Attachment_D_NPS2021StyleGuide.pdf

The writer-editors at Harpers Ferry Center (HFC) maintain this guide for HFC staff, park and program staff, contractors, and others who prepare NPS interpretive media. It aims to minimize distractions caused by variations in spelling, capitalization, hyphenation, etc. While not intended to impose a strict house style, it includes recommended usages and style decisions developed in the interest of servicewide consistency.

This edition also honors HFC’s 50th anniversary in 2020. The HFC writer-editors reviewed every entry and added more than 30 new terms—over half from the national reckoning of racial injustice. Our advisors are listed on the next page; staff from across the NPS also reviewed a draft of this document.

New or substantially revised entries are marked with a plus sign:

+ ice age

Entries that could change before the next edition are marked with an asterisk or star:

* Indigenous

Remember your audience When you produce NPS interpretive media, your audience is usually the general public. This includes people with and without disabilities and with varying education, backgrounds, and experience. Keep language and sentence structure as simple as possible. Use shorter and/or common words when meanings are interchangeable. Apply Plain Language principles (www.plainlanguage.gov), which are designed to make all government publications more understandable.

Examples of simple changes that make a big difference:

hours not current hours, hours of operation many not numerous get not obtain at not located at

How decisions are made When we have a question about editorial style or word usage, we follow this hierarchy:

1. HFC Editorial Style Guide

2. The Chicago Manual of Style

3. Associated Press Stylebook

4. GPO Style Manual

For spelling we use The American Heritage Dictionary, with some exceptions listed in this guide.

Ask us!

We welcome your questions. You can submit questions and suggestions in the Common Learning Portal, HFC Publications Group (mylearning.nps.gov/groups/nps-publications), or send them to hfc_editorial_style_guide@nps.gov.

Your own editorial style We recommend you develop a style sheet for items specific to your park or office.

Attachment D https://mylearning.nps.gov/groups/nps-publications/ mailto:hfc_editorial_style_guide@nps.gov

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 2

Recommended references The links to these resources are current as of February 1, 2021. Check the online version of the style guide for updated links: go.nps.gov/hfc-style-guide.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th edition

Also available as an app and online at ahdictionary.com Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, 53rd edition

Updated annually; get one and stick with it for a few years. Also available online by subscription at www.apstylebook.com

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), 17th edition Also available online by subscription at www.chicagomanualofstyle.org

Denver Service Center Editorial Style Guide, 2014 Use for technical and management publications like environmental assessments, policy guidelines, etc.

www.nps.gov/orgs/1804/upload/DSC_EditingStyleGuide_2014_AF.pdf

Editorial Style Guide for Park Science and Natural Resource Year in Review, 2006.

Good for technical and scientific styles and usage not included in CMOS or the HFC style guide. Irma.nps.gov;

Report NPS/NRPC/NRR-2006/004.

HFC Editorial Style Guide www.nps.gov/subjects/hfc/hfc-editorial-style-guide.htm Also part of the Interpretive Media Toolkit on the Common Learning Portal: mylearning.nps.gov/library-resources/interpretive-media-toolkit.

HFC Spanish Editorial Style Guide www.nps.gov/subjects/hfc/upload/Spanish-HFC-Style-Guide-2015-1.pdf

Interpretive Media Toolkit NPS source for resources and information, such as accessibility guidelines, for producing interpretive media.

mylearning.nps.gov/library-resources/interpretive-media-toolkit

Plain Language Guidelines www.plainlanguage.gov

“Terminology and the Mass Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII,” 2021 NPS Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) Advisory Council. Available upon request from MANZ_Superintendent@nps.gov

US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) geonames.usgs.gov

US Government Publishing Office Style Manual: An official guide to the form and style of Federal Government publishing, 2016 (Also known as GPO Style Manual.) Available as a pdf from gpo.gov or for purchase at bookstore.gpo.gov.

NPS Advisors Joanne Blacoe, Region 1 Interpretive Planner Dorothy FireCloud, Native American Liaison Bernadette Johnson, Superintendent, Manzanar National Historic Site, and representative, Japanese American

Confinement Sites (JACS) Advisory Council Thomas Leatherman, Superintendent, EUON/JOMU/POCH/RORI, and JACS representative Turkiya Lowe, Chief Historian, Park History Program Diane Miller, National Program Manager, National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Deanna Mitchell, Superintendent, Harriett Tubman Underground Railroad Jennifer Mummart, Associate Area Director–Communications, Region 1 Elizabeth Stern, Strategic Communications Advisor, Office of Communications Jennifer Talken-Spaulding, Cultural Anthropologist, Office of Tribal Relations and American Cultures Anna Tamura, Planning Portfolio Manager, Region 9, and JACS representative Hanako Wakatsuki-Chong, Chief of Interpretation, Minidoka, and JACS representative https://go.nps.gov/hfc-style-guide

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 3

A a or an Use a before words beginning with a consonant sound, including y and w, no matter how the word is spelled. Use an before words beginning with a vowel sound.

a National Park Service regulation an NPS regulation a historic site an honor a hoary marmot an heir abandoned Avoid when writing about Native American dwellings. See ruin.

Ancestral Puebloan people left their homes in Chaco Canyon about 800 years ago.

+ aboriginal Not recommended for NPS interpretive media, unless in a quotation or anthropological context. See First Nations, Indigenous, Native American, tribes.

access Avoid as a verb for “reach” or “get to.” See accessible.

