NARA Style Guide National Archives And Records Administration (NARA)

User Manual:

Open the PDF directly: View PDF .
Page Count: 63

NARA Style Guide

2012

Preface

Clear writing conveys clear thought. NARA writers in all offices must strive for clear

communication to explain their increasingly complex work. They write letters, memorandums,

finding aids, web pages, blogs, leaflets, reports, articles, exhibit scripts, brochures, budget requests,

speeches, forms, and email messages. This style guide establishes agency standards of punctuation,

word usage, and grammar that will answer writers‘ most common questions and will, we hope,

promote clear and effective writing throughout NARA.

Style changes over time and even from place to place, depending on the intended audience. These

differences do not necessarily make one choice ―wrong.‖ What is ―right‖ is consistency within your

own work and using the appropriate language and usage for your audience.

The NARA Style Guide fills two needs. First, the section ―Writing for Plain Language‖ will help us

comply with the Plain Writing Act of 2010. Second, it addresses many of the questions and issues

unanswered by the Government Printing Office Style Manual (GPO manual). This guide is based

on the GPO manual but includes modifications that reflect current usage.

The most notable difference from the GPO manual concerns the treatment of numbers. This style

guide simplifies the rules. In most cases, writers will spell out numbers under 10 and use numerals

for numbers 10 and over. (See section 4.10.)

The GPO manual is still NARA‘s primary reference for style. For issues not covered in the NARA

guide, continue to consult the GPO manual.

The appendix, ―Quick Reference,‖ may be particularly helpful to NARA writers. This list of words

and phrases provides quick answers to common questions about capitalization, spelling, compound

words, and plurals.

The NARA Style Guide took shape from the agency‘s specific language needs and will continue to

change to reflect the needs and concerns of NARA writers.

Use the NARA Style Guide for all NARA communications.

If you have questions about spelling, grammar, or usage that are not addressed by this guide,

contact the Strategy and Communications staff (SC, Mary Ryan: mary.ryan@nara.gov, telephone

202-357-5482).

Helpful References

PlainLanguage.gov (www.plainlanguage.gov)

Bremner, John B. Words on Words. New York: Columbia University Press, 1980.

The Chicago Manual of Style. 16th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010.

Cormier, Robin. Error-Free Writing: A Lifetime Guide to Flawless Business Writing. Paramus, NJ:

Prentice Hall, 1995.

Editors of EEI Press, E-What?: A Guide to the Quirks of New Media Style and Usage. Alexandria,

VA: EEI Press, 2000.

General Services Administration, Standard and Optional Forms Procedural Handbook.

Washington, DC: GSA, July 2009. www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/SF

Gunning, Robert. The Technique of Clear Writing. New York: McGraw-Hill, rev. 1983.

Lauchman, Richard. Plain Style: Techniques for Simple, Concise, Emphatic Business Writing. New

York: AMACOM, 1993.

National Archives and Records Administration, Guide for Preparing NARA Correspondence: A

Supplement to NARA 201 (June 13, 2005). www.nara-at-

work.gov/nara_policies_and_guidance/directives/0200_series/word/corrguide.doc

National Archives and Records Administration, Office of the Federal Register, Plain Language

Tools. www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/plain-language/

National Archives and Records Administration, Office of the Federal Register, Drafting Legal

Documents. www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/legal-docs/index.html

The New York Public Library Writer’s Guide to Style and Usage. New York: HarperCollins, 1994.

Redish, Janice (Ginny). Letting Go of the Words: Writing Web Content that Works. San Francisco:

Morgan Kaufman, 2007.

Strunk, William, Jr. The Elements of Style. With revisions, an introduction, and a chapter on

writing by E. B. White. 4th ed. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999. (commonly known as ―Strunk and

White‖)

United States Government Printing Office Style Manual. Washington, DC: GPO, 2008.

www.gpoaccess.gov/stylemanual/browse.html

iii

Contents

1. Writing in Plain Language

1.1 Think about your audience

1.2 Organize your material

1.2.1 Use headings and subheadings

1.2.2 Limit heading levels to three or fewer

1.2.3 Write short sections

1.3 Verbs

1.3.1 Use the active voice (unless passive makes more sense)

1.3.2 Use the simplest form of the verb

1.3.3 Don‘t hide the verb

1.3.4 Don‘t use ―shall‖

1.3.5 Avoid the false subjects It is and There are

1.3.6 Use contractions when appropriate

1.4 Nouns and pronouns

1.4.1 Use everyday words

1.4.2 Avoid ―noun strings‖

1.4.3 Use pronouns

1.5 Omit unnecessary words

1.5.1 Write with a word, not a phrase

1.5.2 Avoid redundancy

1.5.3 Avoid intruding words

1.5.4 Don‘t ―double‖ terms

1.5.5 Beware basis, manner, fashion, and way

1.6 Sentences

1.6.1 Write short sentences

1.6.2 Place words carefully

1.6.3 Use idioms

1.6.4 Minimize the use of ―not‖

2. Formatting for Readability

2.1 Understand that isolation is emphasis

2.2 Don‘t hesitate to use headings in any document

2.3 Isolate lead sentences

2.4 Feel free to write one-sentence paragraphs

2.5 Use standard typefaces for the text

2.6 Leave the right margin ragged

2.7 Leave plenty of white space

2.8 Use discretion with graphics

2.9 Use tables to present comparisons

2.10 Use vertical lists

2.11 Use footnotes and endnotes for explanatory or

peripheral information

2.12 Adjust established formats when necessary

3. Writing and Formatting Email

3.1 Think before sending

3.2 Use the subject field

3.3 Be cautious about using special type styles

3.4 Be judicious when capitalizing words

3.5 Keep paragraphs short

3.6 Maintain a businesslike tone

4. Usage and Style

4.1 Abbreviations and Symbols

4.1.1 Geographic locations

4.1.2 United States / U.S.

4.1.3 Personal titles

4.1.4 Citations

4.1.5 Typographic symbols

4.2 Acronyms

4.3 Addresses

4.4 Capitalization

4.4.1 Geographic terms

4.4.2 Military terms

4.4.3 NARA forms, directives, and notices

4.4.4 Organizations

4.4.5 Personal titles

4.5 Compounds

4.5.1 Prefixes

4.5.2 Compound adjectives

4.5.3 Compound nouns

4.5.4 Suspended compounds

4.5.5 References to ethnicity

4.6 Computer-related terms

4.7 Dates

4.8 Grammar reminders

4.8.1 Subject/verb agreement

4.8.2 Prepositions and pronouns

4.9 Gender-neutral language

4.10 Numbers

4.11 Plurals

4.12 Possessives

4.13 Problem words and phrases

4.14 Punctuation

4.14.1 Apostrophe

4.14.2 Colons and semicolons

4.14.3 Comma

4.14.4 Dash

4.14.5 Ellipses

4.14.6 Parentheses

4.14.7 Quotation marks

4.15 References to NARA

4.16 Titles of works: italics or quotation marks

Appendix: Quick Reference

1. Writing in Plain Language

Writing in plain language means writing clearly. It means writing so that readers can

find what they need,

understand what they find, and

use what they find to meet their needs.

The more clearly you communicate, the more likely your readers will grasp what

you want them to grasp and do what you want them to do, from filling out a form

correctly to complying with a regulation. And the less likely it is that your readers

will call or write you to ask questions or express frustration.

Ultimately, your job will be easier and more pleasant if you take the time to

communicate clearly.

1.1 Think about your audience.

A misconception about plain language is that it means ―dumbing down‖ your

writing so that everyone can read it. That‘s not true. The first rule of plain language

is write for your audience.

That starts with figuring out who your audience is, then focusing on your audience‘s

needs. Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Who is my audience?

What does my audience already know about the subject?

What does my audience need to know?

What‘s the best way to guide them from their current knowledge to what

they need to know?

What questions will my audience have?

What language will my audience be most familiar with?

1.2 Organize your material.

We‘re all busy—including your readers. Nobody wants to waste time slogging

through dense, convoluted documents. Write so that your readers can read your

document quickly and understand it the first time they read it.

Before you start writing, think about what you want to say and what order it makes

the most sense to say it. Organize to serve your audience‘s needs. Think about the

questions your audience will have and the order in which those questions will most

naturally arise.

1.2.1 Use headings and subheadings.

Use headings and subheadings to indicate (1) where the important ideas are and (2)

where major separations of thought occur. Think of headings as signs along the

highway. Readers depend on such signs as much as drivers do. A 20-mile stretch of

interstate without any signs would be spooky and aggravating.

There are three types of headings: question headings, statement headings, and topic

headings.

Question headings (for example, How Do I Locate the Records I Want?)

are particularly useful in letters and general instructions. Readers move

through the document with particular questions in mind, and question

headings guide them to the answers. Phrase the question headings from

the reader's point of view. In other words, use Will I Be Charged for the

Service? rather than Will You Be Charged for the Service?

Statement headings are short declarative sentences (for example,

Lodging Is Available Nearby) and are the next most engaging.

Topic headings (the most common form) are considered the most

―formal,‖ so management is often most comfortable with them. Topic

headings consist of a word or phrase (e.g., Requesting Records), but they

are not engaging and are often so vague as to be unhelpful. If topic

headings are to be used, make sure they are clear and accurate.

1.2.2 Limit heading levels to three or fewer.

While headings are useful for organizing your text, don‘t use more than three levels.

Dividing your document into more pieces at the top levels should allow you to limit

subdivisions below the major level to two. In most cases, you will need only the

main heading and one level of subheading.

The Office of the Federal Register recommends that regulations contain no more

than three levels, noting that more than three levels make regulations hard to read

and use.

1.2.3 Write short sections.

Long paragraphs are daunting and discourage the reader from even trying to

understand your material. Short paragraphs are more inviting and are easier to read

and understand.

Each paragraph should discuss one main idea, not two. But if the idea requires 20

sentences to develop, that doesn‘t mean you should have a 20-sentence paragraph.

Find places to break lengthy paragraphs.

If a paragraph is long, the writer will certainly have provided transitional terms in at

least a few places. For example, the writer may have started sentences with such

words and phrases as Next, Furthermore, In addition, However, or As a result.

Paragraphs can also begin with these transitions. Just make sure that the resulting

smaller paragraphs are unified in themselves.

Short paragraphs also give you the opportunity to insert informative headings into

your material.

1.3 Verbs

1.3.1 Use the active voice (unless passive makes more sense).

Active voice is the best way to identify who is responsible for what action.

In an active sentence, the person or organization that‘s acting is the subject of the

sentence. In a passive sentence, the person or item that is acted upon is the subject of

the sentence. Passive voice obscures who is responsible for what and is one of the

biggest problems with government documents.

Passive

Active

Mistakes were made.

The committee made mistakes.

New regulations were proposed.

NARA proposed new regulations.

Especially in directives, regulations, or instructions, use the active voice to make it

clear to the reader who takes what action.

Passive

Active

The form is sent to Business Support

Services.

The executive sends the form to

Business Support Services.

The request will be approved by

Information Services.

Information Services approves the

request.

The following information must be

included.

You must include the following

information.

More than any other writing technique, using active voice and specifying who is

performing what action will change the character of your writing. However, to say

that the passive voice must be avoided at all cost would mean that we could never

write She was born but must always write Her mother bore her. When the actor is

understood, implied, or irrelevant, use the passive voice, as in the following

example.

