english style guide - stellenbosch university · this style guide has been compiled for language...

Language Service

Style guide

Language Service

Style guide

September 2007

COMPILERS Laetitia Bedeker Allan de Roos Alta van Rensburg

Copyright: Stellenbosch University Language Centre © September 2007

Table of contents Preface.......................................................................................................... v

1. In general................................................................................................1

1.1 Spelling.................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Choice of words..................................................................................................................... 1

2. Addresses...............................................................................................2

2.1 In general .............................................................................................................................. 2 2.2 Capitalisation......................................................................................................................... 3 2.3 Abbreviations......................................................................................................................... 3 2.4 Punctuation ........................................................................................................................... 3

3. Contact numbers ....................................................................................4

3.1 In general .............................................................................................................................. 4 3.2 Extensions and international numbers.................................................................................. 4

4. Abbreviations and acronyms..................................................................5

4.1 In general .............................................................................................................................. 5 4.2 Used in parentheses ............................................................................................................. 6 4.3 Apostrophes .......................................................................................................................... 6 4.4 Time and dates...................................................................................................................... 7 4.5 Definite and indefinite articles ............................................................................................... 7

5. Grammar.................................................................................................8

5.1 Pronouns ............................................................................................................................... 8 5.2 Gerunds................................................................................................................................. 9 5.3 The use of that and which ..................................................................................................... 9 5.4 The use of for example and et cetera ................................................................................. 10 5.5 The use of firstly, secondly and thirdly ................................................................................ 10 5.6 Parallelism........................................................................................................................... 10 5.7 Wordiness ........................................................................................................................... 10 5.8 Phrases that belong together .............................................................................................. 11 5.9 The use of amount and number .......................................................................................... 11 5.10 Subject-verb agreement...................................................................................................... 11

6. Capitals ................................................................................................12

6.1 In general ............................................................................................................................ 12 6.2 Headings and titles.............................................................................................................. 12

7. Inclusive writing...................................................................................14

7.1 In general ............................................................................................................................ 14 7.2 Sex and gender ................................................................................................................... 14 7.3 Age ...................................................................................................................................... 14 7.4 Disability .............................................................................................................................. 14 7.5 Race .................................................................................................................................... 15 7.6 Sexual orientation................................................................................................................ 15 7.7 Stereotypes ......................................................................................................................... 15

8. Bullets and numbers in lists.................................................................16

8.1 Bullets.................................................................................................................................. 16 8.2 Numbers.............................................................................................................................. 19

9. Punctuation ..........................................................................................21

9.1 Ampersand .......................................................................................................................... 21

Copyright: Stellenbosch University Language Centre © September 2007

9.2 Apostrophe .......................................................................................................................... 21 9.3 Colon ................................................................................................................................... 22 9.4 Comma................................................................................................................................ 23 9.5 Dash .................................................................................................................................... 24 9.6 Ellipsis ................................................................................................................................. 25 9.7 Full stop............................................................................................................................... 26 9.8 Hyphen ................................................................................................................................ 26 9.9 Parentheses ........................................................................................................................ 27 9.10 Question mark and exclamation mark................................................................................. 27 9.11 Quotation marks.................................................................................................................. 28 9.12 Semicolon............................................................................................................................ 29 9.13 Solidus/Slash....................................................................................................................... 29

10. Numbers ............................................................................................30

10.1 In general ............................................................................................................................ 30 10.2 Currency.............................................................................................................................. 32 10.3 Punctuation ......................................................................................................................... 32

11. Scientific writing...............................................................................33

11.1 General................................................................................................................................ 33 11.2 Macro-structure ................................................................................................................... 33

11.2.1 Order of contents of theses ......................................................................................................33 11.2.2 The title page............................................................................................................................34 11.2.3 The declaration.........................................................................................................................34 11.2.4 The list of contents ...................................................................................................................34 11.2.5 Page number............................................................................................................................34 11.2.6 Font type and size and spacing................................................................................................36 11.2.7 The reference list......................................................................................................................36 11.2.8 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................36

11.3 Micro-structure .................................................................................................................... 37 11.3.1 Punctuation...............................................................................................................................37 11.3.2 Grammar ..................................................................................................................................37 11.3.3 Quotations ................................................................................................................................37 11.3.4 References ...............................................................................................................................37 11.3.5 Figures and tables ....................................................................................................................37

12. Referencing .......................................................................................39

12.1 Which method of referencing should be used?................................................................... 39 12.2 Methods of referring to information ..................................................................................... 39

12.2.1 Source referencing ...................................................................................................................39 12.2.2 Secondary referencing .............................................................................................................39 12.2.3 Cross-referencing .....................................................................................................................40 12.2.4 Content referencing ..................................................................................................................40

12.3 Referencing different types of sources................................................................................ 41 12.3.1 References to printed sources..................................................................................................41 12.3.2 References to electronic sources .............................................................................................44

12.4 Referencing: The Harvard method...................................................................................... 44 12.4.1 General characteristics.............................................................................................................44 12.4.2 Punctuation...............................................................................................................................45 12.4.3 Examples of the Harvard method .............................................................................................46 12.4.4 Example of a reference list according to the Harvard method ..................................................50

13. Legislation.........................................................................................51

13.1 In general ............................................................................................................................ 51 13.2 Acts ..................................................................................................................................... 51 13.3 Cases .................................................................................................................................. 52

14. Track changes...................................................................................53

Sources .......................................................................................................54

Copyright: Stellenbosch University Language Centre © September 2007 v

Preface This style guide has been compiled for language practitioners of the Language Service at Stellenbosch University. The purpose of the style guide is to provide guidelines on Language Service house rules pertaining to English language usage.

The rules governing correct language usage often offer more than one option for a particular writing style. There is therefore a need for a guide that clearly explains Language Service preferences. The style guide addresses this need by placing Language Service preferences first.

The guide does not attempt to provide a comprehensive list of grammar rules, but is a response to typical language-related enquiries that we receive. It also provides guidelines on issues that often emanate from the work performed by language practitioners.

We regard the guide as a working document – your comments and enquiries will make it possible to update it regularly. Feedback can be sent to [email protected]. The Language Service is thankful for the input we have already received; we value the opportunity to share intriguing language issues with fellow language practitioners.

Laetitia Bedeker, Allan de Roos and Alta van Rensburg

September 2007

Copyright: Stellenbosch University Language Centre © September 2007 vi

Copyright: Stellenbosch University Language Centre © September 2007 1

1. In general

1.1 Spelling

1.1.1 Use South African (therefore British) English unless the instruction requires that another type of English be used.

organisation [NOT: organization] labour [NOT: labor] rehabilitation programme [NOT: rehabilitation program] BUT: computer program in South African/British English

1.1.2 Always use the Spellchecker to check for spelling, grammar or typing errors after you have translated and/or edited a document.

1.1.3 Below are a few examples of well-known publishers whose names are often spelt incorrectly.

Macmillan McGraw-Hill Prentice Hall

1.1.4 In English, computer terms are increasingly spelt as one word. The spelling website as well as web site is acceptable, provided that either spelling is used consistently in one document.

1.2 Choice of words

1.2.1 Admission and admittance both refer to permission or right to enter. However, admittance is mostly used in formal or official contexts, while admission is used to denote a price or fee charged.

Her admittance to the institution was declined because of her religious affiliation. Admission is by invitation only.

1.2.2 Both orient and orientate are acceptable verb forms with orient preferred in American English and orientate preferred in British English.

1.2.3 While government departments prefer to use schedule and annexure in documents, the Language Service prefers appendix in reference to theses.

1.2.4 That or which? Please see the note at 5.3.

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2. Addresses

2.1 In general

2.1.1 The street number is written before the street name. The same rule applies to an apartment number, which is written before the name of the apartment building.

23 Andringa Street 7 Academia Court

2.1.2 An office or floor number is written as follows:

Room 14, Administration Building Fifth floor, Kruinsig

2.1.3 Spell out First up to Ninth, but use figures with the correct two-letter abbreviation for 10th and higher.

18 Second Street [NOT: 18 2nd Street] 18 10th Street

2.1.4 It is not necessary to include the name of the town in which the post office is situated.

Dr DS Nel [NOT: Dr DS Nel PO Box 576 PO Box 576 HATFIELD Hatfield 0083 PRETORIA 0083]

2.1.5 In the case of places with the same name, the province’s name is not mentioned in the address on the envelope, but it may be included in a sentence. (Note the comma after Western Cape.)

She lives in Heidelberg, Western Cape, where she practises as a doctor.

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2.2 Capitalisation

2.2.1 Although capital letters are used for proper names, such as those of street addresses, lower case is used when referring to the plural.

41 Ninth Street His office is located on the corner of Brink and Rule streets.

2.2.2 When the address is written on an envelope or at the top of a letter, the name of the area or post office is written in capital letters.

Dr DS Nel PO Box 576 HATFIELD 0083

2.3 Abbreviations

2.3.1 The words street, avenue and boulevard can be abbreviated, but only when preceded by a street name and number.

18 Crozier St. [NOT: The office is located in Crozier St.]

2.3.2 The abbreviation cor. is used for corner. It is spelled out in a sentence.

cor. Crozier and Andringa streets The building is on the corner of Crozier and Andringa streets.

2.3.3 The abbreviation c/o is used for care of (see 9.13.2).

c/o Mr Ian Smith 26 Champagne Crescent

2.4 Punctuation

2.4.1 No comma is used before the postal code in an address given in a sentence.

Send the applications to: The Language Centre, Private Bag X1, Matieland 7602. Their postal address is 28 Bird Street, Stellenbosch 7600.

