This editorial style guide serves as an in-house reference that includes entries related specifically to GBIF. It gives writers and editors working on various GBIF-related materials and publications answers to questions about style and usage. The guide does not attempt to address the style for other kinds of writing (scientific papers, memoranda, personal correspondence, etc.), though its consideration in those instances is likewise encouraged.
The guide uses UN Style as the preferred style source and Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition as the preferred dictionary. The Associated Press Stylebook.
The associated visual identity guide serves as a reference for branding and visual design, including logo usage.
Any documentation or news item that GBIF releases as a standalone document should include the full name—the Global Biodiversity Information Facility—at least once in the text. Locations may vary—a standard header or 'boilerplate' description—but the general recommendation is to include it in the body text that others may lift directly from a source and paste it without amendment. Even as we see 'GBIF' as our primary brand identity, we do not assume that people will know what it stands for.
For news items on GBIF.org itself, this first reference is less important, as we hope that people reading it from the site might know where they are and what GBIF is, even if it is possible that visitors have arrived at the site straight from an external link, Google search or RSS feed.
-
GBIF ("Gee Biff") is the facility’s name in both formal and informal usage.
-
WRONG: 'the GBIF', 'Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)'
-
RIGHT: GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility
When describing Participants, use inclusive language, not language that suggests or emphasizes that they are separate from or operate at a distance from GBIF. National Participants are their governments' duly appointed representatives in this global network.
|
Note
|
The 'network' in 'the GBIF network' is never capitalized. |
Do not italicize common names. In the first reference, follow the common name with the scientific name italicized and in parentheses.
-
WRONG: The Golden-cheeked Warbler, Dendroica chrysoparia, is imperiled.
-
RIGHT: The golden-cheeked warbler (Dendroica chrysoparia) is imperiled.
Do not capitalize common names of species except proper nouns and adjectives.
-
Queen Anne’s lace, Canada thistle, spring beauty
-
WRONG: The Bald Eagle sometimes preys on the American Pika.
-
RIGHT: The bald eagle sometimes preys on the American pika.
|
Note
|
The convention among ornithologists is to capitalize both words in a standardized common name (based on the AOU Checklist). This practice is unique to ornithologists and should only be used when the audience addressed is entirely ornithologists (i.e., a mix of herpetologists and ornithologists would indicate the noncapitalized usage). |
Capitalize the genus in scientific names but not the species.
-
Aplodontia rufa, Draba cusickii var. pedicellata
Capitalize names for phylum, class, order, and family, but do not italicize.
-
Chordata, Monocotyledoneae , Carnivora, Parulidae
Do not capitalize or italicize English derivatives of scientific names.
-
amoeba, carnivore
As a resource that serves scientific research and policy, it is appropriate for GBIF to use the scientific names of species referred to in our communications. Such usage also enhances clarity, as common names can vary widely around the world.
The scientific name of a species should immediately follow the first reference to the common name. Thereafter, only the common name, or a shorter reference thereto, should be used.
The pallid bat (_Antrozous pallidus_) is found throughout most of the western United States, though the bat’s status tends to be less secure in the more northern and western parts of its range. The pallid bat has large ears, large eyes, a simple muzzle, and yellowish drab dorsal pelage.
When in doubt, do not capitalize.
Capitalize months and days of the week, but not the seasons.
-
RIGHT: Last spring, Julie rode her bike to work every Tuesday and Thursday.
-
RIGHT: The summer field season begins in mid-May.
-
WRONG: Their research concluded in the Fall of 2009.
Do not capitalize the abbreviations a.m. or p.m.
Capitalize entire geographic names, but not general references.
-
Kent County, but Kent and Ottawa counties
-
the Potomac River, but the Potomac and Rappahannock rivers
-
Yosemite Valley, but the Blackfoot River valley
Capitalize geographical regions, but not points of the compass (direction or locality).
-
A storm system that developed in the Midwest is moving east.
-
The golden-cheeked warbler is facing habitat loss in the northern ends of its range.
-
The farther south one travels in Virginia, the more one notices a Southern accent.
-
The GBIF network extends throughout the Western Hemisphere.
Capitalize the formal names of agencies and departments, offices, programs, and institutions when used in text; do not capitalize informal or incomplete names. Do not capitalize the in the name, unless it is part of the formal name. Refer to [Appendix A] for preferred forms of frequently cited agencies.
-
Ministry of the Environment of the Government of Japan, but the ministry or government ministry
-
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, but the parks and wildlife department
-
the University of Copenhagen, but the university
Do not capitalize the words federal, state, or government when not part of a full proper name.
-
Many nodes are housed in government agencies and ministries.
-
GBIF receives federal government funding in support of our projects and programs.