Meteorologists are predicting snow. Snow is predicted.

The passive voice is acceptable whenever the emphasis of the sentence should not

be on the actor but rather on what was, is, or will be done. Any of the following

sentences could be just fine, depending upon which word the writer thinks deserves

emphasis.

Passive

Active

We were amazed by the results.

The results amazed us.

Materials must be handled with care.

You must handle materials with care.

Your shipment has been received.

We have received your shipment.

Many documents must be

declassified.

We must declassify many documents.

The passive voice may also be appropriate when one action follows another as a

matter of law, and there is no actor (besides the law itself) for the second action.

If you do not pay the royalty on your mineral production, your lease will be

terminated.

1.3.2 Use the simplest form of the verb.

The simplest and strongest form of a verb is present tense. Using the present tense

makes your document more direct and forceful and less complicated. The more you

use conditional or future tense, the harder your audience has to work to understand

your meaning.

These sections describe types of information that would satisfy the

application requirements of Circular A-110 as it would apply to this grant

program.

These sections tell you how to meet the requirements of Circular A-110 for

this grant program.

1.3.3 Don’t hide the verb.

Verbs are the heart of clear writing. They tell what happened or tell the reader what

to do. Avoid hiding verbs by turning them into nouns. Turning verbs into nouns

makes them less effective and requires you to use more words than necessary.

Watch out for the words make, do, give, have, provide, perform, and conduct, which

often indicate that a verb has been turned into a noun.

We made the decision to We decided

They did a study of They studied

This gives the indication that This indicates

This has the tendency to This tends

He provided an explanation He explained

They performed an assessment of They assessed

She conducted a review of She reviewed

Have researchers show Ask researchers to show

1.3.4 Don’t use “shall.”

Avoid the ambiguous shall. The word can suggest obligation or simply a future

event. Good business writing never forces the reader to interpret.

For obligation, use ―must.‖

When you examine records, you must keep them in their original order.

For permission, use ―may.‖

You may bring a coin purse or wallet into the research room.

When recommending a course of action, use ―should.‖

You and your financial institution should agree on how invoice information

will be provided to you.

When indicating the future, use ―will.‖

Our facility will reopen on September 1.

1.3.5 Avoid the false subjects It is and There are.

It is shown in the photographs The photographs show

It was proven by the research The research proved

It will be argued by the plaintiff The plaintiff will argue

There are times when Occasionally/Sometimes

There were delays due to Delays were caused by

There will be complications unless Complications will occur unless

It is her opinion that there are several issues that need to be resolved.

She believes that several issues need to be resolved.

1.3.6 Use contractions when appropriate.

When appropriate, use contractions to foster a conversational tone. While

contractions make text less formal, very few documents are purely formal. (An

exception is the wedding invitation, in which even the number of the street address

is spelled out.)

This office will put forth utmost effort to accommodate the needs of

researchers.

Better: We'll do our best to accommodate your research needs.

It is the hope of everyone at the Hoover Library that researchers have

benefited from their visit.

Better: We hope you've enjoyed your visit.

Note: Be consistent within a given document and avoid informality when

informality is inappropriate. Press releases, public announcements, letters to

individuals, and information packets are good candidates for using contractions.

Official policy statements and directives can be more formal.

1.4 Nouns and pronouns

1.4.1 Use everyday words.

Clarity begins with the choice of words. When a writer describes an elevator as a

vertical transportation system, or refers to a leak as a moisture event, clarity goes

out the door.

Rather than using subsequent to, use after. Rather than taking a proactive position

vis-à-vis the problematic situation, the writer anticipates the problem.

Write to communicate, not to impress. Avoid unnecessarily complicated language

used to impress, rather than inform, your audience. That doesn‘t mean you need to

avoid necessary technical terms, if your audience is familiar with them.

1.4.2 Avoid “noun strings.”

Often, when a writer attempts to be brief by stringing nouns together, confusion

results. Below, compare the meaning of the original sentences with the intended

meaning, revealed in the revisions.

We must modernize our obsolete nuclear weapons tracking system.

We must modernize our system for tracking obsolete nuclear weapons.

We must revise our outdated check redemption procedures.

We must revise our procedures for redeeming outdated checks.

1.4.3 Use pronouns.

Pronouns include you, your, we, us, our, he, she, and they.

―You‖ pulls readers into the document. It helps them understand how the document

relates to them and what they need to do. And it helps make your sentences shorter,

more direct, and clearer.

Researchers traveling by car may reach Hyde Park via the New York State

Thruway . . .

Better: If you are driving, take the New York State Thruway . . .

A research pass will be issued after the researcher completes an application

and furnishes photographic identification.

Better: You will receive a research pass after you complete an application

and show photographic identification.

Use ―we,‖ ―our,‖ and ―us‖ to stand for NARA or your particular office.

Beginners are urged to read the free pamphlet, ―Using Records in the

National Archives for Genealogical Research,‖ before commencing their

research.

Better: If you are a beginner, you should read our free pamphlet Using

Records in the National Archives for Genealogical Research before starting.

When writing letters, let the letterhead identify you.

Regrettably, the resources of the National Archives at Atlanta do not include

sources that will be of assistance in the location of an individual.

Better: Regrettably, our resources do not include information that will help

you locate an individual.

When you are writing about a person or a group, use ―he,‖ ―she,‖ or ―they.‖

1.5 Omit unnecessary words.

Dense, wordy construction is one of the biggest problems in government writing.

Nothing is more confusing or frustrating to the reader than long, complex sentences

full of words that are doing no useful work.

To address the problem, become a tougher critic of your own writing. Consider

whether you need every word.

Would you rather read this:

This letter concerns your request under the Freedom of Information Act. We

received your request on 13 February 2000. We then sent it to the Agency

for Regulatory Policy. Unfortunately, the Agency cannot process your

request without more information. We need you to reasonably describe the

records you are seeking. Specifically, we need to know what records you

need.

Or this:

Unfortunately, the Agency for Regulatory Policy dealing with your Freedom

of Information Act request cannot reply to you until it knows specifically

what records you need.

(examples from the Plain Language Action and Information Network)

1.5.1 Write with a word, not with a phrase.

Don‘t use a phrase if a single word will do the job.

at this point in time currently, now

in the vicinity of near

it is clear that clearly

in order to to

Be especially watchful for phrases using ―the fact that.‖ Often, the simple word

―because‖ can stand in place of many words.

in consideration of the fact that because

in view of the fact that because

due to the fact that because

given the fact that because

1.5.2 Avoid redundancy.

Weigh the meanings of words and let those meanings do their job. October is a

month, so there‘s no need to say ―the month of October.‖ Cooperation means

working jointly.

the month of October October

joint cooperation cooperation

the State of Nebraska Nebraska

advance planning planning

completely destroyed destroyed

advance warning warning

absolutely essential essential

past experience experience

including, but not limited to including

forecast for the future forecast

predict in advance predict

period of three weeks three weeks

12 noon noon

hidden pitfall pitfall

postpone until later postpone

whether or not whether

specific example example

established tradition tradition

depreciate in value depreciate

completely ignored ignored

general consensus consensus

1.5.3 Avoid intruding words.

―Intruders‖ are another type of verbal padding—extra words that contribute nothing

to the meaning of the sentence. Common intruders include program, event, effort,

method, conditions, and activities.

Records are endangered by fluctuating temperature conditions.

Records are endangered by fluctuating temperatures.

The new policy simplifies reporting activities.

The new policy simplifies reporting.

The declassification effort is proceeding on schedule.

The declassification is proceeding on schedule.

1.5.4 Don't “double” terms.

Don‘t repeat the same concept by using different words that mean the same thing.

Use one word. (While you‘re at it, make it an everyday word.)

These data must be assessed and evaluated. (Use one or the other.)

The accessions must be entered and recorded. (Use one or the other.)

You must cease and desist. (Use stop.)

The program will begin and commence… (Use start.)

The measure and breadth... (Use scope.)

1.5.5 Beware basis, manner, fashion, and way.

These words often signal the presence of verbal clutter.

in a timely manner promptly, soon

in a rapid manner rapidly

on a periodic basis periodically

in an unusual fashion unusually

in an unpredictable way unpredictably

1.6 Sentences

1.6.1 Write short sentences.

Readers process information easily when it is presented in short chunks. Long

sentences require much more effort to figure out.

In light of the fact that the report does not include specific examples in its

discussion of ways to improve productivity, we are of the strong belief that it

should undergo revision.

Better: We believe the report should be revised because it does not include

examples of how to improve productivity.

1.6.2 Place words carefully.

Even in short sentences, place your words carefully. Sloppy word placement can

cause ambiguity. To reduce ambiguity:

Keep subjects and objects close to their verbs.

Put conditionals such as ―only‖ or ―always‖ and other modifiers next to

the words they modify. Write ―you are required to provide only the

following,‖ not ―you are only required to provide the following.‖

Put long conditions after the main clause. Write ―complete form 9-123 if

you own more than 50 acres and cultivate grapes,‖ not ―if you own more

than 50 acres and cultivate grapes, complete form 9-123.‖

1.6.3 Use idioms.

―The deadline is creeping up on us‖ is an idiomatic expression—that is, a nonliteral

use of words. No deadline is on its hand and knees, but we say that it is, for the sake

of simplicity, and the reader instantly understands our intent. Ignore the argument

that ―inanimate objects cannot act‖; it may be true, but it‘s beside the point. When

we write ―Figure 2 illustrates‖ or ―Appendix B describes,‖ readers do not imagine a

gesturing Figure 2 or a talking Appendix B.

Plain language calls for the use of such everyday expressions because they are clear

and simple. Figure 2 provides an illustration of and Appendix B contains a

description of are complex compared to their idiomatic equivalents.

Good taste is crucial here. NARA writing should not bring reading to a screeching

halt, and The directive crucifies our plans would do just that. Use common

expressions, but do not invent or use attention-grabbing ones.

1.6.4 Minimize the use of “not.”

It‘s clearer and more concise to say what something is or does than to say what it is

not or does not do.

did not remember forgot

not on time late

does not consider ignores

did not bother neglected

not precise imprecise

2. Formatting for Readability

The reader should be able to tell at a glance what the document is, how it is

organized, and where the important points are. In business and government writing,

format follows function.

The page should invite reading, not discourage it. We all sigh when we look at a

document that presents immense, unbroken paragraphs with no visual guidance—no

clues about what the pages contain or how to navigate them. Use lots of white space,

and give the reader landmarks. Make the page reader-friendly. Break things up.

Direct the eye.

2.1 Understand that isolation is emphasis.

On the page, nothing is more emphatic than isolation. When you want the reader to

pay particular attention to an idea, find a way to segregate it visually. Make it stand

out. You might, for example, boldface the essential sentence in a memo or letter, or

you might grab the reader‘s attention with a centered table, a heading, or an

italicized phrase.

2.2 Don't hesitate to use headings in any document.

Some people think it is ―wrong‖ to use headings in letters. But in the practical

world, what is ―wrong‖ is to write a document that requires two readings to be fully

grasped.

