business writing style guide international

8/7/2019 Business Writing Style Guide International

1/28

GHDBusiness Writing Style Guide


2/28

As I read your (report/proposal/letter/email) I was struck by

how you made complex issues seem so simple. Your writing

style enticed me to venture further into the document.

You told me a story that captured my imagination whilst

delivering the facts. The more pages I turned, the more I

felt like you had read my mind. I cant wait for the

next edition.

A Client

Good writing demonstrates our care for clients...


3/28

For an electronic version go to : the Strategy Corner on the Compass home page.

January 2010 Document 2 Strategy Tool Kit


4/28

GHD Business Writing Style Guide


5/28

GHD Business Writing Style Guide

Getting Started ..............................................................................................................................4

GHD .................................................................................................................................................5

Punctuating Words .........................................................................................................................6

Punctuating Sentences..................................................................................................................9

Capitalisation ................................................................................................................................12

Numbers........................................................................................................................................14

Tricky Words .................................................................................................................................16

Names and Greetings ..................................................................................................................19

Setting it out..................................................................................................................................21

Tips on tone ..................................................................................................................................23

Index


6/28

4 | GHD Business Writing Style Guide

Getting Started

Guidelines or authorsGHD has established author guidelines to communicate inormation about ourcompany eectively and avoid making misleading statements.

These guidelines are relevant to all GHD literature including GHD News, AnnualReview, our web site, marketing materials, CVs, proposals/tenders and the like.

Legal obligations determine we cannot use the ollowing words and/or terms:

Best practice

Ensure

Expert, expertise

Fit or purpose

Guarantee, indemnies

High/best/highest level o service

Promise, warrants

Specialist expertise

Supervises work (unless our commission specically includes ull-time ResidentEngineer/Clerk o Works supervision services).

Worlds best practice

Use the ollowing or similar to describe GHDs capability: Is a leading consultant providing

Has specic skills in

Is experienced in

Rather than using supervision consider contract administration services,construction phase services, project management services, etc

Spelling and grammar

Always spell check your documents beore submitting them or approval/review.

Microsot Word provides several ways to check and correct spelling and grammaras you go.

Authors in Australia should make sure they select the international or Australiandictionary in MS Word. Authors in the US and in countries where American Englishis the preerred style need to select the American English dictionary.

Automatically correct spelling and grammar

To x spelling and grammatical errors as you type, use the AutoCorrect eature(under the Tools menu) and check all o the boxes. For example, i you typedenately and then type a space or other punctuation, AutoCorrect will replace itwith denitely.

Automatically check spelling and grammar as you type

To check or spelling and grammatical errors behind the scenes, use automaticspelling and grammar checking (under the Tools menu, click Options, and the clickthe Spelling & Grammar tab). As you type, the spelling and grammar checkerscheck the text, and then mark possible errors with wavy underlines.


7/28

GHD Business Writing Style Guide | 5

GHD

About GHDGHD is a company and should thereore always be reerred to in the singular, e.g.GHD is/GHD has/GHD provides/GHD delivers/GHD employs etc.

pGHD is building its business in China.oGHD are building a business in China. (But we at GHD are building a business

in China is ok because we is the subject and is plural.)

Like the word government, the word board should only be capitalised as part o aormal title.

pThe GHD BoardpThe boardo

The BoardWhen reerring to the titles o our global sector leaders, and their sectors as a title,use capital letters and ampersands where appropriate.

pWaterpEnvironmentpTransportationpEnergy & ResourcespProperty & BuildingspJoe Bloggs is the Global Sector Leader, Energy & Resources.

The word strategy should only be capitalised i it is used as part o a title.oWe recently launched our new Strategy.pWe recently launched our new strategy.pWe recently launched Strategy: Accomplish More Together.Web

The correct way to reer to the GHD web site address iswww.ghd.com

Our market sectors

When reerring to the industries we serve use lower case and the word and.

p We serve clients in the industries o water, environment, transportation, energyand resources, and property and buildings.

oWe serve clients in the industries o Water, Environment, Transportation, Energy& Resources, and Property & Buildings.


8/286 | GHD Business Writing Style Guide

Punctuating Words

ApostrophesPossession

Use an apostrophe to show possession.

pThe job managers reportoThe job managers reportpThe clients brieoThe clients brieContractions

Contractions can be used or inormal documents such as emails, but should beavoided or ormal documents where possible. Use an apostrophe to show an

omission.

pThe mail doesnt (does not) come on Saturday.pI cant (cannot) nish that today.pYou couldve (could have) nished that today i you werent (were not) late or

work.