Generally, capitalize formal titles when they appear before a person’s name, but lowercase titles if they are informal, appear without a person’s name, follow a person’s name or are set off before a name by commas. Also, lowercase adjectives that designate the status of a title. If a title is long, place it after the person’s name, or set it off with commas before the person’s name.
Capitalize all conferred and traditional, educational, occupational, and business titles when used specifically in front of the name; do not capitalize these titles when they follow the name or stand alone.
-
GBIF welcomed Executive Secretary Joe Miller on March 15.
-
Tim Hirsch, deptuy director and head of participation and engagement, will speak at the symposium.
-
Head of delegation Tom Smith is from the Virginia Natural Heritage Program.
-
Andy Kaiser, a GBIF director, is a partner with Goldman Sachs.
-
The chair of the Appropriations Committee emailed her today.
-
Contact the project manager for further information.
|
Note
|
in tabular matter and addresses, these titles may be capitalized regardless of location. |
Do not use courtesy titles such as Mr., Ms., or Dr. when referring to people; use instead the full name on first reference and last name on subsequent references. Exceptions may be made upon specific request from the parties.
Maintain parallel structure when using professional titles.
-
WRONG: Head of administration Anne Mette Nielsen, Susanne Sheldon, HR director, Marlene Dalsgaard Nielsen, Annie Elkjær Ørum-Kristensen, MA.
-
RIGHT: Anne Mette Nielsen, head of administration; Susanne Sheldon, HR director; Marlene Dalsgaard Nielsen and Annie Elkjær Ørum-Kristensen, administrative assistants
Capitalize references to GBIF’s Governing Board.
-
Governing Board in first reference, thereafter the Board
Do not capitalize unofficial titles preceding a name.
-
mycologist Dmitry Schigel
When spelled out, academic degrees are not capitalized unless describing a specific degree.
-
bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctoral degree, doctorate
-
John earned his Master of Professional Communication degree at Clemson.
-
Pete is studying toward a master’s degree, in addition to working full time.
Capitalize all words, except articles (• the, a, an), conjunctions (and, or, for, nor), and short prepositions of less than four letters (of, in, on, etc.) in headings and the titles of books, articles, lectures, etc. Capitalize articles and prepositions if at the beginning of a title or after a colon.
-
Biodiversity Inventory of Natural Lands: A How-To Manual for Foresters and Biologists
-
Seeing the Forest and the Trees: Ecological Classification for Conservation
-
Biodiversity Without Boundaries
-
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Titles of all major works, including published books, periodicals, and newspapers are capitalized and set • in italics. Do not capitalize the in the title, unless it is part of the formal name.
-
The New York Times is sold at most CVS stores, but copies of the Boston Globe are harder to come by.
Capitalize Figure or Table, and their abbreviations, when used in text to designate a specific insert. * GBIF tracked the elements of biodiversity shown in Table 1. * We developed a simple conceptual model (Fig. 4) identifying major attributes of wetland ecosystems.
In headlines, subheads, and publication titles, when one part of a hyphenated compound adjective is • capitalized, both parts should be capitalized; however, fractions and compounds containing a prefix are exceptions.
-
The Two-Headed Monster of Chaos Theory
-
One-half of Stay-at-Home Moms Re-enter the Work Force
Capitalize the formal names World Wide Web and Internet, but no other web-related terms. * the web, website, web page and webmaster, but World Wide Web * email and intranet, but Internet
When in doubt, spell the word out.
Use • a.m. and p.m. with periods and lowercase letters. In tabular matter, the periods may be omitted to save space.
Do not abbreviate days of the week except in tabular form; if abbreviated, the preferred form is • Mon., Tue., Wed., Thu., Fri., Sat., and Sun.
Spell out the month when used alone or with a year alone.
-
In January, they reorganized the department.
-
The new GBIF.org was released in July 2017.
These months may be (but need not be) abbreviated when (and only when) they are used with a specific • date: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.; spell out March, April, May, June, and July in all references.
-
Global nodes training is scheduled for .
-
Training will be held March 2–6, but never Training will be held Mar. 2–6.
Abbreviate time zones without periods.•
-
I’ll call you at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
-
Her flight is scheduled to arrive at 8:00 a.m. PST.
FY may be used as an abbreviation for Fiscal Year. Use four-digit years in formal instances. Do not insert a space between FY and the year.
-
The FY2009 budget was approved by the Board.
Never abbreviate Christmas in the form of Xmas.
Use U.S. in text only as an adjective. Spell out United States as a noun.
-
the U.S. Senate, but a resident of the United States
Use the abbreviations • Ave., Blvd., and St. only with a numbered address.
-
GBIF offices are located at 1101 Wilson Blvd.
-
The subway station is just one block up Wilson Boulevard.
