Writing Skills

Style refers to the guidelines for formatting research papers.  It is a means of protection for writers against accusations of plagiarism.  Style provides a system for referencing sources as a means to credit the source material. 

The guidelines and examples given here focus on APA, MLA, and Chicago styles.  Be sure to ask your instructor which style to use for your papers and projects.  

• MLA (Modern Language Association): most commonly used to cite sources within the language arts, cultural studies, and other humanities disciplines.
• APA (American Psychological Association): most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences.
• Chicago or CMOS (Chicago Manual of Style): most commonly used by those working in literature, history, and the arts.

Browse the links below for clear and effective writing strategies and research project essentials like documentation.