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Service. Maritimes Region. INFORMATION PUBLICATION
Guide for
Technical Writing and
Publication
2569
by
K.E.H.Smith
Information Publication No. MAR/N-74-2
Resource Development Branch
2.11S
GUIDE FOR TECHNICAL WRITING
AND PUBLICATION
K.E.H. SMITH
NOVEMBER, 1974
INFORMATION PUBLICATION NO. MAR/N-74-2
RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT BRANCH FISHERIES AND MARINE SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1
CHOICE OF PUBLICATION MEDIUM 1
INTERNAL PUBLICATIONS 2
Content and Distribution 2
Technical Report Series 2
Data Record Series 2
Internal Report Series 3
Information Publication 3
Annual Report 3
Printing, Binding and Cover Material 3
EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS 4
PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT 4
EDITING 6
TYPING 6
APPENDIX A - GENERAL INTERNAL FORMAT 7
Page Size 7
Typing and Printing 7
Margin Spacing 7
Heading-Text-Paragraph Spacing 7
APPENDIX B - PARTS OF A SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL PAPER. . . 9
Title and Title Page 9
Table of Contents 9
List of Tables and/or List of Illustrations 10
Abstract 10
Summary or Summary of Conclusions 10
Introduction 11 Body of Report 11 Conclusions 11 Appendices 11 Acknowledgements 12 References 12
APPENDIX C - ORDER OF PRESENTATION AND PAGE NUMBERING. . . 13
Preliminary Sections 13
Report Proper 13
Location of Page Numbers 14
APPENDIX D - SECTION HEADINGS 15
Grades 15
APPENDIX E - DESIGN AND TYPING OF TABLES 17
Parts of a Table 17
General Suggestions 17
Rules for Layout and Typing of Tables 17
Number and Title 17
Boxhead 18
Stub 18
Field 18
Examples of Typical Table Formats 20 APPENDIX F - A SELECTION OF PUBLICATIONS
Members of the Resource Development Branch are involved with duties relating to management and enhancement of fish re-sources and to protection of the aquatic environment from deter-ioration. The work frequently includes studies of a technical or applied-research nature. Studies are sometimes conducted in the field and sometimes under controlled conditions in the lab-oratory. Conduct of these studies constitutes only part of the obligation of the worker. The other essential is interpretation of results and preparation of a record or report of the study.
The importance of the latter cannot be over-emphasized. Too often, useful information remains buried in files or is not disseminated so that colleagues can benefit from it. Most em-ployees, be they biologists, engineers or technicians, are
prone to delay report writing until all aspects of the work are scientifically iron-clad or until a sufficiently long "free" period appears available for writing. Unfortunately, neither usually materializes before organization, people or project pri-orities change.
Publications constitute one of the few tangible means of assessing professional qualification and ability. Consequently, the employee who has demonstrated his ability in print has an advantage when in competition with "no-write" colleagues.
The policy of Branch management is to encourage report writing and publication of project results. To that end, this paper is intended as a "how-to" manual for the details of report preparation. The incentive to publish must start with the indiv-idual employee, though publishing is part of the duties of most positions.
CHOICE OF PUBLICATION MEDIUM
Considerable thought about publication medium should be given during the outlining and planning of projects, studies and experiments. The choice of publication medium, whether semi-technical, scientific journal, internal report or other, should certainly be made in advance of manuscript preparation, because of the varying styles and formats. Quite often, the scientific or research value of the work will affect that judgement of choice.
For example, content of your results might be categorized as: a significant scientific advance, a compilation of informa-tion, a description of a new technique or the application of one, an additional increment of information in a progressive series, a critique, a usage of applied research or an inventory. Your
choice will dictate, or at least indicate, the publication medium for your material. In turn, that step will guide the style and format for the manuscript preparation. Be sure to discuss your intentions with your supervisor to obtain the
benefit of his broader experience.