Do not abbreviate names of countries other than U.S.
In running text, lists, or bibliographies, abbreviate the name of the state when it is used with a city, • except Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah; in such instances, use traditional state abbreviations, not postal abbreviations. Always spell out the state’s name when it is used alone. Use the two-letter postal abbreviation only in full addresses and with a ZIP code.
-
WRONG: The training will be held simultaneously in Westborough, MA, and Fort Collins, CO.
-
RIGHT: The training will be held simultaneously in Westborough, Mass., and Fort Collins, Colo.
-
ALSO ACCEPTABLE: The training will be held simultaneously in Westborough, Massachusetts, and Fort Collins, Colorado.
-
WRONG: He grew up in Portland, ME, and then moved to Fresno, Cal.
-
RIGHT: He grew up in Portland, Maine, and then moved to Fresno, Calif.
-
WRONG: She began working with the network in MI in 1992.
-
WRONG: She began working with the network in Mich. in 1992.
-
RIGHT: She began working with the network in Michigan in 1992.
|
Note
|
see full list of common geographic abbreviations in [Appendix A]. |
Do not abbreviate parts of geographic names, except • Saint in St. Louis, St. Paul, etc., unless they are used in tabular matter.
Fort Wayne, not Ft. Wayne, North Dakota, not N. Dakota
Do not abbreviate the name of an organization the first time it is used; spell out and put the acronym in • parentheses. If the term appears only once, do not add the acronym. Do not use the with the acronym.
the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) in first reference, thereafter FWS.
When names of government agencies or other organizations are abbreviated as acronyms (first letter • of each word), use full caps and no periods. Refer to Appendix A for preferred forms of frequently cited agencies and other partners/programs.
USDA, USGS, DoD, DOI, TNC, BCI
|
Note
|
Avoid using internal GBIF acronyms in communications to external audiences. A list of »»commonly used GBIF acronyms is provided in Appendix B. |
Use an ampersand (&) in proper names of departments, offices, corporate titles, when the items are not distinctly separate, or if space demands it in abbreviations and tabular material. Otherwise, use and.
the Marketing & Development Team Vice President and Chief Scientist the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies
Never abbreviate given names, such as • George, William, and Charles.
Although Chicago no longer uses periods in abbreviations of academic degrees, we recommend the tra.ditional: B.A., M.S., Ph.D., M.S.s, Ph.D.s. Set off with commas in running text.
-
Judy Soule, Ph.D., is director of member relations.
Only use the title • Dr. when referring to a medical doctor.
-
Bruce Young, Ph.D., not Dr. Bruce Young
Always abbreviate courtesy titles, such as Mr., Mrs., and Dr.; do not use them in combination with any other title or with abbreviations indicating academic degrees. (But remember: we don’t typically use courtesy titles anyhow! See [Section 3-4].)
-
Kathleen Goodin, Ph.D., not Ms. Kathleen Goodin, Ph.D.
No space should be used between the initials of an abbreviation.
-
U.S., J.D. Salinger, 8:15 a.m.
Do not abbreviate the words • association, department, institute, etc., in running text.
Do not abbreviate the word • percent. Spell it out as percent (one word) and use figures. Of this year’s student enrollment, 52 percent are men and 48 percent are women.
Abbreviate page to p. and pages to pp. in footnotes or bibliographical material; spell out when used in text material (page, not Page).
Do not begin a sentence with an abbreviation. Spell the word(s) out.
-
WRONG: E.g., one should never begin a sentence this way.
-
RIGHT: For example, the words should be spelled out.
|
Note
|
abbreviations may be used more freely in tabular matter. |
Use just one space between sentences and after colons.
Most typeset text, both before and after the typewriter, has always used a single space. The practice of putting two spaces at the end of a sentence is a carryover from the days of typewriters with monospaced typefaces. With monospaced typefaces every character takes up the same amount of space on the page. An ‘m’ uses the same amount of space as an ‘i.’ Two spaces, then, it was believed, made it easier to see where one sentence ended and the next began.
Today, proportionally spaced fonts are prevalent, and the practice of using two spaces is no longer neces.sary and is even detrimental to the appearance of text. With proportionally spaced fonts, the characters take up an amount of space relative to their actual width—an ‘i’ needs less space than an ‘m.’ The extra spacing is often distracting and unattractive. It creates “holes” in the middle of a block of text—trapped white space on a smaller scale.
(Adapted from http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/typespacing/a/onetwospaces.htm.)
Do not put spaces around slashes. WRONG: and / or, June / July RIGHT: and/or, June/July
Use a comma before the words • and and or in a series (three or more items/parts). Though the emerg.ing practice is to omit the comma in a simple series, to reduce confusion over what is a simple versus complex series, use serial commas throughout.