2.4.2 Commas should be omitted if the address is on separate lines, as on an envelope.

Ms CA Adams PO Box 1621 BELLVILLE 0083


3. Contact numbers

3.1 In general

3.1.1 The area code appears first, followed by the first three digits and then the remaining four digits. Cellphone numbers are spaced similarly.

011 975 6503 082 413 8467

3.1.2 Toll-free numbers are grouped differently.

0800 40 30 0800 220 224

3.1.3 No brackets and hyphens are used.

3.2 Extensions and international numbers

3.2.1 Additions (including extensions) are written as follows:

021 423 6625 ext. 456

3.2.2 When the document has an international audience/reader, the code for South Africa (+27) is added and the area code appears without the zero.

+27 11 975 6503

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4. Abbreviations and acronyms

4.1 In general

4.1.1 Because of the dynamic nature of language, some abbreviations become acronyms and the use of upper or lower case consequently varies from writer to writer. Both forms are acceptable, as long as each is used consistently.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids or AIDS) Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu or COSATU) South African Revenue Service (Sars or SARS)

4.1.2 Abbreviations and acronyms should preferably be used only if they are immediately recognisable. Rather write out words in full. Only ‘authoritative’ dictionaries (Oxford, Cambridge, Chambers, etc.) should be used to identify common abbreviations.

4.1.3 There is no need to use full stops in initials, academic degrees or affiliations.

Mr BR Peters, MA (Stellenbosch University) Head: Dept of Family Medicine

4.1.4 Upper case abbreviations do not require full stops.

USA, CV, IQ

4.1.5 Do not carry over parts of abbreviations to the next line.

4.1.6 Be careful of redundancy in abbreviations.

HI virus [NOT: HIV virus]

4.1.7 Abbreviations that are commonly used to show quantities have no full stop, and no s is added for plural forms.

45 km, 5 kg, 28 g

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TIP: Insert a hard space between the figures and the symbols to ensure that they are not separated when the sentence flows over to the next line. The hard space is inserted by pressing and holding in the control key, then the shift key and then pressing the space bar.

4.1.8 The international SI symbol for litre is a capital L or a small letter l. Because the small letter l can sometimes be confused with the number 1, the symbol ℓ is mainly used.

205 ℓ

4.1.9 Abbreviations for monetary amounts may appear with or without a full stop.

R4 m or R4 m.

4.1.10 As far as possible, avoid using Latin abbreviations (apart from the ones in general use, such as e.g. and etc.). Even though in academic work the use of Latin abbreviations is more acceptable (such as cf [confer] and et al. [and others]), the Language Service prefers that the English terms be used as far as possible. (Please note that et al. has been italicised in this paragraph because it is an example in this style guide – the Language Service prefers that et al. not be italicised in theses.)

4.2 Used in parentheses

4.2.1 When a term that is commonly abbreviated or that you want to abbreviate appears in a text for the first time, write it out and give the abbreviation in parentheses immediately after it.

South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)

4.2.2 Use the abbreviation throughout the text, except in long documents when the full term could be repeated at the beginning of a chapter or section. When a term is used only once in a text, do not use the abbreviation or acronym unless it is more commonly used than the full term.

compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM)

4.2.3 It is acceptable to give the abbreviation or acronym first, followed by the whole term in parentheses if the abbreviation or acronym is more commonly used.

DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)

4.3 Apostrophes

4.3.1 Do not use apostrophes for plurals of abbreviations and acronyms.

NGOs, SETAs


4.3.2 In situations where confusion may arise, use the apostrophe.

Mind your p’s and q’s; dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

4.4 Time and dates

4.4.1 The Language Service prefers that the abbreviation am or pm appear in lower case without full stops. This form of reference is increasingly replaced by the 24-hour system.

10:00 or 10 am 17:00 or 5 pm

4.4.2 Do not abbreviate months that consist of fewer than five letters.

August (Aug), March (Mar) [NOT: Jun or Jul]

4.4.3 Do not use the endings nd, st, rd, or th when used with a figure, unless copying another source or if no month is mentioned.

They will arrive on the 16th. [NOT: They will arrive on 16th May.] Her birth date is 22 May 1987. [NOT: Her birth date is 22nd May 1987.]

4.5 Definite and indefinite articles

4.5.1 The use of a definite article with an abbreviation or acronym is sometimes determined by whether or not the abbreviation or acronym is used as an adjective or a noun.

SANDF members are offered preferential rates. The SANDF has begun its recruitment campaign.

4.5.2 The choice of using a or an before an abbreviation is determined by the pronunciation and not the spelling of the word following the indefinite article. Use an before abbreviations beginning with a vowel sound and an unaspirated h.

an MP privilege; an RSA flag; an ABC employee; an HIV report


5. Grammar

5.1 Pronouns

5.1.1 The use of he/him/his or she/her/hers as pronouns of common gender, in reference to a person of unspecified sex, is considered sexist and misleading.

[NOT: A driver is required to clean his car’s windows.] [NOT: The book will be of value to the student nurse preparing for her examinations.]

An acceptable substitute for the pronouns used above is his or her.

A driver is required to clean his or her car’s windows. The book will be of value to the student nurse preparing for his or her examinations.

Should you find the his or her construction awkward, make all pronouns and associated nouns in the sentence plural.

Drivers are required to clean their car’s windows. The book will be of value to the student nurses preparing for their examinations.

5.1.2 A difficulty that often arises with pronouns is in the use of the personal pronoun, where there is confusion about the subject and object forms.

It was up to Michael and me. [NOT: It was up to Michael and I.]

TIP: Remember that object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) follow verbs and prepositions. Subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) usually precede verbs.

5.1.3 Quite often the reflexive pronoun is used instead of the personal pronoun:

The task was undertaken by the manager and me. [NOT: The task was undertaken by the manager and myself.]

TIP: A reflexive pronoun is used when the noun or pronoun is doing something to itself. The reflexive pronoun is therefore used in the sentence We underrated ourselves before the race, since another party could also have been under-rated, as

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in the sentence We underrated our competitors before the race. It is also used to reinforce the subject, as in the sentence I myself have done the very same thing, to reinforce that you are speaking about yourself and no one else.

5.1.4 An antecedent is the noun to which a pronoun refers. When using this, which, or it, make sure there is no doubt about what the pronoun's antecedent is. In the following sentences, the antecedent for It is unclear:

[NOT: The teacher addressed the students at the assembly. It took place at the right time.]

Similarly, the antecedent for which is unclear in the following sentence:

[NOT: The employee’s comment was on record, which was acknowledged by management.]

To make the meaning of the above sentence clearer, change the sentence as follows:

The official’s comment was on record. Management acknowledged the comment.

In the following sentence, the antecedent for it is unclear:

[NOT: When the number of strikers who are teachers are enumerated, it reaches staggering proportions.] RATHER: When the number of strikers who are teachers is enumerated, the total is staggering.

5.2 Gerunds

A gerund is the present participle of the verb (the verbal form ending in ing) when used as a noun. The possessive case should be used for modifiers of a gerund:

I would appreciate your attending the meeting. [NOT: I would appreciate you attending the meeting.] It is dependent on his signing the document. [NOT: It is dependent on him signing the document.]

5.3 The use of that and which

The key to determining when to use that or which is in deciding whether the clause or phrase that follows is essential to defining what you mean (it is restrictive) or is simply parenthetical information (it is nonrestrictive). As a rule of thumb, use which and set off the phrase or clause by a comma if the information that follows is parenthetical or unessential to the meaning of your sentence. Use that and do not set off your phrase or clause by commas when the information that follows is essential to the meaning of your sentence.

Shireen says to Anthea: “My colleague owns this car, which she plans to sell.” Anthea immediately knows which car is referred to without having to know that it is about to be sold. However, if Shireen tells Anthea: “My colleague owned the car that was used in the robbery,” she wants Anthea to know that the car belonged to her colleague and that it is the one that had been used in the robbery.


5.4 The use of for example and et cetera

Both for example and et cetera are often used unnecessarily in sentences that contain other words which essentially mean the same thing:

[NOT: The event will exhibit the models of several car manufacturers, for example Ford, Opel, BMW, et cetera.]

In the above example, et cetera has been used unnecessarily and the sentence should therefore read:

The event will exhibit the models of several car manufacturers, for example Ford, Opel and BMW. [NOT: I absolutely detest vegetables such as, for example onions, cabbage and squash.]

In the above example, either such as or for example should be omitted from the sentence.

5.5 The use of firstly, secondly and thirdly

5.5.1 Firstly may be used in place of the adverb first when enumerating a list:

There are three good reasons for not buying the house: firstly, it is outside our price range; secondly, it is too small; thirdly, it is too near to the shopping mall.

5.5.2 Firstly should not be substituted for first in any of its other adverbial uses:

When he first arrived there, he hated the public transport system. [NOT: When he firstly arrived there, he hated the public transport system.]

5.6 Parallelism

5.6.1 Make sure that parallel structures are used in the text.

In Part 1 of this guide, we will examine the basic principles of writing. In Part 2, we will discuss the merits of a good writer. [NOT: In the first part of this guide, we will examine the basic principles of writing. In Part 2, we will discuss the merits of a good writer.]

5.6.2 Remember that what follows both should be repeated.

He will be remembered for both his flippant nature and his exuberant style. [NOT: He will be remembered for both his flippant nature and exuberant style.]