Simple plurals

When youre thinking o putting an apostrophe in a word that ends in s, ask yourselwhether youre merely showing that there is more than one thing. I so, its a simpleplural and you dont need an apostrophe.

pThere are many cars on the road.oThere are many cars on the road.oThere are many cars on the road.

Possessive pronounsWhen a possessive pronoun (including my, mine, our/s, your/s, his, her/s, their/s) isused as an adjective, no apostrophe is needed.

pThis is their idea. The idea is theirs.oThis is their idea. The idea is theirs.pThis writing guide is yours.Lower case plurals

Apostrophes are used to orm the plural o letters that appear in lower case. Toorm the plural o a lower case letter, place an s ater the letter.

pThree csoThree csTime and money

Words showing periods o time or amounts o money need apostrophes when theyare used as possessive adjectives.

pa days paypa mornings workptwo cents worth (the apostrophe comes ater the s because cents is plural)p21 years experience (because years is plural)Plural letters, abbreviations and years

There is no need or apostrophes to indicate a plural o capitalised letters, numbers,years, symbols or abbreviations.


9/28


pKPIs

oKPIsp1990so1990sHowever, use an apostrophe to show missing numbers.

p78 (1978)Its and Its

Its is a shortened orm o it is or it has.

pIts due today.pIts in my calendar.Its is the possessive orm o it and denotes ownership.

pIts name is Fred.pI like its design.Hyphens

Use a hyphen with sets o words ormed with prexes when the hyphen is neededto clariy the words meaning.

pre-sent (otherwise conused with resent)osub-headingUse a hyphen when the last let ter o the prex is a vowel, and the word that ollowsbegins with the same vowel (except or double o).

pre-enterpcooperateThese words should always eature hyphens north-east, north-east, north-west,south-west, south-east, etc (as per Macquarie Dictionary).

Use a hyphen when two words unction as an adjective (describing word) beore anoun, even i they would not take hyphens when placed elsewhere in a sentence.

pA client-centred culturepA two-storey buildingUse a lowercase e with no hyphen when spelling words prexed with e(electronic).

pemailpeLearning (or GHD programs)The Macquarie and Australian Oxord dictioneries suggest no hyphens are neededor email or elearning.

Use a hyphen in commonly used compound words.ppre-approvalpull-time and part-timeUse a hyphen as a linking device to show a range o numbers, time and distance.

pPages 72-84p56-60 Lonsdale StpJune-SeptemberUse a hyphen to connect numbers up to ninety-nine that are made up o twowords.

pSeven hundred and ty-six

Dont use a hyphen instead o and when using the word between, or instead o or.

pThe oce will be closed rom 24 December to 2 January.oThe oce will be closed rom 24 December-2 JanuarypYou can nd the inormation in the report between pages 56 and 72.oYou can nd the inormation in the report between pages

56-72.


10/28


Shortened ormsAbbreviations

Open punctuation rules apply to abbreviations where no punctuation is needed orcommonly used abbreviations.

pTuespVicp Mr

o Vic.

o Mr.

Always spell state names in ull in the rst instance. Abbreviations can be used

thereater.

Punctuation

No punctuation (no ull stop) is needed in titles and capitalisation is the same as theuncontracted word.

pMro Mr.

p Rd

Use punctuation or the abbreviations i.e. and e.g. They should be introduced witha comma.

p There are many animals at the zoo, e.g. lions, tigers, bears.

AcronymsAcronyms are strings o initial letters and sometimes other letters pronounced asone word. No punctuation is needed in acronyms and the acronym is usually allcapital letters. An exception exists or some amiliar acronyms that have an initialcapital letter i they are proper nouns.

pTAFEpQantaso QANTAS

Initialisms

Initialisms or jargon terms are strings o initial letters not pronounced as a word. Nopunctuation is needed in initialisms and all capital letters are used.

pNSWo N.S.W.

pTVUse the ull name with the initialism or acronym in brackets ater the name the rsttime it is used. Use the initialism or acronym or the rest o the document. Dont putthe initialism or jargon term in brackets i you dont plan to use it again.

p GHD has experience in integrated water management (IWM).

o GHD has experience skills in IWM (integrated water management).


