Choose the best research paper guide based on the type of research paper you need to write. For example, research paper requirements vary greatly if you are in high school, college, or graduate school. There are many research paper guides available for free online, or they may be purchased in book form for more in-depth explanations.
Two of the most common research paper guides used in educational environments are the MLA guide and the APA guide. The MLA, or Modern Language Association research paper guide, is used in many academic settings, frequently for research papers focused on some form of liberal arts. English or literature research papers, for example, frequently make use of the MLA research paper guide.
The APA, or American Psychological Association research paper guide, is used for psychological research papers as well as those in any of the social sciences fields. Of course, these are simply two of the more common research paper guides used in academic settings. There are certainly others, and there are additional style guides often used in the professional world, such as the Associated Press style guide, or AP, or the Chicago Manual of Style.
When an instructor is assigning a research paper, he or she will almost always specify the type of research paper guide that he wants students to use. Otherwise, the MLA or APA guides are generally a safe choice, depending on the style of the class, and the subject matter of the paper. The purpose of any research paper guide is to instruct the student in how to present the research paper in an acceptable format, as well as how to create source citations.
Research paper guides such as the two mentioned above typically also provide some instruction in grammar and punctuation rules, but existing knowledge is assumed. Instead, the guide provides information on how to format paragraphs, how to include quotations in the research paper, and how to format citations for books, websites, or periodicals so that they are easy to reference and understand, among others. Research paper guides are frequently updated and new editions are often published yearly, so it is important to stay up to date and purchase the most recent edition when you are choosing your research paper guide.