INTERNAL PUBLICATIONS
For our purposes, internal (Resource Development Branch) publications are now divided into five series of reports: (1) Technical Report Series, (2) Data Record Series, (3) Internal Report Series, (4) Information Publication and (5) Annual Report.
Content and Distribution
Material included in each of these series is outlined below. If the author has any doubts in choosing the most suit-able category, the Editor will be suit-able to offer helpful suggest-ions. The extent of distribution will vary, depending on the category and the contents of the particular report.
Technical Report Series
These reports will include publications having a research, scientific or technical nature. They will normally involve at least some analysis and interpretation of data, and will often arrive at firm conclusions. By far, the majority of Branch re-ports will appear in this series.
The Regional Library will distribute copies to Ottawa, Regional offices and a standard mailing list. Additional dis-tribution will be arranged as required, depending on the subject matter of the report.
Data Record Series
As implied by the name, this series will contain lists or compilations of uninterpreted information and background data, such as inventory and survey results, tagging and recovery data, fish population statistics, catch records, fence counts and water-quality data.
Such information could be used by other workers if required. Production of these reports is intended to preclude the accum-ulation of important data in inaccessible files. Any elaboration or interpretation of the data would not be suitable, but would be a basis for inclusion in the Technical Report Series.
The number of copies printed of reports in this series will generally be limited and must be determined individually. Dis-tribution will not be widespread and, outside the Branch, will be primarily on a "need-to-know" basis, and as a result of specific requests from approved individuals or agencies.
Internal Report Series
Reports in this series will contain confidential material or that which should have a restricted distribution. The
material will include information of such nature that dissemin-ation without additional qualificdissemin-ation could permit invalid conclusions by the reader. Examples of such reports include consultants' reports, committee reports, proceedings of major meetings and information on internal policy development.
Usually, only a few copies of such reports will be pro-duced and all will remain in Branch possession. However, de-pending on the subject matter, certain reports may be distrib-uted more widely with the approval of senior Branch officials and authors.
This series should not be used as a depository for reports based on poor scientific technique, or inadequate writing and editing attention.
Information Publication
Reports of this type will include pamphlets and brochures (handout material) describing projects, plans and activities of general public interest. They may be semi-technical or popular articles, intended for the public in general or for specific groups, such as those engaged in a particular commercial or angling fishery.
Distribution will vary widely, depending on the intended audience to be reached.
Annual Report
Use of this series will obviously be limited to the single yearly Branch report. Distribution will be conducted according to an established mailing list, which will be updated regularly.
Printing, Binding and Cover Material
The original copy of the final typing, together with all original illustrations, will be required by the printer. Authors are cautioned to retain at least one complete photocopy of the manuscript, in case of loss or destruction of the original during printing.
Cover materials will be provided by the printer. The cover and binder-tape colour combinations designated are as follows:
Report Letter Cover Binder-tape series designation colour colour
Technical T Antique green Green Data record D Antique sand Black Internal I Antique scarlet Black Information N Antique yellow Green
Before printing can be undertaken, an identification number is allotted by the Editor to each report. A typical number
might be MAR/T-74-23, which would identify the item as the
Branch's 23rd Technical Report from the Maritimes Region in 1974. Obviously, the Annual Report will have no specific number, since the year designation is sufficient.
EXTERNAL PUBLICATIONS
This group, obviously, included all those not published in any of the internal report series. Authors are reminded that many scientific journals retain a policy of page charges; there-fore, your supervisor should approve the charges related to the submission of manuscripts. Again, the retention of a copy of submitted manuscripts is wise, in case of accident to the orig-inal.
Although a national scheme for cover materials and format has been instituted for our internal report series, no restric-tions or limitarestric-tions exist for the material between the covers. Copies of external publications will, therefore, be placed in our report series, usually the Technical Report. Many journals supply some reprints as a benefit from the page charges, or loan printer's proofs. Provision of photocopies would adequately fill the requirements for series use, however.
