[Delete this before using. This document should serve as a starting point for the creation of an editorial style guide. Most of the tables will need to be updated
with appropriate words and phrases from your client’s business. Use this document to begin to think about words and phrases for which you will need to defined
consistent usage. This should be a coordinated effort with you making suggestions, but always giving the client the final say, even if you don’t agree.
Also, read all of the example sentences carefully. They were meant for a client that was very fun and casual. The humor may be too casual for a very serious client.
But they are entertaining and make the document more likely to be read and discussed.]
Editorial Guidelines
[Insert Project or Client Name]
Status: Draft Version .01
[Insert Your Name or Company Name and location]
[Date]
Table of Contents
About This Guide ............................................................................................. 1
How This Guide Was Created ......................................................................... 1
Official Reference Guides ............................................................................... 1
Web Resources................................................................................................ 1
Hyphenation and Compound Words ............................................................. 2
Hyphenated Titles - Capitalization.................................................................. 2
Words Specific to our Industry – Hyphenation Guidelines............................. 2
Prefixes ........................................................................................................... 5
Suffixes ........................................................................................................... 6
Rules for New Technology Terms ................................................................. 7
Spelling...or Misspelling? ............................................................................... 8
Acronyms/Abbreviations ................................................................................ 9
i.e., e.g., and etc. ............................................................................................. 9
State names ..................................................................................................... 9
Capitalization .................................................................................................. 10
Commonly Used Acronyms ............................................................................ 11
File Format Usage ........................................................................................... 15
Title Page and Copyright Issues .................................................................... 16
Confidentiality ................................................................................................ 16
Referring to [CLIENT NAME] ....................................................................... 16
Other Company Names and Products ............................................................. 16
Use of ™ and ® .............................................................................................. 16
Title Page Example ......................................................................................... 19
Punctuation and Capitalization ...................................................................... 20
Periods ............................................................................................................ 20
Comma ............................................................................................................ 20
Dash Usage ..................................................................................................... 21
Ellipses ............................................................................................................ 21
Colon Usage .................................................................................................... 21
Slash/Virgule/Bar/Separatrix .......................................................................... 22
Parentheses ...................................................................................................... 22
Capitalization of Items in a Series................................................................... 22
Capitalization of Articles, Prepositions, and Conjunctions ............................. 23
Capitalization of Titles .................................................................................... 23
Numbers and Numerals .................................................................................. 24
Problem Words and Phrases.......................................................................... 26
Back up vs. Backup ......................................................................................... 26
i
Disk vs. Disc ................................................................................................... 26
Foreign Words ................................................................................................ 26
Who vs. That ................................................................................................... 26
That vs. Which ................................................................................................ 26
Affect and Effect ............................................................................................. 26
All vs. All of ................................................................................................... 27
Can vs. May .................................................................................................... 27
OK vs. Okay.................................................................................................... 27
Set up vs. Setup ............................................................................................... 27
Formatting Issues ............................................................................................ 28
Fonts................................................................................................................ 28
Endnote vs. Footnote Usage ............................................................................ 28
Telephone Numbers ........................................................................................ 28
Paragraph Indents ............................................................................................ 28
Referring to the Web ....................................................................................... 28
Figure Captions and Table Titles .................................................................... 29
Text References to Figures, Tables, and References ....................................... 29
Headers and Footers ........................................................................................ 29
Use of Small Caps ........................................................................................... 29
Appendix A Trademarks ................................................................................. 30
List CLIENT Trademarks ............................................................................... 30
Appendix B Proofreading Marks ................................................................... 31
Index ................................................................................................................. Error!
Bookmark not defined.
ii
About This Guide
This guide was developed as an aid to those who develop textual information either for the screen or for
delivery to a client or customer. The goals of this guide are to:

Promote consistency in the usage of technology and new media terms

Set standards for grammatical usage

Identify and explain common errors in grammar and word usage

To act as a forum for the discussion, and continued re-evaluation, of changing conventions and the
introduction of new terms and concepts
How This Guide Was Created
This guide was created with the input and consensus of the entire Editorial/Content Group within the
[Insert company name]. An effort was made to adhere to the overall COMPANY Styleguide as much as
possible. Exceptions were made only in cases where we felt that the COMPANY Styleguide was outdated
in regard to current usage. In this case, following outdated styles would damage our image as innovative
design shop.
The following resources were used when making decisions:

