Many people ask when to italicize and when to use quotations for titles of works. Here's a cheat sheet we use, based on the AP Stylebook, but with several exceptions for italics use:
(See the AP Stylebook entry under "Music" for guidance on style for orchestral works.)
Capitalize and italicize the following:
- Book titles
- Magazines and academic journals
- Newspapers
- Feature-length film titles
- Opera and play titles
- Music albums
- Works of art
- Television and radio programs
Capitalize the following and put in quotations:
- Book chapters or other sections of a publication
- Papers to be presented
- Lectures and speeches
- Symposia
- Song titles
- Poem titles
- Video game titles
- Topics for seminars or discussions
- Art gallery exhibitions
- Magazine or newspaper articles
These exceptions will all be under a single heading in the TU editorial style guide, "Composition Titles."
Monday, May 12, 2008
Thursday, December 13, 2007
changes to internet terms
After much research and discussion, the editorial team has decided to leave AP Style for Wired magazine when it comes to internet terms. We're in the process of updating the style guide now; here's a preview of what's changed:
- internet (lowercase "i"); "net" is an acceptable short form (lowercase, no starting apostrophe)
- online (no hyphen; consistent with AP)
- e-mail (the "e" is never capped; e-Mail if used in a title or as the first word in a sentence)
- web, web site, web page
- World Wide Web
These terms will all be under a single heading in the TU editorial style guide, "Internet."
A strong resource for this decision was a 2004 editor's note from Wired magazine, "It's Just the "internet" Now:
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/08/64596
- internet (lowercase "i"); "net" is an acceptable short form (lowercase, no starting apostrophe)
- online (no hyphen; consistent with AP)
- e-mail (the "e" is never capped; e-Mail if used in a title or as the first word in a sentence)
- web, web site, web page
- World Wide Web
These terms will all be under a single heading in the TU editorial style guide, "Internet."
A strong resource for this decision was a 2004 editor's note from Wired magazine, "It's Just the "internet" Now:
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2004/08/64596
Friday, November 9, 2007
Style guide updated
A new version of the guide has been posted, correcting an error in "Academic Degrees." "Doctor of Pharmacy" now correctly is abbreviated PharmD online and in the PDF.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
"Chair" vs. "Chairperson"
Someone wrote a good question last week:
Article 2.I of the TAUP Contract uses this definition:
"Department Chairperson: A faculty member who is the
designated head of an academic department or degree-granting
program."
However, the style guide indicates that we should use “chair” as the administrative title. Why the inconsistency?
The answer is simply that the TU Editorial Style will fit many, but not all, needs. It's designed to standardize and apply to as many written communications as possible, but some types of writing -- such as legal, scholarly -- will sometimes diverge from it. Here is the response:
"Chair" is the preferred usage because it is most commonly and easily used across most Temple documents, such as Temple publications and promotional materials, newsletters, the Temple Times, Temple Review, etc. "Chairperson" would be awkward in many cases outside the legal context. While we hope that preferred treatments in the guide will work in most cases, we recognize they may not be appropriate in all instances, such as legal documents. Some discrepancies may result, but the aim is for most Temple publications to be able to be consistent.
Article 2.I of the TAUP Contract uses this definition:
"Department Chairperson: A faculty member who is the
designated head of an academic department or degree-granting
program."
However, the style guide indicates that we should use “chair” as the administrative title. Why the inconsistency?
The answer is simply that the TU Editorial Style will fit many, but not all, needs. It's designed to standardize and apply to as many written communications as possible, but some types of writing -- such as legal, scholarly -- will sometimes diverge from it. Here is the response:
"Chair" is the preferred usage because it is most commonly and easily used across most Temple documents, such as Temple publications and promotional materials, newsletters, the Temple Times, Temple Review, etc. "Chairperson" would be awkward in many cases outside the legal context. While we hope that preferred treatments in the guide will work in most cases, we recognize they may not be appropriate in all instances, such as legal documents. Some discrepancies may result, but the aim is for most Temple publications to be able to be consistent.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Welcome to the Temple University editorial style guide
The Temple University Editorial Style Guide, available at www.temple.edu/newsroom/editorialstyle.htm, sets in writing and clarifies many conventions already in use at Temple. It's managed by University Communications and will be updated regularly to meet the university's changing needs.
This blog will serve as a place for us to log changes to the guide, and as a forum for anyone who is using the guide to provide feedback and ask questions about it. Please consider the guide — and us — a resource for your Temple University communications.
Jennifer Sweeney, proofreader, Creative Services
Betsy Winter Hall, editor, Temple Times
Kevin Gardner, assistant editor, Temple Times
This blog will serve as a place for us to log changes to the guide, and as a forum for anyone who is using the guide to provide feedback and ask questions about it. Please consider the guide — and us — a resource for your Temple University communications.
Jennifer Sweeney, proofreader, Creative Services
Betsy Winter Hall, editor, Temple Times
Kevin Gardner, assistant editor, Temple Times
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