The Regional Library will distribute copies to the Ottawa and Regional offices, and to others as required.
PREPARATION OF THE MANUSCRIPT
Writing a manuscript is a serious, time-consuming task. After ascertaining the format used in the publication medium chosen, develop an outline for the written work. Conduct an appropriate literature review. If the report is a
problem-solving one, clearly state the problem, describe your activities to find the solution, elaborate on your data interpretation, and summarize the conclusions. As a general rule, recommendations should be transmitted to one's supervisor by letter, using the report as substantiating material, rather than be incorporated with the conclusions.
If the intended publication medium is a scientific journal, follow its format in all details, including handling of tabular materials, footnotes and literature citations. Carelessness in format can indicate to the editor carelessness in other matters, including technical content.
Internal reports should be handled with as much care as external publications. A mini-manual of directions in format layout for internal reports has been compiled (Appendices A-F). Further appendices may be compiled later, if the need arises. This manual will be of most use to typists in preparing the manuscript report, and should be followed unless some unusual characteristics of the draft material call for an expedient deviation. Writers, also, should adhere as closely as possible to the directions given. All writers should maintain as high a standard as possible in the manuscript, beginning with the first draft. Not only does this approach develop good writing habits and technique, but the editing of later drafts will be simpli-fied and expedited.
Before beginning to write, the author should discuss the intended report with his supervisor, so that sound decisions may be made concerning the content, method of presentation and medium of publication.
If any doubts persist, consult the Branch Editor for advice or suggestions at any stage of report preparation.
Good writing technique is not possessed by everyone. It has to be developed and learned through training and practice, particularly the latter. A useful technique is to prepare a draft of material, then set it aside for a few days before re-turning to work on it. Very frequently one finds that certain passages do not convey the meaning or intent originally
en-visaged. Rewriting will obviously be required in that case. A few general suggestions which should be kept in mind include:
(a) Prepare an outline and use it.
(b) Limit the number of grades of headings unless clarity and understanding are improved.
(c) Begin each paragraph with a statement and elaborate on it in other sentences of the paragraph.
(d) If your manuscript contains no summary, ensure that the abstract is quantitative.
(e) Arrange for an abstract in the second official lan-guage.
Several excellent texts and publications are available for guidance in writing skills, style and language use. A list of several useful references is attached (Appendix F).
Draft manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, on one side of the page only. Each table and illustration should be prepared on a separate page, and a copy should be submitted to the Editor with the manuscript narrative.
EDITING
Editing is the final step in refinement of the manuscript. Editing considers the idea content as well as the details of the written message. As such, editing starts for most writers when they discuss the scientific or technical merits of the proposed publication with colleagues. Once the ideas, techniques and conclusions are committed to paper, according to the best appro-priate format guidelines, the manuscript will be forwarded to the Unit Head for preliminary editing by our "referee" system. After careful review by referees and Unit Head, it will be returned, with critical comments and editorial suggestions, to the author. The author will then mold it to its final form, which is the best writing of which he is capable. The revised draft will be reviewed by the Unit Head and Section Leader. Then, and only then, should the manuscript be submitted to the Branch Editor for his comments.
TYPING
Authors should exercise some restraint in their demand for manuscript typing because of the serious time burden generated by that work. This can be achieved by initially writing the manuscript in the proper format, thereby minimizing subsequent changes. Life of working drafts can be extended by replacement of the individual, poorest pages, rather than require a complete retyping for a "spic-and-span" working draft. Authors are
reminded that each scientific journal has its own editorial policy. Therefore, the typist should be advised beforehand of revised requirements and of the location of guides and examples for the specific journal.
APPENDIX A
GENERAL INTERNAL FORMAT
Page Size
All reports in the Branch's internal series will be pre-pared on standard 8 1/2- by 11-inch paper. Occasionally, an unusually large table or illustration may require a larger fold-out sheet. However, this is undesirable, and such mater-ials should be simplified, split up or reduced, if practicable. Space requirements for such items should be carefully considered and non-essential detail should be omitted.