Investigation of current common usage on the Web

Wired Style Guide

Chicago Manual of Style

The Microsoft Manual of Style

Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 10nth

CLIENT STYLE GUIDELINES if any
Official Reference Guides
Chicago Manual of Style
Wired Style
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary
Web Resources
[List Web resources here.]
Editorial Guidelines
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1
Hyphenation and Compound Words
Hyphenation and Compound Words
Hyphenated Titles - Capitalization
When using hyphenated words in titles, such as “self-service,” page 283 of the Chicago Manual of Style,
Rule 7.128, recommends the following style:
“First elements are always capitalized; subsequent elements are capitalized unless they are articles,
prepositions, coordinating conjunctions, or such modifiers as flat, sharp and natural following
musical key symbols; second elements attached by hyphens to prefixes are not capitalized unless
they are proper nouns or proper adjectives. If a compound (other than one with a hyphenated
prefix) comes at the end of the title, its final element, whatever part of speech it may be, is always
capitalized.”
For example:
Run-of-the-Mill Responses, E-flat Concerto, Self-Sustaining Reactions, A Run-in with
Authorities, Avoiding a Run-In, Present-Day
Words Specific to our Industry – Hyphenation Guidelines
For compound modifiers, use a hyphen to separate the modifier from the object noun or verb. The
exception being compound modifiers that end in –ly should not be hyphenated. For example, insanely
coiffed.
One Word, Two Words, or Hyphenated
Term
Comments and Notes
autoformatting
Microsoft style guide (MS) says avoid hyphenating
“auto,” close up
bandwidth
One word
buy in (v.) buy-in
(n.)
Verb no hyphen
call to action
No hyphens
click-through
pl. click-throughs
checkbox
One word
cross-platform
hyphenate
cross promote
No hyphen
Editorial Guidelines
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Hyphenation and Compound Words
Term
Comments and Notes
customer-centric
hyphenate
desktop
One word
dial-up
Hyphenate when used as a modifier
download
drop-down
Hyphenate
easy-to-use
Hyphenate when used as a modifier
e-business
All lowercase always, even at the start of the sentence.
Do not allow to break across lines
e-commerce
Like e-business except cap for first word in a sentence
e-mail
Hyphenate
e-money
Hyphenate
end-to-end
Hyphenate
end user(n.) enduser(adj.)
Hyphenate when used as a modifier
enterprisewide
One word
file name
Two words
File system
Two words
first-to-market
Hyphenate when used as a modifier
full-motion
Hyphenate
go-to-market
Hyphenate when used as a modifier
grayscale
One word
high-end
Hyphenate
high-level
hyphenate
high-speed
Hyphenate when used as a modifier
home page
Always two words, use lower case. Only write as
capitalized “Home page” when referring to the actual
page title.
Editorial Guidelines
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Hyphenation and Compound Words
Term
Comments and Notes
in-house
hyphenate
kickoff
One word
low-level
hyphenate
Log off, logoff
Two words when used as a verb, one word when used
as an adj. or noun
Log on, logon
Two words when used as a verb, one word when used
as an adj. or noun
marketplace
One word
market share
Two words
metatemplates
Don’t hyphenate uses of meta.
multimedia
Do not hyphenate when using multi
multicolored
One word
non-users
hyphenate
object-oriented
hyphenate
ongoing
One word
online
One word
onscreen
One word
point-of-sale
hyphenate
pull-down
hyphenate
Real-time, real
time
Hyphenate when used as an adj. Two words when
used as a noun
reusable
One word
run time
Two words
scenario-based
hyphenate
self-publish
hyphenate
site-map-logic
hyphenate
Editorial Guidelines
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Hyphenation and Compound Words
Term
Comments and Notes
styleguide
One word
test case
Two words
third party (n.)
third-party(adj.)
Hyphenate when used as a modifier
touchscreen
One word
upload
One word
website
One word
word processor
word processing
Two words
workstation
One word
Wired Style Guide on hyphenation
“When in doubt, close it up.”
“We know from experience that new terms often start as two words, then become hyphenated, and
eventually end up as one word. Go there now.”
Prefixes
