Writing Style Guide The Writing Style Guide

WritingStyleGuideTheWritingStyleGuidewillprovideteachersandstudentsintheDerryTownshipSchoolsaconsistent,functional,andcorrectformatforwrittenassignments.Byusingthisguide,writerswillacquirepositivehabitsinlanguageusageandmechanicswithinthestylisticformat.Noconsensusforonepreferredstyleexistsamongcollegesanduniversities.Asonecollegeofficialstated,Eachfacultymemberordepartmentstipulatesthestyleexpectedbythatfacultymemberordepartment.Thestudentslearntodevelopthestylerequired,and,thereby,learntomeetdifferentmanuscriptstyles.Generally,thestylesmentionedmostconsistentlyarethoseoftheMLA(ModernLanguageAssociation)andtheAPA(AmericanPsychologicalAssociation)publicationmanuals.AlthoughtheformatsdifferforlistingthesourcesusedontheWorksCitedpage,bothMLAandAPAemployparentheticalcitationfordocumentation.ForconsistencythroughouttheDerryTownshipSchoolDistrict,theWritingStyleGuideisbasedoncurrentMLAmanuscriptguidelines.Thishandbookisdesignedtoincludenotonlyguidelinesforresearchbutalsounifiedstandardsforotherwrittenwork.TableofContentsStandardsforHandwrittenPapers.........................................................................1StandardsforTypedorWordProcessedPapers...................................................2TitlePageSample..................................................................................................3ResearchPaper......................................................................................................5ThesisStatement....................................................................................................5AWorkingBibliography.......................................................................................5WorkingBibliographyExamples..........................................................................6Notetaking............................................................................................................7EvaluatingtheWebPage.......................................................................................7πOutlining...............................................................................................................9SampleOutline....................................................................................................10HandlingReferenceMaterial-AvoidingPlagiarism............................................11GuidelinesforQuotingMaterial..........................................................................12Documentation.....................................................................................................15ParentheticalDocumentation................................................................................15WorksCited,SelectedBibliography....................................................................17ModelBibliographyEntries.................................................................................21CitingElectronicSources....................................................................................24ModelWorksCitedPage....................................................................................28SelectedBibliography..........................................................................................29TheWritingStyleGuidehasbeenpreparedbySusanAltland,RichardBittinger,ScottDilger,PatriciaDonaldson,MarthaGambleNikiGliptis,CarltonHoke,IreneO’Neill,AliceKnutsen,DonnaPatrick,andThomasZimmerman1HandwrittenPapersGeneralDirections:ØWriteinNo.2pencilorinblueorblackink,attheteacher'sdiscretion.(Othercolorsaredifficulttoreadandgradeandmayresultinrejectionofthepaper.)ØUselinedcompositionornotebookpaperofconsistentsizeforamultipagedpaper.Ø(Mismatchedpaperandpagestornfromspiralnotebooksareunacceptableandmayresultinrejectionofthepaper.)ØForpagination(optional)placethenumeralinaconsistentposition,one-halfinchdown,toprightbeginningwiththefirstpage.(Thenumeralisnotaccompaniedbypunctuation,p.,orthewordpage.)ØAllowoneinchmarginsatthetop,bottom,andsidesofhandwrittenpapers.ØFollowestablishedrulesforuseofcapitalandlower-caseletters.(All-cappedpapersareinappropriateforacademicandcareerassignmentsandarefrequentlyrejected.)HeadingFormat:ØWriteyourname,yourinstructor'sname,thetitleofthecourse,andthedate,flushwiththeleftmargin,doublespacingbetweenthelines.Leaveoneblanklinebeforeandafterthetitleline.(Seesampleonpage3.)TextFormat:ØCenterthetitleoftheessay,story,orreport.•Capitalizethefirstlettersofallmainwordsinthetitle.(Articles,prepositions,andconjunctionsoffewerthanfivelettersarenotcapitalizedunlesstheyarethefirstorlastwordsofthetitle.)Examples:-ATaleToldbytheWillow-TheFactAftertheFiction-InSearchoftheBermudaTriangle•Donotplaceunderliningorquotationmarksonanoriginaltitle.(Underliningpunctuatesquotedbooktitles;quotationmarkspunctuateshortworkssuchaspoems,stories,andessays.)Examples:-SymbolisminPoe'sStories-SuspenseinTheBlackCat-GothicRomanceinJaneEyre•Donotendatitlewithaperiod.ØLeaveoneblanklinebetweenthetitleandthecomposition.ØWritethetext(story,essay,review,report,analysis)instandardparagraphform