MHRA Style Guide: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search
imported>Tenshi Hinanawi
Reverting edit(s) by Vladimirs Kuznecovs (talk) to rev. 1267350550 by UnduePrune: Non-constructive edit (UV 0.1.6)
 
imported>AndrewNJ
Fix title capitalization
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{italic title}}
{{short description|Academic style guide of the Modern Humanities Research Association}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox book
| name              = MHRA Style Guide: A Handbook for Authors, Editors, and Writers of Theses
| image            =
| caption          =
| title_orig        = MHRA Style Book
| country          = United Kingdom
| language          = English
| genre            = [[Style guide]]
| publisher        = [[Modern Humanities Research Association]]
| pub_date          = 1971–2024
| media_type        = Print / Digital
| pages            = 104
| isbn              = 978-1-83954-248-0
| website          = https://www.mhra.org.uk/style
}}
{{Styles}}
{{Styles}}


The '''''MHRA Style Guide: A Handbook for Authors, Editors, and Writers of Theses'''''—formerly the '''''MHRA Style Book'''''—is an academic [[style guide]] published by the [[Modern Humanities Research Association]]. It is most widely used in the [[arts]] and [[humanities]] in the [[United Kingdom]], where the MHRA is based.  
The '''''MHRA Style Guide''''' is an [[open-access]] handbook of academic writing published by the [[Modern Humanities Research Association]].<ref name="MHRA2024">{{Cite book |title=MHRA style guide: a handbook for authors, editors, and writers of theses |edition=4 |date=2024-02-20 |publisher=Modern Humanities Research Association |location=Cambridge |isbn=978-1-83954-248-0 |editor-last=Paver |editor-first=Chloe |language=en |doi=10.59860/msg.b47db8a}}</ref> Widely adopted in the [[United Kingdom]] and beyond, particularly in the fields of [[modern languages]], [[literature]], and [[cultural studies]], the guide standardizes conventions for [[spelling]], [[punctuation]], and [[citation]].


Initially, the Book and Guide were only available for sale in the UK and in the [[United States]]. {{As of|2015|post=,}} 50,000 copies of all editions, published between 1971 and 2013, have been sold worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |title=About the MHRA |url=https://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/MHRA-Style-Guide |website=www.mhra.org.uk |access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref>
The fourth edition (2024) has been substantially revised from earlier versions to reflect developments in digital publishing and contemporary academic practice.<ref name="Burns2024">{{Cite web |last=Burns |first=Barbara |date=2024-05-15 |title=Can this dog be a rabbit? |url=https://mhra.org.uk/news/2024/05/15/can-this-dog-be-a-rabbit.html |access-date=2025-06-13 |website=Modern Humanities Research Association |language=en}}</ref>


== Availability ==
== History ==
The 4th edition of the Style Guide (published in February 2024) can be downloaded free of charge,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Paver |first=Chloe |url=https://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/msg-m002 |title=MHRA Style Guide: Fourth Edition (2024) |date=2024-02-20 |publisher=Modern Humanities Research Association |isbn=978-1-83954-248-0 |language=en}}</ref> as a [[PDF]] formatted document, from the MHRA's official website.<ref name="onlineversion">{{cite web |title=The MHRA Style Guide Online |url=https://www.mhra.org.uk/news/2017/05/22/mhra-style-guide-online.html |website=www.mhra.org.uk |publisher=The Modern Humanities Research Association (MHRA) |access-date=28 April 2021 |location=UK |language=en |date=22 May 2017 }}</ref>
Since 2017, an online version is available, in full<ref>{{cite web |title=Welcome to the MHRA Style Guide Online |url=https://www.mhra.org.uk/style/contents.html |website=www.mhra.org.uk |access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref> and in a condensed Quick Guide format. Both online versions are also free of charge.<ref>{{cite web |title=The MHRA Style Guide Online: A Handbook for Authors and Editors • Third Edition |url=https://www.mhra.org.uk/style/quick.html |website=www.mhra.org.uk |access-date=28 April 2021}}</ref>


Print versions of the most current edition continue to be offered.<ref name="onlineversion" />
The style guide descends from the ''MHRA Style Book'', first issued in 1971.<ref name="MHRA1971">{{Cite book |title=MHRA style book: Notes for authors and editors |date=1971 |isbn=978-0-900547-20-1 |editor-last=Maney |editor-first=Arthur S. |location=Leeds |publisher=Modern Humanities Research Association |doi=10.59860/msg.b16925a |url=https://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/MHRA-Style-Book |doi-broken-date=2025-06-13}}</ref> Its roots lie in the editorial meetings of the ''[[Modern Language Review]]'', held since 1905. The 2024 edition represents the ninth revision overall and the fourth under the ''Style Guide'' title.
 