Most technology publications (including Wired) close up prefixes whenever possible.
Close most prefixes involving size or number
Gigabyte
Megabyte
Kilobit
Terabit
Do not hyphenate when using “micro” as a prefix. Use microprocessor, microsecond, etc.
Do not hyphenate when using “co-” as a prefix. Use coprocessor, coauthor, etc.
Do not hyphenate when using “non” as a prefix, except for instances where it would be awkward or
unreadable, such as “non-users.”
Do not hyphenate when using “work” as a prefix. Use workflow, workspace, workload, workstation, etc.
Do not hyphenate when using “pre” as a prefix. Use preformatted, preinitialization, etc.
Editorial Guidelines
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Hyphenation and Compound Words
Do not hyphenate when using “post” as a prefix. Use postprocessing, etc.
Do not hyphenate when using “sub” as a prefix. Use subprogram, etc.
Do not hyphenate when using “multi” as a prefix. Use multiprocessor, etc.
Do not hyphenate when using “meta” as a prefix. Use metadata, etc.
Suffixes
Use a hyphen when using “-based” as a suffix to a modifier (adj.). For example, windows-based, or Webbased.
Most technology publications (including Wired) close up suffixes whenever possible.
casting (narrowcasting, broadcasting, netcasting)
wide (businesswide, companywide, industrywide)
Editorial Guidelines
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Rules for New Technology Terms
Rules for New Technology Terms
Technology acronyms and abbreviations are defined in the Acronyms and Abbreviations section, page 9.
Is There a Special Rule?
Access Control List (ACL)
Adobe
Advanced Visualization
Cap when used as a proper name
beta
Don't cap
brand
CD-ROM or DVD
Use disc when referencing
client/server
Always use the slash. In titles cap both
community of interest
corporate
Digital Branding
Proper noun
extranet
Don’t cap
fax
Don’t cap
file system
global community
graphical user interface
Home page for specific, home
page for general
Hypertext Markup Language
(HTML)
Cap
Internet
Always cap
intranet
Don't cap
Java
Cap
JavaBean
Cap as spelled here
JavaScript
Cap as spelled here
Joint Application
Development or JAD
Joint Requirements
Development or JRD
kiosk
Mbit, megabit
middleware
MQSeries
Editorial Guidelines
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Rules for New Technology Terms
Is There a Special Rule?
multilevel
Net
Cap when using as short for the Internet
online
Perl
psychographics
publishing system
QuickTime VR or QTVR
Cap as spelled here
Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
Standard Generalized Markup
Language (SGML)
Cap
sendmail
One word when used as the name of a function
styleguide
One word, not capped
sublevel
TRUE/IP
Spell as shown
Universal Resource Locator
(URL)
Cap
Unix
Always cap the U
viewership
Virtual Reality Markup
Language or VRML
Web
Always cap
website
One word
Wide Area Information Server
or WAIS
Always cap the “W”, do not cap the “p” in Web page
World Wide Web, the Web,
Web page, or WWW
Spelling...or Misspelling?
Use this term
Instead of
Appendixes
appendices
Indexes
indices
Zeros
zeroes
As a rule, when faced with multiple correct spellings, choose the first to appear in the dictionary listing.
[Work with the client to pick which version will be used and document the decision.]
Editorial Guidelines
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Acronyms/Abbreviations
Acronyms/Abbreviations
As a rule, spell out acronyms upon first use. Use your best judgement as to how often to spell out when an
acronym is used infrequently in a large document.
When defining an abbreviation, spell out the term and follow with the abbreviation in parentheses.
...documents the alpha site developmental activity for the Automatic Defect Classification (ADC)
program.
Form the plural of an acronym by adding an “s” without an apostrophe. For example, FAQs, CDs.
i.e., e.g., and etc.
The following explains the proper usage of these terms. However, it is generally a good idea to avoid the
use of “i.e.” and “e.g.”
Use e.g. to abbreviate exempli gratia, “for example.” i.e. is the abbreviation for, “that is” or id est.
Set off i.e., e.g., and etc., as you would the full phrases they abbreviate. Both i.e. and e.g. should be
immediately followed by commas.
I advise you to split, i.e., book, beat it, get out, if you know what’s good for you and your howling,
