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Technical Editing / Information Design / Graphics Design
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Substantive Editing: Style Sheet Entries

Status * Issue Resolution Authority Date
D anthro­pomorphism Do not anthropomorphize software, hardware, or machines.
Incorrect: LCMS software products are primarily responsible for creating, managing, …
Correct: Administrators use LCMS software products to create, manage, …
Judith A. Tarutz, Technical Editing, p. 107 11/5/02
D methodology for method Methods: the tools of scientific investigation.
Methodology: the principles that determine how such tools are deployed and interpreted.
Incorrect: The oil company has not yet decided on a methodology for restoring the beaches.
Correct: The oil company has not yet decided on a method for restoring the beaches.
Correct: He reviewed the methodology of modern cognitive psychology.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.  2000. (Online ed.)
Definition and usage at www.bartleby.com/ 61/47/M0254700.html
11/18/02
D abstract Summarize the contents of the paper in the abstract. Where possible, use clear, general language. Where new terms must be included, provide a short definition. Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL).
“The Paragraph”
owl.english.purdue.edu/ workshops/hypertext/ reportW/abstract.html
11/18/02
D positive statements Prefer positive statements.
Preferred: Completely self-replicating systems may prove unnecessary for nanotechnology …
Not preferred: Completely self-replicating systems may not prove necessary for nanotechnology
Strunk & White, The Elements of Style" 4th ed,
Principles of Composition Rule 15.
11/18/02
D dash, em Use em dashes to set off an abrupt break or interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary.
Break: His first thought on getting out of bed—if he had any thought at all—was to get back in again.
Appositive: The rear axle began to make a noise—a grinding, chattering, teeth-gritting rasp.
Strunk & White, The Elements of Style, 4th ed,
Elementary Rules of Usage, Rule 8.
11/18/02
D units, SI prefixes Use the proper unit prefix abbreviation.
Incorrect: um (for micrometer, 10-6 meter)
Correct: μm (prefix is the Greek letter mu)
Sears, Zemansky, and Young, University Physics, 5th ed. 11/18/02
D Figure, in caption labels and references Capitalize the word "Figure" in caption labels and references. Set "Figure" and number in boldface. When the figure number is followed by a caption or legend, place a period after the figure number.
Incorrect: …as shown in figure 2d.
Correct: …as shown in Figure 2d.
Chicago Manual of Style, 14th ed,
11.29, 11.30
11/19/02
D coordinate axes Refer to the coordinate axes in lower case. When specifying a particular axis, hyphenate.
Incorrect: X, Y, and Z translating mechanism
Correct: The x, y, and z translating mechanism
Correct: The x-axis.
Per usage in CRC Standard Mathematical Tables, CRC Press, 26th ed. 11/19/02
D Cartesian Capitalize the proper adjective Cartesian.
Incorrect: cartesian system
Correct: Cartesian system
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition.  2000. (Online ed.)
www.bartleby.com/ 61/18/C0131800.html
11/19/02
D 2N, 2N In exponential assembly, 2N stations are assembled after N sequences.
Incorrect: 2N (means 2 times N)
Correct: 2N
  11/19/02
D concise writing Be concise. “Omit needless words.”
Not preferred: The surfaces are then translated such that site A(1,1) is across from B(2,1), which implies that the newly constructed B(1,1) is across from A(2,1) as shown in Figure 2c.
Preferred: The surfaces are translated so that A(1,1) faces B(2,1) and  B(1,1) faces A(2,1). See Figure 2c.
Strunk & White, The Elements of Style, 4th ed,
Principles of composition, Rule 13.
11/19/02

* Status: D=Decided U=Undecided

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