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The CPCUG Monitor Style Guide
[Third Edition, 1999]
by Barbara Conn, Alan Blandamer, Bob Morrison, and Walter Knorr
This style guide was the brainchild of Walter Knorr, Monitor Editor from 1987 to 1989, and Bob Morrison, Monitor Editor from 1989 to 1990. Alan Blandamer, Monitor Editor from 1990 to 1994, created its Second Edition in 1991. Barbara Conn, Editor from July 1997 to February 2001, created its Third Edition in 1999. As Alan said in 1991, I accept responsibility for the new parts. Organizations change, people change, and publications change. Monitor style will continue to evolve. As it does, we will post new versions of this Guide periodically on the Web.
Purpose
We have prepared this style guide for regular contributors to the Monitor and for its editorial staff. Using it makes our jobs easier, speeds up preparation of the Monitor magazine, and results in a more professional magazine for our members.
New and Potential Monitor Contributors
If you are a member of CPCUG and a potential new contributor to the Monitor, please do not let these guidelines intimidate you or stand in the way of submitting an article for publication in our Monitor. We welcome your contributions. Please feel free to contact an editor to talk about your concept for an article or column, and for help, either via e-mail or telephone. Page 3 of the Monitor has contact information.
All material submitted to Monitor is subject to editing. We try to publish material that is principally original work of CPCUG members, and that has not appeared elsewhere, especially in a fee-paying publication. All articles accepted for publication in the print version of the Monitor will also appear in the Internet Web pages of the Monitor. Sometimes computer user groups in other parts of the world pick up our articles and reprint in their magazines and newsletters, with credit to you as author and to CPCUG as publisher.
We have never been very enthusiastic about publishing material from someone who owns the company that is manufacturing or publishing the item under review. Our Advertising Sales Department can give you excellent rates if you wish to announce your product!
How To Submit Your Article
Submit in e-mail to editor@cpcug.org and admin@cpcug.org.
Send your contributions to the appropriate Monitor editor via file attachment to e-mail (e-mail addresses above). Use minimal formatting and save your text in WordPerfect 5.1 format (see the section of this Guide entitled "Format"), zipped together with separate files for each script, table, illustration, and photograph. (You may include a formatted version of your text in the ZIP file if you choose.) The preferred format for graphics is TIF (240 to 300 dpi). Other acceptable graphics formats are EPS, PCX, BMP, and JPEG. GIF is the last resort—it should not be used if you can avoid it. If you will be taking photos via a digital camera, take the pictures at the highest available resolution. Do not reduce the size of your images to reduce the size of the file for e-mail transmission purposes. In most cases such reduction will reduce the available layout options and lower the quality of the image in the printed publication. Be sure to include your name, e-mail address, and day and evening telephone numbers at the beginning of your article so we can contact you easily if we have questions.
Include a short message to the editor in your e-mail. State the names of your file(s) and a sentence or so about your article. Please also provide the names of the files within any zipped file. If there is anything unusual about your article, files, or file formats, or if you have included a formatted file, please include information about this in your message as well. Then attach your file(s) to your message.
If you do not have communications capability, contact the Monitor Editor for mailing instructions. Please contact the editor first because we do not work out of the CPCUG office. If we do not know your article is on the way, it may languish in a mail slot at the office along with junk mail, hundreds (maybe thousands) of press releases, and other nonessential items.
Writing and Style
Much ink—and some blood—has been spilled over what makes up good writing and proper style. Preferences differ, and the aim of this style guide is not to bring final judgment on the issue of good or bad writing. We do, however, strive for accuracy and consistency to enhance credibility and professionalism. We present the following guidelines to help you tell your story as accurately and clearly as possible.
Please keep the nature of your audience in mind as you write: The Monitor has a wide range of readers with a variety of backgrounds and interests.
Organization is crucial to the production of a useful article. Your readers will benefit most from an article constructed in a clear, accessible, and logical way. We suggest you make an outline of the article and check it for logical progression and economy of language.
Avoid the passive voice: Write "<Backspace> deletes," not "<Backspace> is used to delete."
