PUBLISHING
WITH ELSEVIER: HOUSE STYLE
Spelling
Elsevier house style is to use -ize endings when optional.
Note, however, that the following words should always be
spelt –ise:
advertise |
Disfranchise |
Misprise
|
advise |
Disguise |
Mortise |
affranchise |
Emprise |
practise
(verb) |
apprise
(inform) |
Enfranchise |
Precise |
arise
|
Enterprise |
Premise |
braise |
Excise
|
prise
(open) |
chastise |
Exercise |
Reprise |
circumcise |
Expertise |
Revise |
comprise |
Franchise |
seise
(legal term) |
compromise |
Guise |
Supervise |
concise |
Improvise |
Surmise |
demise |
Incise |
Surprise |
despise |
Merchandise |
Televise |
devise |
Misadvise |
Treatise |
The
following should be spelt -yse, not -yze (except in American
spelling):
analyse |
dialyse |
Hydrolyse |
catalyse |
electrolyse |
Paralyse |
Follow
The Collins English Dictionary for spellings and
word breaks.
Follow
Butterworths Medical Dictionary for medical spellings.
Punctuation
Commas:
Use them where they are essential to the sense.
Colons:
A colon usually introduces a list of items. Never use a
colon and dash together as the colon alone is adequate.
Quotes:
Use single quotes for ordinary quotations and double quotes
within single quotes for a quotation inside a quotation.
Hyphens:
Follow The Collins English Dictionary for hyphenation. The
trend is toward reduced use of the hyphen (e.g. tradeoff,
mainframe, textbook). Retain hyphens, however, between double
vowels (e.g. re-establish) and where required to convey
a particular sense (e.g. re-sign rather than resign, three-day-old
chicks rather than three day-old chicks).
Note
the use of hyphens in compounds (e.g. long-term plans) and
with ‘well’ and ‘ill’ (e.g. a well-produced
book). Insert hyphens in compounds where the same consonants
end and begin the constituent parts (e.g. cold-drawn, cross-section).
Dashes:
The typesetter will set a spaced en rule for dashes. The
en rule is slightly longer than a hyphen. An unspaced en
rule is used to connect specially related names and properties
(e.g. the Adams–Harris equation, stress–strain
ratio). The unspaced en rule is also used to denote a span
of numbers.
(e.g.
pp. 5–15).
Abbreviations:
House style is to include full points after abbreviations
but not after contractions (in which the shortened form
ends with the final letter of the word). Thus: Eq., Fig.,
Prof. (for Equation, Figure, Professor) but Dr, Mr, Ltd
(for Doctor, Mister, Limited). Plurals (e.g. Eqs, Figs)
take no full points.
Stops
are required in such abbreviations as etc., e.g., i.e.,
and c. (circa) which use lower case letters.
Stops
are not required where upper case letters are used as in
the initials of an organization (e.g. BBC, UNESCO) or abbreviated
scientific terms (e.g. DNA, GMO).
Do
not begin a sentence with an abbreviation.
Numbers
In general works spell out numbers under 100. In technical
and scientific writing only numbers below 10 should be spelt
out.
Where
numbers larger and smaller than 100 are mixed use figures
for both.
Always
spell out a number which begins a sentence.
Four-digit
numbers should be closed up with no space or comma (e.g.
5000, 3725 etc.) unless they are in tables and have to range
with other longer numbers. Numbers of five digits or more
should be divided by a space between three-digit groups
on either side of the decimal point (e.g. 28 673.826 1).
Decimals
should generally be used in preference to fractions. Decimals
below unity should carry a zero before the decimal point
(e.g. 0.63 not .63). Decimal points are set on the line.
Where fractions are essential use a solidus in running text
(e.g. 1/2). Where fractions are displayed a two-line fraction
can be used. The solidus should always be used for complex
fractional indices so that they can be printed on one line
(e.g. 2x (m + n)/3).
The
term billion should be either avoided or explained. The
term has different meanings in the UK and the USA.
Use
the shortest unambiguous form for ranges of numbers (e.g.
16–17, 23–4).
Do
not use Roman numerals (except where essential for a third
level with a list after 1, 2, 3 and (a), (b), (c)). They
are less easy to comprehend and in listings give a ragged
effect.
Always
use a numeral with the term ‘per cent’ (e.g.
15 per cent).
Capitalization
Keep capitalization to a minimum. Too many capitals tend
to be typographically ugly on the printed page.
Use
initial capitals for proper names, official titles, trade
names and specific features in the book itself (e.g. Figure
1.1, Chapter 3).
Proprietary
drug names, when used, have an initial capital (e.g. diazepam
(Valium)).
Italics
Italics slow the reader down because they are less easy
to read than ordinary type. Use them sparingly in the text.
Only
unanglicized words and phrases should be italicized, not
foreign words which have become familiar through constant
use (e.g. via, et al., in situ are not italicized).
Use
italics for book titles and periodicals, films, operas,
plays, names of ships and microbiological nomenclature where
strict species terminology is used.
Units
SI units should be used exclusively.
Any
departure from SI units should be discussed with your commissioning
editor. If ‘old’ units have to be used the SI
equivalent should usually follow in parentheses.
Symbols
Figures should always be used with symbols (e.g. 10 mm)
and there should always be a space between the figure and
the symbol (e.g. 10 mm ´ 10 mm = 100 mm).
The
preferred style for partial pressures is as follows: Po2,
Pao2, Pco2 etc.
A
distinction should be made between a symbol for a physical
quantity and a symbol for a unit. The former is set in italic
(e.g. electromotive force, E), whereas the latter is set
in ordinary type (e.g. volt, V).
Italicization
of superiors and inferiors follows the same rules as for
other symbols.
Unit
symbols are always in the singular (e.g. 25 kg not 25 kgs).
Equations
If mathematical and chemical equations are used, number
them per chapter. The numbers should be ranged right. Display
where possible with a line of space above and below:
2(a
- b - c) = (a - b - c) + (a - b - c)
If
an equation is long and the line turns, break at =, + or
- .
Ratios
There should be no space either side of a colon indicating
a ratio (e.g. 1:7).
Brackets
Where several brackets have to be used in a mathematical
expression the sequence should be {}.
Vectors
Vectors should be set in bold type.
Miscellaneous
Per
cent: Spell out per cent as two words in literary
contexts, but in statistical contexts and in tables and
diagrams where space is scarce the symbol (%) is acceptable.
Proprietary
names: Proprietary names such as Terylene, Vaseline
and Perspex require an initial upper case letter.
Dating:
Avoid vague phrases that may date your book (e.g. ‘in
the past decade’, ‘will soon be introduced’).
It is better to replace these with specific dates. Avoid
quoting specific prices of goods and services – if
you must include them indicate the year to which you refer.
Dates:
Use the form 15 August 1999 (not 15th August 1999). Do not
use numerals – 7.6.99 means 6 July 1999 in the USA.
Do
not put apostrophes in decade spans (use 1950s not 1950’s).
Do
not use the expressions ‘thirties’ or ‘eighties’
etc. but 1930s, 1980s etc.
Use
‘from 1958 to 1959’ rather than ‘from
1958–9’.
Spell
out the names of centuries (e.g. ‘the eighteenth century’
not ‘the 18th century’). |