GBIF data, tools, and expertise are commonly used across multiple federal, state, tribal, and local governments.
I had orange juice, ham and eggs, and toast for breakfast. We must consider whether we have staff qualified to work on the project, whether they have adequate time and resources available to them, and whether the project is compatible with our mission.
Commas and periods are always placed inside quotation marks. Other punctuation marks should be • outside the ending quotation marks unless they are part of the material being quoted.
He said, “GBIF is the greatest.” Did she really say, “I love all this snow”? I ask you, “Does this really matter?” (Editor’s note: the answer is, “Yes!”)
If you have a phrase in parentheses at the end of a sentence, place the period after the closing parenthe.• sis. If a complete sentence is in parentheses, the period should be inside the closing parenthesis.
Nevada’s SWAP did not address the degree of vulnerability species may face due to a warming climate (nor did many other states’ plans). The focus is on assessing the vulnerability of Nevada’s 263 Conservation Priority animal species. (See the case study for the results on the first 13 species reviewed.)
When writing a date, place a comma between the day and the year as well as after the year, and between the day of the week and the date as well as after the date.
February 10, 2010, was cold and snowy. Sunday, February 7, was sunny. The snowfall on Saturday, February 6, 2010, set new records.
Do not place a comma between the month and year when the day is not mentioned.• She started working for GBIF in November 2008. The April 2010 board meeting convened in Austin, Texas.
Place a comma after digits signifying thousands, except when reference is made to temperature or years • as part of dates. 1,150 species but 1100 degrees More than 3,200 years passed between King Tut’s death and the discovery of his tomb in 1922.
Use a comma to set off nonrestrictive clauses or phrases. Use the word • that to introduce a restrictive clause and which to introduce a nonrestrictive clause. An easy way to distinguish which word to use is whether or not the construction demands a comma to set it apart from the main clause; a comma always takes which.
She was glad that she hadn’t bought the Toyota. I know you like this genre, which is why I invited you to join me.
Transitional words such as • to wit, namely, i.e., e.g., and viz, should be immediately preceded by a comma or semicolon and followed by a comma.
The case study revealed two species that are presumed stable, namely, the Eastwood milkweed (Asclepias eastwoodiana) and desert horned lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos).
When listing names with cities or states, punctuate as follows: •
The university is entirely within the New Orleans, La., city limits. Joe Turner, New Orleans, is president of the Tulane University Alumni Association. Joe Turner of New Orleans is president of the Tulane University Alumni Association.
Do not use a comma before or after• Jr. or Sr., and do not precede Roman numerals such as I, II, or III with a comma.
Please call Bruce Cameron Jr. for the funding report. Contact Neil W. Ransom II for further information.
Use a colon to introduce long lists in running text. If the colon is followed by a list of complete sentences, • capitalize the first word following the colon. If a single statement following the colon is a complete sen.tence itself, lowercase the first word after the colon. If it is a list or a sentence fragment, lowercase.
Three things he realized: Summer is brief. Winter seems eternal. Spring arrives eventually. John followed the instructions: he uploaded the documents. Ice cream is always welcome: spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Use a colon after • as follows and the following when those words end the line/phrase immediately pre.ceding a bulleted or ordered list. Otherwise, do not use a colon preceding a bulleted or ordered list; the use of a heading/lead-in statement and graphically delineated list is sufficient.
Follow a statement that introduces a direct quotation of one or more paragraphs with a colon. •
Use only an apostrophe (not an apostrophe and an s) when making possessive a singular proper name • ending in s.
Achilles’ heel Dickens’ novels Copas’ pet peeves In making the plural of figures and multiple letters, do not use an apostrophe. • The 1980s are back. Two EOs
In making the plural of single letters, use the apostrophe.
Mind your p’s and q’s.
Compounds formed with prefixes are normally closed (i.e., no hyphen), whether they are nouns, verbs, • adjectives, or adverbs. A hyphen should appear, however, before a proper noun, numeral, or compound term, or to separate duplicate vowels and other combinations of letters that may cause misreading.
Do not hyphenate the words beginning with • non, except those containing a proper noun or compound term.
non-German non-beer-drinking nonnative species nonprofit organization
Do not place a hyphen between the prefixes• pre, post, semi, anti, multi, sub, etc., and their nouns or adjectives, unless it would duplicate a vowel or consonant or the noun is a proper noun.
antidiscriminatory electro-optical, but preindustrial pro-American
Hyphenate the prefix • co- (e.g., co-worker, co-owner, co-brand), except when combined with a verb where the letter “o” is doubled, as in cooperate and coordinate.
Hyphenate compound modifiers and any modifying word combined with • well, ill, better, best, little, or lesser when preceding a noun. Many combinations that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphen.ated when they occur after a noun, except when they occur after a form of the verb to be.
