APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Turabian, Vancouver

What do these mean to you?  APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Turabian, Vancouver/ICJME



Depending on your role or roles, as a learner, educator, reviewer, editor, the objective of your writing, the standards will vary. Always consult the organization for the exact formatting and punctuation guidelines. While many people have personal preferences, individuals in school must meet organizational standards. Do you use one standard for work and another for school? Which format and version are you comfortable with APA (6th), MLA, Chicago (15th), Harvard (18th), Turabian (6th), Vancouver/ICJME? If you had to change formats or versions could you adapt, implement, and overcome?

Someone asked me when did I learn the difference and in reflection I had to say once I started college. But today's student has to be able to write for school, produce resumes in various formats, take notes and they do it with different tools. Some people still prefer pen and paper version and others have gone completely digital. Regardless of the tool, the writing project must meet a standard whether submitting for a grade, publishing for the web, and writing for personal and professional objectives.


So where did you learn your writing standards for school? work? How did you learn to format templates and references? How do you cite your references?


Some online libraries and reference sites provide options to export references for bibliographic management software, such as EndNote, ProCite, Reference Manager, RefWorks, EasyBib and BibTeX. While others prefer to format their own references. Do you have a favorite or a preference?

Citations are based on reference standards. Formatting rules can vary widely. The specific requirements or preferences of your reviewing publisher, classroom teacher, institution or organization should be applied. 


Because I live, work, and study in perpetual ADDIE gerbil wheel, I hit the key points used to help others decide the framework of their assignments.

Analyze your writing objectives and format requirements: APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Turabian, Vancouver/ICJME
Design your template for your paper
Develop the content for your assignment or project

Implement - Combine the content, your research, references, and supplemental materials
Evaluate - Don't just read the paper and run a spell check, ask peers, parents, children to review and comment, conduct a print or web preview to determine how the project will look to the reading audience.


When analyzing this information be reminded of Steven Covey's Habit #5, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood."


Comments, recommendations, and reaction box checks are always welcome.