inbred family.
When a series ends with etc. in the middle of a sentence, the etc. is set off by commas.
She powdered her nose, her brow, her alibis, etc., to meet his scrutiny intact.
State names
Spell out the name of a state or province when used alone. When used with a city name, use the two-letter
postal abbreviation.
Alabama
AL
Alaska
AK
Arizona
AZ
Arkansas
AR
California
CA
Colorado
CO
Connecticut
CT
Delaware
DE
District of
Columbia
DC
Editorial Guidelines
Version 1.0
Florida
FL
Louisiana
LA
Georgia
GA
Maine
ME
Guam
GU
Maryland
MD
Hawaii
HI
Massachusetts
MA
Idaho
ID
Michigan
MI
Illinois
IL
Minnesota
MN
Indiana
IN
Mississippi
MS
Iowa
IA
Missouri
MO
Kansas
KS
Montana
MT
Kentucky
KY
Nebraska
NE
9
Acronyms/Abbreviations
Nevada
NV
Oregon
OR
Utah
UT
New Hampshire
NH
Palau Island
PW
Vermont
VT
New Jersey
NJ
Pennsylvania
PA
Virgin Islands
VI
New Mexico
NM
Puerto Rico
PR
Virginia
VA
New York
NY
Rhode Island
RI
Washington
WA
North Carolina
NC
South Carolina
SC
West Virginia
WV
North Dakota
ND
South Dakota
SD
Wisconsin
WI
Ohio
OH
Tennessee
TN
Wyoming
WY
Oklahoma
OK
Texas
TX
Capitalization
Although an abbreviation or acronym may be all capitalized, the term it stands for often is not. Capitalize
only proper nouns when defining an abbreviation/acronym.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS)
gallium arsenide (GaAs)
In an acronym of a term that includes proper nouns with prepositions, do not use lower case for the
prepositions except when explicitly specified by the customer or company.
Cost of Ownership (COO) model
Department of Defense (DOD) contract
Centers of Competency (CoC the Client wanted to use the lowercase “o”)
Editorial Guidelines
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Acronyms/Abbreviations
Commonly Used Acronyms
When spelling out an acronym, type the words first, then follow with the acronym in parentheses. For
example, America Online (AOL).
Acronym
Spelled Out
Spell out when?
ACL
Access Control List
1st use
API
application programming interface
1st use depending upon
audience
bps
bits per second (not capped)
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
CCAS2
Credit Check Authorization Service,
version 2
1st use depending upon
audience
CDS
consumer device services
1st use
CGI
common gateway interface
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
CICS
Customer Information Control System. A
communications system that was converted
for database handling.
COMFUNC
CDS communication functions
1st use
CPU
central processing unit
Never
DB2
Database 2, an IBM relational database
product
Never
DBMS
database management system
1st use
DOU
document of understanding
1st use
DTH
direct-to-home
Always spell out
DVD
digital versatile disc. Sometimes incorrectly
referred to as digital video disc.
1st use
FAQ
frequently asked questions
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
Editorial Guidelines
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Acronyms/Abbreviations
Acronym
Spelled Out
Spell out when?
FCC
Federal Communications Commission
Not normally necessary to spell
out on first use
FTP
file transfer protocol
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
GB
gigabytes
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
GUI
graphical user interface. Technically, this
refers to the user interface for the computer
operating system (menus, dialog boxes,
radio buttons, mouse cursors, etc).
Windows and the Mac System 7 are GUIs.
Sometimes the term is misused when
referring to the global navigation area of a
Web page.
1st use. Check the context for
proper use (not global user
interface)
HP/UX or
HP-UX
Hewlett-Packard Unix. The version of Unix
running on Hewlett-Packard workstations.
HTML
hypertext markup language
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
HTTP
hypertext transfer protocol
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
IANA
Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
Always spell out
ICMP
Internet control message protocol – used to
transmit error reports between hosts.
1st use
IRC
internet relay chat
1st use
ISDN
integrated services digital network
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
ISP
internet service provider
1st use
JAD
Joint Application Design
1st use
Editorial Guidelines
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Acronyms/Abbreviations
