A-Z House Style Guide
- self-help groups #
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Note use of hyphen.
If you need to, you can add (SHG) after first mention, and use the acronym thereafter. However ‘groups’, ‘these groups’ etc is preferable as it sounds less like jargon.
Not capitalised if general self-help groups, capitalised only when it’s a specific named group eg ‘Kale Heywet Self-help Group’ - sexual orientation #
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Talk about sexual orientation, not ‘sexual preference’
The terms lesbian sexual orientation, heterosexual sexual orientation, gay male sexual orientation, and bisexual sexual orientation are preferable to lesbianism, heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality.
The terms lesbian woman/women and gay man/men are preferred to the word ‘homosexual/s’ when used as an adjective referring to specific people or groups.
Remember to be inclusive and respectful at all times, and ask for advice if you need it.
- short stature #
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Do not describe someone as a dwarf or midget. Instead use ‘a person with restricted growth’ or ‘someone of short stature’.
- shorter-term (adjective) #
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Hyphen: a shorter-term objective. But: In the shorter term (adverb).
- south-east #
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Hyphen but no capitals: the south-east coast… three miles south-east of the city.
- south-west #
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Hyphen but no capitals: the south-west corner of the park… We then began our drive south-west.
- south/South, southern/Southern etc #
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Names of areas are capitalised if they are part of the title of a recognised geographical area or political division (eg South Korea, Southern Ireland) but they are not capitalised if are descriptions in general terms (eg southern Scotland, south Birmingham).
- south/South, the #
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Lower case for the southern part of a country, upper case when referring to the less developed, poorer nations of the world: Typically, it’s a bit warmer in the south… Nations of the South often struggle to get their voices heard. Compare north/North, the.
- Southern #
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(as in poor). Do not use. See developing nations/countries for more appropriate terms.
- statistics #
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Provide sources only when stats are considered doubtful / likely to prompt inquiry. Tearfund is credible and trusted. Sourcing all stats is unnecessary – and requires clumsy footnotes. An exception could be more academic copy, or where a particular audience would expect full references.
- stewardship #
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Do not use the word steward or stewardship when talking about caring for creation or the environment. That’s because it implies that humans ‘own’ the world, rather than being part of creation. In Genesis 2:15, God puts Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden to ‘take care’ of it. That is the type of language that we should use about our responsibilities towards the world: caring for, looking after, respecting and protecting. See also creation. The only time the NIVUK uses the term ‘stewards’ is in relation to God’s Grace (1 Peter 4:10). So we can use the term in that context and others such as in regard to being careful with money and other responsibilities.
- such as/like #
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Such as is specific. like means ‘similar to’ in general. We discussed issues such as climate change implies that you discussed climate change plus, for example, globalisation and desertification. We discussed issues like climate change implies you discussed those issues that were similar to it, but not climate change itself.