Suggested Style Manuals
When writing academic essays, dissertations and theses, it is important to use a standard of grammar and referencing that is consistent and recognizable by your peers and teachers. Two very popular manual of styles are the Chicago Manual of Style and the Oxford Style Manual which are both available from Amazon.co.uk. A shortened version of the Chicago style has been edited specifically for academic writers by Kate Turabian and is also available at Amazon.co.uk. These style manuals are popular with publishers and humanities departments and in general are the standard there. For instance the University of Manchester's Post-Graduate Journal requires the Chicago Manual of Style for its publications and many professors are familiar with it because it is so popular with publishers. Here's a link to a PowerPoint presentation from the School of Arts Histories and Culture's website. In any case, whichever style manual you use, it's helpful to list it at the end of your bibliography or somewhere in your footnotes so your reader knows what you are using. If you are just looking for a referencing guide, Chicago Manual of Style has posted an online guide available here: Chicago Quick Guide for academic referencing and citations.