Acronym
Spelled Out
Spell out when?
JPEG
Joint Photographic Experts Group
Never
JRD
Joint Requirements Development
1st use
Kbits
Kilo bits
Never
LAN
local area network
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
LU 6.2
Logical Unit 6.2
Never
MB
megabyte
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
MHz
megahertz
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
MMDS
MultiChannel MultiPoint Distribution
Services
1st use
MPEG
Motion Picture Expert Group
Never spell out
MSRP
manufacturer's suggested retail price
1st use
MTA
Message Transfer Agent
1st use
NLS
national language support
1st use
ODBC
Open Database Connectivity
1st use
PCR
project change request
If necessary
PDF
Portable document format
1st use
PIN
personal identification number
Do not spell out, and don’t
follow with number
POP3
Post Office Protocol, version 3
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
RFC
request for comments
Always spell out
Editorial Guidelines
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Acronyms/Abbreviations
Acronym
Spelled Out
Spell out when?
RFI
request for information
1st use
RFP
request for proposal
1st use
RISC
reduced instruction set computer
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
SMS
subscriber management system
1st use
SMTP
simple mail transfer protocol
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
SOW
statement of work
1st use
SSL
Secure Sockets Layer. A protocol designed
by Netscape to provide encrypted
communications on the Internet.
1st use
TCP/IP
transmission control protocol/Internet
protocol – TCP is the connection-oriented
protocol that sits on top of IP. IP is designed
for use in interconnected systems of packetswitched computer communication
networks.
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
UDP
user datagram protocol – is a connectionless
datagram protocol that sits on top of IP. It is
typically used for performance-sensitive
protocols that do not need guarantees of
data transmission or validity.
1st use
UI
user interface
Don't use the acronym
URL
uniform resource locator
Not necessary to spell out on
first use when writing to an
audience with basic computer
literacy
UPS
uninterrupted power supply
1st use
VRML
virtual reality markup language
1st use
WAIS
wide area information server
1st use
Editorial Guidelines
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Acronyms/Abbreviations
Acronym
Spelled Out
Spell out when?
WAN
wide area network
1st use
WWW
World Wide Web
Spell out or use Web instead.
XLS
Excel file format
1st use
File Format Usage
Use lowercase and the period when describing a file format extension such as .gif or .jpg.
Editorial Guidelines
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Title Page and Copyright Issues
Title Page and Copyright Issues
Confidentiality
Mentions of “[Insert Company Name] Confidential,” etc., are to be determined individually per project and
per document. Check with the producer/project manager.
Referring to [CLIENT NAME]
Define how to use the client’s name and logo.
Other Company Names and Products
Respect other companies, non-standard usage of structure and capitalization. For example:
Libbey Inc. not Libbey, Inc.
QuarkXPress
HotJava
aquaCorps
How about when it makes you start a sentence with a lowercase letter? “eWorld finally bites the dust.”
The best advice seems to be to rewrite the sentence.
Also, note that a company may use odd capitalization in its logo but not in its normal company name. For
example, NIKE is a logo spelling for Nike the company.
Use of ™ and ®
Enclose an r or tm in parentheses and Word automatically creates the appropriate symbol.
Listing trademarks
The trademark footnote copy should list CLIENT products first, followed by CLIENT subsidiary
trademarks, followed by non-CLIENT company trademarks, followed by the generic trademark attribution
for all other companies. The trademarks should be listed alphabetically.
A list of CLIENT trademarked names is attached in Appendix A.
Trademarks in Web pages
For Web pages, the best advice is to list trademarks and copyright information in an “About” page that can
be accessed from every page in the site. Otherwise, use the trademark symbol upon first use (use of the
symbols in titles can be defined as optional)..
General trademark rules