Typing and Printing
Final manuscripts will be typed, single-spaced, on one side of the page only. Final printing will be reproduced on both sides of the page. This will necessitate alternate spacing of the vertical margin from page to page and alternate position-ing of page numbers, from upper right to upper left corners (specifications below).
Margin Spacing
Margins of 1 1/4 inches will be provided along the spine (inner or bound) side of the page and 1 inch along the bottom. A 3/4-inch margin will be provided along the outer edge and top of each page.
All text matter, tables and illustrations (except for fold-out sheets) will lie within these limits, 6 1/2-inch width by 9 1/4-inch height. The only item lying outside this area will be page numbers. These will be located just inside the outer vertical margin, half way between the top of the page and the top of the text.
Heading-Text-Paragraph Spacing
When using headings from "Grades 1 to 4" (Appendix D) a single space will be skipped if the text follows immediately. When any of these headings is followed directly by a heading of the next lower order, skip two spaces. That is, one space be-tween heading and text, and two spaces bebe-tween heading and sub-heading.
At the end of a section of text, skip two spaces before typing the next heading or sub-heading.
To separate paragraphs within a section or sub-section of any level, skip one space. The beginning of each paragraph should be indented five spaces.
APPENDIX B
PARTS OF A SCIENTIFIC OR TECHNICAL PAPER
Scientific or technical papers are normally divided into several distinct major parts or sections. Although all sections are not required in all reports, the major ones are listed and discussed briefly below.
Title and Title Page
This item will be a necessity for all Branch reports. The ideal title should indicate, to the extent practical, the report's subject and what distinguishes it from other reports on the same general topic. It should be brief and sharply definitive of the document's contents.
In addition to the complete title, the title page should contain the author's name, the name of the organization to which the report is being submitted, date of issuance and identifying code numbers. The title page of this report illustrates the format of a typical title page. Spacing may vary slightly,
depending on length of title and multiple authorship, but should be balanced on the page approximately as shown.
Table of Contents
This section is essential in all but very short reports. The title of this section should consist simply of the word
"CONTENTS", capitalized and centred at the top of the page.
In the table of contents, list only the major headings and, if desirable, those of one or two sub-levels, even if the text of the report is sub-divided into still lower sub-levels. Major (Grade 1) headings should be started flush with the left margin, with all letters capitalized.
If Grade 2 headings are listed in the table of contents, they should be indented three spaces and should be typed with only the major words, proper nouns, etc. capitalized. Grade 3 headings should be indented six spaces, and typed with upper-and lower—case letters, as for those of Grade 2 level.
One vertical space should be left between consecutive Grade 1 headings, and between the last lower level heading and the next Grade 1 heading. No spacing is required between suc-cessive headings within either Grade 2 or 3 levels, between a Grade 1 and Grade 2 or between a Grade 2 and Grade 3 heading.
Page numbers, corresponding to each heading or sub-heading shown, should be listed just inside the right margin. No
these figures. Leaders, or spaced periods should be used to relate heading titles to page numbers, as illustrated in the "CONTENTS" section of this publication.
List of Tables and/or List of Illustrations
If a report contains more than two or three numbered tables or illustrations, lists of each should be included following the table of contents. Usually, each list will begin on a separate page. However, if they are very short, it may be possible to place both on one page.
Headings for such lists will be considered "major" (Grade 1 level). They will be contered on the page above the lists, with all letters capitalized, as illustrated below:
LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1 Title of first table 6
TABLE 2 Title of second table 9
TABLE 3 Title of third table 11
The above illustration also shows the format for listing the table numbers, titles and page numbers. As in the tables themselves, capitalize only the first letter of the first word and any proper nouns, etc. For lists of illustrations, use the same general format, but substitute the heading "LIST OF
ILLUSTRATIONS" and list FIG. 1, FIG. 2, etc., followed by
corresponding figure captions, spaced periods and page numbers.