Use headings wherever headings are helpful. In very short documents, there is

probably no need for them. In longer documents, however, they are crucial

clarifying devices. Rather than telling yourself, ―I can‘t use headings because this is

a letter (or memo, or email),‖ ask yourself, ―Would headings help clarify the text?‖

Remember, instant clarity is what we want—because it‘s what the reader wants.

2.3 Isolate lead sentences.

Isolate lead sentences to alert your reader to the main idea of a paragraph. This page

exemplifies the technique. The ―thesis statements‖ are presented in boldface. People

who wish to read the remainder of the paragraph can do so; those who already know

the explanation can skip it. You can use either boldface or italics for emphasis.

2.4 Feel free to write one-sentence paragraphs.

Since most paragraphs contain more than one sentence, a one-sentence paragraph

will stand out. Before people even read the idea, they understand that it must be

important.

Don‘t concern yourself with the instruction that one-sentence paragraphs are taboo.

They were taboo when we were trying to learn the principles of unity and

coherence; what we are trying to do now is convey information quickly.

2.5 Use standard typefaces for the text.

Common fonts installed on word processors include Times Roman, Arial, Univers,

Palatino, and Garamond. Use the same typeface throughout your document. You

may choose another (compatible) typeface for headings, if you wish.

NARA‘s Guide for Preparing NARA Correspondence: A Supplement to NARA 201

[www.nara-at-

work.gov/nara_policies_and_guidance/directives/0200_series/word/corrguide.doc]

specifies that the typeface for official correspondence should be Times New Roman,

12 pt.

Reserve novelty typefaces (decorative, script, Old English) for special effects in

advertising, posters, and the like. A page full of type in a fancy typeface will slow

the reader down and distract from your message.

2.6 Leave the right margin ragged.

Research strongly indicates that most people read more quickly and with better

comprehension when the right margin is ragged, as opposed to justified.

2.7 Leave plenty of white space.

Pages that contain dense blocks of text are intimidating. Establish reasonable

margins (i.e., don't crowd the text to within a quarter-inch of the sides of the paper),

use headings, and employ bulleted lists to make the page visually appealing and the

information easy to grasp.

2.8 Use discretion with graphics.

In other words, don't go overboard with headings, subheadings, leads, boldface,

italics, and so on. Too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and when writers

overuse graphics, the result is a page that looks cluttered or ―busy.‖ Remember that

graphics should be helpful—never distracting, and never there merely for their own

sake.

2.9 Use tables to present comparisons.

Tables are easy to set up, interesting to the eye, helpful in breaking up the text, and

far more concise than sentences can ever be. They have the added advantage of

requiring minimal effort from the reader.

Consider the following sentence.

Current ethics officials and Standards of Conduct advisers are George M.

Smith, General Counsel; Charles G. Harris, Designated Agency Ethics

Official (DAEO); Anne L. Kupchak, Alternate DAEO; and Charles Branson,

Denise Mead, Keith Cain, Estelle Orokian, and James Landon, Deputy

Ethics Officials.

Contrast that sentence with the following visual presentation of the same

information.

Current ethics officials and Standards of Conduct advisers are:

General Counsel George M. Smith

Designated Agency Ethics Charles G. Harris

Official (DAEO)

Alternate DAEO Anne L. Kupchak

Deputy Ethics Officials Charles Branson, Denise Mead, Keith

Cain, Estelle Orokian, and James

Landon

Most readers find that the table is easier to understand than the sentence. It isn't that

the sentence is unclear—only that the table is simpler, which means ―clearer on first

reading.‖

2.10 Use vertical lists.

Vertical lists highlight a series of requirements or other information in a visually

clear way. Use vertical lists to help your user focus on important material.

Vertical lists

highlight levels of importance,

help the user understand the order in which things happen,

make it easy for the user to identify all necessary steps in a process,

add blank space for easy reading, and

are an ideal way to present items, conditions, and exceptions.

Use bullets if the order of the listed items is not critical. Use numbers if the steps

must be followed in order.

For guidance on how to punctuate vertical lists, see section 4.14.2.

2.11 Use footnotes and endnotes for explanatory or peripheral

information.

The reader understands the relatively minor importance of footnoted material. How

essential can it be if it is cast in tiny type and relegated to the bottom of the page? In

terms of format alone, the mere presence of footnotes strongly suggests that you

have organized and emphasized with care.

As is true with headings, footnotes may be used in any document—including

letters—when they are appropriate. Determining whether they are appropriate is a

matter of answering these two questions: If I place this idea in my text, will it

rupture coherence? But is it nonetheless necessary to include this idea in the

communication? If the answer to both questions is yes, then you should put the idea

either in parentheses or in a note.

2.12 Adjust established formats when necessary.

We may have been writing a report in a certain format for the past 10 years, but that

does not mean we have to worship the tradition. The whole purpose of format is to

simplify the reader's job; when changes are necessary, make the changes. If the

established format of a routine review complicates the reading, change the format. If

the customary format of a report does not adequately fit the report you are now

writing, create a new format.

3. Writing and Formatting Email

NARA‘s Guide for Preparing NARA Correspondence: A Supplement to NARA 201

[www.nara-at-

work.gov/nara_policies_and_guidance/directives/0200_series/word/corrguide.doc]

provides standards for preparing a variety of kinds of correspondence, including

email.

Given the prevalence of email correspondence and the speed with which it is

sometimes written and sent, this manual provides additional guidelines for creating

email messages that are written and formatted for readability and usefulness.

3.1 Think before sending.

As is true of any writing, the occasion, audience, and purpose dictate the level of

care. In a quick response to a question from a co-worker, an awkward sentence is

not the end of the world, but it does indicate a lack of consideration. Before sending

that quick response, do something else for a minute—then come back and read what

you‘ve written. Chances are you'll find a typo or two, an imprecise word, a way you

could easily clarify a sentence. Your reader deserves your best effort.

Especially when sending email to an external reader, edit and proofread the message

as carefully as you would any hard-copy document. Remember that you are

representing NARA; create and maintain an impression of professionalism.

3.2 Use the subject field.

This is all that shows up in the recipient's mailbox, and busy people often decide

whether to read email based on what they see there. Consider using a statement

heading in the subject field. Be as precise as you can, and briefly describe the

subject of the email.

3.3 Be cautious about using special type styles.

Although messages sent within NARA‘s network will preserve italics, boldface,

underlining, and color, those special treatments may be filtered out when messages

go to recipients outside our system. You can emphasize text in several other ways,

including isolating it with space above and below, using quotation marks, or using

_underscore marks_.

3.4 Be judicious when capitalizing words.

Occasionally capitalizing an entire word may correctly express your desire to draw

attention to that word, but capitalizing every word in the message is considered

rude, as if you were shouting at the reader.

3.5 Keep paragraphs short.

Rather than indent to indicate a paragraph break, skip a line instead. Doing so

increases white space, and it becomes essential when you remember that only a

portion of the page may appear on the reader‘s screen at any given time. A block of

text filling the screen is intimidating because it offers no visual guidance on the

structure and content of the text.

3.6 Maintain a businesslike tone.

Although email is more casual than a formal letter, keep in mind that you are still

presenting an image of NARA to the recipient. Be polite. Remember that humor,

irony, and sarcasm don‘t always come across as intended in writing—especially in

writing to strangers. They don‘t belong in good business writing.

4. Usage and Style

4.1 Abbreviations and Symbols

a.m. and p.m. (lowercase with periods) 5 p.m., 10:30 a.m.

FY 2001 (use four numerals; one space between ―FY‖ and the numerals)

i.e. and e.g. The abbreviation i.e. stands for ―that is‖ or ―in other words.‖ Use it

when you paraphrase what you've just written or point out something important

about what you've just written. Human error contributed to the accident at

Chernobyl (i.e., the technology was only partly to blame).

The abbreviation e.g. stands for ―for example.‖ Use it to introduce one or more

examples of a point you've just made. The legislation was supported by a number of

former Presidents (e.g., Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Ronald Reagan). Notice

that i.e. and e.g. appear inside parentheses. They never begin a sentence.

4.1.1 Geographic locations

Except in cases where the location of the city is universally known (e.g., Los

Angeles, Boston, Chicago), identify the state when using the name of a city (Los

Alamos, NM). NARA‘s style is to use postal code abbreviations of states for this

purpose (She was born in Dublin, OH). If you do not name a city, always spell out

the name of the state. The Rio Grande separates Texas from Mexico.

(Note: In correspondence between NARA organizations in the same regional area,

the state reference can be eliminated.)

4.1.2 United States / U.S.

U.S.: Use the abbreviation U.S. as an adjective, but spell out United States when

used as a noun. U.S. Government, U.S. foreign policy, U.S. citizen.

United States: United States Code, foreign policy of the United States. Always spell

out United States in formal writing (e.g., in Executive orders and proclamations).

4.1.3 Personal titles

The following titles are not abbreviated: President, Commander in Chief, Governor,

Senator, Congressman/Congresswoman, and Representative. ―Secretary‖ is spelled

out when it refers to an individual at the Cabinet level or at the international level.

Secretary of the Treasury is correct, not Sec. of the Treasury or Treasury Sec.

Titles of military rank are abbreviated when they precede a full name (Lt. George

Armstrong Custer) but not when only the last name is used (Lieutenant Custer).

4.1.4 Citations

When citing a particular law, statute, regulation, or Executive order, use the

abbreviated form. When referring to these items in general, spell out the names. For

more specialized guidance on citations, see the Federal Register‘s Document

Drafting Handbook (www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/handbook/).

Citation Spelled-out descriptions

E.O. 12226 Executive Order 12226; an Executive order

Pub. L. 89-1 Public Law 89-1; public laws

80 Stat. 1423 Statutes at Large

15 U.S.C. 311 United States Code

36 CFR part 1200 Code of Federal Regulations citation to a group of

regulations

36 CFR 1200.1 Code of Federal Regulations citation to a specific

Regulation (Title 36 Code of Federal Regulations,

part 1200, section 1

4.1.5 Typographic symbols

The only symbol considered formal is the dollar sign ($). Other symbols (for

example, @, %, # +, >) appear in text only on fairly informal occasions. Use them

freely in charts, tables, and graphs.

The symbol @ is used when indicating an email address.

4.2 Acronyms and initials

Be judicious in your use of acronyms and initials. When an acronym is familiar to

your primary audience, as ―NARA‖ is to employees of NARA, then introducing it

and explaining it is as unnecessary as explaining an ordinary word. However, when

you believe that an abbreviation might not be instantly understood, spell out the full

name and introduce the acronym or initials in parentheses. NARA’s regulations are

found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).

Discretion is important. Never introduce an acronym or initials unless you plan to

use it at least once more (and fairly soon) in the document. Common sense argues

that a reader unfamiliar with FERS will have forgotten what FERS means if the

acronym is introduced in the first paragraph and doesn't appear again until page 3.

Never use ―the‖ in front of ―NARA,‖ as in The NARA safeguards the records . . .

Acronyms, which are pronounced as words (e.g., NARA, NASA, OSHA), are

considered proper names and are not preceded by ―the.‖ Only when we pronounce

each letter of the abbreviation (e.g., FBI, CIA, SEC) does the word ―the‖ precede it.

To indicate the possessive, write ―NARA's mission,‖ not ―the NARA mission.‖

4.3 Addresses

The address of the National Archives Building is 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,

Washington, DC 20408-0001. Note that neither NW nor DC requires periods.