You can get to Prince William Forest Park from the south via I-95.

accessibility Most new or revised Unigrid brochures include an accessibility statement. See service animals.

We strive to make facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information go to a visitor center, ask a ranger, call, or check the park website.

accessible Use this adjective when referring to facilities, trails, campsites, services, and more that people with disabilities can use. Do not use when giving directions. See access, disabled, hearing loss, wheelchair, wheelchair-accessible.

The national seashore has accessible shelters for waterfowl hunters in wheelchairs.

acknowledgment Not acknowledgement.

acronym An acronym is an initialism that is a pronounceable word, such as NATO or AIDS. Spell out the name or term at first use with acronym in parentheses. See alpha code, initialism, NPS.

The United States and Russia completed the START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) requirements.

Act, act of Congress Adding these properties will require an act of Congress.

but The Wilderness Act was signed into law in September 1964.

A.D. See CE, eras.

addresses Spell out street, road, way, and avenue in running text; abbreviate in a stacked address (each item on a separate line). Whenever possible, place address (and phone number) at end of paragraph. Write NW, SW, NE, SE. See state names.

20120 Cypress Ave.

The White House is on Pennsylvania Avenue.

16th Street NW administrative statement format See National Park Service identity statement.

adverbs Flat adverbs, which were out of favor for many years, are back. HFC does not use flat adverbs.

Drive safely preferred to Drive safe.

Go slowly preferred to Go slow.

African American Noun or adjective, no hyphen. See Black, Black American.

agencywide

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 4

+ aircraft, remotely piloted Preferred over drones or unmanned aircraft, but OK to use drone to clarify, like in the standard brochure statement.

Using remotely piloted aircraft like drones is prohibited.

Air Force One, Marine One, etc. “One” indicates any military aircraft carrying the US president.

Italicize. See ship.

+ Alaska Native Not Alaskan Native.

alpha code The four-letter code for a park. Do not use in running text in publications for the general public.

am No periods, small letters (no capitals), space between number and am. See time of day.

America Avoid. See United States.

America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass See National Parks and Federal

Recreational Lands Pass.

American Can refer to people living in other countries of North and South America. Use cautiously when referring to heritage or cultural identity.

+ American Indian Use if park and its associated tribes request, or if you are writing about federal law where

American Indian has a specific legal meaning and standing. Otherwise use Native American if you are referring collectively to indigenous people of the United States. Note: The former NPS American Indian Liaison Office was renamed in 2020 to the Office of Native American Affairs. See Indigenous, Native American, tribal names.

+ American Revolution, American Revolutionary War Two different events. The former includes the latter, which occurred 1775–83. In text, use the full title of the period or the war first; “Revolution” acceptable thereafter.

American Revolution affiliations Lowercase patriot, loyalist, regulars, or tory (unless capitalized in quoted material). Capitalize Whig and Tory as members of political parties; Continental Army troops; Provincial regiments;

British Army. Use park staff’s preference for capitalizing these terms. Note: Use patriot and loyalist cautiously; they can refer to people on either side. Consider using revolutionary and royalist instead.

Anasazi Avoid, or clarify at first mention, but use the preference of specific groups or parks. See ancestral Puebloan people.

These ancestral Puebloan people, often called Anasazi, used ladders made of ponderosa pine to reach the canyon’s ledges.

ancestral Puebloan people Predecessors of today’s Pueblo and Hopi people. See Anasazi.

and, & HFC does not use the ampersand (&) in Unigrid brochures unless it is part of a formal or trademarked name or title.

angler A person who fishes with hook and line. Avoid fisherman. See fisher.

+* Anglo Multiple definitions; some objectionable. Avoid unless in a quotation or used in a historic context. See Hispanic, Latina, White, etc.

app Lowercase unless part of a proper name like iTunes App Store. See iPhone, smartphone.

Use the NPS National Mall app to learn about memorials in our Nation’s Capital.

archeology Preferred over archaeology. The preferred spelling is widely accepted and is used throughout the NPS in interpretive and scientific publications and media, office names, etc.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 5 arms (small) Firearms that can be carried in the hand, like muskets, pistols, rifles, carbines, and shotguns. See artillery. Remember your audience: The average person may not know this term, so explain or name the weapon if you can.

Army, army Capitalize when referring to an official, organized group and if it is part of a proper name; lowercase if used as a generic term.

Geronimo resisted the US Army for 16 years.

The federal government ordered army scouts to stand 24-hour watch.

The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal US forces.

+ Arrowhead Capitalize when referring to the trademarked National Park Service emblem.

The Arrowhead appears on page one of this style guide.

In 1951, NPS architect Herbert Maier began working with the idea of an arrowhead as the NPS emblem.

artillery Large-caliber weapons like cannon, howitzers, and missile launchers, usually supported on a carriage and operated by crews. The average person may not know this term, so explain or name the weapon if you can. See arms (small). Note: When size is a descriptor, HFC style is to hyphenate.

The Napoleon 12-pounder cannon was a popular artillery piece in the US and Confederate armies.

See the Japanese 14-cm coastal defense gun at the Piti Gun Unit.

ATV All-terrain vehicle; no need to spell out. See ORV for more details about using correct acronyms for the various off-road vehicles.

audiovisual, AV Avoid. See film, movie, multimedia, program.

B backcountry bald cypress

+* BBPOC Abbreviation for Black, Brown, People of Color. Do not use; instead use BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color). See BIPOC, Indigenous, POC.

B.C. See BCE, eras.

