Style Guide

Abbreviated forms: it's (as an abbreviation of it is), wouldn't, he's etc are
acceptable; who's = who is whose = 'belonging' to whom

Book titles italics not quote marks eg The Wind in the Willows

Dates: 18 October - not October 18, 18th October, etc

19 century - not 19th century

1980s, 1840s - not 1980's 1840's

Similarly: He was in his 60s - not in his 60's

Dr (no point) similarly Mr eg Bury St Edmunds

e-mail: e-mail - not e mail and not email

e-mail addresses and URLs: use bold

focus: focused - not focussed

initials when part of a name no point eg William E Channing or W H Auden

The Inquirer: The Inquirer not The Inquirer, the Inquirer, 'The Inquirer' etc
Similarly The Guardian The Independent

Judgment: judgment - not judgement

Lead past tense led (not lead)

Letters: omit To the Editor but give each letter a heading

Ministers: The Rev on first reference - not Rev, Rev., The Rev. etc

Names of journals: italics Counterpoint The Herald The Unitarian etc

Names of organizations: The full title should be used either in the heading of the article or the first time it occurs in the body of the text. Elsewere intial letters are fine (ICUU, NELUM, NUF, the GA etc)

Names of people: full name on first reference, thereafter Christian name only, or accepted name (Mel for Melanie, Cal for Cathal) may be used. For authors, composers, architects etc, who are known professionally, use surnames.

Numbers: whole words from one to twenty, numerals beyond that.

Practise: practise as a verb practice as a noun

Program: for computers programme for schedule of events or item on TV

Quotation marks: single even for direct speech

Underlining: preferably not. Bold or italics instead

Kate Taylor 17 October 2005, 31 January 2006