Style Sheet
I. Abbreviations
These are the approved abbreviations, if not listed do not abbreviate.
Always abbreviated: Dr., Jr., Sr., Mr., Mrs.
Abbreviate Rev., Hon. with full name unless preceded by the: the Reverend Harry Brown.
II. Abstract and Paraphrasing
Special characters used for abbreviation: spell out.
Ex: Samuel not SamL
Square brackets: to indicate added information.
II. Capitalization
Names of religions, denominations and churches.
Full titles of armies, regiments, companies, titles of wars.
Medical terms: lower case unless proper names- Lou Gerrick Disease.
No caps: volume, book, roll, census unless part of a formal title that appears in quotes or italics.
III. Dates
International convention (day, month, year) no comma, write 2 June 1867.
Calculated-use calculated in parentheses: (calculated from tombstones)
About (when it is within a year or two).
By, before, between, after (exact date boundaries)
Use 1800–1810 (not 1800-10)
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Style Sheet
En-dash between dates, no space (1900-1910)
Write out centuries, Nineteenth century, do not capitalize century (when modifying a noun, nineteenth century is
hyphenatedWhen it stands alone it is not. (Nineteenth-century document- beginning of the nineteenth century.)
No apostrophe after year 1990s (not 1990's)
Time period: the events of July 1849 (no comma)
IV. Locations
City, county, state, country (country only if not U.S.)
Co. after the county name.
Cemetery: city (cemetery), county, state, country
(country only if not U.S.)
Missing city name: comma before county in database ( , Boulder Co., Colorado)
No abbreviations for states
V. Names
Standardized spellings of surnames in text (with explanation)
Nicknames: quotation marks Ex: Robert “Bob” Brown.
Maiden name: parentheses within text- Mary (Brown) Miller.
Surname and Given name: if not known use [–?–]
Indexing woman: should be indexed by married name and maiden name.
Always abbreviated: Dr., Jr., Sr., Mr., Mrs.
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Style Sheet
Suffix: Jr., Sr., II, III : no commas John Brown Jr.
No spaces or periods for acronyms: (FHL)
Use space between two initials: J. A. Miller
No space with three initials: JFK
VI. Naming
Files name:
VI. Numbers
Spell out under 100.
FHL film numbers always use at least 6 numbers: 023,345
Rounded numbers are written out: about two hundred years
Case fractions: ½ rather than 1/2.
Measurements
Over and under 100 rule, spell out under 100.
Non-scientific fractions: more than two-thirds registered
Phone: (303) 234-3456
Time: 9:30 a.m.
VII. Punctuation
Hyphen
All: all-inclusive
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Style Sheet
Full (adjective): full-length
Over, under: underrated, overexposed (no hyphen)
Century: fourteenth-century
Wide: worldwide (no hyphen)
Adjective compounds preceding a noun:
. . .a thought-provoking reply . . .
Number plus a unit of measure: two-year-old; four-mile-run.
VIII. Spaces
Use space between two initials: W. C. Fields
No space with three initials: JFK
IX. Transcriptions and Extracts
Italics
Double indented
Original spelling as the original document including superscripts
Ellipsis points: to indicate that something has been left out
[sic]: possible error (in square brackets and italics)
Julie Miller, CGSM, Broomfield, Colorado, julie@jpmresearch.com
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