When determining how to design your document, review your purpose and audience. Documentation style guides are used for consistency in the way you present your information in a document. The importance of these guides is to make it easier for the reader to understand and find information within the document.
Two Common Guides Used in Academia
MLA
Modern Language Association https://www.mla.org/
APA
American Psychological Association http://www.apa.org/
Other websites are very helpful with documenting your sources using MLA or APA standards:
- Purdue Online Writing Lab:
- MLA Formatting: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
- APA Formatting: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
- An automatic bibliography and citation maker for both MLA and APA at Easybib.com or Landmarks Son of Citation Machine