5.7 Wordiness

Try to avoid excessive wordiness in writing. The following examples are taken from the Editor’s Manual of the International Colleges Group (ICG):


The question as to whether Whether

He is a man who He

Owing to the fact that Since

He has been engaged in the study of He has studied

It will be seen from consideration of the data in Table 2 that

Table 2 shows

At an earlier date Previously

In the modern period of time Currently

Of course (omit)

It is interesting to note that (omit)

The great majority of Most

During the course of During/while

It would appear that Apparently

It is admitted that Clearly

It is possible that the cause is The cause may be

It has long been known (omit)

5.8 Phrases that belong together

The following phrases should always be used together:

Neither . . . nor On the one hand . . . on the other hand Firstly, secondly, thirdly . . . finally

5.9 The use of amount and number

Amount refers to things that are counted in bulk (usually money). Number refers to things that are counted individually.

She donates large amounts of money, but has a small number of friends.

5.10 Subject-verb agreement

In general, the agreement between the subject and verb in a sentence requires that a singular noun, such as management, board or staff, take a singular verb and that a plural subject, such as media or data, take a plural verb. However, some collective nouns are singular when we think of them as groups and plural when we think of the individuals acting within the whole.

A dozen eggs is probably enough. BUT: A dozen friends are coming over this afternoon. The staff makes certain decisions around here. BUT: The staff are three-quarters women.


6. Capitals

6.1 In general

6.1.1 The use of capitals for emphasis is discouraged; rather use italics.

6.1.2 Capitalise names of any type of recognised geographical regions.

Cape Town, the Promised Land, the Wine Route

6.1.3 Capitalise compass directions only when they denote a recognised geographical or political region, but not if they are general descriptions.

North-West Province, the West End, Deep South NOT: north-west Province south of Australia, eastern Egypt [NOT: South of Australia, Eastern Egypt]

6.1.4 If surnames consist of three separate parts, the first and last part should start with a capital letter, unless an initial or first name precedes the surname.

Van der Linde but Wouter van der Linde (W. van der Linde) De la Rey but Anita de la Rey (A. de la Rey) Dr Van der Merwe Dr J van der Merwe

6.2 Headings and titles

6.2.1 The Language Service prefers that minimal capitalisation be used: Apart from the first letter of the word, no words in the title are capitalised unless those words would normally have a capital. Only the first letter of the first word in a sub-title is capitalised

Graaf-Reinet during the First World War: A socio-historical investigation

6.2.2 Capitalise names of departments and the words department, college, office and school when they appear as part of the official name. On the other hand, casual references to a department, where department is used as a descriptor, usually do not require capitalisation.

the Department of Political Science; the political science department; a political science committee

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Talk to the chairperson of the Department of Management and Business Studies. Be sure to take a class from the religious studies department.

6.2.3 Academic subjects appear in lower case. An exception to this rule is the languages, which are always capitalised because they are proper nouns, or when the subjects refer to a specific course.

She has a journalism class tomorrow. He has Advanced Xhosa this semester. In order to graduate, the student need only take Critical Issues in SA History.

6.2.4 Titles are capitalised when they immediately precede the person’s name.

the President of the Republic of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki the Director-General of Finance, Mr Jo Belluci

6.2.5 In formal contexts, titles may be capitalised even when following a name.

Colin Samuels, Director of Marketing

6.2.6 Titles usually appear in lower case when they follow a personal name, are used in place of it or are used in apposition before a name.

Jean Harlowe is a director of one of the biggest companies in South Africa. The councillor was not invited to the event. Former deputy minister Imelda Burns will be admitted later today.

6.2.7 However, in formal contexts, a title used alone without the person’s name can be capitalised.

Prof. Botman, Rector of Stellenbosch University, will deliver a speech at the opening today. The Rector will be delivering another speech later that day.


7. Inclusive writing

7.1 In general

Communication should be non-discriminatory, i.e. it should not suggest that a distinction is being made between, or bias is being shown towards, particular individuals or groups.

7.2 Sex and gender

7.2.1 Do not use only the male pronouns he or his when the author means both the male and female. The easiest way to make a document gender-friendly is to use plurals.

Mineworkers must always wear their hard hats.

7.2.2 Avoid the awkward s/he and his/her. If the singular must be used, use both pronouns, joined by a conjunction.

A mineworker must always wear his or her hard hat. If a student is ill, he or she should notify the lecturer immediately.

7.2.3 Avoid the use of sexist titles. However, if you know the gender of a person, gender-specific language may be used.

We need to appoint a new chairperson. [NOT: We need to appoint a new chairwoman.] Joan Nkunzi is the chairwoman of the committee.

7.3 Age

In written materials intended for a general audience, avoid references that make assumptions about age-related abilities, for example, assuming that all college and university students are between the ages 18 and 22.

7.4 Disability

7.4.1 Words such as disabled and blind are adjectives, not nouns.

Special arrangements will be made for disabled students. OR: Special arrangements will be made for students with disabilities. [NOT: Special arrangements will be made for the disabled.]

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Blind people form 5% of the population in the Western Cape. [NOT: The blind form 5% of the population in the Western Cape.]

7.4.2 Choose words that are neutral and that provide accurate descriptions. Avoid brave, courageous, inspirational, special or similar words that are routinely used to describe people with disabilities.

7.4.3 Disabled and handicapped have different meanings. A disability is a functional limitation or restriction of an individual’s ability to perform an activity. A handicap is an environmental barrier that limits or prevents full participation or entrance. Inaccessible entrances are an example of a handicap.

There are designated parking areas for disabled people. [NOT: There are designated parking areas for handicapped people.]

7.5 Race

7.5.1 When used as descriptors of race, the terms black, white and brown should be used as adjectives and not nouns, and should not be capitalised. However, make sure by using the context as a guide that references to race are not unnecessary and discriminatory.

This year there are many black participants in the event. [NOT: This year there are many Blacks in the event.]

7.5.2 When you refer to an Indian person, the word Indian is capitalised because it refers to the country of origin, namely India, which is a proper noun.

7.5.3 Be careful of assumptions about race. People referred to as African may be regarded as belonging to one of several possible races. In other words they could be black Africans or white Africans, for example.

7.6 Sexual orientation

7.6.1 The University of Colorado style guide recommends that the use of adjectives such as acknowledged, admitted, or avowed to qualify the words homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, gay, or heterosexual should be avoided. Openly gay or gay are preferable.

7.6.2 The guide adds that most individuals with a same-sex orientation prefer lesbian or gay rather than homosexual.

7.7 Stereotypes

Write about people as individuals, not as members of a stereotyped group. Do not, therefore, write about engineering students as if they were all male or about secretaries as if they were all female.


8. Bullets and numbers in lists

8.1 Bullets

PLEASE NOTE: Entries marked with an asterisk also pertain to the rules on numbered lists.

8.1.1 Bullet lists are useful for stipulating or arranging specific elements without attaching any order of importance to the items listed. Use only one type of bullet throughout your document, preferably the simple black dot (as used in this document). Using diamonds, arrows and other bullet types could make your document look cluttered. If it is really necessary to use a second level of bullets, choose a simple type and use it consistently.

The division’s research output was as follows: • Three staff members delivered papers at international conferences. • Five staff members contributed chapters to text books. • A total of 45 students graduated. • Thirty students obtained MMed degrees. • Fifteen students obtained BSc degrees.

8.1.2 The bullet list should begin on the line immediately below the introductory segment:*

These are some of the percussion instruments: • triangle • bass drum • tambourine • cymbals

It is not necessary to use a full stop after the final bullet, unless a semicolon (as in 8.1.4) or a full stop (as in 8.1.6) is used in the preceding bullet points.*

8.1.3 Use a colon to introduce a list only if a full sentence or clause precedes the colon. Such a sentence would typically end with the following: or as follows: or Here are some examples: or similar phrases.*

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You should expect your vendor to do the following: • train you in the care of our system • offer regular maintenance • respond promptly to service requests

If the introductory sentence is a sentence fragment, if the list items complete the sentence fragment or if the sentence fragment would not ‘naturally’ take a colon, then no punctuation mark should be used in the introductory sentence.*

The open day programme includes • visits to academic departments; • talks by experts in the field; and • accommodation visits.

A numbered in-text list would be an alternative, although the numbering should be used with caution, since it signals an order of importance:

The open-day programme includes (1) visits to academic departments, (2) talks by experts in the field and (3) accommodation visits.

8.1.4 If the introductory phrase or clause and the listed items are meant to be read as one complete sentence, semicolons should be used to separate bullets, with terminal punctuation at the end of the last bullet.*

Punctuate lists by • placing a comma or semicolon after each item; • placing a comma or semicolon after the second-to-last item; and • concluding with a full stop.

8.1.5 Do not use semicolons or full stops for bullets that are followed by single words that do not form part of or complete a sentence.*

The following sports were not included in the assessment: • soccer • cricket • rugby • swimming • tennis


8.1.6 Full stops are used at the end of each line for points that appear on their own as sentences and that follow a bullet below an introductory clause or phrase. The first letter of each word following the bullet is capitalised:*

Plans for this year include the following: • Twenty kilos will be lost. • The garden will be cleaned regularly. • The car (and the dog) will be washed every fortnight. • Weekends will not be punctuated by the demands of the children.

8.1.7 If the items within the list are sentence fragments, they may begin with either a capital or a lowercase letter, handled consistently throughout your document. Do not include any terminal punctuation.*

Examples of cardiovascular exercises are as follows: • Step aerobics • Rope jumping • Jogging • Dancing

8.1.8 If the bullet list completes a sentence begun in an introductory element, the full stop after the last bullet is omitted unless the items in the list are separated by commas or semicolons. (There should be no terminal punctuation if there is no internal punctuation.)*

The improvement of skills will require that • additional workshops be attended • further studies be undertaken • a skills audit be done

8.1.9 If items in a displayed list not preceded by introductory text are complete sentences, they should begin with a capital letter and end with the appropriate terminal punctuation.*

• Use spaces in telephone numbers. • The number must contain the area code. • Do not use parentheses for the area code. • Do not use hyphens.