Headings make the printed page more inviting and aid your readers. Present the material in sequence, adding first- and second-level headings wherever appropriate. When adding heads—do more than just add one head somewhere in the middle of the article—your article can't be "divided" into just one part.
For further reference, read The Elements of Style by Strunk and White. It's cheap, and it's right.
Tone and Attitude
Try to use an informal, relaxed tone rather than a lecture style. For example, use "you" instead of "the reader" or "the user" or "one." Avoid stuffy, pedantic, high-flown words. Your readers are members of the group, people who have a working knowledge of personal computers, though they probably don't know as much as you about the topic of your article. Don't adopt a condescending or patronizing tone.
Some Anglo-Saxon four-letter words have entered common usage. We have even seen them in material submitted to the Monitor (understandably, in a vendor experience report). Instead of using such words, explain calmly (with humor, if possible) why the topic deserves strong words.
Clarity
Write simply and directly. The first time you use a new term, define it and give any abbreviation. Explain new concepts, using familiar examples for comparison.
Keep your sentences short. Avoid stringing clauses or prepositional phrases together. Vary your sentence structure to avoid a stilted "Dick and Jane" style. Please use "that" instead of "which" wherever appropriate ("that" for things and ideas; "which" for nonrestrictive clauses—those clauses that can be removed from the sentence without altering its sense). Use "who/whom" for people.
Avoid using abbreviations, even for the Capital PC User Group. Many other user group publications, far from Washington, DC, publish our articles. Let's not leave any doubt that the author of an article is from the Capital PC User Group rather than the Chesapeake PC Users Group. If you must use abbreviations (except such generally used abbreviations as DOS, ASCII, and IBM), explain their meanings the first time you use them. From that point on, use the abbreviation every time.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is piracy, the theft of someone else's material (text, photograph, illustrations, program code, song) without attribution of ownership. In fact, it's illegal. You, as the author, are responsible for acknowledging the source of all borrowed material, whether exact quotations, altered quotations, or paraphrases. Make the acknowledgment in your article, not in footnotes. If you quote from several sources, refer to a bibliography at the end of your article.
Fair Language
Avoid language that could be construed as biased or potentially offensive. Calling attention gratuitously to any class or group of people will inevitably hurt or offend.
Self-Editing
When you finish your first draft, put it away for a short time. Then you'll be able to return to it with fresh eyes. Although everybody can write, very few can edit their own writing to make it readable and interesting to others. When in doubt, read your article aloud to a friend, to a tape recorder, or simply to yourself. The parts that you stumble over or that seem unclear should receive more attention.
Delete sarcasm, off-color humor, and remarks that might offend.
Fact Checking
Once your article has been accepted for publication , it will be seen by more than 5000 computer users who will depend on its accuracy. It may even be picked up and reprinted by other computer user groups around the world. Please don't guess about facts presented in your article. If you don't know, for sure, find out or delete that information before article submission. Don't expect Monitor editors to be able to check every fact for you.
Graphic Images
Illustrations are important to a printed communication, just as gestures are to an oral communication. Sometimes a simple illustration can make a point that no reasonable number of words could convey. No matter whether you are writing a feature article, a column, a review, or a humorous piece, graphics can enliven your writing. Consider using screenshots, for example, of the program you are reviewing. Call the Product Review Editor for more information and ideas.
Tables, Figures, Scripts, Footnotes
Illustrations, program code (scripts), photographs, and diagrams are not text. Separate content in these formats from your text files, and place each item in its own file for electronic transmission to the appropriate editor. Cite each in text with an Arabic numeral; for example, figures 1 and 2. Please write captions for each figure to complement the discussion in the text. If someone else took the photo, give credit following the text of the caption. [Photo by Rich Schinnell.]
Material best displayed in multiple rows and columns should also be separated from the text and arranged in a tabular format. Each should be placed in a separate file. Cite each in text with an Arabic numeral; for example, tables 1 and 2. Cells within tables may have text rather than numbers: Sometimes text matter is better in a tabular format for easy comparison of features by the reader. Write a caption for each table.