When citing a web (or email) address in text, use italics to isolate it. Note that the

http:// is unnecessary unless the address does not begin with ―www‖

(http://bushlibrary.tamu.edu/).

Please visit our website, www.archives.gov, for additional information. My

email address is joe.godot@nara.gov.

4.4 Capitalization

Convention requires that we capitalize the important words in a proper name

(National Archives and Records Administration). Shortened forms of proper names

must also be capitalized (Foundation for the National Archives, the Foundation; the

House of Representatives, the House).

Common nouns (i.e., generic names) should not be capitalized. Just as we lowercase

street but capitalize Porter Street, we lowercase records center but capitalize

Washington National Records Center.

Visit one of our regional offices.

Please visit the Northern Great Plains Regional Office.

The EPA‘s regional offices

The EPA‘s Region 3

The Wagner Act; the act

Record Group 115; many record groups

but

The Truman and Eisenhower Libraries

The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers

Presidential administration: The Bush administration; the Roosevelt administration

Capitalize ―congressional‖ only when it forms part of a proper name. First

Congressional District, Congressional Budget Office. Lowercase the word when it

is not part of a proper name: congressional action, a congressional district.

Capitalize ―Executive‖ when referring to the President of the United States in such

phrases as ―Chief Executive‖ and ―Executive Office.‖ The shortened form of the

latter would be ―Office.‖ But executive branch, executive power.

Capitalize ―Order‖ when you refer to a specific Executive order. According to

Executive Order 11907 . . . The word is lowercase when the phrase is used in the

generic sense: an Executive order, some Executive orders. (See also E.O. in section

4.1.4)

Lowercase specific parts of a document: the preface, a preface, chapter 3, the

chapter, an appendix. Capitalize the part if it is followed by the full name: Chapter

18, Typography and Design; Table 6, Mortgage Highlights.

4.4.1 Geographic terms

Capitalize ―state‖ when referring to a specific domestic or international state.

Washington State, the State of Veracruz. The word is lowercase when used in a

generic sense: state parks, states with high crime rates, all state governments.

Hawaii has the most temperate climate in the country. The state also . . .

Note that only with Washington is the addition of ―state‖ sometimes necessary; the

State of Ohio is redundant.

capital: The seat of government of a state or nation (the ―Nation‘s Capital‖ may be

used to refer to Washington, DC)

Capitol: The building in Washington, DC, that houses Congress

Lowercase ―capitol‖ when not referring to the U.S. Capitol (Thomas

Jefferson designed Virginia’s capitol in Richmond.)

Capitalize geographic terms such as Middle East, Northern Hemisphere, and West

Coast. Lowercase descriptive terms in expressions such as southern Europe and

northern California.

4.4.2 Military terms

With military terms, capitalize the full proper name of the force (as well as

shortened forms of the name) at the national level.

the U.S. Army, the Army, Army adviser groups

the Russian Navy, the Navy

but

U.S. artillery units

Russian naval forces

Korean ground troops

Capitalize the full proper name of military subunits, but lowercase subsequent

shortened references to the subunit.

the 2nd Army, the army, army adviser groups

the 7th Fleet, the fleet

the 82nd Airborne Division, the division

Charlie Company, the company

Capitalize ―Army,‖ ―Navy,‖ ―Air Force,‖ and ―Marines‖ when the words refer to the

U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and so on.

Capitalize the names of famous battles and specific military operations.

Battle of the Bulge Operation Desert Storm

Capitalize ―war‖ in references to specific wars (Revolutionary War, Korean War,

Gulf War) and in the term Cold War.

Confederate and Union (when referring to the Civil War)

4.4.3 NARA forms, directives, and notices

Use initial capital letters (no italics or quotations marks) to name forms.

Standard Form 1, Printing and Binding Requisition to the Public Printer

Short form for subsequent references: SF 1

NA Form 14001, Reference Service Slip

Short form: NA Form 14001

NATF Form 82, National Archives Order for Copies of Census Records

Short form: NATF Form 82

Use initial capital letters (no italics or quotations marks) to name NARA notices and

directives.

NARA Notice 2003-144, Retroactive Salary Increase (Notice)

a NARA notice

NARA 802, Appropriate Use of NARA Office Equipment (Directive)

Short form: NARA 802

If you are creating or revising forms, consult the GSA‘s Standard and Optional

Forms Procedural Handbook found at www.gsa.gov/portal/forms/type/SF.

4.4.4 Organizations

Always follow an entity‘s formal name. If it is formally known as the ―International

Monetary Fund,‖ then capitalize ―Fund‖ when the word is used to stand for the

entity.

Note the difference in the following expressions. The first is the formal name. The

second is not.

Security is an issue in the Portland District Office.

Security is an issue at the district office in Portland.

Capitalize ―Federal‖ when the phrase refers to the Government of the United States.

Otherwise ―federal‖ is lowercase.

The size of the Federal Government has been greatly reduced.

Federal record Federal employee

Federal law Federal agency

But, a federal form of government.

Capitalize the full proper name of a national government body as well as the

shortened form of the name.

the United States Government, the Government

the British Parliament, the Parliament

the United States Senate, the Senate

Capitalize the names of Cabinet-level bodies and shortened forms.

the Department of Labor, the Department

Capitalize the full names of sub-Cabinet-level bodies and shortened forms.

the United States Geological Survey, the Survey

the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau

Communist: referring to the Communist Party or a Communist-run government.

communist, communism, communistic: used merely in a descriptive sense.

4.4.5 Personal titles

Capitalize ―President,‖ ―Presidency,‖ ―Presidential‖ when referring to the President

of the United States (as well as to former Presidents). Capitalize ―Vice President‖ in

the same manner.

The President spoke . . . Presidential library

the Truman Presidency Presidential records

Capitalize the full title and the shortened form when you refer to the head of a

Federal or international body (regardless of whether you include the individual's

name).

Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, the Secretary

the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, the Chairman

Capitalize ―Archivist‖ when referring to the Archivist of the United States.

The Archivist is speaking to the Senate committee.

Many archivists have recognized . . .

Capitalize a full, official title when used with a personal name or in place of it.

When a title is unique to a person (i.e., only one person at a time may hold the

position), capitalize it.

Amanda Gray, Executive for Agency Services

Mark Lucas, Chief Records Officer

Peter White, Director of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library

Isabel Hamilton, Director of Preservation Programs

Note: As a result of the 2011 reorganization, the term ―office head‖ is no longer

being used. Use the term "executive" instead of "office head."

Lowercase position titles that are not unique to the person

Jane Doe, archives technician

Bob Brown, budget analyst

Lowercase the titles ―executive,‖ ―unit head,‖ ―staff director,‖ ―library director,‖ and

―regional liaison‖ when they are not part of a full, official title.

The regional liaisons met last week.

Send copies to all executives.

Capitalize most personal titles when they appear before a name. Lowercase titles

after a name.

Professor Edmund Morgan

Edmund Morgan, professor of history

James White, vice president for marketing

A named academic chair will always be capitalized.

Edmund Morgan, Sterling Professor Emeritus of History

4.5 Compounds

Two or more words that express a single idea are called compound words.

Compounds may be open (two separate words), hyphenated, or closed: sailing ship,

post office box, blockade-runner, sister-in-law, birthplace, groundwater. Verb forms

of compound words are generally open. The more widely a compound is used, the

more likely it is to evolve into a closed compound. A current dictionary will be your

best guide to which form to use.

The follow-up is scheduled for December 2. noun, hyphenated

She attended the follow-up session. adjective, hyphenated

Please follow up before the end of the month. verb, two words

When runoff enters storm drains, it carries many noun, one word

pollutants with it.

The runoff election will be held in two weeks. adjective, one word

Please run off these labels for me. verb, two words

The most troublesome compounds can be found in the appendix, ―Quick

Reference,‖ at the end of this guide.

4.5.1 Prefixes

While co-operate was the spelling in 1930, cooperate is today's form. If you consult

a dictionary, make sure it is both recent and oriented toward American usage.

British and American usages differ widely (it is non-combatant and north-east in

Britain, but noncombatant and northeast in the United States).

When you put a prefix in front of a year, hyphenate:

pre-1999 post-1986

When you put a prefix in front of a capitalized word, hyphenate:

un-American neo-Nazi pro-British

Always use a hyphen to prevent confusion or mispronunciation. Resign is to leave a

position, but re-sign is to sign again. Recover is to get something back, but re-cover

is to cover again.

re-encasement rededicate reinstall

e- as a prefix: The prefix e- is short for electronic. Apply the same rules as for other

prefixes. Close up the word when the closed version has become common usage, as

with email. Keep the hyphen when the root word is capitalized (e.g., e-Government)

or may cause confusion or mispronunciation. Some trademarked terms may differ.

Newly coined words may also show up in various ways until they become

embedded in common language.

Capitalize these terms when they begin a sentence.

Note: You will likely see several variations of the term ―e-Government.‖ Many

agencies are capitalizing it in different ways. This style guide recommends ―e-

Government‖ because it is a logical extension of guidance concerning ―e-‖ as prefix

and capitalizing ―Government‖ when it refers to the U.S. Government. In a

compilation of work from different sources, just remember to make all occurrences

of the term match.

Prefixes that commonly form closed compounds:

ante

anti

bio

counter

extra

infra

inter

intra

macro

meta

micro

mid

mini

multi

neo

non

over

post

pre

pro

proto

pseudo

semi

socio

sub

super

supra

trans

ultra

under

4.5.2 Compound adjectives

Omit the hyphen in a two-word modifier when the first word is an adverb ending in

―ly.‖

the recently received shipment

a quickly reached verdict

a rapidly approaching storm

Hyphenate two or more words that behave as a single adjective and precede the

noun. When two (or more) adjectives precede the noun but can describe it

individually, use a comma. A little, used car is a car that is both little and used; a

little-used car is a car of indeterminate size that hasn‘t been used much.

When the compound appears before the noun, it is usually hyphenated. When it

appears after the noun, omit the hyphen.

This is an up-to-date report.

The report is up to date.

He is a well-known artist.

He is well known.

The hyphen is omitted in a two-word modifier when the first word is a comparative

or superlative:

upper income groups worst case scenario best loved books

Even with comparatives and superlatives, however, hyphenate when the modifying

phrase consists of three words or more.

most-favored-nation status

faster-than-light particle

lighter-than-air balloon

4.5.3 Compound nouns

Follow the conventions with regard to compound nouns such as president-elect, self-

consciousness, recordkeeping, deck chair and so on. A current American-usage

dictionary is your best guide. (The Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary is found

at www.merriam-webster.com).

4.5.4 Suspended compounds

For brevity‘s sake, we often delay (―suspend‖) the second adjective in a compound

when we have a series of parallel adjectives. In such cases, hyphenate the

incomplete term(s), but skip a space before the next word:

temperature- and humidity-controlled area

third-, fourth-, and fifth-floor reading rooms

German- and English-language journals

a write- and copy-protected disk

4.5.5 References to ethnicity

Phrases such as Japanese American, African American, and Polish American are

always two words, regardless of whether the phrase is used as a noun or adjective.