8.1.10 If an item extends beyond one line, align the beginning of each line with the first word of the item after the bullet.*

The school’s mission is to • support the city’s development; • empower students with leadership competency and the requisite technical skills; and • provide valuable research that will enhance the school’s standing as an institution of academic excellence.


8.1.11 The grammatical form of the list items should agree.*

Ways of staying sane include • taking long walks; • reading as often as possible; and • talking to loved ones. [NOT: Ways of staying sane include • taking long walks; • read as often as possible; and • to talk to loved ones.]

8.2 Numbers

8.2.1 Numbers are used instead of bullets if the logical sequence of the information is important.

8.2.2 Avoid single-item numbered lists.

8.2.3 Type the number using arabic numerals followed by a full stop. Do not place the number between brackets or italicise it.

Three of the most popular books 1. The Bible 2. Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung 3. American spelling book

8.2.4 Use numbered lists for items that are in a required order (such as step-by-step instructions) or for items that must be referred to by item order.

Rules at traffic lights: 1. Approach all traffic lights cautiously. 2. Be aware of pedestrians at traffic lights. 3. Glance at the driver of the vehicle adjacent to yours. 4. Look carefully at the car that he or she is driving. 5. Make the decision on whether or not to beat him or her to the next traffic light. 6. Get ready.

8.2.5 Numbered list items can be punctuated only if they are complete sentences or verb phrases that complete the sentence begun by the introductory phrase or clause.

She was able to trace the stolen goods by 1. contacting the dealer to whom the goods had been sold. 2. obtaining the names that had been used by the criminals. 3. comparing the names against an existing database to establish where they lived. 4. raiding the homes at the addresses obtained from the database.


8.2.6 Follow the format below for subnumbering and alignment of numbers (number up to four decimals and then add roman numerals or letters).

1. 1.1 1.1.1 1.1.1.1 (i) or 1.1.1.1 (a)


9. Punctuation

9.1 Ampersand

9.1.1 Use the ampersand if it forms part of a company’s name or if two proper names are linked to indicate one unit.

Crockett & Jones I&J the Caribbean state of Trinidad & Tobago the comedy pair Abbot & Costello

9.1.2 Do not use the ampersand as an abbreviation for and, except when used in citations (see Section 12 on referencing).

9.2 Apostrophe

9.2.1 A common error is to use apostrophes with possessive personal pronouns.

Its name is Butch – not an original one. [NOT: It’s name is Butch – not an original one.]

9.2.2 Do not use apostrophes when creating plurals that include names, abbreviations (with or without full stops), numbers and words not usually used as nouns.

SMSs [NOT: SMS’s] CVs [NOT: CV’s] BAs [NOT: BA’s] the 70s [NOT: the 70’s] tos and fros [NOT: to’s and fro’s] the three Rs [NOT: the three R’s]

9.2.3 Although apostrophes are generally not used for plurals, there are exceptions. They are often used for the plural form of single letters, but not for capital letters or numbers. Common sense and context will often determine their use.

The word better has two t’s. Mind your p’s and q’s. Vowels include a’s and i’s.

Section

9


9.2.4 Apostrophes are also sometimes used to indicate missing numbers.

the beat generation of the ’60s

9.2.5 In cases where the apostrophe is used in contractions, place the apostrophe in the position corresponding to the missing letter or letters.

I’m, can’t, she’ll, mustn’t

9.2.6 Apostrophes are also used to imply of in the genitive case (similar to possessives and formed like them).

He has six years' experience. In a month's time, we will launch the programme.

Do not use the apostrophe in the following case:

She completed her studies three years ago. [NOT: She completed her studies three years’ ago.]

9.2.7 Omit the additional s after singular nouns ending in an s or z sound and combined with sake.

for goodness’ sake for appearance’ sake for conscience’ sake

9.2.8 When a singular or plural name or term is italicised, set the possessive ’s in roman.

The Sunday Independent’s staff Dracula’s exploration of imperialism

9.2.9 Use ’s after the last of a set of linked nouns sharing possession.

Laurel and Hardy’s comedies Rice and Lloyd-Weber’s musicals Lennon and McCartney’s compositions

9.3 Colon

9.3.1 Capitals should be used after colons only if the word following the colon is a proper noun; if the first word of a quotation is capitalised; if the colon follows a formal salutation or brief instruction such as Note: or Warning:; or sometimes if the material following the colon is a whole sentence or sentences expressing a complete thought.

The man warned: Chuck Norris takes no prisoners. Please note: The deadline for entries is 21 May 2006. May I have your attention: A blue Fiat, CA 12345, seems to have acquired a new owner.


9.3.2 The colon should not precede linking words or phrases in the introduction to a list, and should follow them only where they introduce a main clause.

Her study focused on two authors, namely Coetzee and Fugard. [NOT: Her study focused on two authors: namely Coetzee and Fugard.] She used this example: Of the three central characters in Wuthering Heights, the younger Catherine is the most appealing.

9.3.3 Do not use a colon to introduce a statement or a list that completes the sentence formed by the introduction. In the following examples, a colon should not be placed after include and to respectively:

Other sites worth visiting include Kirstenbosch Gardens, Cape Nature Reserve and Fish River Canyon. During our holiday, we went to Hout Bay, Kommetjie and Cape Town.

9.4 Comma

9.4.1 Do not introduce a comma between subject and verb, or verb and object – even after a long subject, where there would be a natural pause in speech.

Those who have the largest incomes and who have amassed the greatest personal savings should be taxed most. [NOT: Those who have the largest incomes and who have amassed the greatest personal savings, should be taxed most.] A driver who has drunk too much at a party and then leaves may soon end up in a very sobering situation. [NOT: A driver who has drunk too much and then leaves, may soon end up in a very sobering situation.]

TIP: The tendency to add a comma before should and may in the sentences above can usually be avoided by restructuring the sentences (if the context of the text allows this).

Those who make and save the most should be taxed most.

A driver may soon end up in a sobering situation if he or she has drunk too much and then left the party.

9.4.2 If the words between the commas are removed, the sentence should still read correctly.

There is something about the car, despite its obvious sportiness, that did not appeal to the client.


9.4.3 Use a comma where the same word appears twice in succession.

All the money that he had, had been used for food. We agreed to move on, on the understanding that we would not be followed.

9.4.4 Even where the structure does not require a comma, use one to eliminate ambiguity and provide clarity.

However, much as I should like to I cannot agree. She greeted the official who approached her, and smiled. With the vehicle moving, the passenger jumped out.

9.4.5 In some cases, the removal or insertion of parenthetical commas can alter the meaning of a sentence.

Compare: He, having paid the dealer, left the store. He, having paid, the dealer left the store.

9.4.6 If the list comma (also known as the Oxford or serial comma) is used, ensure that it is used consistently throughout the text.

She asked for pens, pencils, rubbers, and rulers.

9.4.7 The comma is not used in dates, but can be used to indicate specific days and dates.

Thursday 21 April BUT: Workers’ Day, Sunday 1 May

9.5 Dash

9.5.1 The Language Service prefers that the en rule with spaces either side be used as a dash. The hyphen should not be used as a dash.

She studied him carefully – unknown to him – and then pounced. [NOT: She studied him carefully - unknown to him - and then pounced.]

TIP: The dash can be easily inserted by pressing Ctrl followed by the minus sign key. (usually in the upper right corner of your keyboard on the same line as the Num Lock key).

9.5.2 The primary function of the dash is to set off important parenthetical information.

The rate had increased sharply – against all expectations.


9.5.3 Although dashes are often used to set off important information, they are sometimes overused. Most of their functions can be performed by other punctuation marks. A sentence should not contain more than one or one pair of dashes.

[NOT: The thief – often seen in the area – had escaped with the loot – a bagful of it. The thief, often seen in the area, had escaped with a bagful of loot.

9.5.4 The en rule without spaces either side is used as a substitute for to, but should not be used after from or between.

A range of 3–5% It ranged from 3% to 5% It was somewhere between 3% and 5% [NOT: It ranged from 3%–5%] [NOT: It was somewhere between 3%–5%]

9.5.5 When a terminal date is in the future, use an en rule alone.

John Travolta (1960–)

9.5.6 The solidus replaces the en rule for a period of one year that extends across calendar years.

2001/2002 year of assessment

9.5.7 Do not abbreviate the second date of two linked dates.

They were league champions in 1985–1988. [NOT: They were league champions in 1985–’88.]

9.6 Ellipsis

9.6.1 The ellipsis is used to indicate the omission of words in a sentence. Type in spaces between the three points as well as on both sides of the ellipsis.

He knew that some officials . . . and members of parliament will be present.

9.6.2 When a complete sentence is followed by omitted material, the closing full stop appears immediately at the end of the sentence, followed by the three points of omission. The example below indicates that at least one sentence has been omitted.

All that could be heard was the loud roar. . . . At least one person did not survive the attack.

9.6.3 Sentences ending with a question or exclamation mark retain these marks, before or after the ellipsis:

But how . . . ? But how had it happened? . . . they had indeed been able to . . . !


9.7 Full stop

No full stop is used in main headings, subheadings or other headings.

9.8 Hyphen

9.8.1 The hyphen joins two or more words, either as a fixed compound or to avoid ambiguity.

anti-inflammatory, son-in-law, three-month-old baby, short-haired dog, twenty-one, one-quarter

9.8.2 Compound modifiers that follow a noun usually do not have a hyphen.

The outline is well drawn. The records are not up to date. An agreement of long standing.

BUT: Two or more modifiers forming a unit that precedes the noun are hyphenated.

the up-to-date records a long-standing agreement

Please note the following examples from Oxford style manual:

A small scale factory is a small factory that manufactures scales, while a small-scale factory is a factory that produces a small amount of something. A stainless steel table is a clean table made of steel, while a stainless-steel table is a table made of stainless-steel.