Abstract
The abstract is an essential part of all scientific or technical papers. It is basically a highly condensed, factual summary of the important information presented in more detail in the report. The author should try to summarize his findings in the first sentence of the abstract. The title, "ABSTRACT", should be capitalized and centered on the page, above the text of the abstract. An abstract will not be required for Data Record Reports or for Information Publications.
Summary or Summary of Conclusions
This section of a report may or may not be required. If the report is not excessively long, a good "informative" or "quantitative" abstract may suffice. If a summary section is included, then the abstract should simply be "qualitative" (also referred to as "descriptive" or "indicative").
A summary should list only specific conclusion's,' expressed concisely,- and be uncluttered by background material., It should provide the reader with.'a ready reference to the technical in-formation contained in the report.
If a summary section is included, its heading should be considered as of Grade 1 level, and be typed as those for other major sections.
Some authors may prefer to locate their "SUMMARY" following the main body of the report, or following the "CONCLUSIONS" or "DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS" sections. Its location is optional.
Introduction
This section is essential for all reports, to introduce the reader to (a) the subject matter, (b) the reason for writing it and (c) the plan followed in presenting its contents. The head-ing "INTRODUCTION" should be of the Grade 1 level, capitalized and centered.
Body of Report
This is not an actual section heading. This part of a report may include such common headings as "MATERIALS AND METHODS", "PROCEDURES" and "RESULTS". Other major(Grade 1) section headings may be utilized, the number and exact wording of which will vary widely, depending on the particular report-ing situation.
Conclusions
Most scientific and technical reports will include a "CONCLUSIONS" or "DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS" section, but in the case of some progress reports, it may be unnecessary.
Appendices
Appendices may or may not be required. When included, they present additional supporting data, explanatory material, calcu-lations and other information not critical to the understanding of the report.
If a single appendix is included, it may be identified as follows:
APPENDIX
If a series of two or more are included, they should be
identified as "APPENDIX A" , "APPENDIX B", etc., each followed by its appropriate title, capitalized and centered.
Acknowledgements
Although this section (Grade 1 level) is not essential, it may be included quite frequently. Some technical-writing guides suggest it is commonly overworked. It is suggested that if this section is to have any real meaning, it should be used to recog-nize only assistance of an exceptional character, such as grants-in-aid, or data, figures and tables borrowed from published
material. Under normal conditions, it is felt to be unnecessary to credit fellow workers, such as section heads, project leaders and typists, for doing routinely what they were hired to do.
References
Most scientific or technical reports are likely to require a list of references, primarily to record those documents speci-fically referred to in the text. Publications containing worth-while supplementary information are also often included here.
This section should be titled "REFERENCES", capitalized and centered. The individual references should be cited alphabetic-ally. They should be typed with the first line of each beginning flush with the left margin. All additional lines should be
indented two spaces. The sequence of elements in each reference should be as follows (see Appendix F):
1. For a book or monograph: Author(s) (with last name first for first author only). Year of publication. Title. Publisher, location of publisher (city only for major cities). Edition (if other than first). Number of pages, or specific page reference, whichever is most appropriate. If there is no personal author(s), begin with title of reference paper, followed by year of publication.
2. For a journal article: Author(s) (as above). Year of publication. Title of article. Name of journal,
volume, issue number, page numbers.
3. For a technical report: Personal author(s) (as above). Date. Title of report. Corporate author, number of pages, identifying numbers that appear on cover or title page (in parentheses).
For reference titles, capitalize only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns, names and other words normally capitalized.
APPENDIX C
ORDER OF PRESENTATION AND PAGE NUMBERING
Various styles are commonly used, both in the order of pre-sentation of major sections of a report and in the system and location of page numbering. In order to attain uniformity in our internal Branch report series, the following format will be utilized.