4.6 Computer-related terms

Computer technology has become a common presence in our lives, both at work and

at home. Terms that were once used only by specialists are now part of our everyday

vocabulary. In this section, we address some of the most common terms and

recommend the preferred style that you should use in NARA communications. You

will undoubtedly find alternative spelling and capitalization for these terms from

other sources. In many cases, there is no ―right‖ answer. Until there is a generally

acceptable way of expressing computer terms consistently, we can only pick one

and use it consistently in our work at NARA.

Except in the exact phrase ―World Wide Web,‖ lowercase ―web‖ in all web-related

constructions: webmaster, web address, presence on the web. Note that ―World

Wide Web‖ consists of three separate words.

PDF (Portable Document Format), the file created by Adobe Acrobat

a PDF file

S:\ drive: Save the file in the S:\ drive.

IT Help / IT Help Desk / the help desk

Compounds

database

double-click, right-click, left-click (verbs)

Internet

intranet

password-protected (hyphenate the adjective before the noun)

user-friendly (hyphenate the adjective before the noun)

voicemail

webmaster

web page

website

See the appendix for more terms.

4.7 Dates

Abbreviations and order

Dates must be fully written out (August 1973 or August 10, 1973) in formal writing.

The month is never abbreviated.

the September 1970 report

The museum was closed between September 2 and 7, 2003.

Except in charts or graphs, do not abbreviate dates in purely numeral form

(12/10/1973).

Do not use the European and military form (10 August 1973).

Use enough commas

When you mention a precise date in a sentence, place a comma after the day and

after the year.

The author was born on April 13, 1906, in Dublin, Ireland.

Using “th”

When you name the month, never use the ordinal number (June l0th) but always the

cardinal number (June 10). Use ordinal numbers only when you do not name the

month.

Lincoln had every reason to be optimistic on May 1. By the 30th, however,

he had grave doubts about victory.

Span of time

Do not use a dash between dates when you use ―from‖ or ―between.‖ The correct

form is from 1996 to 1999 or between 1996 and 1999, not ―from 1996–99‖ or

―between 1996–99.‖

When a period of time is used as an adjective and is confined to a specific century,

use an en dash and two digits for the second term. (In Microsoft Word, you can

create an en dash two ways: press the Control (Ctrl) key and the hyphen in the

number pad or type a space, then two hyphens [ -- ] and another space before the

second number.)

the 1820–39 expansion the 1991–92 campaign

When a period of time is used as an adjective and spans a century, use all four digits

for the second term.

the 1797–1816 Barbary conflicts

Use the same logic when periods of time are objects of prepositions.

the campaign of 1991–92 the Barbary conflicts of 1797–1816

Decades

Decades are written as ―1840s,‖ not ―1840's.‖

Shortened references to decades are spelled out, as in ―the sixties,‖ not ―the 60s.‖

Compounds

A compound adjective involving ―century‖ requires a hyphen.

17th-century philosophy ninth-century sagas

―Mid‖ takes a hyphen in such constructions as ―mid-1990s.‖

4.8 Grammar reminders

4.8.1 Subject/verb agreement

The subject and the verb must agree. If the subject is plural, use a plural verb.

The Kyl and Lott Amendments require that . . .

All staff are required to wear ID badges in the research areas.

Sometimes it is not so obvious. Collective nouns may look plural, but they usually

take the singular verb.

The team practices on Mondays.

The ERA staff is giving a presentation in Lecture Room A.

Or a group of words may contain a singular noun but conveys the idea of a number

of individuals. Use the plural verb in these cases.

A majority of the population are . . .

Only a fraction of the records are considered to be permanent.

4.8.2 Prepositions and pronouns

Use the objective case after prepositions. Prepositions connect verbs and objects.

One of the most common errors in spoken and written language is the use of

―between you and I.‖ ―Between‖ is a preposition; therefore, the words that follow

must be in the objective case. The correct usage is ―between you and me.‖

―Myself‖ is not a substitute for ―me.‖ It is a reflexive pronoun, not an object or

subject. Use it in conjunction with ―I‖: I did it myself. I asked myself, ‗What should

I do next?‖

Subjective case Objective case Use these forms after prepositions

I me

you you

he/she/it him/her/it

we us

you you

they them

Common prepositions:

aboard

about

above

across

after

against

along

amid

among

anti

around

before

behind

below

beneath

beside

besides

between

beyond

but

concerning

considering

despite

down

during

except

excepting

excluding

following

for

from

inside

into

minus

near

off

onto

opposite

outside

over

past

per

plus

regarding

round

save

since

than

through

toward

under

underneath

unlike

until

upon

versus

via

with

within

without

4.9 Gender-neutral language

Many readers are sensitive to the implied sexual bias of words such as ―chairman‖

and ―mailman‖ as well as to the possible bias of sentences such as Each manager

must submit his report by July 15.

Within reason, it is best to defuse the situation by using gender-neutral terms.

With sentences, we have a number of options. Often, as in the examples below, we

can simply cut the ―his‖ from the sentence.

Every individual must use his good judgment.

The applicant must be prepared to spend his weekends traveling.

Susan James staffed manned the booth at the conference.

When cutting ―his‖ results in an ungrammatical construction, here are some options.

The original sentence reads ―Each researcher must bring his driver‘s license or other

photo identification.‖

When you are writing to someone, use ―you.‖

You must bring your driver’s license or other photo identification.

Make the first term plural.

All researchers must bring their driver’s licenses or other photo

identification.

Use an article (an ―a,‖ ―an,‖ or ―the‖).

Each researcher must bring a driver’s license or other photo

identification.

Use ―his or her,‖ ―his or hers,‖ or ―he or she‖ only after you have tried the

techniques mentioned above. Do not use ―his/her,‖ ―his/hers,‖ ―he/she,‖ or ―(s)he.‖

You can avoid this problem by saying what a person does (as opposed to what that

person is). Whether it is better to use ―Chairwoman,‖ ―Chairman,‖ or ―Chairperson‖

becomes moot if we say that someone chairs a committee.

When you must describe the individual (as opposed to saying what the person does),

and when the gender of the individual is known, attempting to conceal gender makes

little sense. It is better to write Chairwoman Helen Smith than Chairperson Helen

Smith and better to write Congressman Frank Black than Congressperson Frank

Black.

When you know the individual‘s preference, always defer to it. If she prefers

Chairwoman, Chairperson, or Chair, respond in kind.

4.10 Numbers

[adapted from New York Public Library Writer’s Guide to Style and Usage (1992)]

Examples

Exceptions

Spell out numbers

zero to nine

eight children, one-time offer, nine

applicants

ordinal numbers first to ninth

Use figures—

With numbers nine and below

grouped for comparison in the same

sentence or paragraph with numbers

10 and above—

3 of 21 students; 9th and 12th grades

With numbers preceding symbols and

abbreviations—8ºC, 4 MB, 5-mg

dose

With names of parts of books, series,

tables, etc.—chapter 2, volume 7, row

9, grade 3

With percentages—1 percent; mixed

fractions—2½ years; decimals—1.3

times; and ratios—2 to 1

With sums of money—$5.25, $7

million

With military units—1st Army,

7th Fleet

Use numerals for

numbers 10 and over

49 states, 200,000 people, 14 million

residents (spell million, billion,

trillion)

ordinal numbers 10th and above (21st

birthday, 18th century, 13th edition)

Spell out at beginning of sentence or

list item—Forty women helped.

Spell out all numbers in dialogue—

―Meet me in forty-five minutes.‖

Spell out to clarify back-to-back

modifiers—20 six-year-olds, 12

thirty-minute segments, 100 twenty-

nine-cent stamps

Spell out decades—the sixties or the

1960s

Inclusive numbers (use the en dash; see 4.14.4 for how to type dashes)

103–210 141–48 107–8

1960–64 1903–5 1882–1902 1900–1920

Telephone numbers (use hyphens)

202-501-5000, ext. 999

4.11 Plurals

Do not use the apostrophe to make the plural form. Apostrophes show

possession.

To make an acronym plural, add s: ABMs, CEOs, MIAs. When an acronym ends in

s, it is best to rewrite. Rather than The crew sent numerous SOSs, try The crew sent

numerous SOS signals.

Criteria is the plural form of criterion and takes a plural verb. These criteria are . . .

Data is considered a plural form: These data indicate . . .

In nontechnical writing, data is often paired with the singular verb.

Some plural forms

addendum / addenda

adjutant general / adjutants general

alumnus / alumnae (feminine)

alumnus / alumni (masculine, or for

mixed groups)

appendix / appendixes (general)

appendix / appendices (scientific)

attorney general / attorneys general

brother-in-law / brothers-in-law

chief of staff / chiefs of staff

court-martial / courts-martial

crisis / crises

formula / formulas

general counsel / general counsels

GILs is the plural of the acronym for

General Information Leaflet

governor general / governors general

grant-in-aid / grants-in-aid

higher-up / higher-ups

hypothesis / hypotheses

index / indexes (general)

index / indices (scientific)

inspector general / inspectors general

major general/ major generals

matrix / matrices

memorandum / memorandums

(common usage)

millennium / millennia

passer-by / passers-by

phenomenon / phenomena

plateau / plateaus (not plateaux)

right-of-way / rights-of-way

symposium / symposia

SF 115 / SF 115s

tableau / tableaus (not tableaux)

thesis / theses

4.12 Possessives

When a proper noun ends in s, add an apostrophe and an s: Adams’s, Davis’s

Acronyms are treated as ordinary nouns: NARA’s mission, NASA’s funding

When writing about an organization, always follow the organization‘s preference.

Reader’s Digest prefers the singular possessive, but in Typesetters Union and

Dramatists Guild, the first word is treated as descriptive, as is the third word in

Department of Veterans Affairs.

Users manual, teachers guide, and officers club are considered descriptive and do

not take the apostrophe.

4.13 Problem words and phrases

a / an

Use ―a‖ before a consonant sound and ―an‖ before a vowel sound.

a European office, a unique event, a one-time adjustment, a historian, an hour, an

FDIC-insured account, an SOS

abovementioned, aforesaid, said

These are cumbersome words. Use this, that, these, and those. Rather than ―the

abovementioned collection‖ or ―said collection,‖ write this collection. Rather than

―the aforesaid dates,‖ write these dates.

adverse / averse

―Adverse‖ applies to conditions. The snow created adverse driving conditions.

―Averse‖ applies to people and is a close synonym of ―opposes.‖ They are averse to

change.

affect / effect / impact

Use ―affect‖ only in the sense of ―to influence‖; never use ―effect‖ and ―impact‖ as

verbs.

Always ask yourself if you are using the most precise word. The policy affected

morale and the proposed regulation will impact revenue are unclear. If you mean

the policy improved or damaged morale and the regulation will increase or

jeopardize revenue, say so. The ruling negatively impacts our budget is a waste of a

sentence: the reader waits to hear exactly how much funding has been lost, and the

writer should say so in the first place. The ruling decreases our FY 2003 budget by

$2.5 million.

―Affect‖ may be used to ask a question. How will the decision affect us? ―Affect‖ is

the right word when you wish to specify no particular effect. The new tax law does

not affect your take-home pay.

Using ―effect‖ as a verb always results in imprecision. If they are attempting to

effect a solution to the problem, all they are doing is trying to solve it.

