The MLA Style Manual an Guide to Scholarly Publishing (1998), published for the Modern Language Association of America, by Joseph Gibaldi, is the second edition of The MLA Style Manual (1985). It is an academic style guide widely used in the United States, Canada, and other countries, providing guidelines for writing and documentation of research in the humanities, especially in English studies; the study of other modern languages and literatures, including comparative literature; literary criticism; media studies; cultural studies; and related disciplines ("What Is MLA Style?"). According to the MLA, "Since its publication in 1985, the MLA Style Manual has been the standard guide for graduate students, teachers, and scholars in the humanities and for professional writers in many fields."