9.8.3 Words with prefixes are usually written as one word, except where this may cause confusion or mispronunciation.

re-entry de-ice non-effective vice-chancellor co-operation

9.8.4 The Language Service prefers that the hyphen be used in words where vowels appear twice in succession.

co-ordination re-evaluation

9.8.5 Prefixes that appear before names and dates should also be hyphenated.

anti-Darwinism pre-1980s mid-December (but mid-nineteenth century)


9.8.6 Use hyphens for spelt-out numbers from 21.

twenty-two eighty-seven three hundred and forty-three

9.8.7 Use hyphens for fractions.

one-third five-eighths

9.8.8 The hyphen can be used to indicate omitted units common to a series.

two-, three- or fourfold upper- and middle-class citizens

9.9 Parentheses

9.9.1 A complete sentence within brackets has its first word capitalised and ends in a full stop only when it does not appear within another sentence – even when it ends the enclosing sentence.

Squeals of laughter echoed through the streets. (It was holiday time.) Squeals of laughter echoed (it was holiday time) through the streets. Squeals of laughter echoed through the streets (it was holiday time).

9.9.2 Square brackets are used within round brackets.

The results compare favourably with similar or existing technology. (This measurement is done [as far as possible] according to local and international standards.)

9.9.3 Square brackets are also used to indicate additions and changes in quotations in scientific writing (see Section 12 on referencing).

9.10 Question mark and exclamation mark

9.10.1 Matter following a question mark begins with a capital letter.

Would you like chocolate? Cake? Cream?

Questions contained within another sentence are not followed by a capital.

The concern Is it possible? is likely to cause many sleepless nights.


9.10.2 The first words of questions contained within another sentence may or may not themselves be capitalised, depending on the impact intended and on the formality of the context. The question mark is placed at whatever point the question ends in a sentence.

This begs the question, Can this be allowed to continue? She wondered, why not?

9.10.3 The double question mark (??) and the combination (?!), used to add incredulity to a question, should be avoided.

9.11 Quotation marks

9.11.1 The Language Service prefers that when a quotation appears within a quotation, single quotation marks should be used within double ones.

“I suggest,” she said, “that you embrace the theory of ‘no pain, no gain’ when working on that six-pack.”

9.11.2 Use single, not double, quotation marks in headlines of publications such as newspapers and newsletters.

Stormers told to ‘win back the supporters’

9.11.3 In general, double quotation marks should be used for direct speech, while single quotation marks are used in the following cases:

• When setting off words or phrases used in a special sense • When using words ironically • When using words that are particularly significant or that might be

unfamiliar to the reader

The words ‘affect’ and ‘effect’ are often confused. Please explain exactly what you mean by ‘conventions’. Mark your preference with an ‘X’.

9.11.4 The Language Service prefers the convention in British English of having the terminal punctuation fall inside the quotation marks when the quoted material is a complete sentence or question, and the terminal punctuation is not duplicated by another mark outside the quotation mark.

[NOT: She remarked, “I suggest you get the six-pack.”.] She remarked, “I suggest that you get the six-pack.” He asked, “Would that be all right?”

9.11.5 When the quoted material is not a complete sentence or utterance, the full stop falls outside the quotation marks.

She remarked that I should focus on “getting the six-pack”.


9.12 Semicolon

9.12.1 In a sentence that has already been subdivided by commas, use a semicolon instead of a comma to indicate a stronger division.

They were allowed to proceed, even without the required documents, to the next destination; but, having encountered some resistance, changed their minds.

9.12.2 In a list where any of the elements themselves contain commas, use a semicolon to clarify the relationship of the components. This is common in lists with internal commas, where semicolons structure the internal hierarchy of its components.

Those present included Trafalgar High, Cape Town; Paul Roos Gymnasium, Stellenbosch; and Windsor Senior Secondary, Port Elizabeth.

9.13 Solidus/Slash

9.13.1 Its main use is in separating alternatives (not as a replacement for and and or) and is usually set close up (without spaces) to the matter it relates on either side. In order to avoid confusion, it is sometimes preferable to have a space between the solidus and its preceding and succeeding word.

solidus/slash/slant/oblique pink daisies / roses (when referring to pink daisies or roses) v pink daisies/roses (when referring to pink daisies or pink roses)

The general rule is that spaces are used before and after the solidus only when one or both of the items separated by the solidus contain more than one word.

and/or (i.e. no spaces) executive members / consultants (i.e. with spaces)

9.13.2 Although the solidus forms part of certain abbreviations, it should not be used in place of a full stop in an abbreviation.

a/c for account, c/o for care of, 24/7 for twenty-four hours a day PO Box, BA degree, HO building [NOT: p/o box, B/A degree, H/O building]


10. Numbers

10.1 In general

10.1.1 When used in text, write out in full the numbers from one to nine and numbers used figuratively. (In Afrikaans the numbers from one to ten are written out in full.) See Section 3, Addresses, for other uses.

We have two children. [NOT: We have 2 children.] I’ve told you a thousand times . . . [NOT: I’ve told you a 1 000 times . . .]

10.1.2 It is sometimes clearer when two sets of figures are mixed to use words for one and figures for the other.

Forty 9-page documents

10.1.3 However, for purposes of consistency, numbers below and above nine that appear in the same sentence should either all be written out or appear as numbers. In simple cases, the format used is usually determined by which form appears first. However, the format will also be determined by the numbers that appear in the rest of the sentence. In other words, the text should read as easily as possible and all the figures in the sentence should be handled in the same way.

There were eight students in one class and eleven in the other. Although 25 students had initially been enrolled, only 7 completed the course. BUT: Acocks’s original 7 biomes have been extended to 9 continental biomes and 2 on the Prince Edward Islands, and his 79 veld types to 435.

10.1.4 Do not begin a sentence with a number. Write the number in words instead or rephrase the sentence.

Eleven learners were excluded. The number of exclusions was 11. [NOT: 11 learners were excluded.] Eighty per cent of households have pets. [NOT: 80% of households have pets.]

Section

10


10.1.5 Spell out per cent instead of using the symbol % when it is preceded by a number that has been written out.

Exclusions have fallen by five per cent. [NOT: Exclusions have fallen by five %.] [NOT: Exclusions have fallen by 5 per cent.]

10.1.6 There is no space between the number and the percentage symbol.

80%

10.1.7 When to is being used as part of a ratio, it is usually best to spell it out.

They decided, by 30 votes to 12, to put the matter to the general assembly, which voted 27 to 19. [NOT: They decided, by 30:12 votes, to put the matter to the general assembly, which voted 27:19.]

10.1.8 Spell out million and billion unless they appear in tables, and use a hard space to separate the figure from the word. (See tip below 4.1.9 on how to insert a hard space.)

R8 million 23 billion

10.1.9 When dealing with large numbers, try to rephrase the sentence rather than beginning the sentence with a large number.

A total of 20 300 people attended the concert. [NOT: Twenty-thousand three-hundred people attended the concert.]

10.1.10 Dates are written as follows:

6 January [NOT: 06:01] 25 June [NOT: 25:06]

10.1.11 Numbers and monetary values are indicated as follows (with hard spaces, not commas, separating the numbers of four digits:

1 359 [NOT: 1,359] 125 359 [NOT: 125,359] R7,50 R1 777,99 R147 777,99


TIP: In South Africa the decimal comma is used, except in most financial and accounting texts, where the comma is used as a thousands separator, for example R1,500,000.00. Do not use the comma as a thousands separator in any other type of text.

10.2 Currency

There are no spaces between currency symbols and figures.

R8,50 US$45

TIP: The US is only used if it is necessary to distinguish the dollar from another country’s monetary unit, such as the Zimbabwean dollar (Z$3 000).

10.3 Punctuation

10.3.1 Use a hard space to separate numbers of four digits and over in general text.

The school has 1 500 learners.

10.3.2 Use common fractions or percentages rather than decimals where possible.

Three-quarters of the staff are women.

10.3.3 Fractions of less than one are usually spelt out, using hyphens between words.

One-tenth of children suffer bullying at school. Her new job meant a salary increase of 1,5 times her original salary.

10.3.4 Time is indicated as follows:

06:30 [NOT: 6h30m, 06h30, 6.30, or 06-30] 14:50 [NOT: 14h50m, 14h50, 14.50, or 14-50]


11. Scientific writing In this section, the term ‘thesis’ includes ‘dissertation’ and ‘academic article’ or ‘paper’.

11.1 General

The editing of theses, dissertations and other academic writing should be approached very carefully. We may not over-edit, since the student will be awarded a mark for the work. We therefore recommend a ‘lighter’ edit than is usually done on other documents. Should you wish to comment on factual information, problems with argument, etc., rather insert comments that the student can read. This is done at Insert > Comment.

We always ask students whether their promoters or departments have given them specific prescriptions regarding the writing of the thesis. Such prescriptions usually focus on layout aspects such as font type and size, sizes of margins and references. If there are no accompanying instructions, the prescriptions of this document (which are applicable to all Stellenbosch University theses) are used. We will try to ascertain which referencing method is prescribed.

See Section 12 for guidelines on referencing and the Harvard method, or consult the book Scientific writing skills by Amanda Lourens and Laetitia Bedeker (2007) for guidelines on four referencing methods, namely Harvard, APA, MLA and Vancouver.

