FamilySearch Wiki:Manual of Style: Difference between revisions

=== Punctuation  ===

'''Punctuation style.''' The rules of punctuation vary greatly (for example, whether a comma is placed before “and” in a series of items: red, white, and blue). Whatever style is chosen by the original contributor should be maintained throughout the article. Other contributors should follow the original style. <br>  

'''Commas.''' Commas are frequently used at the end of introductory phrases and to separate the items in a list. In a list, a comma may either be used before “and” or left out. Whatever style is chosen by the original contributor should be maintained throughout the article.  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|At that time, immigrants from Eastern Europe either sailed directly to the United States or changed ships in Liverpool, England, before sailing to the United States.}}  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|This collection includes birth, death and marriage records.}}

'''Commas with places.''' When a place is listed, each jurisdiction (governmental divisions such as country, province, state, county, and so on) is separated by a comma. In a sentence, a comma also comes after the final jurisdiction unless it ends the sentence.  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|Bannow, County Wexford, Ireland}}  

:;Incorrect  

::{{!xt|Bannow County Wexford}}

'''Punctuation in numbers.''' Use commas in numbers over 999 (for example, 1,000, 1,000,000, and so on). Use a period to indicate a fraction of a digit (for example .25, 3.76, and so on).<br>  

'''Punctuation within quotation marks.''' English-speaking areas follow differing guidelines for adding punctuation within quotation marks (for example, whether the period is placed within or outside of the final quotation mark). When editing, contributors should follow the existing style in the article.  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|Lincoln began the Gettysburg address by referring to the Revolutionary War, which occurred “Four score and seven years ago.”}}  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|Lincoln began the Gettysburg address by referring to the Revolutionary War, which occurred “Four score and seven years ago”.}}

'''Ampersand.''' Only use an ampersand (&) in database links and not as a replacement for the word "and" in a sentence.  

'''And/or. '''Do not use “and/or.” Rewrite the sentence, or use just one word. If items are frequently together, use “and.” If items are seldom together, use “or.”  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|Each record has a death and burial date.}}  

:;Incorrect  

::{{!xt|Each record has a death and/or burial date.}}

'''Using a slash (/) between two years.''' Do not use a slash between two years unless you are writing an actual double date (see guideline 15.8). Use the word “or.”  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|In 1530 or 1531, the parish boundaries were changed.}}  

:;Incorrect  

::{{!xt|In 1530/1531, the parish boundaries were changed.}}

'''Parentheses and brackets.''' Use parentheses ( ) around explanatory or alternate information. If the information in parentheses is a complete sentence, the period goes within the final parenthesis. (This sentence would be an example.) Use brackets [ ] to indicate words in a quote that have been altered from the original.  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|10 Vendémiaire IX (2 October 1800)}}  

:;Incorrect  

::{{!xt|10 Vendémiaire IX [2 October 1800]}}

'''Quotation marks.''' Use double quotation marks around quotes and titles of articles rather than single quotation marks.  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|For more information about these records, see “Australia Census.”}}  

:;Incorrect  

::{{!xt|For more information about these records, see ‘Australia Census.’}}

'''The “#” symbol for the word “number.”''' The symbol “#” does not represent the word “number” in all cultures. Instead of “#”, use “number,” “No.,” or reword the sentence.  

:;Correct  

::{{xt|The number 1 cause of war deaths was disease.}}  

:;Incorrect  

::{{!xt|The #1 cause of war deaths was disease.}}

=== Spelling  ===