BCE Before common era; replaces B.C. Clarify at first mention. BCE and CE are preferred because they are not based on a religion. See BP (before present), CE (common era), dates, eras.

At Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site the earliest known people date from 11,000 to 6,000 BCE (before common era).

biannual, biennial Use biannual to mean twice a year (like semiannual). Use biennial to mean every two years.

big game Do not use. Use wildlife, animals, or be specific. See game, wildlife.

biological soil crust Formerly called cryptobiotic crust.

Biosphere Reserve Also International Biosphere Reserve. Capitalize this United Nations designation for areas that belong to an international network of reserves. See World Heritage Site.

Mammoth Cave National Park, part of a major ecosystem that protects the diversity of life, was named an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 6

+* BIPOC Abbreviation for Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Use instead of BBPOC and POC because it is more inclusive. Spell out in first use. See BBPOC, Indigenous, POC.

birch bark, birchbark Two words if a noun; one word if an adjective.

You can see a birchbark storage basket at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Ojibwe taught French explorers how to build canoes from birch bark.

birder, birding Not birdwatcher or birdwatching.

Gateway National Recreation Area is a popular spot for birding, especially during the spring and fall migrations.

bison Commonly called buffalo. If writing bison, clarify at first mention.

Bison, commonly called buffalo, graze on this prairie.

+* Black Capitalize when related to culture or identity.

Esteban de Dorantes, a Black man, is one of the most fascinating figures of the Coronado Expedition.

By 1895 South Carolina had a new state constitution that disenfranchised Black voters.

In 1950 Black Americans made up about half of Dallas County’s voting-age population.

In 1950 Blacks made up about half of the voting-age population.

but She wore a black and green dress.

+* Black American OK to use instead of African American.

black-eyed Susan boat launch Preferred over boat ramp (ramps are paved; boat launches include paved and unpaved entrances).

Be consistent in park signage.

boundary, boundaries A boundary encloses a single, contiguous area. Boundaries enclose park areas that are not connected to each other; they may be separated by towns, sea channels, even states.

Today you can trace the paths of people seeking gold within the boundaries of Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park.

The California condor is just one of the endangered species that is protected within the park boundary.

+ BP Before present, “present” being 1950 CE. May use for geologic or archeological time, especially in a timeline.

Clarify at first mention. See BCE, CE, eras.

12,000–10,000 BP (before present): Paleo-Indians quarry novaculite in the Ouachita Mountains for tools and weapons.

braille Lowercase.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 7

C

ca. Avoid writing “ca.” or “circa” in running text. Rewrite or use “about” but acceptable to use abbreviation in short caption or credit lines.

The pearlware bowl found at Ninety Six National Historic Site dates to about 1810.

Clara Barton ca. 1856; photo by Mathew Brady (left).

cacti Plural of cactus.

campsite, campstove

Canada goose Not Canadian goose.

cannon Cannon can be both singular and plural (same word, no s). Cannons is correct but used less often. Be consistent; use local preference. See artillery.

Many of the fort’s cannon were the type used on ships.

capital, capitol Spelled with an a—the city where a seat of government is located; do not capitalize except when referring to the Nation’s Capital. Spelled with an o—the building where the business of government takes place.

Capitalize when referring to the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

Annapolis is the capital of Maryland.

The Virginia capitol is modeled after an ancient Roman temple.

Washington, DC, is the Nation’s Capital.

They stood on the steps of the US Capitol.

Capital Beltway but beltway capitalization Avoid unnecessary capitals. Animal and plant names are lowercase unless they contain a proper name. Nouns are capitalized if part of a formal name, lowercase if they stand alone. If a term is plural following more than one proper name, it is lowercase (style guides differ). See geographic regions, specific words. For Spanish words, consult the HFC Spanish Editorial Style Guide and The Chicago Manual of Style.

Douglas fir, Kentucky warbler sea otter, great blue heron Acadia National Park but the park American colonies the Shenandoah and Potomac rivers on the Oregon and California trails Cypress Street but Cypress and Larch streets De Soto but Hernando de Soto New York City but the city of New York Wisconsin Ice Age but during the ice age Apache Visitor Center but at the visitor center US Constitution, the Constitution Constitution of the State of South Carolina, the state constitution US government but federal government caprock captions Captions end with a period, labels usually do not. Be consistent within a document.

Major Ferguson addresses his troops before the battle.

Pinelands tree frog

CE Common era; replaces A.D. Clarify at first mention. See BCE, BP, dates, eras.

These dwellings were built about 950 CE (common era).

centennial, Centennial Lowercase when used alone or as an adjective but capitalize the official name of the event “National Park Service Centennial” or “NPS Centennial” when used as a proper noun or adjective.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 8

The National Park Service Centennial was celebrated in 2016.

All parks, partners, and programs participated in the centennial.

Park rangers developed interpretive programs for the NPS Centennial.

century Use actual dates—the 1500s not the 16th century.

Since the mid-1800s the West had held out the promise of gold and boundless opportunity.

not Since the mid-19th century the West had held out the promise chief justice Lowercase unless used before a proper name.

William Howard Taft, 27th US president, later became the 10th chief justice of the United States.

chronology or timeline format Capitalize first word and end with period—even if entry is a sentence fragment.

Write in present tense. Abbreviate words and eliminate articles when possible without introducing confusion.

Separate the year and content using your office’s preferred style. Unigrids use the style below.

