Joan Clingan

The school of arts and sciences is generally broken into three groups: humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. MAP’s Humanities Program allows students to complete concentrations in many disciplines within the humanities or social sciences. In MAP there are four notable exceptions of social science fields that are not done in our humanities program because they are their own program in MAP. These include: Education, Adventure Education, Environmental Studies, and Counseling and Psychology. The third element of the school of arts and sciences, the natural sciences, deals with nature and the physical world; studies in the natural sciences can be carried out in MAP through our Environmental Studies Program.

There is extensive overlap between the humanities and the social sciences, although one more than the other tends to lay claim to each individual discipline, with some that have long been in a constant state of tug of war. Interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary approaches like MAP make the two schools even more inseparable. Attempts to divide the humanities and social sciences into distinctly demarcated disciplines will demonstrate the obvious overlap among fields that can reside in either school of thought.

Even though there is significant overlap between the humanities and the social sciences, the two broad areas are generally distinguished in this way: the humanities are about the study of human thought and culture, human constructs, and human concerns; and the social sciences generally include the study of social relations, human society, and individual relationships in and to society. Research in the humanities is generally carried out through the close analysis of primary literature. Research in the social sciences (as well as the natural sciences) also relies on primary literary research; it often incorporates additional field or applied research using qualitative or quantitative methods.

Writing Styles

Choosing which professional writing style (and manual) to use is not an exact science, especially now that so many individual disciplines are interdisciplinary by nature. For example, women’s studies, a well-established academic discipline, is an interdisciplinary program using methods from the disciplines of literature, language, art, sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, history, philosophy, and psychology.

Some disciplines have a single established style that is always used, for example psychology always uses APA. Some university departments or degree programs will recommend or require a style guide; some will require that you choose between two preferred styles; and others are open, saying that any of several styles can be chosen as long as it is used accurately and consistently. If doing research in a discipline that has an established style, it is important to follow the standards that prevail in your field. If your field uses multiple styles you may choose one based on your own preferences or needs.

Whatever style you choose, you should be able to make a convincing case for why you chose it, and the decision should be made in consultation with your graduate advisor.

Generally disciplines within the humanities use MLA as the academic writing style and most social science disciplines use APA; however, so many disciplines have their own unique styles that this rule cannot be applied without verification. In addition, given the overlap and distinctions within departments/disciplines, unless you are certain which style a discipline uses, it is important to refer to the leading journals and established expert texts in your discipline for a final answer. Journals sometimes have their own idiosyncratic styles, which may look like APA but have subtle or not-so-subtle changes. If you are submitting material for publication you will need to know these.

Recommended Styles

Below are the citations and links to the most common style guides. Following that is a developing list of broad disciplines through which one might undertake graduate study. This list does not include the immeasurable subcategories (real or potential) within each discipline, though it does include some.

In the table I have included the most commonly used style(s) for each field that I know. Whenever possible I have included a professional organization and/or a leading journal in the field and noted the style used by that journal. I have noted whenever there is more than one style commonly used within a discipline, or if there is controversy about which style should be used. In addition, if a field uses a journal as the professional style, the journal title is listed. Journals listed here are all peer reviewed, unless otherwise noted.

This is a work in progress; your feedback, corrections, or additions are welcome. If possible, please include a reliable source or journal that confirms the choice. Thank you.

Whatever you find here, please confirm it by examining leading journals in your area of research within your discipline, since different journals (as well as university departments) may use different styles within the same discipline. Always make sure you have your advisor’s consensus on the style you choose. Once you have agreed on the best style for your work, buy the latest edition of the style guide before you begin your first paper. Keep it on your desk for handy reference. Do not rely on a two-page handout with guidelines as a substitute for a 400-page style guide. If your style is a two-page handout from a journal, buy the full guide for the style on which the journal has based their specific style.

Most Commonly Used Style Guides

MLA

Gibaldi, Joseph, ed. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 6th ed. New York:

Modern Language Association of America, 2003. For high school and

undergraduate college students.

Gibaldi, Joseph. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. 2nd ed. New York:

Modern Language Association of America, 1998. For graduate students, scholars, and professional writers.

APA

APA. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington,

DC: American Psychological Association, 2001.

Chicago

University of Chicago Press Staff. The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago: U of

Chicago P, 2003.

Turabian, Kate. L. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.

6th ed. Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1996. Users of this guide will be expected to adhere to updates from the 15th edition of the Chicago guide.

CBE

Council of Biology Editors (now Council of Science Editors). Scientific Style and Format:

The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers. 6th ed. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1994.

McMillan

McMillan, Victoria E. Writing Papers in the Biological Sciences. New York: St. Martin's, 1997.

Specific List

HUMANITIES

Arts and Letters

Languages

SOCIAL SCIENCES

Cultural Studies

Philosophy and Religion

Sociology

Anthropology and Archaeology

Psychology

Miscellaneous Disciplines

Business

Education, Adventure Education, Environmental Studies, and Counseling Psychology.

These social science disciplines are individual programs/departments in the

Prescott College Master of Arts Program.

Additional Support Relating to Writing Styles and Style Guides

Information from Arizona State University

Information from Duke University

Bedford St. Martins has a website with information about how to cite electronic media such as web pages, listerv and chat room postings, and email messages. Covers MLA, APA, Chicago, CBE, and other styles.

Another great site for documenting internet resources is available through the Library of the University of Wisconsin, Madison. This links to sites that offer interpretations of guidelines in several styles, such as APA, CBE, Chicago, MLA, and Turabian.

Last updated September 9, 2007.

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