―Effect‖ is a noun, where it is a close synonym of ―result.‖ The effect of rising

interest rates is profound.

and / or

Use this construction only after you‘ve made sure that you don‘t mean both (―and‖)

or one or the other (―or‖).

anxious / eager

―Anxious‖ has anxiety in it. The defendant waited anxiously for the verdict. ―Eager‖

is used to express a pleasant prospect. We eagerly await your visit.

attached please find / enclosed please find

Write ―enclosed is‖ or ―attached is,‖ whichever is accurate. If you wish to suggest a

conversational tone, use ―I‘m enclosing.‖

because / since / as

Use ―because‖ when you are reasoning; use ―since‖ when you refer to time; use ―as‖

when you mean ―during the time that.‖

―Since‖ can logically mean both ―because of‖ and ―from the time of.‖ Use

―because‖ if there is a chance of confusion. Since the secretary left, the office has

become a shambles can mean either that trouble began after the secretary left or that

the loss of the secretary caused the problem. Since you won’t share the information

with me, I can’t help you is not confusing.

Using ―as‖ to mean ―because‖ can confuse the reader in a sentence such as He

couldn’t hear the siren as he was listening to the car radio.

between you and me

The preposition ―between‖ takes the objective case. Between you and me is correct;

between you and I is not.

biannual, biennial

These words are notoriously confusing to readers, and it is best to define them

before using them. The conference will be held every two years. Holding it

biennially will ensure that . . . The sale will be held twice a year. We have had great

success holding this sale biannually.

bimonthly, biweekly

These words are even more confusing to readers as both words can have two

different meanings. ―Bimonthly‖ can mean both twice a month and every two

months. ―Biweekly‖ can mean twice a week or every two weeks. Define the terms

before you use them.

compose / comprise / constitute

The parts compose (or constitute) the whole. The book is composed of 15 chapters.

(not The book is comprised of 15 chapters.) These reasons constitute her argument.

The whole comprises the parts (a close synonym is ―embraces‖). The collection

comprises more than 4,000 letters.

currently, presently, at this point

These words prepare the reader for a contrast. Currently, we are receiving 50

shipments every week must be followed by a sentence like We expect this number to

double within six months or Less than a year ago, we rarely received 50 per month.

different from / different than

―Different from‖ is the preferred form. Requirements for women applicants should

be no different from those for men.

due to / because of

―Due to‖ is not equivalent to ―because.‖ Use ―because of‖ for cases of clear cause

and effect. The trucker lost control on the slippery pavement because of [not due to]

bald tires. Use ―due to‖ only following forms of the verb ―to be‖: His fall was due to

the icy pavement.

ensure / insure / assure

The only meaning of ―insure‖ is ―to cover with insurance.‖ The collection is insured

by Aetna. ―Assure‖ applies only to persons. We assure you that . . . ―Ensure‖ is used

for all other senses of making an outcome certain or securing from harm. To ensure

the privacy of your records . . .

fewer / less

If you can count the things you're writing about, use ―fewer.‖ If you can't, use

―less.‖ Fewer people, fewer hours; less of an audience, less time.

foreign words and phrases

Write in English. Rather than vis-à-vis, use ―about,‖ ―regarding,‖ or ―concerning.‖

Rather than ad hoc, use ―special‖ or ―temporary,‖ whichever is your intent.

herein, hereto, herewith

We often read these words in such phrases as ―herein enclosed is‖ or ―is attached

hereto.‖ The words do not add meaning to a sentence—do not use them.

his/her, his or her (see section 4.9, ―Gender-neutral language‖)

if / when

―If‖ means ―in the event of‖; ―when‖ means ―on the occasion of.‖ If you discontinue

using public transportation, immediately notify your local PTSP manager. You will

take the action only if you decide to discontinue using public transportation. When

your application expires, you must submit a new one.

imply / infer

―Imply‖ means ―to suggest‖ and is the verb applied to speakers, writers, and text. He

implied that NATO would partition the country. ―Infer‖ is a close synonym of

―guess‖ and is the word applied to listeners and readers. When Hemingway noticed

that the large unopened package was marked “Return to Sender,” he inferred that

his manuscript had been rejected.

include

The word indicates that your list is not exhaustive. Use it only when you are giving

examples, never when you list everything. On her visit she toured a number of

popular sites, including the Washington Monument, the National Air and Space

Museum, and the Capitol. That sentence is accurate if she toured other sites as well.

If, however, she toured only those three sites, then ―including‖ is misleading. The

sentence should then read, On her visit she toured the Washington Monument, the

National Air and Space Museum, and the Capitol.

including, but not limited to

Avoid this redundant phrase. Write ―including.‖

issues / problems

Issues are resolved, not solved. Problems are solved, not resolved.

loose / lose

―Loose‖ is the opposite of tight. ―Lose‖ is the opposite of win and is also the word

we use when we no longer have something. She continually loses her car keys.

obviously

The best advice is to avoid it. Numerous relationships have been sunk by this

torpedo of a word, which in effect calls the reader a dunce. Such phrases as

―Jefferson obviously thought‖ and ―It's obvious that‖ greatly annoy most people.

The word ―clearly‖ conveys the same emphasis without ruffling feathers.

only

Be sure to place this word precisely where it should go (i.e., immediately before the

distinction you are drawing). He plays basketball only on weekends means that he

confines his basketball playing to weekends. He only plays basketball on weekends

means that he does nothing but play basketball on weekends.

principal / principle

―Principal‖ is an adjective or a noun. As an adjective, it means ―main‖ or ―major.‖

Her principal motive was fame. As a noun, it signifies (1) money, as in principal and

interest, or (2) a person with responsibility, as in a principal of the corporation or

the principal of the elementary school. A ―principle‖ is a rule of action or

conduct, as in the principles of physics and unprincipled behavior.

prior to / before

In most cases, ―before‖ is the word you need. ―Prior to‖ carries the idea of necessary

precedence—something must happen prior to something else happening. Because

this usage is limited, you‘ll be safe in sticking with ―before.‖

proactive

This word is both faddish and without fixed meaning. We must take a proactive

position vis-à-vis the problem is gobbledygook. If you mean ―act,‖ ―anticipate,‖ or

―preempt,‖ use those words instead.

shall

Don‘t use shall (see section 1.3.4).

subsequent to / after

Many readers confuse ―subsequent to‖ with ―before‖ or ―because of.‖ ―After‖ is the

better word. The same holds for ―subsequently.‖ Use ―later‖ or ―afterward‖ instead.

than / then

―Than‖ is used in comparisons. He wrote more than 8,000 letters. ―Then‖ is used in

reference to time. They said they'd have the project finished by then. Until recently,

―then‖ was also used to introduce the outcome of a conditional, as in If the software

saves us time, then we should buy it. Now, however, most writers drop the implied

―then.‖

that / which

―That‖ introduces information essential to the meaning of a sentence. The committee

that has jurisdiction on the issue is the House Appropriations Committee. The

phrase ―that has jurisdiction on the issue‖ cannot be cut from the sentence; if it were,

the result would be meaningless. The committee is the House Appropriations

Committee. Use ―that‖ to specify.

―Which‖ is used to introduce a phrase or clause that is nonessential to meaning. The

House Appropriations Committee, which debated the matter yesterday, is scheduled

to vote on it today. There is only one House Appropriations Committee, so we do

not need to specify the one that we‘re talking about. We are adding some interesting

information to the sentence, but the information is nonessential, and thus it must be

punctuated. Use commas, dashes, or parentheses, depending on your intended

emphasis.

this office, this division

Once the reference has been made clear, use ―we,‖ ―us,‖ and ―our.‖ Rather than

write ―The principal function of this office,‖ write Our main function.

12 noon / 12 midnight / 12 a.m. / 12 p.m.

Just write ―noon‖ or ―midnight.‖ ―12 a.m.‖ and ―12 p.m.‖ are ambiguous. ―Noon‖

and ―midnight‖ are clear.

under way

The adverb ―under way‖ is spelled as two words: The project is under way.

unique

―Unique‖ means one of a kind. There are no degrees on uniqueness, such as ―most

unique.‖

use / utilize

Reserve ―utilize‖ for occasions when the sense is ―ingeniously made use of.‖ She

utilized a paper clip to pick the lock. Nearly always, the right word is ―use.‖

v. / vs.

Though ―versus‖ should usually be spelled out, ―vs.‖ is the correct abbreviation in

most cases; ―v.‖ is used in citations of legal cases.

who / whom

To decide whether to use ―who‖ or ―whom‖ in a sentence, delete the word ―who‖ or

―whom‖ and substitute ―he‖ or ―him.‖ If ―he‖ completes the thought, then ―who‖ is

correct. If ―him‖ makes sense, use ―whom.‖

4.14 Punctuation

4.14.1 Apostrophe

Use the apostrophe to form contractions and possessives (see sections 1.3.6 and

4.12).

The apostrophe is never used to form plurals except in instances of single-character

elements. They had better mind their p’s and q’s. It's difficult to distinguish his 1’s

from his 7’s.

4.14.2 Colons and semicolons

Use a colon to introduce a summary statement:

The dictator learned something important: brutality has consequences.

She came right to the point: the cost overruns must stop.

Use a colon after a complete sentence that introduces a list. Use a comma or a dash

after an introductory phrase.

We have yet to finish three activities: recataloging, reclassifying, and

reorganizing the collection.

The exhibit includes copies of the Charters of Freedom:

the Declaration of Independence,

the Constitution, and

the Bill of Rights.

To improve our service, we have set three goals:

We will respond to all written requests within 10 working days.

We will assist all researchers within 15 minutes of their signing in.

We will acknowledge all FOIA requests within 20 working days.

Use a semicolon to separate phrases in a series when one or more of the phrases

already contain a comma. Follow this practice in vertical lists as well.

The conferences were held in Dallas, TX, on May 1; in Denver, CO, on June

30; and in San Francisco, CA, on September 2.

Do not use a colon to express ratio. Instead of ―3:1,‖ write 3-to-1 (as an adjective, as

in a 3-to-1 vote) or 3 to 1 (when the numerals are nouns, as in odds of 3 to 1).

4.14.3 Comma

In the phrase the ―Washington, DC, area,‖ place commas on both sides of ―DC.‖

When your sentence contains a list of three or more items, always place a comma

after the next-to-last item in the series (i.e., before the ―and‖ or ―or‖):

The President visited Helsinki, St. Petersburg, and Berlin.

Please bring your passport, driver‘s license, or birth certificate.

Use a comma after an introductory phrase only when your meaning would be

unclear without it:

In February 1999 we issued the directive.

In 1998, 1,406 documents were released.

Always place a comma after an opening dependent clause:

When we returned, we found the materials in disarray.

Compound sentences require a comma when they are connected by these

conjunctions: and, but, or, for, nor, so, yet.

Some took great care of the materials, but many did not.

Do not use a comma in a ―compound predicate‖ (when the sentence has one subject

and two verbs):

The documents are now on display and may be viewed by the public.

Lewis and Clark endured many hardships but finally prevailed.

Nonrestrictive (also called ―parenthetical‖ and ―nonessential‖) phrases require

punctuation. In the sentence below, which has been NARA’s principal finding aid

since 1974, could be omitted without changing the meaning.

The Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States,

which has been NARA‘s principal finding aid since 1974, may eventually be

replaced by the Online Public Access resource.