11.2 Macro-structure

11.2.1 Order of contents of theses

Unless otherwise requested, the order of the contents of theses should be as follows:

• Title page with correct wording (as explained in the General Calendar, available on the University’s website at www.sun.ac.za)

• Declaration regarding the originality of the thesis, with space below it for the candidate’s signature

• Abstract in English • Abstract in Afrikaans (Opsomming) • Acknowledgement • List of contents

Please note: Should the thesis be written in Afrikaans, the Afrikaans abstract is placed first, followed by the English abstract.

Section

11


11.2.2 The title page

According to the University’s General Calendar, the title page should contain the following:

The top third of the page will contain the title of the thesis and the candidate’s name and surname directly below it. For a thesis written in English, the following wording will appear below the candidate’s name:

Assignment/Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of . . . (e.g. Arts) at Stellenbosch University.

The name(s) of the promoter(s) will appear at the foot of the page, followed by the month (e.g. March or December) and year in which the degree will be awarded. See p. 35 for an example of a title page.

11.2.3 The declaration

The declaration is worded as follows:

I, the undersigned, hereby declare that the work contained in this assignment/thesis is my own work and that I have not previously in its entirety or in part submitted it at any university for a degree. Signature: .................. Date: .......................................

11.2.4 The list of contents

The items in the list of contents should be numbered and page numbers should be provided. Numbering should preferably not exceed the fourth level.

1 1.1 1.1.1 1.1.1.1

Any further subnumbering in the text should rather be in roman numerals (i, ii, iii, etc.) or letters of the alphabet (a, b, c, etc.). Such numbering can be included in the list of contents if necessary, but preferably not.

VERY IMPORTANT: All changes made to the headings in the list of contents must also be reflected in the headings in the text, and vice versa.

11.2.5 Page number

Pages should be numbered in the following way:

The declaration page is ii, and successive pages (up to the first page of chapter 1) are numbered in roman numerals. The first page of chapter 1 is numbered as 1.


Modern commentaries on the Book of Exodus

and their appropriateness in Africa

Jonathan Tyosar Weor

Thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of

Theology at Stellenbosch University.

Study Leader: Prof. HL Bosman

March 2007


TIP: It is possible to use both roman and arabic numerals for page numbering in Word documents. Proceed as follows:

Click on the ¶ button on your standard toolbar so that the spacing in the text can be seen clearly.

Click at the top of the page (at the start of the text) where the first arabic numeral (1) should appear. Click on the following links: Insert > Break. At the section, Section break types, click on Next page. A section break will then be displayed on the previous page.

Go to the first page that should be numbered in roman numerals (not the title page, but the page thereafter on which ii should appear). Click on the following links: View > Header and footer. You should now be able to see the headers and footers in your document. Click in the footer in which the roman numeral ii will appear (the second page of the thesis). You will see that the footer has been marked as Footer – Section 1. Click on the following links: Insert > Page numbers. At Format select i, ii, iii, and at Start at select ii.

Proceed to the first page that should be numbered in arabic numerals. You will see that the footer has been marked as Footer – Section 2.

Click on the footer, and then click on the following links: Insert > Page number. At Format select 1, 2, 3 and at Start at select 1.

11.2.6 Font type and size and spacing

The thesis should be typed in an easily legible font type, for example Arial, Times New Roman or Verdana. The font type should be 12 (for Arial and Times New Roman) and 11 for Verdana.

Each page should have a white space of 2 cm on the left-hand side and of 1 cm in the remaining three sides respectively. The line spacing should be one and a half or double, preferably the first-mentioned.

11.2.7 The reference list

The reference list or bibliography appears immediately after the last chapter, just before the appendices. The reference list should be edited in full in accordance with the provided prescriptions. If the same error appears repeatedly, a comment block could be inserted to alert the student to attend to other instances of it. Do not edit only the first five entries and then comment that the student should do the rest. Correct as many as possible within the guideline of four pages an hour.

11.2.8 Appendix

Appendices are usually numbered as A, B, C, etc. They follow the reference list or bibliography and therefore comprise the last pages(s) of the thesis. The appendices often consist of questionnaires and other information used in the research process. It is therefore unnecessary to edit such appendices, unless specific instructions indicate that they should be.


11.3 Micro-structure

11.3.1 Punctuation

Make sure that straight quotes or smart quotes are used consistently. When the text is edited electronically, it is often necessary to print a page or two to ensure that the quotation marks have been used consistently. We do not have any particular preference, but focus on consistency of use.

Specific rules govern the use of punctuation in quotations and references. Please refer to the guidelines provided by the student or to Section 12 of this style guide.

Cross-references in English are usually capitalised.

In Chapter 2 it was stated that . . . . . . as depicted by Figure 2.5.

11.3.2 Grammar

Make sure of general grammatical errors. In English text, et al. is followed by the plural form because it means and others. The Language Service prefers that et al. not be italicised because the term is used frequently and its meaning generally well known. (In this paragraph et al. is italicised because it is used as an example. Do not italicise it in a thesis or paper, for example.)

Schultz et al. (1985) differentiate [Not: Schultz et al. (1985) differentiates]

11.3.3 Quotations

Do not amend direct quotations. Should the quotation contain errors, rather insert a comment in that regard and suggest how the ‘error’ could be corrected.

11.3.4 References

The reference list should be checked in full. Students generally commit many errors in their referencing and some departments do not provide sufficient guidelines on referencing. Rather print the reference list and place it close at hand while doing the editing, so that the sources are continually checked. Whenever a source is referred to in the text, it must be cross-checked against the reference list to make sure that the source has been listed and that the details of the author’s name and the date of the work correspond.

11.3.5 Figures and tables

• All figures and tables should have suitable titles, which should be listed in the table of contents under a separate section for figures and tables. The following guidelines apply to figures and tables in scientific writing:

• The figure or table should be placed as close as possible to the paragraph in which it is first referred to.

• The figure or table should be numbered appropriately. In Chapter 2, for example, the first figure will be numbered as Figure 2.1 and the second as Figure 2.2. The first figure in Chapter 3 will therefore be Figure 3.1. The same applies to the numbering of tables.


• If the figure or table has been taken from another source, an accurate reference to the source should appear at the bottom of the figure or table.

• A figure’s title usually appears below the figure, while for a table the title appears above it.

• It is often not possible to edit the text that accompanies the figure or table because the editor does not have access to the original figure or table, and it has often been scanned. Should corrections be made, use the Comment function to indicate clearly where they should be made.

39

12. Referencing1

References are used to acknowledge use of another researcher’s work and to avoid plagiarism. They are also used to enable the reader to trace sources. For these reasons, consistent use of referencing conventions is crucial. Make sure that the guidelines of the referencing method concerned are applied consistently.

12.1 Which method of referencing should be used?

The referencing method required for a specific research task should be determined beforehand. Different academic departments or institutions require different referencing methods. Scientific journals also have certain set requirements regarding the referencing method that must be used.

Timely enquiries should therefore be made about the required referencing method before commencing the editing task.

This section provides examples of how to reference a variety of sources. The references that are in an appropriate form for inclusion in a text are indicated by a T, while complete references, in the form in which they might appear in a list of references, are indicated by a B.

12.2 Methods of referring to information

Information can be referenced according to four different methods in scientific writing: source referencing, secondary referencing, cross-referencing and content referencing.

12.2.1 Source referencing

Source referencing is done by placing a reference in parentheses in the text immediately after the borrowed information. In such cases, the reference is also included in a list of sources that appears at the end of the document. Each referencing method has specific requirements for the title and structure of the list.

12.2.2 Secondary referencing

Often, a source that is used by a writer (the secondary source) contains a quotation from or reference to another source (the primary source). The writer of the thesis may be unable to trace the primary source in order to quote from it or refer to it directly, in which case he or she has to use secondary referencing.

1 The content of this section was adapted, shortened and translated by the Language Centre from the following source: Lourens, A. 2004. Wetenskaplike skryfvaardighede. References by L. Bedeker. Stellenbosch: SUN PReSS. 89–105.

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Should such referencing be used, both the primary and the secondary source must be mentioned in the text.

T: . . . refutes this view (Combrink, 1990:127, cited in La Grange, 1995:12).

Some prescriptions require that both sources be listed in the reference list, while others prefer that only the secondary source (meaning the source that was used by the writer) be listed. (The information on the primary source should appear in the reference list of the secondary source.)

12.2.3 Cross-referencing

Any reference within a text to a specific part of a work, such as a chapter, section, table or paragraph, must be as specific as possible. The specific part of the item should then be referred to, rather than referring to the number of the page on which the information appears.

(see Chapter 7) (see Table A.1) (see Figure 2.1)

Please note that the name of the part should start with a capital letter if the text is written in English. If the text is written in Afrikaans, these references should be in lower case.

If a cross-reference relates to the preceding sentence, the reference must form part of the sentence.

T: . . . is called a superstructure (see Chapter 7).

If the cross-reference relates to the entire paragraph, however, the reference must follow the final punctuation mark of the last sentence referring to the source material.

T: . . . is called a superstructure. (See Chapter 7.)

12.2.4 Content referencing

Footnotes and endnotes are both examples of content referencing.

Footnotes appear at the bottom of a page and are separated from the last line of text by additional space and/or a line, and/or a smaller font. Footnotes are indicated by means of superscript (raised) arabic numerals in the text, which are preferably placed at the end of a sentence and always follow immediately after the preceding punctuation mark.

T: . . . is a custom of the Khoisan.¹ Footnote: ¹ The origin and meaning of this custom are unknown.

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A footnote that only applies to a particular section of a sentence or to a single word or name must be placed directly after the relevant portion of text.

T: The director of the company, André Billing,¹ attempted to . . . Footnote: ¹ André Billing is the former director of Jacob Minings.

The same numerical sequence of footnotes must run throughout the text.

Endnotes appear on a separate page at the end of a document (before the reference list) and should be titled either Endnotes or Notes. Endnotes are also indicated by means of superscript arabic numerals.