Editorial oversight is entrusted to a voluntary committee of scholars.<ref name="MHRA2024"/>
 
== Scope and purpose ==
 
The ''MHRA Style Guide'' does not address questions of [[rhetoric]], [[argument]], or expression. Rather, it offers prescriptive guidance on the mechanical elements of style: [[orthography]], punctuation, [[capitalization]], [[quotation]], referencing, and indexing. It is intended to ensure [[typographical]] and bibliographical consistency across MHRA publications and to support scholars, students, and publishers in the humanities more broadly. It is modelled on ''[[Hart's Rules]]'', published by [[Oxford University Press]].<ref name="Burns2024"/>
 
== Structure and features ==
 
The 2024 edition is organized into eight chapters, replacing the fourteen of the previous edition. It includes sections on:
 
* spelling and punctuation (notably Oxford ‘-ize' forms and use of accents)
* referencing of print, digital, and audiovisual materials
* style for foreign languages, transliteration, and non-Latin scripts
* preparation of copy for publication, including tables, illustrations, and indexing
 
A Quick Guide summarizes key conventions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=A quick guide to MHRA style |url=https://www.mhra.org.uk/style/quickguide.html |access-date=2025-06-13 |website=The MHRA style guide online |language=en}}</ref>
 
Online versions of the guide are available free of charge under a [[Creative Commons licence]]. The ''Guide' also remains available in print.


== Publication history ==
== Publication history ==
Line 25: Line 59:
* 2002: first edition
* 2002: first edition
* 2008: second edition
* 2008: second edition
* 2013: third edition
* 2013: third edition<ref name="MHRA2013">{{Cite book |title=MHRA style guide: a handbook for authors and editors |date=2013 |publisher=Modern Humanities Research Association |isbn=978-1-78188-009-8 |editor-last=Richardson |editor-first=Brian |edition=3 |location=London |doi=10.59860/msg.b38723a |doi-broken-date=2025-06-13 |url=https://www.mhra.org.uk/publications/MHRA-Style-Guide}}</ref>
* 2015: third edition reprinted with minor corrections
* 2015: third edition reprinted with minor corrections
* 2024: fourth edition
* 2024: fourth edition<ref name="MHRA2024"/>
 
== See also ==
* ''[[Chicago Manual of Style]]''
* ''[[Hart's Rules]]''


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


== External links ==
[[Category:1971 non-fiction books]]
* ''[http://style.mhra.org.uk/ MHRA Style Guide]''
 
{{ref-book-stub}}
 
[[Category:Style guides for British English]]
[[Category:Style guides for British English]]
[[Category:Academic style guides]]
[[Category:Academic style guides]]

Latest revision as of 22:16, 13 June 2025

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Oxford spelling Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherTemplate:Main otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Wikidata image Template:Styles

The MHRA Style Guide is an open-access handbook of academic writing published by the Modern Humanities Research Association.[1] Widely adopted in the United Kingdom and beyond, particularly in the fields of modern languages, literature, and cultural studies, the guide standardizes conventions for spelling, punctuation, and citation.

The fourth edition (2024) has been substantially revised from earlier versions to reflect developments in digital publishing and contemporary academic practice.[2]

History

The style guide descends from the MHRA Style Book, first issued in 1971.[3] Its roots lie in the editorial meetings of the Modern Language Review, held since 1905. The 2024 edition represents the ninth revision overall and the fourth under the Style Guide title.

Editorial oversight is entrusted to a voluntary committee of scholars.[1]

Scope and purpose

The MHRA Style Guide does not address questions of rhetoric, argument, or expression. Rather, it offers prescriptive guidance on the mechanical elements of style: orthography, punctuation, capitalization, quotation, referencing, and indexing. It is intended to ensure typographical and bibliographical consistency across MHRA publications and to support scholars, students, and publishers in the humanities more broadly. It is modelled on Hart's Rules, published by Oxford University Press.[2]

Structure and features

The 2024 edition is organized into eight chapters, replacing the fourteen of the previous edition. It includes sections on:

  • spelling and punctuation (notably Oxford ‘-ize' forms and use of accents)
  • referencing of print, digital, and audiovisual materials
  • style for foreign languages, transliteration, and non-Latin scripts
  • preparation of copy for publication, including tables, illustrations, and indexing

A Quick Guide summarizes key conventions.[4]

Online versions of the guide are available free of charge under a Creative Commons licence. The Guide' also remains available in print.

Publication history

MHRA Style Book

  • 1971: first edition
  • 1978: second edition
  • 1981: third edition
  • 1991: fourth edition
  • 1995: fourth edition reprinted with amendments
  • 1996: fifth edition

MHRA Style Guide

  • 2002: first edition
  • 2008: second edition
  • 2013: third edition[5]
  • 2015: third edition reprinted with minor corrections
  • 2024: fourth edition[1]

See also

References

Template:Reflist

  1. a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".