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What Is a Style Sheet?

A style sheet is a document that specifies the language, citation, and stylistic conventions that will be considered appropriate for writing in your course. Think of it as a guide to the unwritten rules of writing in your field — made visible and explicit for students who are still learning those rules.

Style sheets are common in professional publishing (most journals and publishing houses have them), but they are also a powerful teaching tool in the classroom. A well-designed style sheet does several things at once:

• It separates discipline-specific convention from universal "correctness," which is both more honest and more pedagogically useful
• It gives students a concrete reference point when making writing decisions
• It reduces the frustration that comes from being marked down for something you didn't know was expected
• It invites students to think about writing as situational rather than rule-based in a fixed, universal sense

A style sheet is not the same as a rubric. A rubric evaluates the quality of student work. A style sheet defines the conventions within which that work will be evaluated. Both are useful; they do different things.

Sample style sheets:

What to Include on a Style Sheet

Every discipline has its own conventions, and no style sheet will cover everything. But here are the categories most worth addressing explicitly, especially for students who are writing in your field for the first time.

Voice and Person

Does your field prefer first person ("I argue that..."), third person ("This paper argues that..."), or either? Many disciplines have strong conventions here that students may not be aware of. If you have a preference, say so — and consider explaining why the convention exists. Is it about objectivity? Rhetorical tradition? Something else?

Example language: "In this course, avoid first person. Use third person throughout. This reflects the convention in [field], where writers typically minimize the presence of the individual author in favor of the argument itself."

Passive vs. Active Voice

Some disciplines — particularly in the sciences and social sciences — regularly use passive constructions ("participants were asked to...," "the sample was analyzed..."). Others strongly discourage passive voice. If your field has a norm, name it, and consider noting when exceptions are appropriate.

Example language: "In scientific writing, passive voice is often preferred in the Methods section to emphasize what was done rather than who did it. Active voice is generally preferred elsewhere."

Formality Level

What register is expected in your course? How casual is too casual? Contractions? Colloquialisms? Sentence fragments used for rhetorical effect? Students may not know where the line is unless you tell them.

Example language: "Writing for this course should maintain a formal academic register. Avoid contractions, colloquialisms, and conversational phrasing. Your audience is a knowledgeable reader in the field, not a general audience."

Hedging Language

Many disciplines — particularly in the sciences and social sciences — use hedging language to signal appropriate epistemic caution: "the data suggest," "it appears that," "one possible explanation is." Other fields expect more confident assertion. Either way, students benefit from knowing what's expected.

Example language: "In this field, we rarely claim certainty. Use hedging language to indicate the degree of confidence supported by your evidence."

Citation Style

Specify which citation system you expect (APA, MLA, Chicago, AMA, or field-specific) and note any discipline-specific variations that differ from the standard guidelines. If you have a strong preference about how sources are integrated — signal phrases, block quotes, paraphrase vs. direct quotation — say so.

Example language: "All citations should follow APA 7th edition. Note that in [field], it is conventional to paraphrase rather than quote directly from sources in most cases."

Discipline-Specific Terminology

Are there terms students should use? Terms they should avoid because they're imprecise or carry the wrong connotations in your field? Jargon that is appropriate in professional writing but should be defined for a student audience?

Sentence and Paragraph Length

Some disciplines value concision above all; others value elaboration and qualification. Some use long paragraphs that develop a single idea at length; others prefer shorter, more modular paragraphs. If you have expectations, name them.

Headers and Subheadings

Are headers expected? Optional? Discouraged? Many students default to using or avoiding them based on what they've done in other courses. Tell them what you want.

Other Conventions

Consider anything else that is a strong convention in your field: the use of numbers vs. numerals, how to present data, how to refer to sources and authors, whether to use contractions in titles, how to handle abbreviations, and so on.

How to Frame the Style Sheet for Students

How you introduce your style sheet matters as much as what's in it. The goal is to communicate expectations clearly while helping students understand that these are conventions — not universal laws of language.

Recommended framing:

Instead of:

"Incorrect: 'I think the data shows that...'" "Correct: 'The data suggest that...'"

Try:

"In this field, we typically write 'the data suggest' rather than 'I think the data shows.' This reflects two conventions: using hedging language to signal appropriate uncertainty, and avoiding first person. Both are standard in [field] writing, though you'll find other conventions in other disciplines."

The difference is significant. The first framing implies that one form is wrong in some absolute sense. The second teaches students something true about how language works: choices that are perfectly appropriate in one context may not be appropriate in another, and understanding why helps you become a more flexible and capable writer.

Some language you might use when introducing your style sheet:

• "These are the conventions of writing in [field]. Other conventions exist and work well in other contexts — but for writing in this course, these are our guidelines."
• "If you're marked down for something on this list, it's not because your writing is 'bad' — it's because it doesn't match the conventions of this discipline. Learning those conventions is part of what this course is teaching."
• "If you're unsure whether something is appropriate, the style sheet is a good place to start. You can also bring it to the Writing Center — our consultants are trained to help students navigate disciplinary writing conventions."

The Writing Center Can Help

Writing Center consultants are trained to work with discipline-specific writing conventions, not just general writing principles. There are a few ways we can support your students — and you:

Share your style sheet with us. If you send your style sheet to the Writing Center, our consultants can reference it when working with students from your course. This helps us give feedback that's consistent with your expectations rather than generic.

Encourage students to bring their style sheet to appointments. When students come to the Writing Center with their style sheet in hand, consultants can use it as a guide for the session. This is especially helpful for students who are new to writing in your field.

Ask us about discipline-specific resources. The Writing Center has experience working with students across a wide range of disciplines and can often point students toward resources specific to their field.

To share your style sheet or connect with us about supporting your students, contact us.