TRU Editing Style Checklist

Style Checklist* If you need to make changes in response to this style checklist, you will generally be able to use your computer program’s “Replace” function.

• Spelling checked—without changes to spelling within quotations.
• Double spaces replaced with single spaces.
• In print documents (but not Web documents ), straight quotation marks (") changed to smart quotation marks (“ ”); straight apostrophes (') changed to smart apostrophes (’). Note: Inch (") and foot (') symbols remain straight.
• Periods and commas placed inside (before) end quotation marks.
• Comma placed before the conjunction (e.g., and, or, but) in any series of at least three items (e.g., apples, oranges, and pears).
• Any variation of the em dash (space hyphen space, space hyphen hyphen space, and hyphen hyphen) changed to an em dash—the long dash—except where an em dash has to be simulated on Web pages.
• Any hyphen intended to mean “to” changed to an en dash, which is longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash (e.g., pp. 54–65, not pp. 54-65 or pp. 54—65).
• No spaces around en dashes and em dashes.
• Period or other closing punctuation at the end of every complete sentence, including sentences in graphics and tables.
• Bullets (• or an alternative that the team is using consistently throughout a course) before items in a list except when numbers are needed to show sequence or priority. (Note: Capitalize the first word after the bullet or number.)
• Numbers and metric symbols separated by a non-breaking space (e.g., 2.5 cm, 50 km/h).
• Triad separators consisting of non-breaking spaces in non-monetary numbers of at least five digits (e.g., 10 000 km) unless the project team has agreed to use the comma.
• Triad separators consisting of commas in monetary numbers of at least four digits (e.g., $10,000).
• In text, initial capitals used only for proper nouns, names of parts of courses (e.g., Assignments, Unit 4), and the first word in a sentence or listed item.
• In graphics, initial capital for the first word of each label.
• TRU-OL course codes capitalized and course titles italicized when used within text (e.g., GEOG 230, Introduction to Human Geography).
• SOLID CAPITALS changed to upper and lower case except when required (e.g., NASA, IBM).
• In print documents, italics preferred to bolding for emphasis—and used sparingly.
• In Web documents, bolding generally preferred to italics.
• Inventory number on the lower left corner of the front.

• From the OLA Editorial Style Guide Checklist