1883 Organizes Black student school strike, first such response in United States to unequal treatment.

circa See ca.

citations HFC usually does not cite references in park brochures. Consult The Chicago Manual of Style.

civil rights movement The Selma to Montgomery march in 1965 was a climactic event of the modern civil rights movement.

+* Civil War terminology See capitalization and individual entries such as enslaved, slavery.

Civil War, US Civil War: Include US in the name if writing about international conflicts or in context of other countries’ civil wars. Otherwise use Civil War.

Confederacy: Alternative for Confederate States of America; capitalize in that context.

George Meade finally launched an offensive that marked the beginning of the end of the Confederacy.

Confederate States of America: Spell out at first use; OK to use Confederacy thereafter. See CSA below.

Confederates: Members of the Confederate Army

For the Confederates, the triumph helped establish Lee and his army as the Confederacy's greatest hope for ultimate victory.

+ Contraband: Avoid except in historical references or direct quotations, such as in brochures for NPS sites that had “contraband camps.” When referring to people, use “formerly enslaved” or “freed people” (which is broader), or in second and later instances, “ex-slaves.”

CSA: Abbreviation for Confederate States Army, not for Confederated States of America. Most commonly used after a person’s name.

Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood, CSA, had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness.

Federals: Members of the US Army. See Union, Unionist, United States Army below.

Federal army, forces, troops: See United States Army below.

North: Use sparingly to refer to the US government during the Civil War; use United States of America or Federal government.

Rebel: Do not use as a synonym for Confederate soldiers except in quoted material. See Confederate States of

America, CSA, Federal above.

A Confederate soldier not A rebel soldier

South: Use sparingly to refer to the 11 states that seceded; use Confederate States of America (formal name), the Confederacy, or the states in rebellion.

Yankee: Do not use as a synonym for US soldiers except in quoted material.

Union: Avoid when referring to the United States. See United States Army below.

Unionist: Do not use as a synonym for US soldiers except in quoted material.

United States Army, US Army: First reference should be United States Army or US Army. OK to use Federals, Federal thereafter.

Cold War

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 9 colon Use sparingly. A colon introduces something closely related to the sentence preceding the colon. Use a full sentence before the colon. Capitalize the first word of a sentence following a colon; do not capitalize the first word of a list following a colon.

The president promised results: “My new program, the War on Poverty, will help families in America.”

commander in chief No hyphens. Lowercase unless used before a proper name.

commas Separate three or more items with commas (a style known as the serial or Oxford comma). Use a comma before a conjunction that joins two independent clauses (and, but, or, as). Unless needed for clarity, omit comma after short introductory phrases.

Our dessert choices are pie, cake, and ice cream.

Alfred lost the car keys, and the family is helping him search every cranny.

Around him the rolling hills and woods of the battlefield sprawl for miles.

compass directions Lowercase; capitalize specific geographic regions, but try to limit capitals. See east, north, south, west, geographic regions, capitalization.

compound words Aim to eliminate hyphens once a compound word is in common use. Generally, follow The American Heritage Dictionary. See over two dozen individual entries in this guide and compound words as modifiers.

compound words as modifiers Use a hyphen when combining two or more words to modify a noun, except when the first word ends in ly.

rust-resistant alloy but federally funded project

When two or more hyphenated compounds have a common basic element, retain all the hyphens.

4- to 5-ton trucks 8-, 10-, and 16-foot boards moss- and ivy-covered walls concessioner

Confederacy, Confederate, Confederate States of America See Civil War terminology.

Congressional Medal of Honor See Medal of Honor.

convince that But persuade to.

+ contraband See Civil War terminology.

coordinates See GPS coordinates.

copyright Government publications are subject to copyright. Copyright usage has precise, legal regulations. Don’t assume anything. Learn the basics at US Copyright Office website at www.copyright.gov; information also in the Interpretive Media Toolkit. See credit lines.

+ cougar Also mountain lion, panther, puma. Use park preference.

+ coronavirus, COVID-19 One word, no hyphen, not capitalized. COVID-19 is also acceptable reference to coronavirus 2019, which is the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Do not shorten to COVID.

credit lines in publications HFC credits images used in Unigrid brochures and other publications, including those by NPS employees. We may edit a provider’s preferred credit. All caps, small size, simple style. See copyright.

Credits usually take one of these forms:

1. Creator of photo or artwork retains all rights:

http://www.copyright.gov/

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 10

© KATHLEEN NORRIS COOK

Note: This applies to Creative Commons images because HFC contacts the photographer directly for permission.

2. Owner retains all rights:

© THE GRANGER COLLECTION

3. Stock house supplied photo:

© iStock / LAURENCE PARENT or iSTOCK / © LAURENCE PARENT

4. NPS commissioned photo or artwork but creator retains all rights:

NPS / © LOUIS GLANZMAN

5. NPS commissioned photo or artwork and owns all rights:

NPS / KEITH ROCCO

6. NPS employee made it as part of their duties:

NPS / JANE SMITH

7. NPS employee takes a photo or creates art on their own time with their own equipment:

© JANE SMITH

8. NPS owns photo or artwork, which is in its collection, but original maker is unknown:

NPS

9. NPS owns photo or artwork, which is in its collection, and original maker is known:

NPS / MARY JONES

10. Institution allows use of a photo or artwork that they own:

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

a. Artist or photographer has historical importance: Use name in caption (preferred) or in credit:

Edward Curtis photographed these Navajo riding east into Canyon de Chelly in 1904. (NATIONAL ARCHIVES

NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY / GEORGE HAYWARD)

b. If contemporary photographer of an artifact or artwork is known:

SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION / CHIP CLARK

11. Individual other than the creator owns the photograph or artwork and donates the use of the image:

COURTESY BOB SLEDD

12. Multiple credits. Separate descriptor and credit with em dash; separate credits with semicolon.

BALD EAGLE—NPS; NAVAJO RUG—© LAURENCE PARENT; PORTRAIT—SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

LEFT—VALENTINE MUSEUM; CENTER—NATIONAL ARCHIVES; RIGHT—LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

ALL IMAGES—NPS UNLESS OTHERWISE CREDITED

credit lines in waysides and other exhibits The park and the exhibit designer should decide where to place credits—with each image or together in a separate acknowledgment panel or notebook. Follow the style for brochures, above.