Preliminary Sections
Several pages at the beginning of the report are identified with small Roman Numerals, i, ii, iii, iv, etc. The first such
page is the title page, which will always be located on the right-hand side of the report. Although it will be considered as page i, it will not be numbered. The reverse side of the title page will be considered as page ii; however, it is normally blank and also unnumbered.
The "CONTENTS" section is next, also located, or at least begun on the right-hand side. This page will be numbered as page iii. Any additional pages required for the table of con-tents will be numbered consecutively and printed on both sides of the sheet, with even numbers always on the left and odd
numbers on the right. If the last page of the table of contents ends on the right-hand side, the reverse side is left blank and is not numbered.
The next sections are the lists of tables and/or illustra-tions, again beginning on the right-hand side (odd-numbered pages) and identified by small Roman Numerals.
Following these sections is the "ABSTRACT", again beginning on the right-hand page and identified by the next consecutive small Roman Numeral. If the abstract is confined to one page, the reverse side will again be blank and unnumbered.
The final major heading included in the preliminary sections is the "SUMMARY" or "SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS". This section, if included, will also begin on the right-hand side, and each page will be identified by small Roman Numerals. As previously noted the author may choose to locate this section following the main body of the report or the "DISCUSSION" or "CONCLUSIONS" section.
Report Proper
At this point, the report proper begins, with the major heading, "INTRODUCTION", starting on the right-hand page. This is considered as the first page of the report, although it is not numbered. All additional pages of the introduction and following
sections of the report are numbered consecutively with Arabic Numerals.
The introduction is followed immediately by the first major heading of the main body of the report. This and subsequent major headings in the main body may begin on either the right-or left-hand page, depending on where the previous section ends.
The next standard major heading, "CONCLUSIONS" or "DISCUS-SION AND CONCLU"DISCUS-SIONS" follows immediately after the last section of the main body.
If the report contains appendices, they follow next, each beginning on the right-hand page. Appendices are followed by "ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS", if any, and finally "REFERENCES". When any of these items ends on the right-hand page, the reverse side is left blank and the next item is again begun on the right side.
Location of Page Numbers
All page numbers, Roman and Arabic, will be located just inside the outer margins, halfway between the top of the page and the top of the text (even numbers on the left side and odd numbers on the right).
APPENDIX D
SECTION HEADINGS
In report writing, many formats are used to identify head-ings according to their levels of importance. To help attain uniformity in our internal Branch reports, the following style will be adhered to.
Grades
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A GRADE 0 HEADING
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF A GRADE 1 HEADING
This is an Example of a Grade 2 Heading
This is an Example of a Grade 3 Heading
This is an Example of a Grade 4 Heading
This is an Example of a Grade 5 Heading: This heading forms part of a paragraph, as illustrated here. It is underlined, has the principal words capitalized, and is followed by a colon and two spaces before begining the first sentence.
1. This is an example of a Grade 6 heading: It is similar to the Grade 5 heading, but it differs in (a) being numbered, (b) not being underlined and (c) not having all principal words capitalized.
Usage
It is generally agreed that sub-headings of additional com-plexity be used only if clarity in understanding of the report will be improved. In most reports, grades of three or four
levels will probably be sufficient. For a minor sub-division within a section of any level, it may often be more practical to simply utilize a listing of words, phrases, sentences, etc.,
rather than the next lower grade of heading. This is particularly true if there is little or no narrative following each minor sub-division.
The Grade 0 heading is used only for titles of papers. Major sections within the report will be identified by Grade 1 headings. Other levels or grades will be used as required for sub-divisions of varying importance.
It is evident that some headings closely resemble those of another level, and the reader may experience difficulty in dis-tinguishing one grade from another. Consequently, if all grades
are not required, the writer should avoid using those which are most similar. The following combinations are suggested:
a. If the paper has only major headings, use Grade 1.
b. If two grades are required, use Grade 1 (principal headings) and Grade 3 (secondary headings).
c. If three grades are required, use Grades 1, 3 and 4.
d. If the paper has four or more grades, use grades in the order shown, beginning with Grade 1.