11/28


Punctuating sentences

Full stopsUse a ull stop to mark the end o a complete sentence. Use only one punctuationspace ater it.

pGHD is an international proessional services company.Use a ull stop at the end o an indirect question. An indirect question sounds like aquestion but is actually a statement.

pPlease outline what the reasons are or rejecting our proposal.Use a ull stop at the end o an imperative sentence. These sentences have noovert grammatical subject; you is the silent subject.

pRepair the widget with the cap o.Do not use ull stops ater captions or statements that are not complete sentences(sentence ragments).

Question marks

Use a question mark ater a direct question. Direct questions require an answer asthey are interrogative.

pAre you going to the meeting?It is not necessary to use question marks ater polite requests. The polite request,although it is technically a question, usually ends with a ull stop and not a questionmark. This is because the writer isnt actually asking a question, but rather makinga request.

pCould you please ll out the orm and return it to me by Monday.Do not use a question mark ater an indirect question. Indirect questions describe aquestion and look like a question, but they do not make a sentence interrogative.

pI wonder why he didnt get the job.oI wonder why she wasnt hired or the position?

Exclamation marksExclamation marks are used to express a high degree o excitement or emotion.They have limited use in business writing.

Use an exclamation mark only or positive emotion, and even then be careul toavoid using it more than once.

pCongratulations! You are the winner o this months rafe.Do not use an exclamation mark to show dissatisaction or disdain as doing so canresult in reader alienation.

pThe meeting will begin at 10.30 am sharp.oThe meeting will begin at 10.30 am SHARP!!! Do NOT be late!!!!CommasThe comma tells a reader to pause. The rst letter ater a comma is lower case.Leave only one punctuation space ater it.

Use the Read Aloud Test (RAT) i there is a natural pause in the way you read youare likely to require a comma.

Use a comma wherever necessary to prevent possible conusion, ambiguity ormisreading.

pJoe, said Iris, was helpul. (In this sentence Joe is helpul.)pJoe said Iris was helpul. (In this sentence Iris is helpul.)Use a comma to introduce the abbreviations i.e. and e.g. You can use i.e. and e.g.in brackets as well. When doing so, you dont need the comma.

pDecide on general topics, i.e. one or two key words.I the introduction to indirect speech uses the word that or involves a partialsentence incorporated into the sentence, you do not need to include a comma.

pJohn said that hed see you at the conerence on Friday.


12/28


Use a comma between items in a series or list (when the items are themselvesnot punctated). You dont need to use a comma beore the last item i you use thecoordinating conjunctions and or or.

pThe managers rom Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia were calledto a meeting.

Except when the second last list item contains the word and itsel, use a commabeore the coordinating conjunction.

pThe departments involved are Finance, People, Corporate Marketing andCommunications, and Inormation Technology.

Use a comma to separate independent clauses joined by connecting words suchas or, and, but, so yet. Place the comma beore the connecting word.

pEveryone was on time or the meeting, but it still began late.When you use a connecting word but do not have a complete sentence on bothsides o it, you dont need a comma.

pI rst outlined my strategy and then interviewed the teams to determine the wayorward.

I your sentence is very short (between ve and 10 words) and easy to read, youcan leave out the comma beore the connecting word.

pJoe Bloggs is young and he is inexperienced.Use a comma to attach words to the ront or back o your sentence. Mostsentences you write begin as a short core sentence. Oten we add inormationto the core sentence by attaching one or more words to the ront or back o it.

The additional inormation usually tells us when, where, why, how or under whatconditions the main action o the core sentence occurred.

pIn the winter o 2007, I visited London and New York.

Use a comma on both sides o a non-essential component.

pJoe Bloggs, who is chairing the meeting, will outline the agenda.oOrganisations that support flexitime are reducing in number. (I you omit the text

in italics the sentence makes no sense at all.)

Semicolons

A semicolon is used between two independent clauses when the two sentencesare inextricably related, but really two thoughts.

However, this rule should be used sparingly in business writing. Thepreerence is to separate the two independent clauses with a ull stop to avoid onelong sentence.

In a list, use a semicolon to separate a series o phrases that also containpunctuation. (See page 21 or advice on lists.)

Long dashes

Dashes can be used to introduce an explanation or set apart one part o asentence or phrase rom another. They are also used to show a break in thought.Any text set o by dashes is likely to be read with a sense o emphasis.