1. When the credits are on the exhibit to fulfill a requirement of the image’s use rights license and it has no other interpretive value, use a font size smaller than the smallest interpretive text.

2. If the credit includes other information or has interpretive value (like crediting a famous photographer), treat it more like a caption.

3. If the credits are placed on a separate acknowledgment panel, the font should be at least as large as the smallest interpretive text. They also should be repeated in a credit notebook containing details about the images, which is available at the information desk.

crosscountry cryptobiotic crust See biological soil crust.

CSA See Civil War terminology.

D

Dall sheep Preferred; Dall’s sheep, variant.

dashes

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 11

1. Em dash—Longer than en dash or hyphen, often called simply “the dash.” Indicates a sudden change in thought or adds emphasis. Do not put a space before or after the em dash.

Kings Mountain—named for an early settler and not for King George III—is a rocky spur of the Blue Ridge.

2. En dash–Longer than a hyphen and shorter than an em dash. Means “to,” “up to and including,” or “through.”

Do not put a space before or after the en dash.

1924–2005 but 1924–25 8 am–5 pm

pp. 38–45

Note: Watch parallel construction; don’t mix and match written words and the en dash.

The visitor center is closed from October 15 to April 1.

or The visitor center is closed October 15–April 1.

not The visitor center is closed from October 15–April 1.

You may rent canoes between 9 am and 2 pm.

or You may rent canoes 9 am–2 pm.

not You may rent canoes between 9 am–2 pm.

dates Write dates in this order: month, day, year. Use a comma before and after the year in sentences with full dates; no comma if using only month and year in a sentence. No apostrophe in plural dates. See BCE, BP, CE, century, eras.

On December 7, 1941, Japanese bombers struck Pearl Harbor.

Early in February 1861, delegates met in Montgomery, Alabama.

1900s not 1900’s 1950s and 1960s not 1950’s and ‘60’s daylight saving time Not daylight savings time.

The Navajo Reservation observes daylight saving time, but the rest of Arizona does not.

day use, day-use Two words if a noun; hyphenated if an adjective.

degree See temperature.

departmentwide

Depression See Great Depression.

+ directions to reader Unigrids put these inside parentheses, which are styled as follows:

1. If sentence is set in roman, the parentheses are roman but the directions are italicized.

The core of L’Enfant’s 1791 plan is the triangle created by the Capitol, the White House, and the Mall (see map above).

2. If sentence is set in italics, both the parentheses and directions are in roman.

The coat of the American black bear can be black, brown, or auburn (left).

3. Parentheses in a parenthetical phrase should be in roman even if the letters are italicized.

(The map shows the range of mammoths in North America.)

disabled Put the person before the disability; write persons or people with disabilities. Do not write handicapped.

See accessible, hearing loss, wheelchair.

The Longstocking Trail is wheelchair-accessible.

The C&O Canal National Historical Park has large-print brochures for people with low or limited vision.

discover, discoverers Avoid in reference to lands already populated; rewrite in a way that includes multiple points of view. Explore, chart, venture, scout are acceptable synonyms.

disfranchise, disenfranchise Either is acceptable.

Douglas fir, Douglas-fir The hyphenated word is scientifically accurate because the species is not a true fir, but the unhyphenated name is more commonly used and OK if park prefers.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 12 drone See aircraft, remotely piloted.

during Use “in” rather than “during,” if possible.

E

Earth, earth Earth is our planet; earth is soil or dirt.

east, eastern Lowercase compass directions; minimize use of capital letters except for specific regions or popular place names. Eastern Shore of Maryland; East Coast. See geographic regions.

+ ellipsis Indicates the omission of one or more words from a quoted passage. Use glyphs for ellipsis when available, which ensures that screen readers interpret them correctly. If not available, use three evenly spaced dots. To indicate deleted material in paragraphs, use the preceding sentence’s punctuation, followed by one space, then the ellipsis. The three dots must appear together on the same line.

email addresses Do not use capital letters unless address is case-sensitive.

em dash, en dash See dashes, hyphens.

emergency statement Park brochures use this style: bold, no colon, no period.

Emergencies call 911

+ emigrate, emigrant People moving from somewhere, usually permanently. See immigrant.

Many US emigrants traveled the Oregon Trail to reach western territories.

Some emigrants leave behind family and businesses.

They emigrated from the east.

en route

Engelmann spruce

* enslaved noun or adjective. Enslaved acknowledges the dignity of a human being; slave is a non-person, property. In text, first use “enslaved.” Use slave sparingly thereafter or if in quoted material. See enslaver, slaveholder.

The first ship carrying “20 and odd” enslaved Africans arrived at Point Comfort in Virginia, where Fort Monroe is today.

Nick Toogood was said to be a spiritual leader among the enslaved at Hampton.