Spell trademarks as they are spelled by the trademark owner, or with initial capital letters.
Editorial Guidelines
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16
Title Page and Copyright Issues

Generally precede the first occurrence of another company’s product or service name with the name of
the trademark owner.

Use a trademark as an adjective qualifying a noun, e.g., Use Aptiva computers to. . . is correct; Use
Aptiva to. . .is incorrect.

Do not use a brand name or trademark when a generic name is more appropriate, e.g., do not state
“ThinkPad” when you mean “notebook computer.”

Do not convert trademarks into possessives, e.g., The Aptiva system’s features... is correct; Aptiva’s
features. . .is not.
Special Individual Attribution
Give special attribution to the trademarks of those companies as specified below. You need only include
attribution for those trademarks that you actually use.
Following are companies that require attribution:

Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the
United States and/or other countries.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

Unix is a registered trademark in the United States and/or other countries licensed exclusively
through X/Open Company Limited.
More on Trademarks from The Microsoft Style Guide
If a company claims rights to a trademark that is not yet registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark
Office, the trademark must be identified by a ™ symbol. After the mark has been registered, it must be
identified by the symbol ®.
Correct
Microsoft ® Visual C++™
Follow these guidelines for using trademark symbols.
Use a trademark symbol ™ for a company name (such as Microsoft) only when it is used as a trademark,
not as a trade name. That is, Microsoft should get a trademark symbol when it appears before a product
name or a product line, but not when it refers to the corporation.
Correct
Microsoft® Word
Microsoft® development tools
Microsoft Corporation
Incorrect
Microsoft® employee
Editorial Guidelines
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Title Page and Copyright Issues
In printed documentation and online books (that is, the complete product documentation presented online
and taking the place of printed books), the ® and ™ symbols should be used at the first mention of a
Microsoft trademark on the cover or title page and the first mention in the main text.
If the first mention occurs in a heading, it is not necessary to use the trademark symbol, provided that the
trademarked product is mentioned immediately in the text that follows the heading.
Editorial Guidelines
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Title Page and Copyright Issues
Title Page Example
© CLIENT NAME 2008
United States
Department XXX
Street Address
City, State ZIP
Produced in the United States of America
All Rights Reserved
References in this publication to CLIENT products or services do not imply that CLIENT intends to make
them available in all countries in which CLIENT operates.
Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Other company, product, and service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.
Editorial Guidelines
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Punctuation and Capitalization
Punctuation and Capitalization
Periods
Use only one space after a period.
When a colon introduces a list, use a period after each entry in the list if it is a complete sentence or
completes the introduction. Do not use a period if the entries are short phrases (three words or less).
Use a period in a list if a list item has more than one sentence and requires punctuation. Then use a period
for all list items.
Place a period after the number in a numbered list.
1. Start here.
When a declarative sentence is enclosed in quotation marks, the period ending the sentence is placed inside
the closing quotation mark.
When parentheses are used to enclose an independent sentence, the period belongs inside the parentheses.
When the enclosed matter comes at the end of the including sentence, the period is placed outside the
parentheses.
Comma
For clarity’s sake, place a comma before the conjunction that connects items in a series. Without the
comma, the final item may appear to be a compound term.
He was beaten, stabbed, shot, and burned. Police suspect foul play.
Do not use a comma between two short independent clauses separated with and.
He wanted cash and she wanted thrills.
A comma is not necessary where two or more verbs have the same subject and are joined by and.
We slipped off into the forest and hid under a terrible apprehension.
Commas With Quotes
Use a comma to separate a direct quote from the rest of the sentence. If the sentence continues after the
quote, place the comma inside the closing quotation mark.
“I dropped the toothpaste,” Tom said crestfallenly.
Do not use a comma when the quote is the subject of the sentence.
“Get out and take your mucus with you” was hardly the sympathetic greeting the flu sufferer
expected from his healthy friends.
Editorial Guidelines
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Punctuation and Capitalization
Dash Usage
Like commas and parentheses, dashes are used to separate parenthetical sections from the rest of the
sentence. How you choose to punctuate your break depends upon the message you want to convey. Do not
use spaces on either side of a dash or em-dash.
Use a pair of dashes to separate a sudden change in thought from the rest of the sentence.
Good old Uncle Clovis–who rarely came out from under the porch before dark–showed up to help
unload the kegs.
Use a single dash after a series if the series starts the sentence and is followed by explanatory text.
Yanni, Kenny G, and John Tesh–these were the only CDs he owned, so she leapt from the moving
minivan.
A dash can be used instead of a colon to present further explanation of a preceding statement. If you could
insert, in other words or that is, it would be acceptable to use a dash.
Enus opted for a low calorie lunch–triple burger, chili-cheese fries, and a diet coke.
Ellipses
The ellipsis (the plural is ellipses) is the mark that indicates the omission of quoted material, as in "Brevity
is ... wit" (stolen shamelessly from an episode of "The Simpsons"). There are two things to note: first, most
typing manuals prefer the periods to be spaced, thus:
Brevity is . . . wit.
In electronic communication it's sometimes necessary to run them together, since line-wrap is
unpredictable. Also, Microsoft Word will auto correct three periods, replacing them with a properly spaced
ellipsis.
Second, and more important, is the number of periods. The ellipsis itself is three periods (always); it can
appear next to other punctuation, including an end-of-sentence period (resulting in four periods). Use four
in the middle of a sentence to indicate the omission of the beginning of a following sentence. You should
never use fewer than three or more than four periods.
Colon Usage
1.
One space after a colon.
2.
When is a colon used? Page 183-184 of the Chicago Manual of Style, Rules 5.98-5.103, recommends
the following style:
A colon is used to introduce a formal statement, an extract, or a speech in dialogue.
For example:
The rule may be stated thus: Always….
A colon is used to introduce a list or series. A colon should not be used to introduce a list
that is the complement or object of an element in the introductory statement:
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Punctuation and Capitalization
For example:
Madame Mirceau had taken care to (1) make facsimiles of all the documents, (2)
deliver them to the foreign minister’s office, and (3) leave the country.
The metals excluded were
molybdenum
mercury
manganese
magnesium
As opposed to:
The following metals were excluded from the regulation:
molybdenum
mercury
manganese
magnesium
The Microsoft Style Guide shows the following is correct usage:
The basic configuration for your system includes:

A hard disk with 24 megabytes of free disk space.

