Establishing Style Standards
Establishing Style Standards
Style is a simple way of saying complicated things.
– Jean Cocteau
Introduction
The term “style guidelines” refers to a collection of rules or formats that are utilized while developing new writing materials. These may include the setting of typography, components of graphic design, and even the text itself. When composing a piece together with other people, it is essential to determine these parameters from the outset of the project. When this is done, each member of the team is aware of what is expected of them, and they are able to “be on the same page” as the rest of the group while they are working.
Person and Their Expression
Every piece of writing will, in some way or another, express the author’s voice or point of view. The individual voice and point of view both contribute to the one-of-a-kind quality of the work and add emphasis to certain aspects of it. Because it places more emphasis on verbs and actions, speaking in an active voice is an effective strategy for bringing about change or getting something done. When stating facts or numbers without expecting much in return, the passive voice is an appropriate choice (such as describing the sales quotas from last season).
Another type of voice and style that can steer a piece of writing in a particular direction is the person’s point of view, also known as the point of view. The author’s point of view (POV) might influence the way that certain acts or topics are emphasized in the story. The first and second person points of view communicate directly about another person (I, Me, You, Yours, Ours), whereas the third person point of view is commonly regarded as the narrative mode because it simply states facts and phrases.
Always keep in mind the following:
- Active voice, which means the subject is actively stating something (for example, “we recommend modifications…”).
- The passive voice emphasises the activity more than the topic being spoken, pushing the topic further into the background (for example, “these steps are recommended for change…”).
- The first-person point of view, often known as “I” or “we” (as in “We have a staff shortfall in Accounting”) uses the pronouns “I” or “we.”
- The second-person point of view is characterised by the use of pronouns such as “You” and “Your” (for example, “You ought to pay attention to our suggestions.”)
- The third-person point of view is one in which the pronouns “He,” “She,” or “It” are used (for example, “He came up with the idea for a new strategy,” “She didn’t like the alterations to the office,” etc.).
Format
The word “format” refers to the organization or framework of the literary works that are included in the project. The margins on the pages, the size, style, and spacing of the typeface, and even the positioning of the names and sources are all basic components of formatting. However, the establishment of a format inside a collaborative group is much more vital due to the large number of employees who will be involved in creating and completing various components of the project.
Because each employee will, at some point during the course of the project, be responsible for their own work and then bring that work back to the group, a format ought to be established at the outset of the project in order to reduce the likelihood of problems or disagreements arising after the work has already been completed. Establishing a standardized format for documents, including their size and structure, fonts, language, and typical grammatical errors, as well as what application or medium to use when bringing the work back, should be done before employees begin working on their own independently. When employees come back to the group knowing how to shape their work before they begin, they have a lower chance of getting into a disagreement with the editors since they are better prepared. Concerns regarding format that are common in groups that work together include the following:
- Make sure that everyone uses the same medium (computer software, written versions, audio files, etc.) to ensure a smooth conversion.
- Indicate the size and style of the font to be used, including for special content such as headings and titles
- Indicate the margins and spacing for the paper.
- Determine if the simple text should be used, whether numbers or symbols will be utilized, or whether both should be used (i.e. 100 vs one hundred, percent vs percentage, etc.)
Brief check
Several tactics, including the capacity to identify clear objectives and tasks, are used to create a successful collaboration. Team writing, like individual writing, must have specific goals. It is critical for the project's success that the goal is defined from the start.
Maintaining Consistency in the Spelling of Common Words
Over the course of history, human language has continued to develop and undergo shifts. Many words started out as two different worlds, but over time they combined their meanings to form new, hyphenated terms (make-up, hour-long, etc.). Over the course of time, many of these expressions have evolved into simple compound words that may stand on their own (backup, altogether, workout, etc.).
Every single person’s exposure to the English language and the many formats that are considered appropriate and inappropriate has been unique. When working together as a team, it is in everyone’s best interest to decide right from the bat what constitutes proper spelling in terms of the written contributions made by employees. Even if it is impossible to know every phrase that they might use, it is still feasible to filter the list down to common words that will be utilized (This can be done based on the topic of the project). Provide examples of the proper spelling for popular words that are frequently used in written communication, such as every day versus every day, never mind versus never mind, all right versus alright, and so on. Be sure to also remind employees that they should consult with their team leader or a coworker if they have any questions regarding any problems with the format or commonly used words. Examples of commonly used words that can be tricky to spell include: sign-on vs. sign-on; workplace vs. workplace; database vs. database; lifestyle vs. lifestyle; website vs. website; a lot vs. a lot; a lot vs. a lot; website vs. website; lifestyle vs. lifestyle; website vs. web site; website vs. web
Using Words or Figures to Represent Numbers
When it comes to writing numbers in text, there are a variety of different guidelines to follow. Many people try to determine the circumstances under which it is appropriate to utilize numeric text as opposed to spelling out a number. There are several laws that indicate numbers under twenty, or even as low as 10, should be spelled out, but higher numbers, such as 25 or more, should be written as a number instead of spelled out. Other so-called “universal” standards dictate how certain types of numbers, including percentages and fractions, should be spelled out or notated.
Even though there is no one correct way to write numbers in text, it is highly recommended that when writing in a formal or business setting, you use the word form of many numbers and use symbols as little as possible in order to keep the text looking as professional as it possibly can. This is especially true when writing large amounts of text.
Brief check
Technical editing is a collaborative process with authors, who are frequently subject-matter experts (SMEs, pronounced "smees"), to review chemical formulas, specialist vocabulary, equations, and text-to-image matches, as well as traditional writing.
Rules of thumb to keep in mind for numbers:
- Write out the lower-case numbers (such as smaller than 10)
- If a number has more than one syllable, write it out using the numeral type (27, 45, 73, etc.), but write it out by hand if it only has one syllable (twelve, nine, twenty, etc.)
- You should never begin a statement with a numeral; instead, you should spell out the number.
- Fractions must be written out completely and hyphens must be used (one-half, two-thirds)
- Spell out the percentage or measurement in professional or business writing by using the following format:
o Thirteen percent of all instances
o Include four cups worth of nuts.
o A little more than ten years ago
Practical Application
Michael is having a discussion about the new employee handbooks that his collaborative team is drafting. Following the distribution of individual sections for everyone to finish, Michael presented a set of standards for the team as a whole to follow in terms of formatting. First, Michael explained to the group that the guidebook will be written in narrative form, and that authors should avoid using first-person pronouns such as “I,” “You,” or “We.”
After that, Michael went on to discuss the criteria for headings and titles, as well as the style of font that should be utilized. Finally, given that Michael was aware that the corporation relied heavily on numerical numbers for each department, he stated which numerical figures should be printed out in their entirety and which numerical figures might be abbreviated or expressed using numerical text.
After he had completed the task of outlining these principles, he dismissed the other members of the team to begin working on their respective areas and instructed them to meet with him in person if they had any further inquiries.