We assist land-use planners, but planners’ decisions determine land use. He applied for a full-time position, but he is working full time. It has a well-built engine, and its engine is well-built.
|
Note
|
see »»Section 5-6 regarding the use of en dashes with compound modifiers. |
Do not use hyphens in compound modifiers in which the first word (typically an adverb) ends in -ly (except for family). Do not use a hyphen with very.
The field guides are targeted toward environmentally minded park visitors, never … toward environmen.tally-minded park visitors. This is a fairly common mistake. He worked in the family-owned business. We had a very good time at the party.
Hyphenate compounds in which one word is a cardinal number and the other is a noun or adjective.
six-string guitar three-headed cow 30-mile run 10-year-old child 12,000-square-foot building
Do not hyphenate compound nationalities even when used as adjectives.
Three Latin American representatives attended the J3M. Her daughter majors in African American history.
Hyphens are unnecessary in compounds that are composed of proper nouns or that are commonly read as a unit.
Sharon is a North Dakota native. Meet me in the airport departure lounge.
|
Note
|
see »»Section 5-6 regarding the use of en dashes with compound modifiers. |
Use a hyphen to help avoid ambiguity, and to avoid duplicated vowels or triple consonants.•
He recovered his health but he re-covered his leaky roof. Anti-intellectual, pre-emptive, shell-like
Use your dictionary to determine whether to hyphenate frequently used compound words. Note that hyphenated words can be created for the sake of clarity.
Avoid the hyphenation of proper names when breaking text lines.
WRONG: … He loves Mexi- can food. She works at Nature- Serve. RIGHT: … He loves Mexican food. She works at GBIF.
Avoid excessive hyphens in line breaks in paragraphs. Use a “soft return” (Shift + Enter) to push words to the next line within a paragraph.
The longer of the two types of dashes, the em dash indicates a strong break in the structure of a sentence. It is roughly the width of the letter ‘m.’ To type an em dash on a PC, the command is ALT + 0151 on the number pad; on a Mac, use the keyboard strokes option-shift-hyphen. In Microsoft Word, an em dash can be created by typing two hyphens but no spaces between two words.
There is no space before or after the em dash.
Use an em dash to denote a sudden break in thought that causes an abrupt change in sentence structure.
-
Consistency—that hobgoblin of little minds.
-
Pat left work yesterday—much later than she wanted to—to pick up her daughter.
Use an em dash in defining or enumerating complementary elements.
-
The influence of three musicians—Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven—was of great importance in his devel.opment as a musician.
Use an em dash before an author’s name at the end of a quotation or in a byline.
-
“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.”—John Muir
The en dash represents a range, usually of time, distance, or number. It is roughly the width of the letter ‘n’: longer than a hyphen, but shorter than an em dash. To type an en dash on a PC, the command is ALT + 0150 on the number pad; on a Mac, use the keyboard strokes option-hyphen. In Microsoft Word, an en dash can be created by typing space, two hyphens, space between two words. (Note that the Word method leaves you with unwanted spaces around the en dash.)
There is no space before or after the en dash.
Use an en dash to indicate continuing or inclusive numbers, dates, times, or reference numbers. In • running text, use from and to or between and and instead of the en dash.
1968–82 but from 1968 to 1982 (never from 1968–82) May–June 1967 or from May through June 1967 10 a.m.–5 p.m. or between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. pp. 38–45 or from pages 38 to 45
Use an en dash to join prefixes to compound terms when one or both terms is a compound.
New York–London flight post–Civil War period a New Hampshire–based organization Quasi–public–quasi–private judicial body
For scores or numbers not in a sequence, use a hyphen with no spaces.
The Ravens beat the Steelers 20-17 in overtime.
Except as otherwise noted, typographer’s quotes (curly or slanted quotation marks) are preferred to • straight quotes (a.k.a. typewriter or prime quotation marks).
The titles of books, radio and television programs, pamphlets, periodicals, etc., should be italicized, while • titles of articles, book series, film series, radio and television episodes, essays, lectures, and parts of volumes (chapters, titles of papers, etc.) should be placed in quotation marks.
Use single quotation marks for quotations within other quotations. •
If several paragraphs are to be quoted, use quotation marks at the beginning of each paragraph, but at • the end of the last paragraph only. No quotation marks are needed if the quote is set in smaller type and set off from the text by a space, or indented as a block quote.
Set quotation marks after periods and commas and before colons and semicolons. Exclamation points • and interrogation marks that are not part of the quotation should be set outside quotation marks.
