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Literacies Style Guide for Writers

style

Literacies appreciates a dynamic, descriptive article. We want to keep the journal accessible and readable. Write your article in clear language. Not all readers will have a close knowledge of the particular aspects of literacy that you write about, so please avoid jargon, technical expressions and acronyms where possible, and explain those that are necessary. Try to anticipate and deal with any questions or misunderstandings likely to arise among readers in the literacy community. As with any writing, your article will be strengthened if you write a draft, revise it and seek feedback and suggestions from others before submitting it.

Our intention is to respect and nurture diversity. We insist that materials we publish use non-discriminatory language and avoid stereotypes.

voice

We encourage unique perspectives. Please let your voice come through.

house style guide

For the nitty gritty—what our copy-editor looks for—see below.

We use the Canadian Oxford Dictionary , the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition and Editing Canadian English 2nd Edition .

  • one to one hundred, 101, two hundred (any round number and any number beginning a sentence is spelled out)
  • 35 per cent
  • 25 September 2004
  • 1943-44
  • 81st
  • grade ten, level four (unless specific to a program)
  • $56 CDN

punctuation

  • no serial comma unless necessary for clarity
  • em-dash set tight
  • ellipsis for missing words in quotations only (ellipsis set tight)
  • double quotation marks, smart quotes
  • single quotation marks for unfamiliar terms, terms used in particular way—first usage only
  • down style for capitalization—recognize special terms (i.e. Elder)
  • name of project—capitals, no italics
  • name of report—italics
  • single space after periods
  • no colon to introduce web sites, usual punctuation at end of web site

abbreviations

  • no periods in initializations (OALC, NLS, XWP)

typography

  • italics for all non-English words and phrases
  • italics for book titles, Literacies, report titles
  • offset quotes of more than 3 lines
  • subtitles—sentence case for subheadings, no period

usage and spelling

  • Canadian variants
  • that, which—which precedes non-restrictive clauses and follows prepositions, that precedes restrictive clauses
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