Icons, graphic images, and logos that accompany the opening of features and columns will not be numbered.
Avoid footnotes within text—instead, insert such material in text within parenthesis, or, when appropriate, move to a "References" section at the end of your article.
Footnotes within tables are ordered as follows: asterisk (*), dagger (†), double dagger (‡), and section symbol (§).
Take note of the current format of the Monitor—it is in three narrow columns, each not much wider than 2 inches. When you have a content element that cannot be squeezed into this width, it needs to be separated from the text and set up as a figure, table, or sidebar.
Figures and tables are numbered sequentially throughout each article in the Monitor.
Sidebars
Sidebars add interest to many articles. If part of your feature or column can be broken out as a sidebar, please indicate this in your message to the editor. Is there another member you'd like to contribute a related sidebar for your article?
Lists
- Ordered lists: (1), (2), (3); subentries: (a), (b), (c).
- Unordered lists: solid bullets; subentries: open bullets with additional indent.
A Very Short Excursion Into Word Usage
Using the correct word is an important part of style. Misusing or misunderstanding a word could start a war, at least a war of words. Following is a list of commonly misused words and phrases:
- above/below: Do not use these words to describe where an illustration or table appears, because its position isn't final until the publisher completes page makeup. Instead, write "see figure 1," and so forth.
- enormity/immensity: Enormity means the heinous nature of a crime. If you think your new hard drive has lots of storage space, then use immensity.
- ensure/insure: Ensure means make sure. Insure means take out insurance. (Assure also means to make sure or to state positively.)
- it's/its: It's (with the apostrophe) always means "it is." Its (without the apostrophe) is a possessive pronoun.
- quite/rather/somewhat: We believe that nothing is "quite good or bad" or "somewhat easy" or "rather difficult." Omit these weak modifiers. We delete these words. If you mean partially good or bad, tell us why.
Paragraphing
Opening paragraph of feature articles and columns: Current Monitor design calls for this paragraph to start with a large initial cap: This cap is 6 lines high in feature articles and 3 lines high in columns. Is your paragraph long enough to accommodate the large initial? Is it too long for the increased type size of this introductory paragraph? Unless you are starting out with a quotation, consider writing your opening to fit this format that invites Monitor skimmers to settle in and read. Columns that begin with an internal text head rather than an introductory paragraph will not open with this introductory paragraph format.
Column and department large titles: These types of articles may have a large title positioned between the name of the column or department and the text if there is one unifying theme to the article.
Paragraphs should stick to one subject and contain a topic sentence that tells the reader what that paragraph is about. Use transitions to connect new points with what you've just written—this will give your writing a sense of unity and flow. Avoid repetition. Delete extra words.
A single sentence paragraph usually does not serve any purpose. You will often find that it can be combined with the preceding or following paragraph, unless the sentence is part of a list of technical attributes. If what you have is a list, make it flush left and use bullets or numbers in parentheses to set off the items.
Avoid run-on paragraphs. Paragraph breaks help the reader to understand the points you are trying to make. An 8000-word article with only three paragraphs is harder to read than an article divided into paragraphs appropriately.
A Few Punctuation Notes
As mentioned earlier, much ink has been expended on what makes good writing and proper style. Punctuation, however, may be at the root of constitutional struggles. We generally follow the style of the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual first and then the Chicago Manual of Style. Consider the following as editorial license:
- Use serial commas: a comma before the "and" or "or" in a series of objects, for example: Windows 98, Windows 95, and Windows NT.
- Use a comma before a conjunction when the following clause is a complete sentence; for example, "I loaded the software, and then the fun began."
- Position commas and periods inside quotation marks, whatever the meaning. Other punctuation goes either inside or outside, depending on the meaning.
Spelling
Always use your software's spellchecker just before you ZIP up your article for submission. When in doubt about a spelling, use Webster's New International Unabridged Dictionary, Third Edition. (When Webster's doesn't choose between two alternatives, we use the preferences of the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual.
