Our editing team has developed the iQualify Editorial Style Guide for all staff writing/designing/editing in iQualify. It’s a condensed, iQualify-specific version of the Editorial Style Guide that features interactive links to useful resources and is updated regularly to capture any changes in our iQualify processes. If you can’t find what you need in the iQualify Editorial Style Guide, contact an editor directly. They will provide advice in the first instance and then update the iQualify Editorial Style Guide accordingly.
Style guides are used by organisations to:
create consistency in documents
promote a professional image
train new staff members
create an efficient production process.
The larger Open Polytechnic Editorial Style Guide is still in existence, but will not be updated. It goes into much greater depth than this quick guide.
Where there is a disparity between this guide and the Editorial Style Guide, this guide takes precedence.
It’s okay to use contractions (it’s, we’re, we’ll), as the language is more engaging for learners. The tone for online writing is less formal than the tone for print. Mix it up for best effect.
In sentences, spell words in full:
for example, not e.g.
that is, not i.e.
New Zealand, not NZ.
Keep acronyms to a minimum. They should add something to the learning, rather than random acronyms being sprinkled throughout the material. Spell out the term in full when it’s first used, followed by the acronym in brackets. The acronym is used thereafter.
One analytical technique used by managerial accountants is cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis.
All external resources referred to in a course should have a citation and a footnote that brings up the full APA reference. This allows learners to see where the reference occurs and to copy and paste the details. Courses should include a reference list, as that is a part of our teaching practice.
In the citation, the footnote goes outside the end punctuation.
Plain English helps people understand complex material (Scott, 2015).1
The full APA reference for this would be:
Scott, R. (2015). Plain English helps people understand complex material. Penguin.
With multiple citations, the footnotes are attached to each citation.
Plain English helps people understand complex material (Scott, 2015;1 Reedy & Reedy, 2012;2 Murphy, 20083).
We use APA for references and citations only, not style.
The Short Guide to APA is run by the Open Polytechnic library.
The 7th edition is the current APA edition.
Ask the library.
See the Open Polytechnic’s Short Guide to APA.
Search the APA website for answers to your referencing questions.
Use 'assignment' for an individual task, eg. 'Assignment 1'.
'Assessment' is the overarching term.
Copyright statements are the copyright symbol and the copyright owner’s full legal name. The word ‘copyright’ is not required, just the © symbol. No full stops are required.
© The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Ltd
The copyright statement must use the wording on the clearance obtained by the Copyright Manager. Naming the copyright owner is a legal requirement.
The course title and module titles are in upper case. Headings are in sentence case. Names of readings and further resources/dig deeper items are in title case.
The terms mean the same thing. They are extra resources that are additional to the course material. Use ‘dig deeper’ for lower-level courses.
These optional resources can be described any way that suits and we can present them in more of a curated style, including links where possible. They don’t need to include APA references and are not included in the course reference list.
The Stats NZ website is the leading source of demographic information for New Zealand.
If a resource is deemed crucial to the course, it is a reading (compulsory).
Glossary terms in iQualify have their own design feature. This is a grey broken line underneath the term. The definition is visible when you hover your mouse over the term. Do not bold or italicise glossary terms.
Use Word’s heading levels in Styles. iQualify has two heading levels, plus the Title style. If another level is required, use bold. Do not number headings.
Capitalise the first word and proper nouns only. Don’t use full stops in headings. Don’t introduce acronyms in headings.
The first subheading follows a colon, in sentence case. The next subheading follows an en dash (not a hyphen), also in sentence case.
Open Polytechnic: Distance learning – A learner’s story
Keep sentences and paragraphs simple, short and direct.
Don’t use print terms like ‘below’ and ‘above’. Name graphic objects and give them context, so that the correct object can be easily identified.
Fig. 3.2 shows the steps needed to lift a tilt-up house wall.
Link to meaningful words, such as the title of a video. Don’t use terms like ‘this link’ or ‘click here’. Linking to the URL is not helpful and not OP style.
Go to the Nikon website to get an understanding of how time-lapse photography works.
Use a semi-formal and friendly tone. You should also use:
active voice
positive words
present tense
plain English.
Source legislation from the New Zealand Legislation website.
It’s free and constantly updated as legislation changes. There is no copyright attached to legislation and no need to reference it.
The main Editorial Style Guide includes a section on legal citations that covers most situations encountered in our courses.
Link to meaningful words, not words such as ‘click here’ and not URLs. When linking to a video, put the link in its title. This is academically sound.
Have a look at Alder Tree (Waggle Woods, 2012) (1:41) to see how the common alder is used for shelter belts on New Zealand farms.
To limit link rot, choose links from reputable sites.
We use four list formats. Note that the capitalisation and punctuation differs a little.
Where a sentence leads in to the bulleted points and the whole things reads as one sentence. The bullets have lower case letters and the only punctuation is a full stop at the end of the list.
The main work behaviours for reliability are:
attendance
personal presentation
attention to workplace requirements
appropriate communication.
Where there is no lead in (stem sentence) for a list, each bullet point is a complete sentence with a capital letter and a full stop at the end. This style works better for bullet points that have more than one sentence.
The State Services Commission’s code of conduct is a short and simple code written in plain English.
State servants must treat everyone fairly and with respect.