To create a long dash in Microsot Word, type your text, ollowed by twohyphens, ollowed by more text.

Use a space beore and a space ater each dash.

Use a lower case letter or the rst letter ater a dash.

pThe dash typed with a space beore and ater it is used to connect groupso words to other groups, or to set words o rom the rest o a sentence.


13/28


Forward slashesUse the orward slash to show alternatives (to replace the word or) and as asubstitute or per. No space is needed beore or ater the slash and you should usea lower case letter or the rst letter ater it (unless the word is a proper noun ortitle).

pyes/nooyes / nopmale/emaleomale/ emaleDo not use a orward slash with units o measurement that are spelled out.

p45 metres per minuteo45 metres/minutep45 m/minBrackets

Brackets are used to enclose text that is not usually essential to the meaning oa sentence. The most common type o bracket used in business writing is roundbrackets (or parentheses).

Use a ull stop on the outside o the close bracket when completing a sentencewith a phrase in brackets.

pThe design contains many unique eatures (as can be seen in Appendix 2).Use a ull stop on the inside o the close bracket when a complete sentenceappears in the bracket.

pThe design contains many unique eatures. (Please reer to Appendix 2 ordetails.)

Quotation marksUse double quotation marks like this or quotes.

Use a comma to introduce a quote rom a speaker.

When the quote is a complete sentence, the close quote mark goes outside thenal punctuation.

pI am very pleased.pI am very pleased, he said.oI am very pleased.When the quote is partial, the close quote mark goes inside the nal punctuation.

pHe said our work was the best by ar.pHe said, Your work is the best by ar.Use single quote marks or a quote inside a quote.

pHe told me our work was the best by ar, and asked me to pass on hiscongratulations.

Do not use quotation marks or emphasis. Except when they are essential orclarity, do not put quotes around trade names, makes or models o cars or aircrat,sport events or trophies, report names, nicknames or any other unnecessarywords.


14/28


Capitalisation

Capitalise the rst word o a sentence.pToday is the rst day o the week.Capitalise the rst word o a sentence that is a direct quote or is direct speech.

pAccording to William Strunk Jr, Vigorous writing is concise.Use capitals or the days o the week and special holidays, but not the seasons.

pJuneoSummerTitles

When using market sectors in titles, capital lette rs and ampersands should be

used. The correct terminology or external use is Global Leader and BusinessLeader.

pPat ODwyer is the Global Leader, Energy & Resources.pIan Dawson, Global Leader, Transportationp Gavin Becker, Business Leader, Mining & Metals

Capitalise position titles when writing the title o a specically named person.

p GHD Chie Executive Ocer Joe Bloggs; GHD Chairman Joe Bloggs; ServiceLine Leader, Water, Joe Bloggs

Do not capitalise the position title when the person is not named.

pThe councils chie executive ocer has been invited.oThe Service Line Leaders or Planning, Water and Tunnels attended

the meeting.

Capitalise the ocial titles o the principals and chie executives o institutions. Withthe exception o monarchs and heads o state, these titles should be presented inlower case when abbreviated to the generic element.

pthe Prime Minister, the Premier, the Leader o the Opposition, the PresidentoThe Minister met with the a group o Managers rom our oces.pThe Minister or Agriculture came to our oce. The minister met with a group o

our managers.

Service lines

Only capitalise service lines and other business divisions in the context o a nameor title.

pThe Planning Service Line; the Urban Development Business GroupoWe service the Mining and Oil & Gas industries.pWe service the mining and oil and gas industries.Operating Centres

When you are talking about a single or specic operating centre, use upper case.

pThe Perth Operating Centre held a successul client unction.When you are talking about operating centres in the plural, use lower case.

pThe Victorian and New South Wales operating centres are celebrating a yearo success.

oWe have Operating Centres in Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, etc.


15/28


Organisations and government departmentsThe ocial names o organisations, such as government departments, shouldbe capitalised (except or articles, prepositions and conjunctions). When thesenames are abbreviated, leave them uncapitalised, except where they retain specicelements.

eg. the Reserve Bank o Australia, the Reserve Bank,the bank.

eg. the Department o Finance, the Finance Department, the department

Government programs ollow a similar style when they are abbreviated.

eg. the Greater Artesian Basin Sustainability Initiative; the Artesian Basin Initiative;the initiative.