Some singular and plural forms that can cause difficulty are—
- addendum/addenda
- appendix/appendixes
- axis/axes
- criterion/criteria
- datum/data
- index/indices (use indexes, however, for lists in the back of books)
- medium/media
- parenthesis/parentheses
When discussing software version, among other things, remember that only one word ends in _sede (supersede); only three end in _ceed (exceed, proceed, and succeed); all other words with this final sound end in _cede (precede, secede, . . . ).
Format
Please save your text in WordPerfect 5.1 format without document enhancements, such as text boxes, underlines, indents, boldface, headers, and footers. (If you wish, you may include a formatted version of your text in the ZIP file that you submit. Please indicate in your transmittal e-mail message the software and version used.) If you prefer, you may submit your manuscript in ASCII text format.
- Spacing: Single space.
- Do not justify your text (so that it prints with even right and left margins).
- Turn your hyphenation feature off.
- Sentence-ending punctuation (periods, question marks, exclamation points) and colons should be followed by one space only.
- Paragraphs:
- Do not indent.
- Insert a full line of space above.
- Do not center anything
- Columns in tables—align via tabs (not multiple spaces).
- Use tabs only to separate the fields of a record (or line) in a table.
- Headings:
- Type headings in uppercase and lowercase letters, flush left. (Never use all uppercase; all uppercase is for railroad station signs or place names on a map.) Capitalize the first letter of all words in a title or heading, except articles, prepositions, and conjunctions of three letters or less.
- Leave a blank line above heads.
- Byline: Place your byline flush left after the title of your article: "by Jim Patterson" for feature articles and columns, or "reviewed by Jim Patterson" for reviews. Do not capitalize the words "by" and "reviewed." Do not include titles, such as Dr., Ph.D., and Comdr., in your byline.
- Figures, tables, and sidebars: Place figures and tables in separate electronic files, one to a file. Include a note at the beginning of your article giving the editor those file name(s) and information about a sidebar and its location.
- Hardware and software citations: If you mention hardware or applications software in your article, then at the end include a paragraph with the name, address, and telephone number of the producer and the list price. Make a separate section including this information for each product mentioned. Avoid putting the name, address, and telephone numbers on separate lines; instead, use the form:
- Requirements: 486DX-66 (100-MHz Pentium recommended), Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0, 16 Mbytes of RAM, 50 Mbytes of hard-drive space free, 16× speed CD-ROM, SuperVGA graphics, standard multimedia audio/video, Microsoft-compatible mouse.
- Source: Greatware Products, 100 Main Street, Suite 102, 57 Technology Drive, Anytown, ZX 43050; telephone, 1 (800) 555-1212; fax, 1 (800) 555-1213; http://www.greatwareproducts.com.
- Price: $39.95 list.
- Biographical blurb: Add a few lines of autobiographical information as a separate paragraph at the end of your article. Try to resist using this space as an extended marketing opportunity for your company. Include an e-mail address and/or telephone number where you can be reached and the time of day you prefer to be contacted if by telephone.
- Be sure the final file you submit has no special codes, such as indents, headers, page numbers, boldface, or underlining.
Typesetting Considerations
You may create the text of your manuscript in the word processor or text editor of your choice. Keep formatting to a minimum. When you are ready to submit your article to the Monitor, save it in WordPerfect 5.1 format. ZIP your files and attach the new ZIP file to an e-mail message stating the names of the files and the software and versions used.
Your contribution will be poured into Quark XPress, a layout program.
Dashes: These punctuation marks will be produced correctly on first page proofs without editorial intervention if you use two hyphens closed up to each other and to the words before and after.
Quotation marks: Although XPress includes a translation program for quotation marks, sometimes human intervention is required to get proper quotation marks. (Standard text uses different symbols for the opening and closing quotation marks, for example. Scripts use the same symbol for both opening and closing quotation marks.)
Special characters: Before submitting your article, make sure that special characters display correctly in your final WP5.1 file. If there is a problem, please explain it in your e-mail note to the editor.
PC to Mac conversions: You may not consider a multiplication sign much of a special character. We don't either. But because our printer uses Macs rather than PCs, some characters, such as multiplication signs, have appeared as totally different special characters in the proofs we've received. We make every effort to get these printer errors corrected before final printing.