12.3 Referencing different types of sources

12.3.1 References to printed sources

The essential components of references to printed sources are discussed below.

Examples in this section are given according to the Harvard method as illustrations of the technique. If another referencing method is used, the information should be adapted accordingly.

The author

The author is the person who is primarily responsible for the intellectual/artistic content of a work. The author of a work may be: a single person; more than one person; a corporate body; a government; a conference; etc.

The year of publication

The year of publication of the source material should be given. In its absence the copyright date should be provided, immediately preceded by a lowercase c, such as in c1974.

If neither the date of publication nor the date of copyright is provided, the English abbreviation n.d. (no date) or the equivalent Latin abbreviation s.a. (sine anno) should be used. However, please note that the Language Service prefers that the English terms be used as far as possible.

T: (Ross, [n.d.]) B: Ross, F.C.L. [N.d.]. A first course in probability. New York: Macmillan.

Note the use of capital and lowercase letters in abbreviations such as s.a. An abbreviation preceded by a full stop begins with a capital letter, while one preceded by a comma/colon begins with a lowercase letter.

Title

Give the precise wording, word order and spelling of the original title, though not necessarily the same punctuation and capitalisation.

Most referencing methods require that the titles of published works should appear in italics. Titles should not be underlined, so that there is no confusion with active web links.

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If the title consists of two parts (the title and the subtitle) both parts must be given in the reference, separated by a colon.

Graaff-Reinet during the First World War: A socio-historical investigation

Make sure that you know what the requirements of the department/journal are regarding the use of capital and lowercase letters in the title and apply those requirements consistently. Some requirements state that significant words in the titles should be written in capital letters, while others state that this type of capitalisation should not be used.

From Fables and Festivals to Gables and Ghosts v From fables and festivals to gables and ghosts

Please note that the titles of journals should be capitalised (regardless of whether the titles of the articles and books are capitalised).

Hilton, J. 1993. Cohesion in Latin. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde, 31(15):41–54.

If the title of a source is very long, part of it may be omitted from the reference in the text. Such an omission must be indicated by an ellipsis with a space before and after each dot ( . . . ).

A critical overview of linguistics . . .

Edition

The details of the specific edition of a publication should be given.

B: Press, W.H. 1988. The art of scientific computing. Revised edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

If the edition is not the first, the number of the edition should also be indicated.

B: Press, W.H. 1988. The art of scientific computing. 2nd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Place of publication

Use the place name that is indicated most prominently. If more than one place name is given, use the one that is listed first. Normally only one place of publication should be given.

If a place name is usually associated with a specific country, the country does not have to be specified.

Cambridge: ABC Publishing But Cambridge, Mass.: Sun Books

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If the place of publication cannot be determined, the English abbreviation n.p. (no place of publication) or the equivalent Latin abbreviation s.l. (sine loco) should be used.

B: Burden, R.L. & Faires, J.D. 1997. Numerical analysis. [N.p.]: Cole Publishing.

REMEMBER: The information in references to sources must be given in the same language as that in which the thesis was written. Therefore, if the thesis is in English, place names in the reference list must also be in English, no matter what the language of the original document is. Abbreviations should also be given in English, such as ed. (editor).

Publisher

The name of the publisher must be given in the shortest possible form in which it can be understood and recognised internationally. Leave out extras such as Ltd, & Sons and Inc.

David Gresham Ltd therefore becomes David Gresham or Gresham George Johnson & Co becomes George Johnson or Johnson

The word Press must be retained in the name of a university press, since the university may publish independently of its press.

If the name of the publisher cannot be determined, the English abbreviation n.n. (no name) or the equivalent Latin abbreviation s.n. (sine nominee) should be used.

B: Stewart, J. 1995. Early transcendentals. Durban: [n.n.].

If neither the place of publication nor the name of the publisher can be determined, the English abbreviations n.p. and n.n. (or their Latin equivalents) are used in the same paired set of square brackets.

B: Stewart, J. 1995. Early transcendentals. [N.p.: n.n.].

If the author is also the publisher, the name of the publisher is omitted at the end of the reference.

B: Aids Foundation of South Africa. 1998. Aids in South Africa. Cape Town.

Volume, edition and/or page numbers

In the reference list, page numbers are normally given only for chapters of or contributions to a book, as well as for articles in journals. Note the requirements of the particular department/journal concerned in this regard. Give the number of the

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first page and the last page of the contribution in the reference list. Only the specific page on which the quotation appears is given in the text.

T: . . . provides clear evidence for this (Matthews, 2000:46). B: Matthews, R. 2000. A quintet of queuing quirks, in H. Peters (ed.). Mathematical madness. Pretoria: Van Schaik. 316–329.

In a reference to an article in a journal, the volume and issue numbers are provided before the page numbers.

B: Matthews, R. 2002. A quintet of queuing quirks. Mathematics Today, 33(2):45–75.

12.3.2 References to electronic sources

The following details should be provided if possible:

• the name of the author/editor (if available) • the title of the page/article • the title of the web page (usually obtainable from the site’s home page) • the type of medium (for example electronic journal, online) • the date on which the website was last updated, or the copyright date • the full uniform resource locator (URL) of the website (for example:

http://www. . .) • the date on which the website was accessed (the access date)

Do not activate the hyperlinks of web addresses and remember to remove the underlining. Active hyperlinks are only used in documents in which you want the reader to actually click on and follow the links.

12.4 Referencing: The Harvard method

12.4.1 General characteristics

The Harvard method is also known as the author-date method. The method is used primarily in the humanities, for example in the fields of languages, history, art and theology. According to this method, the following information should be given in brackets immediately following the citation: the surname of the author(s) (or the title of the source if the name of the author cannot be determined), the year of publication of the source material and the page number(s) on which the information cited appears.

The textual reference should be supplemented by a list of the sourced material, located before any appendices at the end of the document. According to the Harvard method, a list that contains only sources cited in the text is known as a reference list, while a list of all sources consulted in the research process but not necessarily cited in the text is called a bibliography.

The reference list should be arranged alphabetically according to the surnames of the primary authors responsible for the relevant works or by the titles of the documents sourced. The second and subsequent lines of each reference are indented and one line must be left between each source.

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12.4.2 Punctuation

Quotations up to 40 words long must form part of the sentence/paragraph in which they are embedded.

If a quotation forms part of a sentence, the final punctuation mark of the sentence is placed after the brackets surrounding the relevant citation. The omission of words from a sentence must be indicated by means of an ellipsis (with one space before and after each dot).

According to Strunk and White, there “is virtually no limit to . . . the possibilities” (1979:21).

Should you prefer to place the publication date and page number directly after the names of the authors, the standard form of punctuation should be used.

According to Strunk and White (1979:21), there “is virtually no limit to . . . the possibilities.”

TIP: Rather give the information in parentheses at the end of the sentence, so as not to influence fluid reading.

Including an ellipsis at the start of a quotation is unnecessary if a quotation forms part of a sentence.

Quotations that are longer than 40 words must form an indented paragraph that is not enclosed within quotation marks.

Strunk and White summarise these views on the art of writing as follows: If those who have studied the art of writing are in accord on any one point, it is on this:

the surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definite, and concrete. The greatest writers – Homer, Dante, Shakespeare – are effective largely because they deal in particulars and report the details that matter. Their words call up pictures.

(1979:21)

The omission of an entire sentence or more from a quotation should be indicated by a full stop, followed by an ellipsis exactly where the omission occurs.

Any changes of a quotation or addition of new information to a quotation must be indicated in square brackets, for example:

Strunk and White summarise these views on the art of writing as follows: If those who have studied the art of writing are in accord on any one point, it is on this:

the surest way to arouse and hold the attention of the reader is by being specific, definite and concrete. . . . [The greatest writers’] words call up pictures. (1979:21)

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12.4.3 Examples of the Harvard method

Books: One author

If the name of the author does not form part of the sentence, the author’s surname, the year of publication of the source document and the page number on which the relevant information appears in the source document should be given in brackets.

T: . . . the facts disprove this view (Atkinson, 1990:127).

If the author’s name forms part of the sentence, only the year of publication and page number(s) should be given in brackets.

T: . . . as stated by Atkinson (1990:127) . . . B: Atkinson, P.C.L. 1990. An introduction to numerical analysis. Pretoria: Academica.

A reference to a group of sentences should be made after the full stop ending the last sentence.

T: . . . This, however, is an exception to the rule. (Atkinson, 1990:105)

Books: Authors with the same surname and publication date

If two or more authors of referenced sources have the same surname and the relevant sources were published in the same year, the textual reference must include the author’s initials.

T: This is completely unacceptable (Nel, K.M., 1987:87). T: According to R.S. Nel (1987:45) . . .

In the reference list, the names of the two authors should be listed alphabetically according to their first initials.

B: Nel, K.M. 1987. Evaluating texts. Cape Town: Van Schaik. B: Nel, R.S. 1987. Role playing in class. Pretoria: Juta.

Books: Several works by one author

Several works by the same author that are referred to at a particular place in the text should be separated by semicolons followed by a single space.

T: Local studies (Botha, 1996:558; 1998:302; 2000:278) indicate . . .

Such entries should be listed separately in the reference list and arranged chronologically.

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Books: Several works by one author published in the same year

Different sources produced by the same author in the same year should be enumerated in such a way as to make clear which source is being referred to at any particular stage in the text. Use of lowercase letters for such demarcation is conventional.

T: . . . is “impossible” (Bain, 1979a:25) and “criminal” (Bain, 1979b:58). B: Bain, D.S. 1979a. Child health: The reality. Cape Town: Van Schaik. Bain, D.S. 1979b. Health counselling. Cape Town: Van Schaik.

