is important that you have access to one or more of the guides covered in this lesson to write good essays. For most purposes the MLA, AMA, APA and the Chicago Manual of Style cover a broad range of subject areas and are the standards in their field of expertise. You should purchase the guide or guides that you will be using most and become well acquainted with them by reading the table of contents and also as much of the guides as possible. Using the proper style guide is important in creating standard, well formatted essays. You can use all of these guides as you would a dictionary or other reference guide. They are all well structured for this use. When you need to find how to list a citation, for instance, simple check the TOC or the index for "citations" and you will find the page or chapter that holds that information.
The four style guides discussed in this lesson will be the MLA, the APA, the AMA, and the Chicago style, let's take a look at each in greater detail.
The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
The MLA stands for "Modern Language Association." This association has set the standard for creating a cohesive writing guide that has been used for over half a century. The MLA is used by most, if not all, university, college, and other educational institutions. It is the standard for research papers, including essays. The MLA publishes two authoritative explanations of MLA style: The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing.
The APA Manual of Style (Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association)
The APA stands for "American Psychological Association." This association governs the association for psychologists in the United States. They created the APA Style Manual so there would exist a single format for papers dealing with the broad topic of psychology. This guide is used as the standard for essays on any subject associated with psychology.
The AMA Manual of Style
The AMA stands for "American Medical Association." This association governs the medical field and the AMA Manual of Style is a standardized guidebook for proper formatting of medical and scientific papers and essays.
The Chicago Manual of Style (CMA)
Like the MLA, AMA, and APA the Chicago manual (CMS) is a standardized guide for writers, however, this guide is used primary by the media industry. It is published by the University of Chicago Press. Newspapers, magazines, and all other periodicals for sale to the public use the Chicago Manual of Style to properly format all forms of written media.
References:
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers; Publ. Modern Language Association of America; 7th edition, March 9, 2009.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association; Publ. American Psychological Association (APA); 6th ed., July 15, 2009.
AMA Manual of Style; Publ. Oxford University Press, USA; 10th ed., March 15, 2009.
The Chicago Manual of Style;by University of Chicago Press Staff; University Of Chicago Press, 16th ed., August 1, 2010.
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers by Kate L. Turabian, Wayne C. Booth, (Revised by), University of Chicago Press Staff.
Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers; University of Chicago (Editor), Margaret D. Mahan.
A Writer's Reference with 2009 MLA Update; by Diana Hacker.
CONCLUSION
The APA, MLA, AMA and the Chicago are styles guides that are used much like a dictionary or reference guide. If you cannot gain access to one before handing in your first essay, you should use Internet references to be sure that you are citing your sources according to the standard used for your type of essay. Used copies can be purchased at a discounted price through the Web and many bookstores. It is highly recommended that you purchase whichever guide you will be using the most. If you are not sure which would give you the most use, the MLA is the best to purchase because it covers the broadest range of essay topics and uses.