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Style Guides
General Guides
- The OWL at Purdue
- A comprehensive guide to the writing process, from prewriting and research to citation. Includes essays on grammar, conducting research, Internet literacy, and many other topics, in addition to style guides for APA, Chicago, and MLA. [recommended in Choice Special Web Issue 2005]
- Research and Documentation Online
- Covers research methods and source documentation for the Humanities, Social Sciences, History, and Sciences. Annotated examples of research papers are also provided. [recommended in Reference & User Services Quarterly Fall 2004]
- The Elements of Style, by William J. Strunk, Jr.
- "A summation of the case for cleanliness, accuracy, and brevity in the use of English." (Education 1980) This classic book is a guide to English usage and the most commonly violated rules of composition.
- Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources: Citation Styles
- Useful if you are citing different types of online resources such as listervs and discussion forums. The examples are broken down by source within each citation style.
APA (American Psychological Association)
- Quick APA Style Guide
- Provides an example of each type of publication and basic formatting procedures for the Reference Page and parenthetical citations.
- APA Reference Style: Tightening Up Your Citations
- A more in-depth treatment of APA style, prepared by the Linguistics English Language Department at Brigham Young University.
- APA Formatting and Style Guide: Electronic Resources
- Incorporates changes made in the 2007 APA Style Guide to Electronic References. An important change is the use of Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to refer to online scholarly journal articles instead of URLs.
Print Manual:
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed.
- BF 76.7 .P83 2001 (Reference Desk)
Chicago/Turabian
- Chicago-Style Citation Quick Guide
- This guide from the Web site of the Chicago Manual of Style provides examples of both forms of documentation and explains when to use which system.
- Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide
- This page from the Ohio State University Libraries has examples of both forms of documentation and PDF versions for printing.
- Turabian Citation Guide
- This quick guide to the Turabian style manual is presented by University of Chicago Press. It contains examples of bibliography style and reference style.
Print Manuals:
- Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed.
- Z 253 .C57 2003 (Reference Desk)
- Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, Kate Turabian, 7th ed.
- LB 2369 .T8 2007 (Reference Desk)
CSE (Council of Science Editors)
- CSE Style: Biology and Other Sciences (From Research and Documentation Online)
- Covers in-text citations and the reference list with examples and explanations. The three styles of CSE citation are covered (Name-Year, Citation-Sequence, Citation-Name). This guide also covers manuscript formatting rules.
- Citing Information: CSE/CBE Style
- In-depth coverage of the Name-Year and Citation-Sequence styles of CSE. This site lacks formatting guidelines, but in-text citation and the Works Cited Page is clearly explained in a well-organized site.
MLA (Modern Language Association)
- Quick MLA Style Guide
- Provides an example of each type of publication and basic formatting procedures for the Reference Page and parenthetical citations. From the same source as the Quick APA Style Guide above.
- MLA Style Crib Sheet
- In-depth coverage of all aspects of MLA Style, including formatting, abbreviations, spacing, quotes, etc. There is a navigational menu at the top of the page that allows the viewer to find the desired information quickly.
Print Manual:
- MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Joseph Gibaldi, 6th ed.
- LB 2369 .G53 2003 (Reference Desk)
Other Styles
- Introduction to Basic Legal Citation, by Peter W. Martin
- An overview of legal citation, drawing from the most recent Bluebook and ALWD Citation Manual. Martin explains the difference between the two manuals and provides sample citations for resources pertinent to law.
- AMA Medstyle Stat! (PDF)
- A guide to the American Medical Association style manual. Includes formatting procedures and citation styles.
Edited and compiled by Mark Zelesky, April 2009