APPENDIX E
DESIGN AND TYPING OF TABLES
Although they may be no more correct than other styles now in use, the instructions presented here for table design and layout are intended to bring about uniformity in the submissions by various writers. It is likely that these instructions will cover most of the requirements of our writers. If tables of unusual length or complexity are required, please confer with the Editor concerning the format of presentation.
Parts of a Table
Most tables have four main parts (Table 1):
1. Number and title.
2. Boxhead - identifying entries in vertical columns. 3. Stub - identifying entries in horizontal lines. 4. Field - containing the data.
General Suggestions
Try to restrict tables to a maximum width of the typed page (6 1/2 inches). Avoid setting up tables with column heads or lines of data running vertically on the page. Avoid tables of two or more pages and those requiring a fold-out leaf. For excessively wide tables, try interchanging vertical (stub) head-ings with horizontal (box) headhead-ings. Very large tables may be broken up into two or more smaller ones.
Rules for Layout and Typing of Tables
Number and Title
Place the table number,
e.g.
"TABLE 1", flush with the left margin and capitalize all letters. Place a period after the number and skip two spaces before beginning the title (Table 1).The first "sentence" of a table title is incomplete - it lacks a main verb. If a longer title is used, each additional sentence must be complete, with all lines beginning flush with the left margin.
If a headnote is used, it begins immediately after the title, on the same line, and with each additional line starting flush with the left margin. The headnote is enclosed in paren-theses (Tables 1 and 2).
In both the title and headnote, capitalize only the first letter of the first word in each sentence, and other proper nouns,
names, etc. normally capitalized. The title, or headnote if one is used, is followed by a full-width, single, horizontal line.
Boxhead
For column headings, capitalize only the first letter of the first word in each and proper nouns, names, etc. If more than one line is required for a long column heading, centre the necessary words on successive lines (Table 2),. If possible, balance tables across the full width of the typed page. When a table is too narrow (few vertical columns), it may be centered on the page width, leaving wider than normal margins.
When two or more sub-levels of column heading are required, use short horizontal lines (straddle rules) within the boxhead to link related headings (Tables 1-4). The boxhead section is followed by a full-width, single, horizontal line.
The boxhead for the stub section should begin flush with the left margin. If more than one line is required (Tables 1 and 2), begin each additional line at the left margin. Capit-alize similar to column headings in the main boxhead section.
Stub
Within the stub, begin all line captions flush with the left margin. If more than one line is required for any line caption, indent each succeeding line two spaces from the left margin.
When line captions of only one level are used, capitalize as for column headings (Table 2).
When line captions of two levels are required, capitalize similarly. In addition, underline the first level of line caption with spacing as illustrated (Table 3).
When a third level of line caption is required, capitalize all letters in the first level and space as illustrated (Table 4). For the second and third levels, repeat as in two-level line captions.
Field
In the field section of the table, align numerical data horizontally with the last word of the line caption (Table 4). Also, align numerical data vertically, centered beneath the column headings (Tables 1, 2, 4 and 5).
If numerical entries are of unequal length, center the longest and align the decimal points, expressed or implied
(Table 5, columns II and III).
If a number is less than one, place a zero before the decimal point (columns II and VI).
Where a dash is used to show a range of values, align the decimal points in the figures at left only and leave no spaces before or after the dash.
When showing a range of values, do not use both a minus sign and a dash; substitute "to' for the dash (column V). Align on the word "to' and on the decimal points on each side. Leave one space between the word "to" and a "-" sign following.
Where standard deviations or standard errors are shown, align both on the ± signs and on the decimal points at both left and right (column VI). Leave one space before and after ± signs.
Leave a single space below the last line of the "field" data before entering column totals or sub-totals. The words "totals", "sub-totals", etc. should be capitalized according to the level of line caption being totaled (Tables 2, 3 and
4).