Emerson replied nervously, “There is no reason to inform the president.” He had not defined the term “categorical imperative.” A “zinc,” or line engraving, will be made from the sketch. Kego had three objections to “Filmore’s Summer”: it was contrived; the characters were flat; the dia.logue was unrealistic. The man cried, “They stole my new car!”
Use primes (i.e., straight quotes) to designate inches, feet, and navigational notation. •
12", 12' 67°03'16
Use editor’s brackets, not parentheses, to set off editorial remarks within direct quotations.•
“Johnson saw it [the war] as a personal test of wills.”
In general, treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, constructed with three periods and a regular space on either side of the ellipsis, as shown here ( … ).
When the grammatical sense calls for a question mark, exclamation point, comma, or colon, the se.• quence is: word, punctuation mark, regular space, ellipsis; e.g., “Will you come? …”
When material is deleted at the end of one paragraph and at the beginning of the one that follows, place • an ellipsis in both locations.
Do not use ellipses at the beginning and end of direct quotes that form complete sentences.
“It has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base,” Nixon said. not “ … it has become evident to me that I no longer have a strong enough political base …,” Nixon said. but Nixon finally relented, conceding “… that I no longer have a strong enough political base.”
Bullets are graphic devices that substitute for alpha-numeric designation of items in a list. In a bulleted list, the graphic device obviates normal grammatical punctuation.
In bulleted lists within text passages, the bullet • is the punctuation. No other punctuation is required to separate listed items. Do not use commas or semicolons at the end of each item.
If an item in the bulleted list is a complete sentence, the first word should be capitalized and there • should be a period at the end of the sentence. If the item is a nonsentence fragment, the first word should be lowercased. No period is necessary at the end of the last item in the list.
Avoid mixing sentence and nonsentence items in a bulleted list.•
This list is an example of a bulleted list with complete sentences. The following is an example of a list • with nonsentence fragments:
-
WRONG:
GBIF’s conservation information value chain has six successive steps
-
Scientific standards and methods;..
-
We collect and record data. ..
-
Data management and quality assurance;..
-
We make information accessible and interoperable;..
-
Conservation Expertise and Analysis; and..
-
Decision-support…
-
RIGHT:
GBIF’s conservation information value chain has six successive steps
-
scientific standards and methods..
-
data collection and recording..
-
data management and quality assurance..
-
information access and interoperability..
-
conservation expertise and analysis..
-
decision-support…
|
Note
|
Grammatical rules regarding punctuation are sometimes bent for the sake of visual appeal in headings, »»tables, or display type. |
Spell out numbers • one through nine and general (nonspecific) numbers in text. Use numerals for numbers 10 and over, including ordinals (e.g., third, 26th).
There are seven ways to do this, but only one right way. There are a million reasons to disagree. He has 12 brothers and sisters. Nevada’s SWAP lists 263 Conservation Priority animal species, of which 13 were assessed in the case study. Marta finished a dismal 15th in the rock-paper-scissors game.
When two or more numbers apply to the same category in a paragraph or a series, do not use numerals • for some and text for others; instead, use all numerals.
There are 20 sections to the field guide, 13 in Part I and 7 in Part II. For very large numbers, use a combination of initial numeral followed by denomination.• $1.8 million, 15 million people GBIF received a $2 million gift.
Do not begin a sentence with a numeral, supply a word or spell out the number. Numbers below 100 • should be hyphenated when they consist of two words (e.g., fifty-five).
WRONG: 99 problems and a bitch ain’t 1. RIGHT: Ninety-nine problems and a bitch ain’t one.
Do not add a numeral in parentheses after it is spelled out.•
WRONG: three (3) copies RIGHT: three copies
References to quantities greater than a given amount should use • more than, never over.
WRONG: GBIF has classified over 600 ecological systems. RIGHT: GBIF has classified more than 600 ecological systems.
Use numerals for degrees, ratios, and persons’ ages. •
longitude 6°7'06"W The formula uses a 3:2 ratio. His daughter is 7 years old.
Use numerals with units of measurement.
John is 6-feet, 4-inches tall. The tree weighs 1,000 pounds.
Express all percentages as numerals and do not use % except in tabular form.
4 per cent, 135 per cent
For temperatures in whole numbers, spell out degrees rather than using °, except when used in tables or in reference to scientific measurements. Use Fahrenheit or Celsius only when it would be confusing not to.
It is 86 degrees outside today. The normal boiling point of water is 99.97°C at a pressure of 1 atmosphere.
Express all dollars as numerals, except in general/casual references. Do not use decimals for whole dollars.
Todd, please lend me a dollar. WRONG: The book cost $8.00. RIGHT: The book cost $8. RIGHT: The book cost $8.13.
Time of day is designated by using a colon and zeroes for whole hours when space allows. Shorten to just • the whole hour where space is limited. Always use a.m. or p.m. in text; they may be dropped in tabular form in order to preserve alignment of type.
