The Chicago Manual of Style (CMS) is a style guide for American English published by the University of Chicago (from which it receives its name). It prescribes a writing style that is widely used in the publishing industry. The CMS deals with all aspects concerning the editorial practice, from American English grammar and usage to document preparation. (Note that, in the field of publishing, style means punctuation, italicizing, bolding, capitalization, tables, and so forth; not prose style.)
Overview
The Chicago Manual of Style is published by the University of Chicago Press. The first edition was published by the University in 1906, under the title A Manual of Style; it was officially retitled The Chicago Manual of Style upon publication of the 13th edition in 1982, a name that was already in widespread informal use by the book's audience. In recent years the publishers have released a new edition every decade or so. The most recent edition is the 15th, published in 2003. Retailing for $55 (USD), the 15th edition has been revised throughout to reflect the increasing prominence of computer technology and the Internet in the publishing world, and offers guidance for citing electronic works. Other changes include a new chapter on American English grammar and usage, and a revised treatment of mathematical copy.
The CMS is currently published in hardcover, with a digital edition planned for release in 2006, however it still is pending (link). The CMS web site features a question-and-answer column and a full manual text search (members only).
History
The Chicago Manual of Style appeared first in 1906 under the title Manual of Style: Being a compilation of the typographical rules in force at the University of Chicago Press, to which are appended specimens of type in use. From its earliest edition of a mere 200 pages, the CMS evolved into a reference guide of 984 pages in its 15th edition. It was one of the first style methods published in the United States, and is in large part responsible for the standardization of research methodology, most specifically with the style of citation.
By 1969 the CMS had become the industry leader, selling around 150,000 copies of its 12th edition. However, throughout the 1960s the demand for a more concise and up-to-date style guide grew. The Modern Language Association found that the Chicago Manual of Style was not evolving fast enough to suit the demands of the modern researcher, and, as such, made the citations excessively complicated for modern methods (e.g. the microfilming drive, and, in particular, the evolving world of electronic records). Consequently they put forth their own MLA style guides, aimed at different audiences: The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers and the MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Thereafter, the Chicago Manual of Style began to lose a lot of its patronage: first with the introduction of the MLA style, and subsequently with the American Psychological Association introducing its own citation style. Today, there are numerous style guides aimed at writers, editors, and publishers and each claims authority in a certain field.
The Chicago Manual of Style is still used in some social science publications and in most historical journals; the publications of the Organization of American Historians and the American Anthropological Association are two examples.
Criticism
The Chicago Manual of Style does not hold much neutrality among its users: some say that it is excessively complicated to format, especially because some of the rules are overridden by Microsoft Word's automatic formatting rules; others say that it provides--by far--the most comprehensive and structured citation style. Most notable in the controversy is the use of hanging indentation, that process by which all lines subordinate to the first line of an entry are indented (N.B. each new reference's first line automatically moves to the margin). Due to its loss in patronage, the Chicago Manual of Style is considered less relevant than in the past. One of the few instances in which the Chicago Manual of Style would be required is to comply with the Kate L. Turabian Manual of Style, which has some revisions to the style but remains compliant with the methodology of citation.
See also
External links
- Chicago Manual of Style Official website
- University of Chicago Press
- Interactive Chicago Manual of Style Reference - StudentABC.com