If the data in columns is narrative, rather than numerical, center the longest entry and align the remainder with the first word.
A single, full-width horizontal line is placed at the
bottom of the table. Ruling of vertical lines should be avoided.
If footnotes are required, references in the table should be identified by small superscript numerals 1, 2 , 3...etc. Footnotes
will be listed below the main body of the table, each beginning on a separate line. Each footnote should be treated as a separate paragraph and begun with the proper number (Table 3). When a footnote requires more than one line, the second and succeeding lines should begin flush with the left margin.
Examples of Typical Table Formats
TABLE 1. Exploitation rates of wild Miramichi River Atlantic salmon. (All fish were tagged at "Trap A".)
Percentages of total recaptures
1-sea-yr 2-sea-yr Year
tagged Commercial Sport Commercial Sport
1960 46.2 19.9 24.6 9.3
1961 50.0 18.5 23.1 8.4
1962 47.8 20.1 22.2 9.9
TABLE 2. Recapture of tagged Atlantic salmon, 1970. (Totals from all Maritime areas.)
Numbers of fish Recapture location Grilse Two sea-year Three sea-year Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia 131 718 22
Bay of Fundy coast
of Nova Scotia 415 192 232
Northumberland
Strait 161 21 42
TABLE 3.1 Atlantic salmon angling catch on major Nova Scotia rivers, 1965.
Grilse2 Salmon 3
Location Number Wt (lb) Number Wt (lb)
Bay of Funday coastal rivers Annapolis River Shubenacadie River Salmon River Atlantic coastal rivers LaHave River Medway River East River Totals
lAdapted from the original table by Doe, J.J. 1962.
De-veloping good writing habits. ABC Press, Halifax, 48 p.
2Fish which have spent only one winter at sea.
TABLE 4. Commercial catch returns of Atlantic salmon tagged at Mactaquac Hatchery.
Numbers recovered
Recovery area 1-sea-yr 2-sea-yr 3-sea-yr
CANADA Nova Scotia Bay of Fundy 1,234 5,678 9,012 Atlantic coast 789 345 890 Northumberland 28 67 123 Strait New Brunswick Bay of Fundy 1,415 181 212 Northumberland 161 92 22 Strait Chaleur Bay 7 4 32 UNITED STATES Maine 25 2 6 Other states 27 2 8 GREENLAND West coast Inshore fishery 29 303 132 Offshore fishery 333 435 36 East coast TOTALS 4,085 7,112 10,481
TABLE 5. Alignment guide for numerical data I II III IV V VI 28 128.6 87,690 26.2 34.0 to 43.2 22.30 ± 1.30 62 16.9 4,680 16.0-21.0 -20.8 to -10.6 468.00 ± 27.20 40 0.7 13 41.2-68.0 -11.0 to 11.0 7.67 ± 0.34 76 64.2 121 6.5-9.4 -3.6 to 4.8 0.75 ± 0.01
APPENDIX F
A SELECTION OF PUBLICATIONS ON WRITING AND STYLE
Banks, J.G. 1966. Persuasive technical writing. Pergammon Press, Toronto, 52 p.
Council of biology editors style manual. 1972. Am. Inst. of Biol. Sci., Washington, D.C., 3rd ed., 297 p.
Fowler, Henry Watson. 1965. A dictionary of modern English usage. Rev. by Sir E. Gowers. Oxford, New York, 2nd ed., 725 p.
Gray, Dwight E. 1970. So you have to write a technical report. Information Resources Press, Washington, D.C., 117 p.
Mitchell, John H. 1968. Writing for professional and tech-nical journals. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.', New York, 405 p.
Racker, Joseph. 1960. Technical writing techniques for en-gineers. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 234 p.
Sanford, F. Bruce. 1958. Planning your research paper. USDI, F & WS, Washington, D.C., 32 p., (Fishery Leaflet No. 447).
Style manual. 1967. U.S. Government Printing Office, Super-intendent of Documents, Washington, 512 p.