Books: Two authors

If the names of joint authors of a cited source do not form part of the sentence in which they are cited, they should be separated by an ampersand.

T: The study (Kelton & Law, 1991) shows . . . B: Kelton, W.D. & Law, A.M. 1991. Simulation modelling and analysis. Singapore: McGraw-Hill.

If the names of the joint authors form part of the sentence, the ampersand should be replaced by and in the body of the sentence.

T: Kelton and Law (1991:245) believe that . . .

Books: More than two authors

When referring to three or more authors, all the authors’ names must be given in the first reference to their work in the text. The first two or more names must be separated by commas and the last two by an ampersand if used in parentheses.

T: An independent study (Human, Krause & Palm, 1991) shows . . .

In later textual references to the same work, only the name of the first author should be provided, followed by the Latin abbreviation et al. (without italics, with a full stop after al), and the year of publication. (Please note that et al. has been italicised in this paragraph because it is used as an example.)

T: . . . as shown by this study (Human et al., 1991). B: Human, J., Krause, A. & Palm, R.G. 1991. Introduction to the theory of computation. Cape

Town: Juta.

AN EXCEPTION: Two separate references with the same first author and the same date of publication.

Human, Krause and Palm (1991) and Human, Brink and Smit (1991) will both shorten to Human et al. (1991). In such cases, both references should be cited in full in order to avoid any possible confusion.

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Books: Several works by different authors

Within the text, if the reference is to several works by different authors, the citations should be separated from one another by means of semicolons. The surnames should then be arranged alphabetically within the brackets.

T: Recent studies (Brink, 1978:12; Du Toit, 1987:23; Smuts, 1978:55) indicate . . .

Books: Corporate bodies

If a corporate body is the author of a sourced work, the reference should be listed under the name of the body itself.

T: (Independent Television Commission, 1988:48) B: Independent Television Commission. 1988. The ITC code of advertising standards and

practice. London.

Books: A chapter in an edited book

The textual reference should refer to the author of the chapter under discussion.

T: (Roberts, 1999:318) B: Roberts, M.P. 1999. An introduction to applied probability, in H. van Coller (ed.). First

course in probability. New York: Macmillan Publishing. 316–329.

Books: A chapter (author unknown) in a book

When needing to refer to a specific chapter of which the author is unknown, reference should only be made to the title of the chapter.

T: (Introduction to applied probability, 1999). B: Introduction to applied probability. 1999, in J. Harris & K. Lubbe (eds.). Rheology and non-

Newtonian flow. New York: Criley & Shore. 22–34.

If the title of the chapter is very long, the in-text citation should contain only the first three or four words of the title, followed by an ellipsis indicating the omission of the remainder.

Journals: An article in a journal

The name of the journal is italicised, while the title of the article is not. Arabic numerals should be used to indicate the volume and issue number. If any of the details cannot be established, they may be omitted.

T: (Hilton, 1993) Volume and issue number known (where 31 is the volume number and 15 is the issue number): B: Hilton, J. 1993. Cohesion in Latin. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde, 31(15):41–54. Only volume number known: B: Hilton, J. 1993. Cohesion in Latin. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde, 31:41–54. Only issue number known: B: Hilton, J. 1993. Cohesion in Latin. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde, (15):41–54.

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Some departments/journals prefer that the month/season in which an issue is published be included after the issue number.

B: Hilton, J. 1993. Cohesion in Latin. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde, 31(15), December:41–54.

B: Hilton, J. 1993. Cohesion in Latin. Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Taalkunde, 31(15), Summer:41–54.

Weekly/daily newspapers: Report

An initial article in the title of a newspaper may be omitted from a reference to such a work.

T: (Jones, 2003:3) B: Jones, T. 2003. Potter book sold out in two days. Star, 24 June:3.

Personal communication: Interview

T: . . . admitted openly (Lourens, 2001). B: Lourens, A. 2001. Personal interview. 5 May, Stellenbosch.

Electronic references: CD-ROM and commercial online databases

In the case of CD-ROMs and commercial online databases, the author of the source should be cited in the text, if this information is available.

T: (Odendal & Gouws, 2000) B: Odendal, F.F. & Gouws, R.H. 2000. ELHAT – Elektroniese Verklarende Handwoordeboek

van die Afrikaanse Taal [CD-ROM]. Available: Perskor [2003, 24 June].

If the author cannot be determined, the title of the CD-ROM should be listed first.

T: (ELHAT, 2000) B: ELHAT – Elektroniese Verklarende Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal [CD-ROM].

Available: Perskor [2003, 24 June].

Electronic references: www page

The name of the author, if known, should be cited in the text.

T: (Department of Health, 2001) B: Department of Health, South Africa. 2001. Beyond awareness campaign [Online].

Available: http://www.aidsinfo.co.za/html/rlogo.htm [2001, 19 October].

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12.4.4 Example of a reference list according to the Harvard method

Bain, D.S. 1979a. Child health: The reality. Cape Town: Van Schaik.

Bain, D.S. 1979b. Health counselling. Cape Town: Van Schaik.

Changing attitudes. 1993. Senior Survival, 31(1), December:43–45.

Combrink, J.G.H. 1990. Afrikaanse morfologie: Capita Exemplaria. Pretoria: Academica.

Department of Health, South Africa. 2001. Beyond awareness campaign [Online]. Available: http://www.aidsinfo.co.za/html/rlogo.htm [2001, 19 October].

ELHAT – Elektroniese Verklarende Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal [CD-ROM]. Available: Perskor [2003, 24 June].

Nel, K.M. 1987. Evaluating texts. Cape Town: Van Schaik.

Nel, R.S. 1987. Role playing in class. Cape Town: Van Schaik.


13. Legislation

13.1 In general

13.1.1 Be careful when using article and section. The Afrikaans word artikel is usually translated as section. This does not mean, however, that the use of article would not be more appropriate in certain instances.

Article 3.5.2 of SASSU regulations Article 3.5.1 Privileges of the SRC of Rhodes University

13.1.2 See also the Stellenbosch Law Review’s guidelines at http://law.sun.ac.za/SLRguidelines.doc.

13.2 Acts

13.2.1 Act names and numbers should be written in either of the following ways:

Labour Relations Act No. 66 of 1995 or Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995

13.2.2 As little abbreviation as possible should be used in the text.

13.2.3 With one exception, as indicated below, there are spaces between the various divisions of a section.

section 14 (11) section 14B section 1 (a) section 14 (1) (b) (ii) section 14 (1) (bA)

13.2.4 All lowercase paragraph letters are italicised, but not the brackets and not the subparagraph letters.

Read subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (c). Delete subparagraph (xvi) of paragraph (x) of subsection (3).

Section

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13.3 Cases

13.3.1 Case names: contesting parties’ names appear in italics.

Avex Air (Pty) Ltd v Borough of Vryheid 1973(1) SA 617 (A)

13.3.2 The standard citation format is:

Avex Air (Pty) Ltd v Borough of Vryheid = contesting parties 1973(1) = the year and the volume of the SA Law Reports SA = a South African case 617 = Page where case begins A = Appeal Court

13.3.3 Case names should not be translated.

Pretorius Bemarkers v Kaapstad Munisipaliteit [NOT: Pretorius Marketers v Cape Town Municipality]


14. Track changes The Language Service requires that the track changes be used by all editors for all editing (unless there are specific instructions to the contrary).

The track changes function of Word, in Microsoft XP, works as follows:

Click on Tools and then on Track changes. The toolbar (on which the page number, lines and columns are also indicated) at the bottom of your screen will indicate that the TRK function has been activated. (Should the TRK button appear in light-grey, it means that your track changes function has not been activated.)

When you edit, all changes will be indicated in colour. Words and sentences that have been added appear in colour and are underlined. Words and sentences that have been deleted are indicated in a bubble on the right-hand side. Rather have your document appear in the Print layout view, so that the track changes are not as intrusive. Click on View and then on Print layout.

Should you wish to delete any of the changes made, right-click on the character that you have inserted and then click on Reject insertion. Changes can also be deleted by right-clicking on the Deleted block on the right-hand side of the screen.

Rather switch off the track changes after you have edited the entire document, so that you are able to read through the entire document without seeing the coloured additions and deletions. Click on View and then on Markup. Although you will not be able to see the track changes on your screen, they will still be there. It is very important to follow this step, because the track changes sometimes make it difficult to determine whether or not there are extra spaces between words or after punctuation marks. Before returning the document to the Language Service, click again on View and then on Markup so that the track changes become visible again.

Comments to the author (or to the Language Service) must be inserted by means of comment blocks. Highlight the specific word, sentence or paragraph on which you wish to comment. Click on Insert and then on Comment. A block that will appear on the right-hand side of the document is used for typing in your comment. Should you wish to delete an existing comment block, right-click on the block and then click on Delete comment.

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Sources International Colleges Group. 2004. Editor’s manual. 2nd edition. Cape Town: ICG.

Lourens, A. 2007. Scientific writing skills. References by L Bedeker. Stellenbosch: SUN PReSS.

Nel. F. (ed.). 2000. The South African style guide. New York: Oxford University Press.

Ritter, R. (ed.). 2002. Oxford style manual. New York: Oxford University Press.

Stellenbosch Law Review. 2007. Guidelines for contributors [Online]. Available: http://law.sun.ac.za/SLRguidelines.doc [2007, 14 June].

The Chicago manual of style. 2003. 15th edition. Chicago: Chicago University Press.

University of Colorado style guide. 2002. Inclusive Writing. [Online]. Available: http://www.colorado.edu/Publications/styleguide/inclusive.html [2007, 15 June].

english style guide - stellenbosch university · this style guide has been compiled for language...

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