The word government should only be capitalised as part o a ormal title. All otherreerences should be lower case. Where more than one government is mentioned,the word governments should be lower case. Always write local government inlower case, except where you are reerring to the name o a specic council.

pThe South Australian Government will adopt the new policy next month.pThe state government will adopt the new policy next month.oThe State Government will adopt the new policy next month.pThe Australian/United States/ACT Government said it would act quickly.oThe Government said it would act quickly.oThe Victorian and South Australian Governments will meet next week.pThe Victorian and South Australian governments will meet next week.oCouncil has asked us to prepare a report.pToowoomba City Council has asked us to prepare a report.

Particular words need capitals to distinguish them rom their genericmeaning the Cabinet; the Treasury; the Crown; the House (meaning eitherparliamentary chamber); the Budget; and in the legislative context, the Act;Ordinance; Regulation; Bill.

Publications and elements within a publication

The titles o books, periodicals, chapters, articles and document begin with acapital letter. It is recommended to use minimal capitalisation or all but the titleso legislation, journals, magazines and newspapers which are conventionally givenmaximum capitalisation.

p...in the chapter entitled Three Australian EngineerspEnvironment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999pBusiness Review Weeklypthe Journal o English LinguisticspHe writes or The Agep...in the Age editorial on MondayIt is recommended that reerences to elements o a publication other than pages becapitalised when mentioned in running text. For example:

pThis is discussed in Chapter 4.pPopulation growth is shown in Figure 3.2.pThis is discussed on pages 59-63 in Section 5.p...(see Table 11 Section 5)


16/28


Numbers

Rule o nineWrite out numbers one to nine in ull when used in general text. Also, write zeroinstead o 0. Use numerals or 10 and above.

Use numerals to express numbers in tables, graphs, charts, etc. Use numeralswhen introducing tables, appendices, visuals, items or gures.

Exception: Make an exception to the rule o nine when a number begins asentence. Even when the number is over 10 write it out in ull. The preerence is torearrange the wording o the sentence so that the number isnt at the beginning.

Decimals are ok (e.g. 6.67).

Punctuation

Do not use an apostrophe when presenting decades in numerals

p1990so1990sInsert a comma between two sets o numerals that appear together in text

pIn 2009, 6000 people worked at GHD.Use a comma rom 10,000 and thereater to separate groups o three numerals

p6000o6,000p60,000,000Telephone numbers

GHD is a global company. Always write telephone numbers in international ormat.Dont use brackets.

Ater the country code and city code, group in lots o our numerals. Write mobilenumbers as our-three numerals separated by spaces.

o(03) 8687 8000p61 3 8687 8854

p61 427 690 763

p1 949 250 0501Time

Always use numerals or time. Use a ull stop rather than a colon to separate thehour minutes

p4.45 pmNo punctuation marks are used or the commonly used abbreviations

pam ppm pmin (minute) phr (hour)Use noon and midnight instead o 12 pm and 12 am toavoid conusion

Symbols

Use numerals or all numbers that are combined with standard units o weight,measurement or accompanied by a symbol. Do not use a ull stop beore thesymbol unless it is at the end o a sentence. Do leave a space beore the symbol asshown below.

p3 cmp5 kgp4 kmp7Cp5%p5 Lp8 m2o8 sqmUse a orward slash or per, an or a when units o measurement are abbreviated

p85 km/h


17/28


18/28


19/28


20/28


o enviroment penvironmento exagerated pexaggeratedo exeed pexceedo existance pexistenceo avorite pavouriteo ulll pullo guage pgaugeo goverment pgovernmento grammer pgrammaro

harrassmentp

harassmento incidently pincidentallyo independance pindependenceo irelevant pirrelevanto irrisistible pirresistibleo knowlege pknowledgeo learned plearnto liason pliaisono likelyhood plikelihoodo miscellanious pmiscellaneouso neccesary pnecessary

o ocasionally poccasionallyo occurence poccurrenceo ommission pomissiono ommitted pomittedo parrallel pparallelo personell ppersonnelo practicly ppracticallyo priviledge pprivilegeo prominant pprominento

persuep

pursueo questionaire pquestionnaireo recieved preceivedo reerence preerenceo repatition prepetitiono shedule pscheduleo seperate pseparateo suceed psucceedo thankyou pthank youo unecessary punnecessary


21/28


Names & Greetings

GreetingsThere are a number o correct ways to greet your reader. For letters and moreormal correspondence, use Dear. For less ormal (but just as proessional) emailmessages, you can use Hi or Hello. Avoid using just the persons name as it cancome across as being abrupt.

