Writing Style Recommendations

• Be as concise and precise as possible. Avoid using overly long or florid phrases when creating archival description (e.g., do not use sentences that use semicolons to separate items in a complex sentence). If a sentence expresses too many ideas, it will prove challenging for researchers to review and absorb. See the "Words to Watch" section of this page for more information. 

• Avoid deleting information from descriptive resources unless it is factually inaccurate. If the processor has questions about major substantive changes to a finding aid (e.g., removing a subject heading), they should consult with their supervisor.

• Avoid solely using a creator's slang, professional jargon, and "shop-talk" in archival description. For example, even if an office referred to annual reports as "the blue books," the term "blue books" alone conveys no useful information to future users. However, describing the material as "Blue Books (annual reports)" is much more helpful to researchers.

• Avoid inserting links into the finding aid, due to their tendency to break. While there are some exceptions to this rule (e.g., links to Bentley material are allowed in the "Related Materials" note), links should generally be avoided in finding aids.

• Provide additional descriptive information if it benefits users. For example, if a file describes a publication that underwent several name changes, it would be useful to include the name changes in the finding aid and/or MARC record (as appropriate).

• However, also avoid doing the researchers' job for them. Finding aids should include enough information to help researchers answer their information, but need not be so complex as to be unwieldy.

• Consider using spell-check software (e.g., Grammarly) or a web-browser that will detect errors (e.g., Chrome) when creating archival description. ArchivesSpace does not automatically spell-check text.

Abbreviations can be used in finding aids and MARC records, but should be fully spelled out when first introduced. In addition, here are additional abbreviation- and acronym-related recommendations:

• a.m. / p.m.: Use lowercase letters. 

• Jr. and Sr.: Set off by commas from the main part of a name.

• Spacing between periods: When abbreviating names of people, place spaces in between the abbreviated letters (e.g., J. R. R. Tolkien). However, for institutions or other topics, do not place spaces in between the abbreviated letters (e.g. use W.J.J., and not W. J. J., for a landscaping company with that acronym).

• The University of Michigan is referred to as U-M.

• For hyphenated compounds in titles and headings, capitalize the second word in a title or heading only.

• When referring to the University of Michigan or another organization, capitalize the formal name ("University of Michigan") but leave a more general reference (e.g., "the university") lowercase.  

• For prepositions in titles and headings, keep prepositions of less than five letters lowercase, excluding those prepositions that are the first word as well as "with" and "without" when they occur in the same (or contiguous) titles or headings. 

• Do not enclose text in the "Content" portion of notes or certain other fields (e.g., the "Container Summary" field of an Extent sub-record) in parentheses or brackets, as these will be automatically added in Arclight.

• When inserting hyperlinks into any field, attribute, etc., make sure to trim any unnecessary whitespaces from the beginning or end of that link. ArcLight is super picky about what is a URL and doesn't want spaces, returns, tabs, etc. within the quotation marks. If those whitespaces are not deleted, Arclight will send error messages if it encounters these extra whitespaces (typically in digital objects); trying to identify and remedy this issue this may delay the timely publishing of finding aids every month.

• Do not include grammar within tags. For example, in a "Language of Materials" note for a collection with material multiple languages, do not enclose commas within <language> tags.

• For both cardinal and ordinal numbers, processors will typically spell out numbers from zero to nine and use figures for numbers 10 and higher. Be consistent with numbers for the same category of items within the same paragraph.

• For days of the month, use cardinal rather than ordinal numbers (e.g., write "April 18" not "April 18th").

• For hyphenated words with numbers, capitalize the second word in a title or heading only.

• For inclusive numbers, do not drop digits (e.g., in page numbers or dates).  For example, the processor should write  "1975–1976"  and not "1975-76". 

Generally speaking, processors should not insert quotations into their finding aids. However, if they do, they should follow the Chicago Manual of Style (public link) regarding permitted alterations of quotations,  indication of omissions, and block versus run-in quotations.

If processors cite material in the collection when creating archival description (e.g., a biographical note), they should provide a reference to that material that includes the box number, archival object title, and other descriptive information.

Generally speaking, avoid language that unnecessarily lengthens a particular sentence. Some examples of specific words to watch out for and/or avoid are listed below:

• Replace "employed" with "used".

• Replace "in order to" with "to".

• Replace "utilize" with "use".

• Replace "in need of" with "needs".

• Replace "in the event that" with "if".

• Replace "is applicable to" "applies".

• "Which" / "That": Choose which of these to use carefully. The former is nonrestrictive, while the latter is restrictive.