Style Guides (Part 1)

Every publication has it’s own style – in terms of writing, format and content. Most organisations (including universities) and journals have a Style Guide to help authors understand what is required for publication. Style Guides cover many things; they may include requirements about structure, length, headings, citation/reference style, writing style and presentation. This ensures the content within publications have a consistent style, and the style is consistent across publications.

Understanding and complying with the Style Guide is critical – it shows you are serious about writing for the publication. However, Style Guides are not always comprehensive. When editing, I often ask clients to provide me with the Style Guide and two recent publications – preferably ones on a similar subject and nature (qual/quant). This is a good trick when writing too. Use recent publications from the journal as a point of reference to ensure you are consistent with the publisher’s expectations.