
- #Colleges for writing how to
- #Colleges for writing manual
Each of the sources have updated their guidelines multiple times over the years, so working with the current standards is goal one.ĪPA and MLA are the most common styles to use, but CMS is not unheard of - just not as common for undergrads. Regardless of which style you are using, it is imperative to get the most recent version of the guidelines to ensure your paper is as accurate as it can be. The good news is it is not hard to get up-to-speed on any one of them and use them properly.
#Colleges for writing how to
Typically, you are going to use one style for most of your classes and communications, but there is certainly the possibility that you'll need to know how to use any one of these three common styles. For example, APA lists "references" while MLA calls the same thing "works cited" - a small but important distinction that might actually affect your grade. While these formatting methods will share many characteristics such as margins and spacing, how they attribute references to source materials is the main differentiator.
CMS style is predominantly seen in the humanities, particularly with literature students and those who study advanced segments of history and/or the arts.
#Colleges for writing manual
CMS style: These are the style guidelines put forth in the Chicago Manual of Style, now in its 16th edition. MLA style: The Modern Language Association provides guidelines you will be familiar with if you are focused on the Humanities: so artists, English majors, and theatre students will know MLA as they have used this style now for more than half a century. This is the preference of the social sciences, so if you are studying sociology, psychology, medicine, or social work you are going to know APA style. APA style: These are the official guidelines put forth by the American Psychological Association, now in its sixth edition. There are three main "Schools of Style" used to properly format an academic paper, referred to as APA, MLA, or CMS. Writing for any academic purpose carries with it certain expectations and formatting consistencies, and a failure to properly understand how or why you cite your sources in a specific way can have negative effects on your written projects and communications. You MUST follow the rules like every other student: this is not an area where you want to stand out for doing things your own way. Giving others a chance to review and compare your work under these established guidelines enables your instructors to better see the work on its own merits, opposed to getting sidetracked by technical inefficiencies. Proper citing, quoting and referencing of source material allows you to convey your breadth of research in a language commonly shared by others in your discipline. In academic writing, how you present your information (technically) is often seen as important as the ideas you are putting forth.
MLA, APA, & CMS: How to Properly Format Your Papers Knowing the Styles and When to Use Them