There are a number of writing styles that you can use. Some of major writing styles are the American Psychological Association format (known as the APA style), the Chicago Manual of Style, and Modern Language Association format (known as MLA style). These styles can be divided into two groups. One group uses footnotes at the bottom of the page. The Chicago Manual of Style is one in this group. Some major Public Administration journals, including the Public Administration Review (PAR), use the Chicago Style of Manual. The other group, which includes the APA style, does not use footnotes. The main text of the paper contains only the name of the author cited, publication year and the page. All citations and notes are at the end of the article. Many social science books and articles follow the APA Style.
You can use any of these formats unless your professor specifically instructs. Keep one thing in your mind, however, once you have chosen a style, use the same style though out your paper. The MPA computer lab has the Chicago Manual of Style and the Style Manual for Political Science for your reference.
If you submit a manuscript to a journal, the editor of the journal will require a particular style. Modifying a writing style to another is a time consuming process. Nota Bene, which is academic writing word processor, would be helpful. Once a manuscript is written in Nota Bene, you can change your writing style one way to another just by few clicks. The MPA computer lab has several copies of Nota Bene licensed. Please ask your lab assistant if you are interested in.
A Guide for Writing Research Papers Base on the Modern Language Association Documentation
Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format