Press "Enter" to skip to content

Academic Papers: An Overview

Fountain Pen and Keyboard

Academic Papers

Breaking the rules is rarely tolerated

Academic papers and manuscripts are prepared according
to several formats. The three most common are known as APA, MLA,
and Chicago. All three are
updated on a regular basis, and some institutions and publications have
their own modified guidelines for papers. While these guides are “publication
guides” used by editors and designers, writers are still expected to
submit articles and manuscripts in compliance with the preferred style
of a publication, academic institution, or other organization.

In some cases, the publication style does differ from
what an editor, review panel, or instructor expects of a manuscript.
Always consult with editors or course instructors before adopting a formatting
guide. As an example, many universities and academic journals still desire
manuscripts in either Courier or Times typefaces.

For online academic writing, the Columbia Guide to Online Style,
or CGOS is used. Writing for electronic publications follows APA
or MLA guidelines, with minor changes to accommodate the medium. The CGOS is
maintained by Columbia University (see: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/cup/cgos/index.html).

Our concise guides to styles can be viewed by selecting one of the following:

We also encourage you to visit:

Our bibliography of sources for the Tameri Guide incudes academic editing and style guides we consult.

Software Helps

Instead of memorizing APA and MLA styles, we recommend using
dedicated bibliography software. Many schools offer free or discounted
bibliography applications. Some bibliographic features are included in
newer versions of Microsoft Word, as well.

Organizations

Who made the organizations behind these style guides
the arbiters of style? Quite simply, university presses and libraries
did. The standards allow researchers to cross-reference articles, making
it a lot easier to use the library or online resources to do yet more
and more research. The key to original projects is discovering what was
already known and building on the past. There really is a reason for
standards: they help us understand each other.

APA

APA style is
commonly used in the sciences, especially their bibliographic formats.
The APA website states:

The American Psychological Association has established a style that
it uses in all of the books and journals that it publishes. Many others
working in the social and behavioral sciences have adopted this style
as their standard as well.

APA’s style rules and guidelines are set out in a reference
book called The Publication Manual of the American Psychological
Association.

Please note that when researchers talk about APA style, they may be
referring to APA’s system of citations in text and reference
format. If you are unsure, you should clarify with your instructor
or editor how they define “APA style.”
— http://www.apastyle.org/ (May
2004)

We offer an abbreviated guide to APA
style. The complete APA style guide can be located online at http://www.apastyle.org/,
though there is a charge for some services. The Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) section of the APA website offers basic tips for students: http://www.apastyle.org/faqs.html

MLA

If you are an English instructor or student, the MLA
style applies to your papers and manuscripts. The MLA is
the Modern Language Association.

Founded in 1883, the Modern Language Association of America provides
opportunities for its members to share their scholarly findings and
teaching experiences with colleagues and to discuss trends in the academy.
MLA members host an annual convention and other meetings, work with
related organizations, and sustain one of the finest publishing programs
in the humanities. For over a hundred years, members have worked to
strengthen the study and teaching of language and literature.

The Modern Language Association does not publish its
documentation guidelines on the Web. For an authoritative explanation
of MLA style, see the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers (for high school and undergraduate college students)
and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (for
graduate students, scholars, and professional writers).
— http://www.mla.org/about (May
2004)

As with APA style, we offer an abbreviated guide to MLA
style.

Chicago

The University of Chicago Press maintains the Chicago
Manual of Style, originally a guide for authors published
by the university and the press staff. Today, the Chicago style is
used by many non-fiction publishers. The formatting and style guide
applies to manuscripts as well as the appearance of published works.

What would become The Chicago Manual of Style began
in the 1890s as a single sheet of typographic fundamentals, prepared
by a proofreader at the University of Chicago Press as a guide for
the University community. That sheet grew into a pamphlet, and the
pamphlet grew into a book—the first edition of the Manual
of Style, published in 1906. Nearly a century later the Manual is
in use in homes and offices around the world.
— http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/cmosfaq/about.html (May
2004)

The University of Chicago Press maintains a guide for electronic submission,
which also applies to students submitting papers from a word processor.
See the Electronic Manuscript Preparation Guide at http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/emsguide.html for
up-to-date information on the format.

We do offer a guide to the Chicago
Manual of Style along with styles other than APA and MLA used by
institutions and publishers.

Comparison of Styles

Each style guide is unique. Recognize that these styles
do not apply to fiction, periodicals, or online publications. For information
on periodicals, see our section on the Associated
Press Stylebook.

Selecting a Style

Papers in the humanities, especially those dealing with
literature and language, use the MLA guidelines. The sciences favor APA
guidelines. However, when preparing a book manuscript, Chicago publication
guidelines are followed by most university presses.