+ enslaver Not slaveholder, slave master, slave owner.

ensure, insure Ensure means to make certain; insure means to provide for insurance.

Careful planning can help ensure an enjoyable crosscountry hike.

The policy insures her life.

eras Use BCE (before common era) and CE (common era) instead of B.C. or A.D. See BCE, BP, CE, dates.

The first people to settle permanently in the Tonto Basin arrived between 100 and 600 CE.

European American Not Euro-American. No hyphen even if a modifier. Be specific when possible.

European Americans began mining . . .

European American settlers moved into Native American territory.

Sir Francis Drake, English mariner

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 13

Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, Portuguese explorer French missionaries and settlers from the East Coast explorers Refers to people venturing into territory unknown to them. Avoid “discoverers” unless that is truly the case. In certain cases, the term “travelers” may be appropriate. See discoverers.

F farther, further Farther refers to physical distance, further to an extension of time or quantity.

Lydia walked farther than Mark along Cumberland Island’s shore.

Thomas will look further into the disappearance of the office laptop.

federal, Federal

1. Capitalize:

in Civil War context (Federal soldier, Federal forces, Federal fort, Federal government) the architectural style (Federal-style architecture of the late 1700s) when part of a name (Federal Express, the Federal Trade Commission)

2. Lowercase: federal government, federal law, federal property, federal funds.

Federalist Federalist Party; Federalist Papers.

fewer, less In general use fewer for numbers or individual items that can be counted; less for quantity and bulk.

Fewer birds came to the feeder because Yuriko put out less food.

film Interchangeable with movie. Avoid audiovisual, presentation. See multimedia, program.

firearms regulations Unigrid brochures usually include this statement because federal, state, and local laws apply and can vary.

For firearms regulations check the park website.

firepit firewood first-come, first-served No need to write “are on a first-come, first-served basis.” Keep it short, be direct.

Wolverine Campground is open year-round, first-come, first-served.

first lady Lowercase unless used before a proper name.

First Nation, First Nations Indigenous people who are neither Inuit (people of the Canadian Arctic) nor Métis

(descendants of First Nation people who married Europeans). Often used in the plural in the collective sense, as in a program for First Nations youth. These terms are widely used in Canada, but use in the United States is limited to Métis whose homelands include northwest Minnesota, North Dakota, and other northern states. See aboriginal, American Indian, Indigenous, Native American.

fish, fishes Fish (no es) can be singular or plural. Fishes (plural) is correct but used less often; it usually refers to more than one species.

We went fishing for brook trout and caught six fish.

Ichthyology is the study of fishes.

The Smithsonian Institution’s fish collection, about four million specimens, is the largest in the world.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 14 fisher Acceptable replacement for “fisherman” or reword to say how people are taking what kind of fish. See angler, fisherman, gender-neutral language.

We went net-fishing for salmon.

Tribes on the Columbia River caught salmon with nets.

Those people are trawling for shrimp.

fisherman Avoid. See fisher, angler, gender-neutral language.

flash flood footwear, footgear foreign words Italicize foreign words or phrases not in the dictionary; enclose translation in quotes or parentheses, depending on context. See The American Heritage Dictionary and The Chicago Manual of Style.

The word she wanted was pécher (to sin) not pêcher (to fish).

The Kansas state motto is ad astra per aspera, commonly translated “a rough road leads to the stars.”

Forest Service See US Forest Service.

four-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive, 4WD Four-wheel drive is preferred in interpretive text that modifies a trail or vehicle; on a map use the 4WD symbol or label as 4-wheel drive. See ORV, OSV.

Text: Most unpaved roads to the summit require four-wheel drive.

but Most unpaved roads to the summit require a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Map: Unpaved road. 4-wheel drive only.

+ fractions

1. Amounts less than one: Spell out if in narrative text; use figures if in concise text, lists, or charts.

By 1870 one-fourth of the population of Nebraska was foreign born.

The Garden of Eden Tour is ¼ mile. Natural Entrance and Fairgrounds tours are each ½ mile.

Roundtrip hike: ½ mile

2. All fractions: Hyphenate if acting as a modifier.

The steep two-mile hike takes about one hour roundtrip.

Take the 2½-mile-long auto tour but Take the auto tour, which is 2½ hours long.

3. Use glyph or symbol if available. Otherwise, try to stack figures in the fraction: ⅝ instead of 5/8.

Roundtrip hike: ½ mile

4. When using figures, no space between whole number and fraction.

The beetle is 2¾ inches long.

Thickness of outer shell: 1¼ in.

freed, free In the context of slavery, free refers to people never enslaved, freed refers to formerly enslaved people. See enslaved, freedmen, slave/slavery.

+ freedmen A historical term for men, or sometimes men, women, and children, freed from enslavement. It reflects the gender biases of 1800s language. Except in quotations and proper names, substitute “freedpeople” when it doesn’t change the meaning. See enslaved, freed, slave/slavery.

The US government established the Freedmen’s Bureau to help formerly enslaved African Americans.

Freedpeople gathered on St. Helena Island at the Brick Church.

+ French and Indian War Use to mean the portion of the Seven Years’ War (1756–63) fought in the British colonies. Option to include parenthetical reference to the global war. See Seven Years’ War.

fresh water, freshwater Two words if a noun; one word if an adjective. See salt water.

frontcountry Avoid if possible; it is jargon.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 15

G game Do not use when referring to animals. Say wildlife, animals, or be specific.