Additional coding may be left for the editorial/production team. If you wish to know more, here are some coding options for some manuscript components:
- boldface:
- before: {;bd}
- after: {;/bd}
- internal text head 1 (this is the first heading after the overall title of the article):
- before: {;h1}
- after: {;/h1}
- internal text head 2:
- before: {;h2}
- after: {;/h2}
- internal text head 3:
- before: {;h3}
- after: {;/h3}
- special symbol: {;symbol:capalpha;/}, where the symbol is a capital Greek alpha
Editors' Style Sheet
(um = unit modifier)
- abbreviations, acronyms, initialisms—place in parenthesis following spelled-out version at first occurrence; abbreviate thereafter
- addressbook
- AM (small caps): 8AM-10AM; 8AM-NOON; 8AM-10PM
- ARPANET
- "article titles"—enclose in quotation marks
- award winner
- Awk
- AutoCAD
- baud—use bits per second or bps as part of larger unit
- BBSs
- bitmapped
- Bitnet
- book titles: use italic
- bootup
- C (the programming language)
- C drive
- Capital PC User Group—spell out at first occurrence in each article with CPCUG in parenthesis
- CD-ROM drive, but CD disk
- client-side (um)
- clipart
- co-editor
- COMDEX
- command-line (um)
- Compaq (not COMPAQ)
- computer keys: <Alt>, <Ctrl>, <Del>, <Esc>, <F1> to <F12>, <PgDn>, <PgUp>; spell the remaining in angle brackets <Enter>
- connector
- court case titles: use italic except for v. (Roe v. Wade)
- CPCUG HQ
- CPCUG library
- CPCUG Science Fair Awards
- CPCUG Science Fair Judges but judges
- cpcug.org domain
- database
- dBase
- dollars and cents: $10 (delete .00), $10.25
- door prize
- DOS
- DOS file names, directories, and keyboard commands: all caps
- drop-down (um)
- e.g.: a comma always follows this abbreviation, which is better written as "for example."
- e-mail
- end user
- fax, faxback
- federal (exception to GPO style)
- figures 1 to 3
- file formats (DOS/Windows): EXE, GIF, JPG, PDF, TXT, ZIP (no beginning period)
- fractions—generally use decimals instead (3.5-inch drive or diskette; 3.5- and 5.5-inch drives or diskettes)
- function keys: <F1> through <F12>
- General Meeting
- government (exception to GPO style)
- gray
- Greenwich mean time
- handheld (um)
- hard-copy (um)
- hard-disk (um)
- InfoWorld
- inkjets
- Internet
- keystrokes: will be set in a monospaced typeface and enclosed in a shaded area
- kilobytes—abbreviate as kbytes when preceded by a number (640 kbytes; or hyphenate as unit modifier, a 640-kbyte machine)
- level 1 (or L-1) cache
- "Lotus 1-2-3" at first appearance (not 1-2-3)
- magazine, journal titles: use italic
- megabytes—abbreviate as Mbytes when preceded by a number, as in 2.2 Mbytes
- Metrorail
- MHz
- Monitor—always call it a magazine, never a newsletter.
- MONITOR Conference (45) on the MIX
- months—take no commas when followed by the year; for example, November 1999
- 'Net
- numbers:
- and commas: numbers of five digits and more generally require commas (100, 1000, but 10,000)
- and sentences: do not start sentences with a figure—spell it out or recast the sentence
- as quantities: use figures when the number is 10 or more; spell out if under 10, unless in same sentence with numbers 10 and over also referring to quantities, as opposed to units of measure—see next entry)
- as units of measure: always use the figure (3 Mbytes, 2 years)
- PC-AT
- PC-XT
- PCs
- Pentium, Pentium II, Pentium III
- percent—spell out; don't use the "%" symbol (except, of course, in appropriate coding, such as HTML)
- plurals of acronyms and initialisms take no apostrophes: "30 PCs"
- PM (small caps): 8PM-10PM
- Postscript
- PS/2 Model 50
- pull-down (um)
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