We appreciate that constraints of time may make it difficult for you to follow all of these rules, especially if they differ markedly from your standard style. However, it would help us greatly in the editing process if you could adhere to them as far as possible.
In general, use British rather than American style. This affects spellings and also occasionally syntax (e.g. adverb between auxiliary verb and past participle, not before auxiliary verb - 'has also been', not 'also has been').
Spelling
Use -ize spellings (recognize, organize) but British spelling of all other words (colour, foetus, archaeology, labelled).
Exceptions: focusing, biased, encyclopedia, medieval, primeval
Capitals
Recognized ethnic groups e.g. Jews, Gypsies, Travellers, Bedouin, Scheduled Castes but `blacks', `whites' except perhaps in historical articles re apartheid in S. Africa.
Note also: `Aboriginal' = `indigenous Australian' always has initial cap. (NB noun `Aborigine' now unacceptable in Australia) but `the aboriginal peoples of China'.
Also, `Western' when not purely geographical
Titles of books and films should have initial capital and initial capital for any subtitle; otherwise no capitals except for names: The exploration of Southampton Island, Hudson Bay.
Numerals
1-9 spelt out, figures thereafter, unless followed by weight, measure, percent or million/billion. Avoid figures at start of sentences. Where space allows, use per cent (not %) . Comma in numerals four digits and over (2,040; 25,300).
Units of weight and measure
Spaced, without stops - 1 g, 23 cm, 5 l (litres).
Dates
23 April 2000; 24 May-27 June 1984; 1960s; the 30s; 19th century (noun); 19th-century (adjective) - N.B. no superscript for ordinal numbers; c. 1960
Punctuation
Quotes - single outer, double inner; final punctuation outside closing quote unless the quotation forms a finished sentence.
Apostrophe and 's' after final 's' for single syllables - Mauss's, otherwise apostrophe alone - Stephens'.
Parentheses: avoid double parentheses; if unavoidable (e.g. citation of reference) use [] inside ().
References
Author Date. Title with only first word and names capitalized. Place of publication: Publisher.
Author Date. Title with only first word and names capitalized. Periodical title, vol., no.: xx-xx.
E.g.:
Salvatore, Armando 1997. Islam and the political discourse of modernity. Reading: Ithaca Press.
Eccel, Chris 1988. Alim and Mujahid in Egypt: Orthodoxy versus subculture, or division of labour? The Muslim World, 78 (3-4): 189-208.