+* gender-neutral language Use where possible. See fisher; fisherman; Latino, Latina, Latinx; names, personal;

she. Common examples include:

crafter, maker, not craftsman founders not founding fathers Representative not Congressman, Congresswoman workforce not manpower staffed not manned

Note: Plural pronouns are acceptable for singular subjects, but rewriting is preferable.

Everyone will get their chance to see the cave.

not Everyone will get his/her chance to see the cave.

better Every visitor will get a chance to see the cave.

genus, species See scientific names.

geographic names As a US government agency, the National Park Service must use federally recognized place names in the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). The US Board on Geographic Names (BGN) standardizes names of places, features, and areas in the 50 states and areas under US sovereignty, and for features in US territorial waters. See geonames.usgs.gov

1. Variant name: Often historical or local names and misspellings; if using a variant, show the federally recognized name first and the variant second; the variant must be clearly distinguished as a variant (for example, put the variant name in parentheses or different type size or typeface).

2. Historical names: Place names can be used in a historical context; watch out for names that use apostrophes and names that may be one or two words.

Sierra Nevada not Sierra Nevada Mountains The Narrows not Verrazano Narrows (the water channel) but the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge crosses The Narrows.

The Battle of Wilson’s Creek took place along Wilsons Creek.

The courthouse in the village of Appomattox Court House was built in 1846.

geographic regions Minimize use of capital letters except for specific regions or popular place names.

Northern California; Southern Appalachians; Bay Area; Upper Peninsula;

Pacific Northwest; Southwest; West Coast; East Coast; Midwest; Gulf Coast.

but the southern part of Louisiana; north of the national monument; etc.

Giardia lamblia The organism; may be abbreviated G. lamblia.

giardiasis The illness caused by the Giardia lamblia organism.

Gila monster

GPS coordinates Use decimal measurements, not minutes, etc. Add to park address in Unigrids if park requests and confirms the street address. Place after park website URL.

www.nps.gov/hfc; Lat. 39.323265, Long. -77.741109 gray The color but greyhound.

Great Depression Preferred. Use “Great Depression of the 1930s” if further clarification needed.

groundhog groundwater http://www.nps.gov/hfc

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 16 guidebook guide dogs Do not use. See service animals.

guided hikes See self-guiding.

gull Not seagull.

guns Can refer to anything from pistols to cannon, depending on context. Be specific. See arms (small), artillery.

H

+ handicapped Do not use. See accessible, disabled.

Harpers Ferry Center Not the Harpers Ferry Center (no article).

Hawai`i, island of Use okina (glottal stop). See Hawaiian fonts.

Hawaii, state of Do not use okina (glottal stop). See geographic names, Hawaiian fonts.

Hawaiian fonts NPS Rawlinson (the font used here) has the vowels with Hawaiian macrons. Regular Frutiger Lt Std does not; use HFrutiger Lt Std. NPS employees with VPN access can download this font from npgallery.nps.gov.

Hawaiian words Avoid adding apostrophe and s (’s) to Hawaiian words to form possessives. You must use Hawaiian fonts to spell Hawaiian words with macrons over vowels (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū) and okina (glottal stops) (`) in certain cases. These appear in several official park names and brochures. See Hawaiian fonts.

The island of Pele not Pele’s island.

The visitor center for the USS Arizona Memorial is a 45-minute drive from Waikīkī.

The trail will lead you past the Kaloko-Honokōhau and `Aimakapā fishponds and the `A`ōpio fishtrap.

+ hearing impaired Use “hearing loss” instead.

hearing loss Or hard of hearing. Not hearing impaired. See disabled.

Audio guides and neckloops are available for people with hearing loss.

highcountry

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 17 highway Use official designation (as noted on maps); list official designation first and local name second in parentheses. For state route abbreviations use US postal codes. Abbreviate: Hwy.

I-75 (Alligator Alley) NE 7 or NE Rt. 7 not State Route 7 I-75 exit 2 MO Hwy. 19 US 1 not US Highway 1 39063 US Hwy. 95 US 1 (Highway 1)

+* Hispanic Used by the federal government since the 1970s. Current definition: “a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.” Currently interchangeable with Latino in government publications, but Latinx is an emerging alternative to both terms.

Consider your audience and seek park guidance when deciding which term to use. See Latino, Latina, Latinx.

historic Important, notable, or significant in history; usually refers to famous people, events, or sites. See historical.

The Old Courthouse was the site of the historic Dred Scott trials in the 1840s and 1850s.

FDR’s historic declaration on December 8, 1941, launched the United States into World War II.

Historic preservation is an important way for us to transmit our understanding of the past to future generations.

historical Refers to whatever existed in the past; also refers to anything concerned with history or the study of the past. See historic.

The ranger gave a historical lecture on Western trails at the campfire ring.

Jamie loves historical novels.

holidays Use actual dates, not names, but Thanksgiving.

The park is closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.

hookups Common campground feature; no adjectives or hyphen needed.

hyphens See compound words, compound words as modifiers, dashes, word division; or consult The Chicago Manual of Style, which has a hyphenation table.

I ice age Lowercase if using as a general term; there was more than one “ice age.”

Columbian mammoths lived during the Pleistocene Epoch, a time also called the ice ages.

The Ice Age National Scenic Trail is in Wisconsin.

icefield image Avoid in text and credits. Be specific—photograph, illustration, painting, etc.

image credits See credits.

+ immigrate, immigrant For people moving to somewhere, usually permanently. See emigrate.

