[ZDP] Re: ZDP Style Guide

[Ute Methner]

I've been thinking about and working on the style guide. This morning
I received a request for some information, so I though it might be
useful to post part of my reply to this list. Any feedback/questions
from writers is welcome.

Below are some sites with _good_ information on writing. The information
on these sites is part of the style guide.

> I am trying to make accessing the needed information as convenient as
> possible for the writers.
> 
> -for general writing style: Strunk's 'The Elements of Style', at
> http://www.bartleby.com/141/index.html
> 
> -I recommend American English spelling instead of British English, use
> Webster's dictionary at http://www.m-w.com/home.html
> This dictionary doesn't recognize British E and will give you the
> American E equivalent.
Right now I am not concerned with other
localization/internationalization
issues; we'll get into that later on.
> 
> -for punctuation rules go to http://sti/larc.nasa.gov/html/Chapt3/ or
> to http://www.grammarbook.com
British punctuation is slightly different from American (wouldn't you 
know it?). We are going to use American punctuation, except for the
case given below. 

> -One exception to punctuation rule: leave all punctuation outside the
> quotes. For example, write: as Smith et al. state, 'the lack of
> rigorous research does not permit us to draw universal conclusions'.
> Note that the period is outside the last quote.
> 

-- 
Ute Methner
Grimsby ON Canada
ute@idirect.com