A monitor supported by Windows.
Slash/Virgule/Bar/Separatrix
OK, I made up separatrix, but it’s no worse than virgule.
Used to show dual functions and to separate alternatives that may exist simultaneously in one
person/place/thing/notion.
She has this phobia/quirk/dread that attaches itself to telephones, or pianos if they are around.
Parentheses
In general, parentheses should be in the font style (bold, italic, etc.) of the context sentence, not the text
contained within the parentheses.
Capitalization of Items in a Series
Page 184 of the Chicago Manual of Style, Rule 5.103, recommends the following style:
If the material introduced by a colon consists of more than one sentence, or, if it is a
formal statement, a quotation or a speech in dialogue, it should begin with a capital letter.
Otherwise, it may begin with a lowercase letter.
Style Workaround: This rule may not be possible to follow if the items in a series are not parallel
in structure. In some documents, there may not be time to change items represented in a series by
the original. In cases such as these, the default should be to begin each item with a capital letter.
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Punctuation and Capitalization
Capitalization of Articles, Prepositions, and Conjunctions
Unless used as the first word, do not use initial caps for the following words in titles and headings.
Articles: a, an, the
Short prepositions: at, by, down for, in, of, on, up, to, with
Conjunctions: and, but, if, or, nor, for, yet
NOTE: Prepositions of five or more letters (e.g., between, through, within) are usually capitalized in titles.
Capitalization of Titles
Do not capitalize program or project unless they are part of the official title.
The Inter-Departmental Creative Reengineering Project Title Improvement Program
Capitalize personal titles immediately preceding a name.
Chief Executive Officer Bob Roberts was named the new head of the Division of Redundancy
Division.
Do not capitalize a title standing alone unless it refers to a specific person or office.
In their company, a department manager also serves as the chief whipping boy and lead gimp.
Randy’s drinking, drug use, and womanizing had not gone unnoticed as he was immediately
promoted to Vice President in Charge of Morale.
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Numbers and Numerals
Numbers and Numerals
When to Spell Out Numbers (in Text)
In general, spell out all numbers under 10. Use numerals for most numbers 10 and above. The same rule
applies to ordinals (first, third, 10th).
Spell out the following:

All numbers that begin a sentence or title (or reword the phrase).
Thirty days after final test...

Fractions without a whole number.
two-thirds, one-fourth

The first number when two sets of numbers are used as separate modifiers.
fifteen 25 mm rods
When to Use Numerals
Use numerals for

Units of measure, time, money, mathematical equations, or percentages.
0.25 micron, 7 cubic centimeters, 4-week average, > 90% removal efficiency

Figures and tables. Figure and table captions use Arabic numbers. Within figures and tables, always
use numerals.
Figure 19
Table 5

Fractions with whole numbers.
is 1 1/2 times the...