In line with the new open punctuation rules, you no longer need a comma in thegreeting ater the name. Open punctuation means that unnecessary punctuationis removed rom the name, date, address, greeting and complimentary close odocuments. Essential punctuation is still used in the text to ensure good sentenceconstruction and a clear message.

Use the rst name in a greeting i you know the recipient. You can use therecipients rst name i s/he has previously used your rst name. When in doubt,choose the more ormal greeting.

Use Mr Surname or Ms Surname i the person has addressed you in that way. Iyou dont know i a emale recipient is married or single, use Ms instead o Mrs orMiss.

Use Sir/Madam in the greeting only i you dont know the recipients name.

pDear Johno Dear John,

pDear Mr Joneso Dear Mr. Jones

pHi JoanpDear Sir/MadampHello Jim

pMr D Joneso Mr. D. Jones

o Mr D. Jones

o Mr. D Jones

pMr David JonesComplimentary closes

There are a number o correct complimentary closes you can use, depending onthe nature o the document and the level o ormality. Avoid signing your namewithout the complimentary close.

As a general guide, use Yours sincerely or most correspondence, particularly i

you are oering advice (which is done so in a sincere manner).pYours sincerelyo Yours sincerely,

pRegardso Regards,

pKind regardso Kind regards,

Emoticons

Do not use emoticons in external or corporate correspondence.


22/28


23/28


Setting it out

Headings

Capital letters

The readability o lower case letters is greater than that o capital lette rs. Thereore,it is recommended that instead o using title case, you use sentence case orheadings.

pRequest or agenda itemso Request or Agenda Items

Punctuation

Avoid using terminal punctuation (i.e. ull stops or colons) in headings. However,when headings are written as direct questions, they need to end with questionmarks.

Bulleted lists

Bullet points or list items are usually introduced by a sentence or phrase that letsthe reader know what is included in the list. In documents, a leader sentence isused to introduce a series o bullet points or list o items. The leader sentenceshould begin with a capital letter and end in a colon.

Convention 1: No punctuation

This convention is used or list items that are standalone items or sentenceragments. These do not need terminal punctuation, so no ull stops or commas orcolons are used at the end.

p The ollowing service lines were included in the survey:

TunnelsRiskManagement

Planning

There are three places requiring your signature:

Thefrontpageofthecontract

ThebackpageofthecontractentitledTermsandConditions

ThecondentialitystatementonPage24

Convention 2: With punctuation (ull stop)

This convention is used or list items that are imperative sentences. In this instance,the sentences require a ull stop.

Standalone items or sentence ragments. These do not need terminal punctuation,so no ull stops or commas or colons are used at the end.

The steps to be ollowed are outlined below:

Pleasemakesurethecomputeristurnedonandpluggedintothemainpower.

Placethecomputercarefullyinthespaceprovidedforitonthesurfacearea.

Onceturnedonandinplace,thecomputerisreadyforuse.

Pull quotes

Pull quotes are used or visual eect and to emphasise key points in a document.

Quotes should always be repeated in the body o the text or context.

Use double quotation marks. See the GHD Visual Style Guide or urther guidance.

Example pull quote, care o GHD news 131:

Infrastructureiscertainlyahottopic...

ThecommunityisnowwellawareofAustraliasinfrastructureneedsandits

importancetostimulatingeconomicgrowth.

TomPinzone,GHD


24/28


Reerencing

When writing or business, the preerred way to reerence your material is to use theauthor-date system.

When making a reerence to an authority in the body o the text, provide the nameo the authority and the year o publication in brackets.

pThis approach (Hodkinson 1995) suggests thatThe ull details o the authority should be listed in an alphabetical reerence listat the end o your document, using the ollowing order author, date, chapter/section (i appropriate), title, edition number (i appropriate), city/country published,publisher.

General rules on reerencing

With the exception o the titles o books, journals, magazines and newspapers,minimal capitalisation is used

No ull stops, and no spaces, are used with peoples initials

Book and periodical titles are italicised

Single quotation marks are used or the titles o chapters and other similardivisions in books, and or the titles o articles in periodicals

The elements o a citation are separated by commas

Works by dierent authors with the same surname should be arranged by rstname alphabetical order

I you have two or more reerences with the same author and published in

the same year, list them in alphabetical order and place sequential letters aterthe year o publication to enable distinctions between citations (i.e. Whyte,TC 1997a)

Book

pPearson, M 1997, The Journalists Guide to Media Law, St Leonards, Allen &Unwin.