Restrictive phrases must not be punctuated. In the example below, that were written

before 2006 specifies the regulations you are talking about. (If it were cut, the

sentence would read ―Revise all regulations,‖ which is not the intended meaning.)

Revise all regulations that were written before 2006.

4.14.4 Dash

Use dashes instead of commas when you wish to call special attention to

nonrestrictive material. This is always a judgment call.

Senator Smith—reversing his position—has announced that he will resign.

Use dashes around appositives if the use of commas might cause confusion.

Three former Presidents—Ford, Carter, and Bush—attended the ceremony.

Note: There are two dashes, both longer than a hyphen, that must appear in NARA

printed publications in place of double or triple hyphens. The ―em‖ dash is

commonly used to set off parts of a sentence (as in the examples above). The shorter

―en‖ dash connects inclusive numbers (e.g., 1997–98; pp.123–126). For further

information about the uses of these dashes, see United States Government Printing

Office Style Manual 2000, sections 8.60–8.75, and The Chicago Manual of Style,

sections 6.78–6.91.

In Microsoft Word, when you type a space, then two hyphens ( -- ), then another

space, an en dash is automatically inserted. When you type two hyphens without

leaving space, an em dash is inserted. You can also create an en dash by pressing the

Control (Ctrl) key and the hyphen in the number pad. Create an em dash by pressing

Ctrl, Alt, and that hyphen.

4.14.5 Ellipses

Use ellipses only to indicate that part of a quotation has been left out. If a politician's

exact words were, ―The American people are smarter than my Aunt Sallie's mule

and can't be fooled forever,‖ and you omit the colorful comparison, you write He

said, “The American people . . . can't be fooled forever.”

Ellipses are written as three spaced periods when words have been omitted from the

beginning or the middle of a sentence. However, when you omit words from the end

of a sentence, use the appropriate punctuation and three spaced periods.

The introduction declared: ―The pages that follow present some of these

great documents. . . . Many have heralded new departures or marked closed

chapters.‖

Note that in the four-dot ellipsis above, the first dot is the period. Ellipses always

appear inside quotation marks.

4.14.6 Parentheses

If the material within parentheses appears within a sentence, do not use a capital

letter or period to punctuate that material, even if the material is itself a complete

sentence. (A question mark or exclamation mark, however, might be appropriate and

necessary.) If the material within your parentheses is written as a separate sentence

(not included within another sentence), punctuate it as if it were a separate sentence.

Thirty-five years after his death, Robert Frost (we remember him at

Kennedy‘s inauguration) remains America's favorite poet.

Thirty-five years after his death, Robert Frost (do you remember him?)

remains America‘s favorite poet.

Thirty-five years after his death, Robert Frost remains America's favorite

poet. (We remember him at Kennedy‘s inauguration.)

Use parentheses when you introduce an acronym.

The collection contains hundreds of documents pertaining to the formation

of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).

Use parentheses to capture i.e. and e.g. expressions.

Several species (e.g., the bald eagle, the dusky marmot, the spotted owl)

have been removed from the ―endangered‖ list.

Use parentheses instead of commas or dashes when you wish to indicate that

nonrestrictive information is of only minor importance. As is true of dashes, this is

always a judgment call.

The records (which arrived in damaged condition) require immediate

attention.

Use brackets as parentheses within parentheses.

The collection contains the papers from the terms of three former Secretaries

of State (John Hay [1898–1905], Elihu Root [1905–9], and Robert Bacon

[1909]).

4.14.7 Quotation marks

In American usage, the comma and the period always go inside closing quotation

marks.

In Chapter 7, ―The Missing Link,‖ the author poses a number of questions.

She stated, ―I have read Chapter 2, ‗Nature of Archives.‘‖

The conference ended with the playing of ―Rule Brittania,‖ ―The

Marseillaise,‖ and ―The Star-Spangled Banner.‖

Colons, semicolons, and dashes always go outside closing quotation marks.

I have only one question about the word ―proactive‖: What does it mean?

They call it a ―leather personnel carrier‖; what they mean is boot.

He attended the lecture ―The New Physics‖—and says he is more confused

than ever.

The question mark goes inside closing quotes whenever the quoted material is a

question.

She asked, ―Are you talking about Harry Truman?‖

Have you read the article entitled ―When Does the Millennium End?‖

He asked, ―Have you read Chapter 2, ‗Nature of Archives‘?‖

Which President said, ―The buck stops here‖?

The exclamation point requires the same treatment as the question mark. It goes

inside closing quotes whenever the quoted material is exclamatory.

The speaker asked, ―Do you want me to continue?‖ In unison, the audience

yelled, ―No!‖

Use single quotation marks to enclose a quotation within a quotation.

She asked, ―Have you read Chapter 2, ‗Nature of Archives‘?‖

When you have a lengthy quotation, set it off as a block quotation. Indent the text,

and do not use quotation marks at the beginning or end. Do not use ellipsis points

when the quotation begins with a complete sentence or is introduced by a sentence

that is completed by the quotation.

Malone explains that Jefferson

had been a close observer of financial affairs at home and abroad.

Furthermore, he was familiar with the literature of the young science

of political economy. He paid his respects to Adam Smith and Jean

Baptiste Say in the introduction he wrote to Destutt de Tracy‘s

treatise.

4.15 References to NARA

NARA has had several names throughout its history. When making historical

references, use the appropriate name. From its creation until 1949, the agency was

referred to as the ―National Archives of the United States‖ or the ―National

Archives.‖ In 1949, when the National Archives became part of the General

Services Administration, the name changed to the ―National Archives and Records

Service.‖ With independence in 1985, the name became the ―National Archives and

Records Administration.‖

When referring to the entire agency, use ―National Archives and Records

Administration‖ at the first reference. Use ―NARA‖ or "the National Archives" in

subsequent references; consider your audience when you choose which term to use.

To refer to the collections of our permanent holdings, use the full title, as in the

holdings of the National Archives of the United States. Later references to

permanent holdings may be stated as National Archives holdings.

Never write ―the‖ in front of ―NARA,‖ as in The NARA safeguards the records . . .

Use the terms ―Archives I‖ and ―Archives II‖ only in informal and internal

communications. Do not use these terms in external communications.

In the few cases where the acronym might be appropriate, ―AI,‖ ―AII,‖ ―A1,‖ or

―A2‖ are acceptable as long as the writer is consistent throughout the document.

(Don‘t use both A1 and AI in the same document.)

On organization charts and on internal mail, NARA units are identified by an

organization code. Don‘t use these codes when writing for an external audience. In

internal communications, spell out the unit‘s name before using the code (e.g., spell

out Business Support Services before using ―B‖). In general, avoid ―talking in code‖

and use names whenever possible.

The reorganization of NARA in 2011 was just a part of NARA‘s overall

transformation efforts. The terms ―reorganization‖ and ―transformation‖ should not

be used interchangeably.

Washington, DC, area

National Archives Building

Rotunda for the Charters of Freedom; the Rotunda

National Archives Experience

Public Vaults exhibition (the Public Vaults)

William G. McGowan Theater (second reference, the McGowan Theater)

Lawrence F. O‘Brien Gallery (second reference, the O‘Brien Gallery)

Boeing Learning Center

Robert M. Warner Research Center/the Research Center

National Archives at College Park

Steny H. Hoyer Research Center/the Research Center

Adrienne C. Thomas Auditorium

Research Center

Washington National Records Center

The Federal Register

Archival Operations Facilities

National Archives at Boston

National Archives at Philadelphia

National Archives at Atlanta

National Archives at Chicago

National Archives at New York City

National Archives at Denver

National Archives at Fort Worth

National Archives at Kansas City

National Archives at Anchorage

National Archives at Riverside

National Archives at San Francisco

National Archives at Seattle

When writing for a NARA audience about units in Research Services, you may use

whatever organizational names that apply (e.g., Archival Operations—Chicago or

National Archives at Chicago), as listed in organization charts and NARA 101.

Federal Records Centers

Atlanta Federal Records Center

Boston Federal Records Center

Chicago Federal Records Center

Dayton Federal Records Center

Dayton-Kingsridge Federal Records Center

Denver Federal Records Center

Fort Worth Federal Records Center

Lee's Summit Federal Records Center

Lenexa Federal Records Center

Philadelphia Federal Records Center

Pittsfield Federal Records Center

Riverside Federal Records Center

San Francisco Federal Records Center

Seattle Federal Records Center

National Personnel Records Center

Washington National Records Center

Capitalize the term ―Federal Records Center‖ when referring to the full name of a

part of the Federal Records Center Program

the Seattle Federal Records Center

the Federal Records Center at Seattle

Lowercase ―records center‖ when using the term in a generic sense or as a

subsequent reference to a NARA records center.

The Denver Federal Records Center sponsored a charity drive.

Staff at the records center collected food and clothing for the local shelter.

Presidential libraries

Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum

Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library and Museum

Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum

Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum

Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum

George Bush Presidential Library and Museum

William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum

George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum

Executive Leadership Team titles

Archivist of the United States

Deputy Archivist

Chief Human Capital Officer

Chief Operating Officer

Executive for Information Services

Chief Financial Officer

General Counsel

Congressional Affairs Director

Chief Strategy and Communications Officer

The Management Team titles

Executive for Agency Services

Director of the Federal Register

Executive for Business Support Services

Chief Records Officer

Executive for Legislative Archives, Presidential Libraries, and Museum Services

Executive for Research Services

4.16 Titles of works: italics or quotation marks

Italicize the following:

books and plays Lord of the Flies, The Iceman Cometh

United States Government Manual

movies King of Hearts

television series The Simpsons

newsreel series World at War

documentaries The Civil War

catalogs and brochures Sources for Family History

newspapers New York Times

magazines Prologue, National Geographic

other periodicals Federal Register

works of art Pieta, Mona Lisa

named aircraft Enola Gay, Hindenburg

ships USS Arizona, HMS Victory

court cases United States of America v. Karl Bundt

email addresses first.last@nara.gov

web addresses (URLs) www.archives.gov

Note that USS and HMS in citations for ships are not italicized.

As a general rule, specific parts of larger wholes are placed in quotation marks.

Chapters of books, articles in magazines and newspapers, and episodes of newsreel

and television series are quoted:

Chapter 7, ―Of Chocolate Quarks,‖ proves that a physicist can have a sense

of humor.

There was a fascinating article in Newsweek entitled ―Biology‘s Big Bang.‖

Exhibit titles use quotation marks, not italics.

―American Originals‖

―What‘s Cooking, Uncle Sam?‖

―The Charters of Freedom—‗A New World Is at Hand‘‖

Appendix

Quick Reference

This appendix is not an index. Listed below are words and phrases commonly used by NARA

writers. Also included are words that are commonly misspelled (these words do not have references

to a section of this guide). Not listed here are usages that require explanation (e.g., how to handle

―his/her‖ [see section 4.9, ―Gender-neutral language.‖]). If the word or phrase you‘re looking for

isn‘t listed here, we encourage you to check the appropriate section of this guide or a recent

dictionary (the Merriam-Webster Collegiate dictionary is found at www.merriam-webster.com).

Numbers (4.10)

four boxes

40 boxes

4-percent (adj.)

4 percent (noun)

4-to-1 (adj.)

4 to 1 (noun)

4-year-old (adj. and noun)

400-horsepower (adj.)

