Lists

• Series of related items can be presented as either displayed or run-on lists.
• Follow the author’s use of displayed or run-on list.
• Oxford commas should be used in displayed and run-on lists EXCEPT in the case where there are only two items in the list.
• Use a colon preceding a list in the case where terms such as “following” are used.

Displayed lists

• Displayed lists should have em-rules for items and should be indented.
• Sub-items are numbered with Roman numerals, aligned on the closing parenthesis.
• Each item and sub-item begins on a new line.
• Insert a comma after each list item and sub-item, including before the ‘and’ before the last item in the list. Alternatively, a semicolon may be used if it seems more appropriate. Use a full point at the end of the list. Example:

— item 1,

(i) sub-item 1,

(ii) sub-item 2, and

(iii) sub-item 3,

— item 2, and

— item 3.

• Avoid use of bullet points or dots.
• Where the list items have headings, these should be italic with a full point, and there should also be a full point at the end of the sentence. Example:

Types of wetlands studied were as follows.

— Bog. Peat-accumulating with no inflows or outflows; supports mosses.

— Bottomland. Lowlands along streams and rivers.

— Fen. Ground-water fed; peat accumulating.

— Marsh. Frequently inundated; emergent herbaceous vegetation.

— Peat land. Any wetland that accumulates decaying plant matter.

Run-on lists

• Are not indented and follow the point size of the surrounding text.
• Can start with explanatory text separated from the list with a colon.
• Numbered run-on lists are separated by commas whereas run-on lists without numbers are separated by semi-colons.
• Where a series includes descriptions of the list items, the item and description should be separated by a comma, series items should then be
  • separated by semi-colons. Example:

Pond 1: frogs, blue squares; tadpoles, red circles; frogspawn, green triangles. Pond 2: goldfish, orange squares; trout, brown circles; koi carp, yellow triangles.

• Where the author has used numbered run-on lists in the text, use Roman numerals and insert a comma before the ‘and’, before the last item in the list. Example:

This was divided into the following: (i) the focus on river water ignores the contribution of rain-fed production, (ii) ignoring what happens to water after its use, and (iii) the need to consider environmental ecosystems.