Style Guides
Style guides provide rules or guidelines for writing. Specifically, they establish procedures for
paper layout (margins, spacing, punctuation, etc.), in-text citations, and bibliographies. The
purpose of these guides is to set a standard of consistency for research writing.
The most common style guides are the following:
 MLA
 APA
 University of Chicago Press
At this point, you have probably used MLA style alone. Our department uses MLA because
it is the preferred style guide for the humanities. When you move on to post-secondary
schooling, you may be asked to use a different style guide when you write papers. Often times
a professor will decide which style he or she prefers. Many times the subject will determine
the style—each field of study has a preferred style.
Style Guide
MLA
(Modern Language Association)
APA
(American Psychological Association
University of Chicago Press
(a.k.a. Turabian)
AMA
(American Medical Association)
Field of Study
literature, art, humanities
psychology, social science, education
social science, history, non-scholarly
publications
medicine, health, and biological sciences
You can usually find style guides on the internet. Many secondary schools and colleges post
the rules online for student reference. You can also find the style guides in print in most
libraries.
When writing a paper, you should consult a style guide for information on how to properly
execute the following elements:
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Paper layout
Procedure for in-text citations
Punctuation
Bibliography (Works Cited/Works Consulted)
We will examine each of these categories in MLA format.
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT MLA
What is the purpose of MLA and other style guides?
Style guides were developed by educators and scholars to establish consistent format and style
between papers. According to the Executive Director of the Modern Language Association, the
MLA style guide “is designed to introduce you to the customs of a community of writers who
greatly value scrupulous scholarship and the careful documentation, or recording, of research.”
Essentially, it supplies a helpful set of rules and procedures to follow when writing a paper.
What are the MLA rules for paper margins?
Paper margins should be set at one inch on all sides. Microsoft Word generally has this set as the
default page layout, but check your settings to make sure the margins are correct.
How do I correctly arrange the heading?
Name
Teacher
Class
Date
Joe Student
Mr. Schade
Techniques of Research—Pd. 5
15 October 2008
What are the MLA rules for spacing?
A research paper must be double-spaced throughout, including quotations, notes, and the list of
works cited. Leave one or two spaces after periods and other concluding punctuation marks.
What font should I use?
12 point Times New Roman is preferred. Courier, Arial, Helvetica, Tahoma, and other plain
fonts are also appropriate choices. The MLA rule is to select a “standard, easily readable
typeface.” Basically, don’t pick a ridiculous font, and make sure it is large enough to read without a
microscope.
How should I document my sources?
A formal research paper should include both in-text (parenthetical) citations and a list of works
cited. Other projects will require only a list of works consulted. We will cover the rules for
citations and bibliographies at a later point.
What is a list of works consulted?
A works consulted page is a list of sources you used (“consulted”) to collect information but did
not formally cite in your paper or project. This is generally used for relatively informal papers and
projects. You will produce a list of works consulted shortly after you collect sources at the start of
the research projects. This will show me the sources you plan to use to gather information. This is
also helpful in developing your in-text citations.