US missionaries immigrated to Oregon during the 1800s.

The new immigrants brought a different kind of agriculture.

in, within Recommend “in” rather than “within” when they can be used interchangeably.

Indian See American Indian, First Nation, Native American.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 18

+* Indigenous Emerging as a common, collective term for native people whose ancestors populated North America before European contact. Capitalize when related to culture or identity. Consider your audience and seek park guidance. See aboriginal, American Indian, BIPOC, native, Native American, tribal names.

initialism Abbreviation formed from initials of a name, title, or long term that is read as a series of letters: BBC, FDR, NPS. Avoid bureaucratic use of obscure initialisms. See acronym, ATV, NPS, ORV.

initials Franklin D. Roosevelt; FDR and JFK (no periods and no spaces); but W.E.B. Du Bois, P.D. James (periods, no spaces between initials); but Harry S Truman or Harry S. Truman—both are correct, be consistent.

insure See ensure.

International Biosphere Reserve See Biosphere Reserve.

international visitors Not foreign visitors.

internet Do not capitalize.

internet address Do not use capital letters unless address is case-sensitive. Avoid breaking at the end of a line; if you must, break in a logical place and do not add a hyphen. Include www but avoid http:// unless necessary to open the webpage. See URL, webpage.

www.google.com; www.nps.gov For information about the National Wilderness Preservation System and wilderness, visit www.wilder ness.net.

interpretive, interpreter Define or avoid. Do not assume the average person knows these terms. Use “park staff” instead.

Historical interpreters in period dress . . .

Park staff in period dress . . .

invasive species Do not use alien or foreign (these have negative connotations and can offend resident immigrants and international visitors). See www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov.

Invasive plants like faya and kahili ginger displace areas of Hawaiian forests.

iPhone, iPod, iPad Brand names beginning with a lowercase letter retain the lowercase even at the beginning of a sentence or heading. See app, smartphone.

italics See foreign words, quotations, measurements, ships, and more.

http://www.nps.gov/

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 19

JK

+ Japanese American No hyphen.

+ Japanese American WWII incarceration terminology Note: The US government used euphemisms to disguise the harsh reality of its actions toward Japanese Americans during WWII. Do not use them except in historical quotations or an official name. Consult “Terminology and the Mass Incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII,” 2021.

assembly center: Euphemism used by the US government during WWII for temporary detention centers that held Japanese Americans before sending them to incarceration centers. Use temporary detention center.

camp: Used by many Japanese Americans to refer to the incarceration centers. Use only in quoted material or in context after establishing it refers to an incarceration center.

concentration camp: Occasionally used historically to refer to incarceration centers. Be careful using this sensitive term.

confinement site: Refers to any of the WWII Japanese American incarceration sites.

evacuate, evacuation, evacuee: Euphemisms used by the US government during WWII for forcibly removing

Japanese Americans from the West Coast and Alaska. Use incarceration or forced removal. See relocate.

forced removal: Accurate term for the exclusion of Japanese Americans from the West Coast and Alaska. See evacuate, relocate.

incarcerate, incarceration, incarceration center or site, incarceree: Preferred terms to describe the unjust confinement of Japanese Americans during WWII.

intern, internee, internment: Accurate when referring to the Department of Justice or US Army legally detaining resident aliens of warring nations. Inaccurate when referring to the mass incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII; instead, use incarceration. Note: Do not confuse internment with interment, which means burying the dead.

Japanese American: Most-accepted term to refer to people of Japanese ancestry in the United States, regardless of citizenship status.

Nikkei: Refers to people of Japanese ancestry residing outside Japan, regardless of generation or citizenship status.

relocate, relocation, relocation center: Euphemisms used by the US government during WWII for forcibly removing

Japanese Americans from the West Coast and Alaska. Use incarceration or forced removal.

+ Jet Ski Avoid, but if used, must capitalize because it is a registered trademark. See personal watercraft, registration mark.

+ Jews, Jewish OK to use in appropriate context. Capitalize. Do not use “the Jews,” which can imply a monolithic group with an agenda.

Touro Synagogue, one of the most historically significant Jewish buildings in America, was designated a National Historic Site in 1946.

job titles See capitalization, gender-neutral language, president, ranger, representative, senator, superintendent.

john boat, jon boat A small flatbottomed boat with square ends used to navigate shallow rivers. Either spelling is correct; use park preference.

Joshua tree But Joshua Tree National Park.

HFC Editorial Style Guide • 2021 • 20

Jr., Sr., III Abbreviations like these are part of a person’s full name. Do not use a comma before Jr. or Sr. unless it is required as part of the park’s official name. If you do use a comma before Jr. or Sr.—and the sentence continues—follow the abbreviation with another comma.

The park is Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site. But Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was born, lived, worked, worshipped, and is buried here.

James Earl Carter, Jr., 39th president of the United States, … brought about change, compassion, and a belief that a government is only as good as its people.

judgment Not judgement.

Kemp’s ridley sea turtle kiva Hopi word now in common use. Do not italicize.

L

+* Latino, Latina, Latinx In Spanish, Latino includes male and female, and is used interchangeably with Hispanic in government publications. Latinx (lah-TEEN-ex) is emerging as a gender-neutral term. Consider your audience and seek park guidance when deciding which term to use. See gender-neutral language, Hispanic.

* LGBT, LGBTQ Acceptable abbreviations for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender” and “queer” or “questioning.”

Seek park guidance before using. Spell out at first use.

lifeguard An expert swimmer on duty…