All numbers with decimals.
5.21 meters
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Numbers and Numerals
Plural/Possessive Numbers
Do not use an apostrophe to make a number plural. Do use an apostrophe to make a number possessive.
in the early 1960s
one's complement
1997's budget
Phase Numbers
Use Roman numeral to describe phases in our internal process document. For example, Phase I, II, II, etc.
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Problem Words and Phrases
Problem Words and Phrases
Back up vs. Backup
“Back up” is the verb usage. “Backup” is a noun.
Correct
Back up the files before you turn off the computer and save the backup on a floppy disk.
Disk vs. Disc
Always use “disk” unless referring to a disc for a CD-ROM or DVD drive.
Foreign Words
Use italics to identify foreign words. If unfamiliar, follow with a definition in parentheses.
The company is part of a keiretsu (a cartel-like group of companies).
Who vs. That
General usage implies that it is more polite to use “who” in reference to people.
Correct
Custom setup is for experienced users who enjoy reformatting their hard drive.
That vs. Which
“That” introduces a restrictive clause, a clause that is essential for the sentence to make sense. The clause
should not be separated by a comma.
The masks that they are wearing will fuse to their faces at dawn.
“Which” introduces a nonrestrictive clause, a clause that could be omitted without affecting the meaning of
the sentence. The clause should be separated by a comma.
The toaster, which usually burst into flames when activated, vibrated in a circle on the counter.
Affect and Effect
Affect is always a verb and means, “to influence.”
Tom’s home-brewed chili will affect your ability to stand up straight for several hours.
Effect is almost always a noun and means, “result.”
Substituting black olives for chocolate chips had a vile effect on Grandma’s Christmas cookies.
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Problem Words and Phrases
All vs. All of
When placed before a pronoun, follow all with of.
All of us complained loudly when our neighbors bought a set of drums and a shotgun for their
hyperactive son.
When all is followed by a noun, of can be omitted.
All the executioners attended sensitivity training classes.
Can vs. May
Can refers to the mental or physical ability.
You can press Upgrade to migrate your system from Boyfriend 9.2 to Husband 1.0.
May implies permission.
Sharon may borrow my car, if she promises to fill the tank and remove the wet camel smell that
accompanies her new boyfriend.
OK vs. Okay
It is OK to use OK or okay. Just be consistent. OK? Let’s try to avoid Okie Dokie thought.
Set up vs. Setup
Use set up when used as a verb, do not hyphenate. When used as an adjective, use setup.
Before you set up your new computer, take two Valium and a shot of absinthe. Setup times may
vary as a result.
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Formatting Issues
Formatting Issues
Fonts
Headings and body text should be different fonts. Use a serif font for body text and sans serif font for
headings.
Endnote vs. Footnote Usage
If text or terms need repeated qualification, use a footnote not an endnote.
Telephone Numbers
Use parentheses, not a hyphen, to separate the area code from the number. Do not precede the area code
with the number 1. Use a hyphen to separate sections of the local number. (800) 231-5555.
In international telephone numbers, use parentheses, not hyphens or spaces, to separate the country and city
codes from the local telephone number. Use a hyphen to separate sections of the local number. (44) (71)
270-0000.
List the numerals also for phone numbers that use letters as a memory device.
Dial 1-HUBBA HUBBA ((482) 224-8222).
Paragraph Indents
Be consistent and follow styles set in the document template, if any. In an ICE document, for example,
indent all paragraphs except the first paragraph in each section. Other documents may or may not use an
indent.
Do not use block margins (right and left justified).
Referring to the Web
In text, italicize URLs. Use normal text for domain names, but cap as a proper noun. It is no longer
necessary to use the http:// portion of the address but be sure to include it if there is a chance of confusion
with an ftp:// address.
“I can find anything at Amazon.com (www.amazon.com).”
Be careful with case in long URLs, as anything after the first slash is a pathname and may be case sensitive.
www.amazon.com/authors/AnneRice/interview.html
NOTE: If Word insists on formatting the URL in blue underline, you can remove the character formatting
by highlighting the text and pressing CTRL+Spacebar. This can be turned off by changing the Autoformat
settings.
Whenever possible, avoid breaking a URL across a line.
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Formatting Issues
Figure Captions and Table Titles
Use title style for figure captions and table titles. Use the word Figure followed by a number. The number
sequence is for the entire document.
Figure 1. Camera View of the Escape Hatch
Text References to Figures, Tables, and References
Except at the beginning of a sentence, do not use an initial cap for figure, table, and reference in text.
The hardware architecture shown in figure 1...
Headers and Footers
No header on the title page, subsequent headers should reference the most recent second level heading.
Footers should contain the document name, date, and page number. Page number flush right. Always create
headers and footers for single sided pages, so the page number is always on the right side of the page.
Use of Small Caps
No small caps (or wire coat hangers). Ever!
OK, small caps can be used in a two or three word heading, but never in body text.
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Appendix A Trademarks
Appendix A Trademarks
List CLIENT Trademarks
This is a current listing of United States trademarks owned by CLIENT. Any questions concerning the use
of these trademarks or whether a name that does not appear on this list is in fact a trademark of CLIENT
should be referred to CLIENT in the United States at the following addressess:
E-Mail address:
E-Mail address:
Internet address: TRMARK@us.CLIENT.com
Those trademarks followed by (®) are registered trademarks of CLIENT in the United States; all others are
trademarks of CLIENT in the United States.
This list is not a comprehensive list of all CLIENT trademarks.
Updated: 15 May 2008, next update scheduled for xx/xx/xx
Check XXXXXX for the latest updates.
[LIST the trademarked word and products here
in alphabetical order]
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Appendix B Proofreading Marks
Appendix B Proofreading Marks
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Appendix B Proofreading Marks
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