MUS 2700/2710: Music History I and II
Which Style to Use?
Your instructor usually determines which style you must use in your papers. If you don't know--ASK!
- Citing Sources - WMU LIbrariesInfo on citing, styles, copyright, plagiarism.
Style Guides in the Library
Generally, you will only use one of these style manuals as a guide for how to cite sources and arrange parts of research papers. However, you may find general advice on research in all of these.
MLA Handbook by Call Number: LB2369 .M52 2021 (Permanent Reserves and Reference)ISBN: 9781603293518Publication Date: 2021-05-30
A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations by Call Number: Reference LB2369 .T8 2018ISBN: 9780226430577Publication Date: 2018-04-16
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by Call Number: ReferenceBF76.7 .P83 2020ISBN: 9781433832161Publication Date: 2019-10-01
Writing and Citing in Music
Books on writing about music are at ML 3797.
- Citing Music SourcesHow to cite music sources (scores, recordings, videos and more) using Turabian style (based upon Chicago Manual of Style).
A Style and Usage Guide to Writing about Music by
In A Style and Usage Guide to Writing About Music, Thomas Donahue presents a collection of guidelines to help express through the written word the special notations, terms, and concepts found in the discipline of music. It concentrates on questions of style and format in the interest of good formal writing within the context of United-States English, so that writers may communicate their ideas clearly and effectively.While compiling the guidelines, Donahue reviewed content from many other music and general guides. He documented the most common formats in order to assist the writer in selecting an appropriate format for the given circumstance when more than one may apply. The book draws on profuse musically-oriented examples and is arranged by topics both musical and typographic, such as the proper use and spelling of composer names and musical concepts; the use of notes, pitches, and octave delineations; letters and numbers employed to describe form and harmony; when, where, and how to apply compound words and hyphenation of terms and names; and the proper citation of musical and audiovisual sources. The book concludes with a glossary of typographic terms, a bibliography, and a comprehensive index, making this a valuable resource for students, scholars, teachers, and writers.
Call Number: ML3797 .D76 2010 (Music and Dance General Stacks)ISBN: 9780810874312Publication Date: 2010-04-01
Music in Words by
A textbook and reference book "about the way we research music and write about it." Graduate student level.
Call Number: ML3797 .H537 2009 (Also available online)ISBN: 9780195373721Publication Date: 2009-02-12
A Handbook for Preparing Graduate Papers in Music by Call Number: ML3797 .B68 2001 (Music and Dance Reference and General Stacks)ISBN: 0970605463Publication Date: 2001-04-01
Common Style Guides
- Chicago Manual of StyleA detailed and comprehensive guide for papers, articles, theses, dissertations, and books. It is the "Bible" for many publication guidelines.
- Chicago Manual of Style Quick GuideYou may want to start with this quick guide to the Chicago Manual of Style.
- Purdue OWL - Research and CitationGuides to MLA, APA, and Chicago styles.
Citation Management Tools
Quick Citation Formatting in Databases.
Many databases allow you to format citations into various writing styles. When available, look for the wording “cite” or “cite now,” or see if it is an option after clicking on “save, print, email.”
- ZoteroThis citation management tool works with the Firefox Web browser, or it can be installed as a stand-alone program on your computer with plugins for other Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.
Avoiding Plagiarism
Using someone else's words or ideas and passing them off as your own work is plagiarism, which is unethical and cause for academic consequences, including failing your class. The video below is from the WMU Libraries Instruct program, and explains in more detail what plagiarism is and how to avoid it. If you are logging in from off campus, you may need to authenticate with your BroncoNet ID and password to watch the video.
Writing and Citing in Music
Books on writing about music are at ML 3797.
- Citing Music SourcesHow to cite music sources (scores, recordings, videos and more) using Turabian style (based upon Chicago Manual of Style).
- A Style and Usage Guide to Writing about Music by
In A Style and Usage Guide to Writing About Music, Thomas Donahue presents a collection of guidelines to help express through the written word the special notations, terms, and concepts found in the discipline of music. It concentrates on questions of style and format in the interest of good formal writing within the context of United-States English, so that writers may communicate their ideas clearly and effectively.While compiling the guidelines, Donahue reviewed content from many other music and general guides. He documented the most common formats in order to assist the writer in selecting an appropriate format for the given circumstance when more than one may apply. The book draws on profuse musically-oriented examples and is arranged by topics both musical and typographic, such as the proper use and spelling of composer names and musical concepts; the use of notes, pitches, and octave delineations; letters and numbers employed to describe form and harmony; when, where, and how to apply compound words and hyphenation of terms and names; and the proper citation of musical and audiovisual sources. The book concludes with a glossary of typographic terms, a bibliography, and a comprehensive index, making this a valuable resource for students, scholars, teachers, and writers.
Call Number: Electronic BookISBN: 9780810874312Publication Date: 2010-04-01
- Music in Words by
A textbook and reference book "about the way we research music and write about it." Graduate student level.
Call Number: Electronic BookISBN: 9780195373721Publication Date: 2009-02-12
- A Handbook for Preparing Graduate Papers in Music by Call Number: ML3797 .B68 2001 (Reference and General Stacks)ISBN: 0970605463Publication Date: 2001-04-01
