This guide was prepared by Dr. François-Pierre Gingras, School of Political Studies, upon the request of Dr. Serge Denis, then Associate Dean (Academic) and Secretary of the Faculty. John Topping, a graduate student in the School of Political Studies, was responsible for the English adaptation, which was further revised by the author.
The objective of this guide is to present an accessible, clear set of rules related to writing and style, for the use of students in the Faculty of Social Sciences. For details not included in this guide, you may consult the sources presented in the bibliography.
The rules and norms included in this guide constitute the writing guidelines to be used in all courses offered by the Faculty of Social Sciences, except where professors choose to adopt other standards. Any questions you may have should be directed to your professor and your academic unit.
The printed version of this Guide has been approved by the Committe on Educational Policy of the faculty of Social Sciences. [ * ] Copies are available at the University bookstore.
The web version slightly differs from the printed version with regard to quotations and reference notes. The Guide indicates quite clearly (with appropriate examples) that there are various acceptable ways of formatting quotations and reference notes. While the printed version gives priority to the traditional style, this web version adopts the author-date style. Some other minor adjustments were also required to make it user-friendly. With respect to quotations and references, it is important to always keep in mind instructor's requirements and style coherence within a given paper.