State servants must work to make government services accessible and effective.
State servants must work to improve the performance and efficiency of their organisation.
State servants must be honest.
Use numbered lists sparingly. Numbers lists are useful as a learning prompt if there are sequential steps to be followed. There should be a reason for numbering points in a list.
The format is A, B, C, D. Choices begin with a capital letter and there are no full stops.
You can tell a crocodile from an alligator by observing their:
A Ways with water buffalo
B Handbags
C Sense of humour
D Smile
We have some stock phrases that have been approved for use. You don’t have to use these. Be sure to have any te reo you do use checked. All courses should use some te reo and references to te ao.
Kia ora, nau mai haere mai kia.
Welcome to your course, Writing for the Internet.
Nau mai haere mai kia Module 1.
Welcome to the first module of your course.
Ka pai koe, kua mutu koe te mahi!
Well done, you have finished the course work!
No APA referencing is required for Māori proverbs.
Use New Zealand spelling, not the American spelling, for words such as ‘colour’, ‘organise’, ‘favourite’ and ‘behaviour’. The Americans use ‘practice’ and ‘licence’ for both the verb and noun; we write the verbs as ‘practise’ and ‘license’.
New Zealand usage includes words such as ‘autumn’ (not ‘fall’) and ‘mum’ (not ‘mom’).
Use words for numbers one to nine in commentary.
Use numerals for 10 and larger numbers in commentary.
We don’t use a comma for 1000 to 9999, unless referring to money ($8,389). Large numbers use commas, not spaces (345,300). Ordinal numbers (which define a position in a series) are written as words (nineteenth, twelfth, first).
Use a space between numbers and letters (8 kg, 10 pm), but not for a country’s currency (US$27).
Sometimes it’s easier to just use numbers (for example, a commerce course with many references to units of production).
We are marketed as Open Polytechnic, so use that term for the organisation. The exception is for a legal context, such as copyright. There we use the full legal name of the organisation: © The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand Ltd Note: no full stop after Ltd
Images from our Getty licence have this copyright statement underneath:
© Getty Images
If a photograph is part of the learning (not just eye candy) it also gets a figure number and caption.
We want students to understand the content and complete the course assessment. That’s why we are here.
Plain English helps students with the use of simple and familiar words and grammar in a clear structure.
Plain English:
uses straightforward language that is familiar to readers (they can read it)
allows readers to understand quickly (they get it)
helps readers to do something with that understanding (they can act on it).
Use the en dash for ranges (12–18 years).
Use colons (:) to lead into lists.
Use single quote marks, not doubles. We use ‘smart’ (curly) quote marks, not 'straight' quote marks (these are used in computer coding).
Quotes need citation and a full APA reference.
A quote should have power and trackable credentials.
Quotes of over 50 words should be blocked and indented, but allow some leeway. Don’t use quote marks for these quotes. The copyright office requires copyright clearance for quotes longer than one A4 page.
We use single quote marks for speech. Quotes within quotes then have double quote marks.
True readings are an academic and compulsory part of the learning. They are written into course content, with learners encouraged to use them. They need APA referencing and copyright clearance.
True readings have four key elements. They are:
number
title
full APA reference
copyright statement.
The first two appear in the commentary. The last two are in a footnote. This is visible to learners when they hover their mouse over footnote icon next to the reading title.
Readings may be numbered for ease of identification. Numbering is especially useful for students in courses that have multiple readings with similar titles. See the design documentation for the programme decision on numbering readings.
In the commentary, the full format for naming and contextualising a reading is:
Reading 1, Social Work for Beginners, covers this theory in more detail.
Add citation, full APA reference and copyright statement. For example:
Williams, K. (2006). Social work for beginners. Ti Ti Press.
© Ti Ti Press
See Readings FAQ.
See APA.
Style sheets record the style to be used in a particular programme or course. Consistent language and design help learners.
For example, do we use answer gardens, Answer Gardens, Answergardens, or AnswerGardens? Record the style and everyone will use the same term.
The style sheet travels with the course, from the writer to the designer and editor. It is a working document.
Style sheets are different to style guides.
Style guides (like this document) record a whole organisation’s style. Style guides record things such as the the spelling of KiwiSaver and the use of case in iQualify.
See the Open Polytechnic Style sheet starter for a course and Style sheets let's all get on the same page.
Tables and figures are part of the learning and elaborate on the commentary. Caption tables and figures and number them in bold. This gives learners a point of reference and helps them accurately refer to the graphics in course discussion and assessment.
Numbers begin with the module number. Captions should be concise and descriptive. Place them outside the graphic.
Numbers and captions are placed:
above tables
below figures.
The styles are:
Table 1.4 House prices 1999–2005
Fig. 3.1 Greenfields development
Captions do not have full stops unless the caption contains more than one complete sentence.
For figures, the copyright statement goes under the caption. For tables, it sits under the graphic.
Videos require APA references when brought into a course and should be contextualised in the commentary. Use the title of the video in the course, as this is sound referencing procedure. Put the citation in brackets and the length of the video in a second set of brackets. Use the simple format (3:11), as per YouTube.
Now watch Worst Balls in Cricket Ever (Cricket Talkies, 2016) (10:20) for more in-depth analysis of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.