Standard: 9:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m.; short: 9 a.m., 6 p.m.
Always spell out • noon and midnight, never use 12:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. Do not put 12 in front of noon or midnight.
Use cardinal numbers for days of the month, do not use ordinals.•
WRONG: The meeting was held on the 19th of January. WRONG: The meeting was held on January 19th. RIGHT: The meeting was held on 19 January.
Use four-digit years for decades in formal usage. In informal use, the century may be replaced by an • apostrophe (not a left single quote). Only spell out the decade when referring to a specific age or group.
Formal: 1970s, 1990s, 2000s; informal: ’70s, ’90s, ’00s She is in her eighties.
Spell out first through tenth centuries, use ordinals after 10.•
third century, 21st century
Use italics, rather than quotes or underlining, to emphasize words in text; also to highlight foreign words or phrases not yet Anglicized.
-
The time to strike is now.
-
The stranded party mixed sawdust and flour to create an ersatz bread.
Use italics, rather than underlining, to highlight URLs and email addresses in running text in printed ma.• terials. For text conveyed electronically, create a hyperlink. PRINT: Visit our website, GBIF.org, or email [email protected] for more information. ELECTRONIC: Visit our website, GBIF.org, or email [email protected] for more information. Do not include • http:// in a URL if it is a World Wide Web address. Also, www. is not necessary when the URL is described as a website (“website” and “www” are redundant), or on subsequent references to a URL. WRONG: Visit our website, http://www.GBIF.org, for more information. WRONG: Visit our website, www.GBIF.org, for more information. RIGHT: Visit www.GBIF.org for more information. RIGHT: Visit our website, GBIF.org, for more information. WRONG: Find the latest style guide at native.GBIF.org. RIGHT: Find the latest style guide at http://native.GBIF.org.
Primary source for GBIF is the http://www.dgacm.org/editorialmanual/ed-guidelines/style/spelling.htm(United Nations Editorial Style Guide).
a lot• (no such word as alot) accommodate• (two “c’s,” two “m’s”) acknowledgment• (no “e” after the “g”) afterward• (no “s” at the end) audiovisual• (no space, no hyphen) British Columbia• (with a “u”) canceled, canceling, cancellation• catalog• , not catalogue cemetery• (all the vowels are “e’s”) Colombia• (the country), Columbia (the river) co-worker• , not coworker decision-maker• (noun; never decisionmaker or decision maker) embarrass• (two “r’s” and two “s’s”) email• (not e-mail) fieldwork• (one word) fundraising, fundraiser• (one word in all forms) harass• (only one “r”) judgment• (no “e” after the “g”) liaison• livable• (no “e” in the middle) millennium• (two “l’s,” two “n’s”) misspelled• (two “s’s,” two “l’s”) nonprofit• (no hyphen) OK• or okay but not O.K. outperform• (no hyphen) policy-maker • (noun; never policymaker or policy maker) résumé• with accents as shown here, not resume or resumé sizable• (no “e”) toward• (no “s” at the end) under way• (two words in all cases) -wide• , no hyphen (statewide, nationwide, worldwide—except World Wide Web)
a• in front of words that sound as if they begin with a consonant, regardless of how they are spelled; an in front of words that sound as if they begin with a vowel, regardless of how they are spelled It is an honor to be here today. (It sounds as if honor should be spelled AHN-or.) If you already know the rule, this is a useless exercise. (Hear the “y” sound in “useless”?) affect• : to have an influence on; effect: to bring about. In general, if the word you use is a verb, spell it with an “a,” and if it is a noun or adjective, spell it with an “e.” all ready• (everyone is prepared: all are ready) and already (completed action) a.m.• and p.m. Do not include o’clock. Designate noon or midnight, rather than 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. between• when referring to two things, among when referring to more than two capital• for the city, capitol for the building compared with• between two similar items (compare FY2008 income with FY2009 income); compared to between disparate items (compare the change in FY2009 income to the change in FY2009 gross national product) center• for general use or in a reference that encompasses both the U.S. and Canada; centre when used in purely Canadian contexts. data• is always plural (“GBIF data are used in …”) disabled• , not handicapped doctorate• is a noun and doctoral is an adjective freshwater• (one word) is an adjective denoting a habitat type (“the report includes both terrestrial and freshwater classifications”); fresh water (two words) is a noun used to indicate drinking water full-time• and part-time are adjectives; full time and part time are adverbs indiscreet• (meaning imprudent); indiscrete (meaning separated into parts) in regard to• (never “in regards to”) but, he sends his regards it’s • is a contraction that means “it is” or “it has”; its means “belonging to it.” Whenever you must choose one or another in a sentence, try inserting the phrase “it is” or “it has.” If one of those pairs makes sense, then use “it’s.” kickoff• (noun or adjective), kick off (verb) lay• (transitive, requires an object): I lay the book on the bed; past tense: I laid the book on the bed. lie (intransitive): I lie in bed; past tense: I lay in bed. less• when describing an amount that cannot be counted, fewer when describing a number The task took less time than we anticipated. Fewer than 12 students attended the seminar. login• (noun or adjective), log in (verb) method• is a discrete way of doing something; methodology is a body or set of methods mid-August • but midsummer principal• : meaning primary or major, as in the title of the high-ranking school official (also financial—the face value of a stock or bond); principle: a fundamental law or doctrine were• is the appropriate singular verb in the subjunctive mood, used to express a wish or possible situa.tion that is currently not true. It is usually used with words like if and wish. I wish I were a sea cucumber. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.
