What are style guides?

Style guides are written to help scholars present their material consistently using the standards expected for publications in their discipline.  Each referencing system has its own style guide.  They cover topics such as how to write numbers, present abbreviations and acronyms and present quotations.  

Here are some examples of circumstances when you might need to refer to a style guide: 

Historians writing about British naval power during the eighteenth century may need to include the names of ships, battles and abbreviated ranks throughout their thesis. They may ponder about how to write the Glorious First of June, also known as the Fourth Battle of Ushant.  Should they write the numbers in full? Should they use capital letters at the beginning of the words (title case)? Should they write the words in italics?  Should they write the 29 in the 29th Regiment of Foot as a number or as the word (twenty-ninth)? Should they write 1 June or 1^st June or first of June?   

Business students may need to refer to common acronyms such as FOB (Free on board) but not know whether they should write f.o.b. or FOB or fob or ‘free on board.’ They might want to refer to prices in currencies for which there is no keyboard symbol.  Should they compare £s or pounds or GBP with the Yuan (CNY) or the people’s renminbi (RMB).