400 horsepower (noun)

fourth-quarter (adj.)

fourth quarter (noun)

21st-century records

acknowledgment (not acknowledgement)

addenda (4.11, Plurals)

adjutants general (4.11, Plurals)

administration (the Clinton administration) (4.4, Capitalization)

adviser (not advisor)

African American (4.5.5, Compounds)

agency-wide (4.5.2, Compounds)

airborne (4.5, Compounds)

alumnae (feminine) (4.11, Plurals)

alumni (masculine, or for mixed groups) (4.11, Plurals)

appendices (scientific) (4.11, Plurals)

appendixes (general) (4.11, Plurals)

ARC (Archival Research Catalog)

Archives I (4.15, References to NARA)

Archives II (4.15, References to NARA)

archivist (4.4.5, Capitalization)

Archivist (the Archivist of the United States) (4.4.5, Capitalization)

artwork (4.5, Compounds)

at-risk (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

audiocassette (4.5, Compounds)

audiotape (4.5, Compounds)

autumn (season) (4.4, Capitalization)

back up (verb) (4.5, Compounds)

backup (noun/adj.) (4.5, Compounds)

bestseller (4.5, Compounds)

bestselling (4.5, Compounds)

black-and-white (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

black and white (when referring to racial groups) (4.5.5, Compounds)

black-market (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

black market (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

book signing (4.5.3, Compounds)

branch chief (4.4.5, Capitalization)

brothers-in-law (4.11, Plurals)

bureau-wide (4.5, Compounds)

Cabinet (of the United States) (4.4.4, Capitalization)

capital (state or national) (4.4.4, Capitalization)

Capitol, U.S. (building) (4.4.1, Capitalization)

catalog (not catalogue)

CD-ROM (4.1, Abbreviations)

Charters of Freedom (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights)

chiefs of staff (4.11, Plurals)

codename (4.5.3, Compounds)

Communist/communist (4.4.4 Capitalization)

Confederate and Union (when referring to the Civil War) (4.4.2, Capitalization)

congressional (4.4, Capitalization)

cost-effective (4.5.2, Compounds)

cost-of-living (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

cost of living (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

courthouse (4.5.3, Compounds)

court(s)-martial (noun) (4.11, Plurals)

co-worker (4.5.1, Prefixes)

cross-reference (adj. and noun) (4.5.2, Compounds)

cross reference (verb) (4.5, Compounds)

customhouse (4.5.3, Compounds)

cutoff (adj. and noun) (4.5, Compounds)

cut off (verb) (4.5, Compounds)

data (4.11 Plurals)

decision-making (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

decision making (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

deck log (4.5.3, Compounds)

Deputy Archivist (4.4, Capitalization)

dialogue

disk (not floppy disc)

diskette

division director (4.4.5, Capitalization)

e-commerce (4.5, Compounds)

e-Government (4.5.1, Prefixes)

email (4.5.1, Prefixes)

Executive Order 9066 (but an Executive order) (4.4, Capitalization)

E.O. (abbreviation for a specific Executive Order, as in E.O. 10101) (4.1.4, Abbreviations)

ERA (Electronic Records Archives)

fall (season) (4.4, Capitalization)

fax

Federal (4.4, Capitalization)

FedEx

floorplans (4.5.3, Compounds)

focusing

focused

follow-up (adj. and noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

follow up (verb) (4.5, Compounds)

formulas

Foundation (referring to Foundation for the National Archives) (4.4, Capitalization)

free enterprise (adj. and noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

freethinking (4.5.3, Compounds)

fundraiser (4.5.3, Compounds)

fundraising (adj. and noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

general counsels (4.11, Plurals)

GILs is the plural of the acronym for General Information Leaflet (4.11, Plurals)

GILS is the acronym for Government Information Locator Service (4.2, Acronyms)

Government (U.S.) (4.4.4, Capitalization)

Government-wide (U.S.) (4.5, Compounds)

governors general (4.11, Plurals)

grants-in-aid (4.13, Plurals)

Great Depression (4.4, Capitalization)

Great Society (4.4, Capitalization)

GroupWise (4.4, Capitalization)

higher-ups (4.11, Plurals)

high-level (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

home page (4.5.3, Compounds)

homefront (4.5.3, Compounds)

House Minority Leader (4.4.5, Capitalization)

hypotheses (4.11, Plurals)

indexes (general) (4.11, Plurals)

indices (scientific) (4.11, Plurals)

inhouse (4.5.3, Compounds)

inspectors general (4.11, Plurals)

interagency (4.5.1, Compounds)

Internet (4.6, Computer-related terms)

interoffice (4.5.1, Compounds)

intranet (4.6, Computer-related terms)

IT Help (4.6, Computer-related terms)

judgment (not judgement)

knowledgeable

labor force (adj. and noun) (4.5, Compounds)

landowner (4.5.3, Compounds)

levelheaded (4.5, Compounds)

library (e.g., Presidential library) (4.4, Capitalization)

Library (e.g., the Reagan Library) (4.4, Capitalization)

lifecycle (adj. and noun) (4.5,2, Compounds)

life insurance (4.5.3, Compounds)

lifesaving (4.5.3, Compounds)

logbook (4.5.3, Compounds)

logon (adj. and noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

log on (verb) (4.5, Compounds)

long-term (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

longtime (adj.) (4.5, Compounds)

loose (not tight)

lose (the opposite of "win")

McGowan Theater (William G. McGowan Theater; 4.15, References to NARA)

major generals (4.11, Plurals)

Manhattan Project (4.4, Capitalization)

manmade (4.5, Compounds)

matrices (4.11, Plurals)

memorandums (not memoranda) (4.11, Plurals)

midair (4.5.1, Compounds)

mid-term (adj.) (4.5.1, Compounds)

midterm (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

mid-twenties (age) (4.4, Capitalization; 4.5.1, Compounds; 4.10, Numbers)

mid-seventies (decade) (4.4, Capitalization; 4.5.1, Compounds; 4.10, Numbers)

millennia (4.11, Plurals)

minefield (4.5.3, Compounds)

multivolume (4.5.1, Compounds)

NARA home page (4.5.3, Compounds)

NARA@work (NARA‘s intranet for staff)

NARANET (4.4, Capitalization)

NARA Notice 2000-001 (4.4.3, Capitalization)

NARA notice (4.4.3, Capitalization)

NARA-wide (4.5, Compounds)

nation (The President will address the nation tonight) (4.4.1, Capitalization)

nationwide (4.5, Compounds)

National Archives and Records Administration (4.15, References to NARA)

National Archives Building (4.15, References to NARA)

National Archives at College Park (4.15, References to NARA)

National Archives Experience (4.15, References to NARA)

National Archives Trust Fund (Trust Fund) (4.4, Capitalization)

neoclassical (4.5.1, Compounds)

New Deal (4.4, Capitalization)

next-of-kin (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

noncurrent (4.5.1, Compounds)

non-Federal (4.5.1, Compounds)

non-Government (4.5.1, Compounds)

non-NARA (4.5.1, Compounds)

North and South (when referring to the Civil War) (4.4, Capitalization)

executive (4.4.5, Capitalization)

off-limits (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

off-site (4.5, Compounds)

off-the-shelf (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

ongoing (4.5, Compounds)

online (4.5, Compounds)

on-site (4.5 Compounds)

OPA(online public access)

out-of-print (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

pagemaster (4.5.3, Compounds)

part-time (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

passbooks (4.5.3, Compounds)

percent (4.5, Compounds)

phenomena (4.11, Plurals)

plateaus (not plateaux) (4.11, Plurals)

postwar (4.5, Compounds)

pre-existing (4.5.1, Compounds)

preprint (4.5.1, Compounds)

present-day (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

present day (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

Presidency (4.4, Capitalization)

Presidential (4.4, Capitalization)

pre-war (4.5.1, Compounds)

prisoner-of-war (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

prisoner of war (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

private-sector (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

private sector (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

problem solver (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

problem solving (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

problem-solving (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

public law (generic sense, as in a Public law . . .) (4.4, Capitalization)

Public Law (a particular law, as in Public Law 89-1) (4.4, Capitalization)

Pub. L. (abbreviation for a particular law, as in Pub. L. 89-1) (4.1.4, Citations)

Public Vaults (4.15, References to NARA)

Record Group ## (4.4, Capitalization)

record group (4.4, Capitalization)

record keeper (4.5.3, Compounds)

recordkeeping (4.5, Compounds)

Records Center Revolving Fund (Revolving Fund) (4.4, Capitalization)

reduction in force (4.5.3, Compounds)

re-encasing (4.5.1, Compounds)

reengineering (4.5.1, Compounds)

reexamine (4.5.1, Compounds)

requester (not requestor)

Research Center (at the National Archives Building, 4.15, References to NARA)

rights-of-way (4.11, Plurals)

risk-taking (adj. and noun) (4.5.2, Compounds)

rollout (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

room 410, the research room

Room (Archivist‘s Reception Room, Central Research Room) (4.4 Capitalization)

Rotunda (the National Archives Building and U.S. Capitol) (4.4, Capitalization)

roundtrip (4.5, Compounds)

security-classified (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

self-government (4.5.3, Compounds)

Senate (at the national level) (4.4.4, Capitalization)

senate (at the state level) (4.4.4, Capitalization)

set-aside (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

sixties, seventies (when referring to the decade) (4.7, Dates; Numbers, 4.10)

South and North (when referring to the Civil War) (4.4, Capitalization)

Speaker of the House (4.4.5, Capitalization)

spring (season) (4.4, Capitalization)

Standard Form 115 (SF 115) (4.4.3, Capitalization)

Standard Form 115s (SF 115s) (4.11, Plurals)

subsection (4.5.1, Compounds)

summer (season) (4.4, Capitalization)

symposiums (4.11, Plurals)

time-consuming (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

timeline (4.5.3, Compounds)

tableaus (not tableaux) (4.11, Plurals)

theses (4.11, Plurals)

under way (adverb) (4.5.3, Compounds)

Union and Confederate (when referring to the Civil War) (4.4.2, Capitalization)

up-to-date report (4.5.2, Compounds)

usable (not useable)

Vice President (of the United States) (4.4.5, Capitalization)

vice president (generic, a vice president) (4.4.5, Capitalization)

Vice-Presidential (4.4, Capitalization)

videocassette (4.5.3, Compounds)

videotape (4.5.3, Compounds)

voicemail (4.6, Computer-related terms)

wartime (4.5, Compounds)

war-torn (4.5.2, Compounds)

waterways (4.5.3, Compounds)

web (4.6, Computer-related terms)

web address (4.6, Computer-related terms)

webmaster (4.6, Computer-related terms)

web page (4.6, Computer-related terms)

website (noun) (4.6, Computer-related terms)

well-known (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

winter (season) (4.4, Capitalization)

workday/working day (4.5.3, Compounds)

workforce (4.5.3, Compounds)

work hours (4.5.3, Compounds)

workplace (4.5.3, Compounds)

worksheet (4.5.3, Compounds)

workstation (4.5.3, Compounds)

World Wide Web (4.6, Computer-related terms)

worldwide (4.5, Compounds)

X-ray (adj.) (4.5.2, Compounds)

X ray (noun) (4.5.3, Compounds)

NARA Style Guide National Archives And Records Administration (NARA)

Navigation menu

Versions of this User Manual:

Views

Navigation