Passive voice•
“As a matter of style, passive voice is almost always inferior to active voice. With active voice, the subject acts; with passive voice, the subject is acted upon. It is important in telling our story that we take credit for the work we do—and not imply that it was done to us! “For some reason, scientists notoriously use the passive voice—things are added, are measured, are found, and so on. Using the active voice forces you to be specific about who added, who measured, who found—and can point to holes in your story.” —Cornelia Dean, Am I Making Myself Clear?: A Scientist’s Guide to Talking to the Public (2009)
-
WRONG: The matter will be given careful consideration.
-
RIGHT: We will give the matter careful consideration.
-
PREFERRED*: We will consider the matter carefully.
The split infinitive
WRONG: He was told to quickly process the data. RIGHT: He was told to process the data quickly.
The dangling participle•
WRONG: Straddling the Arizona–New Mexico border, the ecologist found a series of bat-dwelling caves. (Was the ecologist straddling the border?) RIGHT: The ecologist found a series of bat-dwelling caves straddling the Arizona–New Mexico border. (Better!)
Sexist language
Avoid using he and she when referring to an unspecified person. Recast the sentence in the plural, or avoid the use of pronouns altogether. If you must refer to a single person, use he or she not he/she and never s/he.
WRONG: chairman/chairperson, businessman, mankind RIGHT: chair, business executive/business person, humankind
The longer of two similar words
Long Word Shorter/Better Form facilitate help initialize begin, start necessitate require numerous many utilize use utility usefulness
All printed and web-based work produced by GBIF and its staff as part of their work product is considered copyright protected. Where warranted, designation of copyright on GBIF-produced materials should read: * CC BY 2019 [or applicable four-digit year] Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
The following statement of GBIF’s policies on affirmative action/equal opportunity must be • included on any formal advertisement or publication providing information or promoting opportunities, benefits, services, programs, or activities provided by the organization: * GBIF does not discriminate against any individual or group of individuals on the basis of age, color, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, marital status, citizenship, veteran’s status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.
For employment ads, include the following: * GBIF is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
January: Jan. February: Feb. March: not abbreviated April: not abbreviated May: not abbreviated June: not abbreviated July: not abbreviated August: Aug. September: Sept. October: Oct. November: Nov. December: Dec.
No country is necessary when referring to the following international cities:
-
Amsterdam
-
Baghdad
-
Bangkok
-
Beijing
-
Beirut
-
Berlin
-
Bogotá
-
Brussels
-
Cairo
-
Copenhagen
-
Djibouti
-
Dublin
-
Geneva
-
Gibraltar
-
Guatemala City
-
Hamburg
-
Havana
-
Helsinki
-
Hong Kong
-
Islamabad
-
Istanbul
-
Jerusalem
-
Johannesburg
-
Kabul
-
Kuwait City
-
London
-
Luxembourg
-
Macau
-
Madrid
-
Mexico City
-
Milan
-
Monaco
-
Montreal
-
Moscow
-
Munich
-
New Delhi
-
Panama City
-
Paris
-
Prague
-
Québec City
-
Rio de Janeiro
-
Rome
-
San Marino
-
Sao Paulo
-
Shanghai
-
Singapore
-
Stockholm
-
Sydney
-
Tokyo
-
Toronto
-
Vatican City
-
Vienna
-
Zurich
International and intergovernmental bodies and other partners/programs
-
CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity
-
CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
-
EU BON:
-
GEO BON:
-
IPBES: Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services:
-
IPCC:
-
IUCN: International Union for the Conservation of Nature
-
UNEP: United Nations Environmental Programme
The following acronyms are unique within GBIF. In external communications, be sure to explain them, at minimum, by spelling out what they name.
-
ALA
-
BIF
-
DwC
-
DwC-A
-
IPT
Annex D. Revision History of the GBIF Style Guide
Version 1.0, June 2014 Original version.