Chapter in a book

pPearson, M 1997, Sub judice contempt, The Journalists Guide to Media Law,St Leonards, Allen & Unwin.

Internet document

pBenton Foundation 1998, Barriers to closing the gap, In Losing ground bit bybit: Low-income communities in the inormation age, retrieved May 20, 2008,rom www.benton.org/library/Low-Income/two.html.

Journal article

pJackson, S 1992, Miracle cure, Economic Review, vol 275, pp 154-160.


25/28


Tone

In a technical industry, it is easy to use language that excludes people. Jargon,acronyms and industry-specic terms have the potential to isolate people rom yourmessage.

Connecting with your audience requires passion, relevance and open language.The best writing is accessible, approachable and opens a conversation.

Do Dont

Talk about the capabilities o GHDacross the international network.

Just list the capabilities o theimmediate oce or people you directlywork with.

Use We, Our, Us, GHD, and

our people.

Use I, Me, He and She, sta.

Highlight the impact o the project onthe wider community.

Just talk about the technicalspecications o a project.

Provide inormation about theoutcomes o a project.

Focus on the technical details andproject inputs.

Provide context to a project whatwas the issue/problem that your worksolved? What benets did you provide?

Talk about the specics o the projectwithout providing meaning or value oryour work.

Use language your audience willunderstand write or the averageperson.

Use jargon, clichs, unnecessaryacronyms or highly technical terms thatthe audience wont understand.

Be clear and compell ing. Use long-winded or elaborate

language.Provide back-up and examples. Show,dont tell.

Exclude examples and substantiatedreasons.

Consider and understand the needs oyour audience.

Write or your colleagues.

Communicate with warmth andhumanity.

Be cold, and ocus on only actualdetails.

Writing or the web

Peoples attention span online is short. They tend to scan or the relevantinormation, rather than reading it rom top to bottom.

1. Write short, tight paragraphs. Say what you want using the ewest wordspossible.

2. Write simply and directly.

3. Put the most important inormation at the top.

4. Separate the inormation into bite-sized bits.

5. Avoid narrative paragraphs, particularly those incorporating long lists. Use bulletpoints instead.

6. Help the reader to move down the page by using visual guides such as sub-headings, links and bullet points.

7. Never underestimate the power o a picture.

Tips on tone


26/28

GHDs Glossary or internal use and reerence onlyAM Asset Management

BD Business Development

BGM Business Group Manager

BL Business Leader

CH Career History

Compass GHD Intranet Site on Lotus Notes

CorporateDirectory

Internal contacts database

CV Curriculum Vitae (Resum)

DTC Document Transaction CenterEMS Envi ronmental Management System

FTE Full Time Employees

GALEXE Sotware catalog and l icensing

GHD Gutteridge, Haskins & Davey

GML Global Market Leader

ICT Inormation Communication and Technology

IMS Inormation Management System

InSite GHD Intranet Site on Internet Explorer or access toFinancials

InTouch External contacts databaseIRIS Incident Register and Improvement System

IS Inormation Services

JFlo GHD Job Management sotware

JM Job Manager

KPI Key Perormance Indicators

LMS Learning Management SystemLN Lotus Notes

M&BDS Marketing & Business Development Services

MIS Management Inormation System. Link to Workbench

OCM Operating Centre Manager

PD Project Director

PMG Practice Management Group

PRD Perormance Review and Development database

Prospector Business development tracking database

PSE Payroll Services Enterprise

QA100 Quality Assurance Authority Levels

QMS Quality Management System

Repository Electronic Folder or email (aka Job Code)

RPT Roles Posi tions and Tit les Database

RSA Remote Secure Access. Name o the company thatproduces GHD network security tokens

SGM Service Group Manager

SLL Service Line Leaders

SQE Saety, Quality and Envi ronment

TRG Tender Review Group

VoIP Voice over Internet ProtocolWIH Work in Hand

WIP Work in Progress

Workbench Project Management

YP Young Proessional


27/28

Notes


28/28

www.ghd.com

business writing style guide international

Documents