Last update=
d:
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Prepared by Carrie Zinck for Dr. Baake<= /span>
This style guide was
compiled by reviewing the comments on three dissertations. It is meant to
address common style issues encountered by Drs. Baake and Rickly as they re=
viewed
dissertations and is meant to be a supplement to the Texas Tech Theses and
Dissertation Manual and the MLA
Handbook. Each subject is listed alphabetically.
Acronyms
·
Upon first=
use,
designate the meaning of an acronym by spelling it out completely and putti=
ng
the acronym in parentheses. Example: “The Society for Technical
Communication (STC) was founded…”
·
In repeated
references, use simply the acronym itself. If it has been several pages sin=
ce the
acronym was defined, it may be beneficial to redefine it upon reintroductio=
n.
Capitalization
·
Refer to t=
he
graduate school guidelines for heading capitalization. Note that some are t=
o be
in all caps.
·
In mixed-c=
ase
headings or titles, capitalize the first letter of all words of four letter=
s or
more. Nouns and verbs of all letter lengths, including those with less than
four letters, are always capitalized. Example: To Be or Not to Be, That =
Is
the Question.
·
Refer to
up-to-date style guides to determine capitalization trends for words such as
Internet, World Wide Web, etc.
·
Keep
capitalization consistent. If you capitalize the first word in a series of
listed items, capitalize the others as well.
Charts and Graphics
·
Use consis=
tent colors
on charts. Example: If blue represents males in Chart 1, do not change the
meaning of blue in Chart 2.
·
Cite sourc=
es for
graphics when appropriate.
Gender
·
Avoid the
“he/she” construction as well as using “they” as a
singular noun. Use “he or she” or use them alternately.
·
Avoid usin=
g the
plural (readers, etc.) when possible.
Italics
·
Be consist=
ent
with use of italics for unusual or emphasized words.
·
You should=
use italics
for words that you are calling attention to as words, that is, when they are
not part of the normal flow of the sentence. Example: “Today we might
prefer the gender neutral term postal carrier instead of the old ter=
m mailman.”
This is consistent with MLA guidelines
·
MLA says to
italicize foreign words that are not commonly used in English (for example,
Chinese pinyin words and Greek terms).
Lists and Tables
·
You may se=
parate
a list using semi-colons if it is first introduced as a list by a colon.
·
Align bull=
ets,
numbered lists, table cells, etc. appropriately. Use the applicable software
features to assist you in this process.
·
Make lists=
and
tables parallel by using all phrases or all complete sentences; do not mix.
Capitalize in a consistent fashion as well.
Numbers
·
MLA style =
and
most styles call for a comma separating numerals at the third and fourth di=
git,
sixth and seventh, etc. Examples: 6,000 (not 6000) and 25,7981 (not 257981)=
· =
Generally spell out numbers le=
ss
than 10, unless they are in a list of numbers.
Plural Possessives
·
If somethi=
ng is
owned by two people jointly, use the possessive only for the second name.
Example: “Hall and Hoffstede’s model…”
·
If each ow=
ns separate
things, then each name would take the possessive form. Example:
“Hall’s and Hoffstede’s models…”
Quo=
tations
·
Generally =
you
should cite the source by his or her first and last names and job title or
field of research on first reference.
·
Subsequent
references can use just the last name. If many pages have passed since the
earlier reference, you should restate the name and title to remind the read=
er.
Use common sense here. If it would be clear to the reader who the person is,
you would not to provide a title.
·
Introduce
written text with “He writes…” or “He
notes…” Reserve “says” for spoken words.
·
Generally =
you
should not use “that” to lead into quoted material, but only for
indirectly quoted material: Example: “He said, ‘I am
happy.’” or “He said that he is happy.”
Verb Tense
·
It is impo=
rtant
that verb tenses remain consistent. Anything that has been completed (which
should include everything in your dissertation) should be in past tense.
·
Remember t=
hat
your dissertation is written to be read after it is complete. Therefore, do=
not
write the goals of the dissertation in the future tense, even if you are
writing a chapter before you have finished the research. Do not write the
following: “For my research, I will develop a survey to give to techn=
ical
writing instructors. Instead write, “For my research I developed a
survey….”
Word Choice
·
Try not to=
use
the pronoun "this" without stating immediately after what it
modifies. Example: “This research...” or “these
findings...”
·
When intro=
ducing
a new and uncommon word, a one or two-word definition in parentheses may be
helpful.
· Conduct a = search on is, are, was, and were and see if you can make verbs= more active. Re-arrange sentences = and/or substitute different verbs. <= o:p>
·
Be wary of
constructions such as these:
"there is/was/were," "it is/was/were," etc.
·
Limit
“as” clauses. Use “because” or “since”
instead where possible.