ATSB - Released under the FOI Act
FOI 23-24(14) - Document 1
Publication title
The ATSB’s little book of style
Publication date 1 June 2016
Publishing information
Published by:
Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Postal address:
PO Box 967, Civic Square ACT 2608
Office:
62 Northbourne Avenue Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2601
Telephone:
1800 020 616, from overseas +61 2 6257 4150 (24 hours)
Accident and incident notification: 1800 011 034 (24 hours)
Facsimile:
02 6247 3117, from overseas +61 2 6247 3117
Email:
xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
Internet:
www.atsb.gov.au
© Commonwealth of Australia 2016
Ownership of intellectual property rights in this publication
Unless otherwise noted, copyright (and any other intel ectual property rights, if any) in this
publication is owned by the Commonwealth of Australia (referred to below as the Commonwealth).
Creative Commons licence
With the exception of the Coat of Arms, ATSB logo, and photos and graphics in which a third party
holds copyright, this publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia
licence.
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence is a standard form license agreement that
al ows you to copy, distribute, transmit and adapt this publication provided that you attribute the work.
The ATSB’s preference is that you attribute this publication (and any material sourced from it) using
the fol owing wording: Source: Australian Transport Safety Bureau
Copyright in material obtained from other agencies, private individuals or organisations, belongs to
those agencies, individuals or organisations. Where you want to use their material you will need to
contact them directly.
ATSB - Released under the FOI Act
FOI 23-24(14) - Document 1
Mandatory references
ATSB uses these two mandatory reference documents as primary authorities:
•
Style manual: for authors, editors and printers (sixth edition), John Wiley & Sons
Australia Ltd
•
Macquarie Dictionary (sixth edition), Macquarie Library Pty Ltd
(for definition, spelling, hyphenation and use of italics)
Online version available at:
Section 22
When these references are silent on an issue, ATSB uses these secondary references:
• Transport safety legislation and supporting regulations including:
–
Air Navigation Act 1920
–
Air Services Act 1995
–
Airspace Act 2007
–
Australian Maritime Safety Authority Act 1990
–
Aviation Transport Security Act 2004
–
Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991
–
Civil Aviation Act 1988
–
Navigation Act 1912
–
Shipping Registration Act 1981
–
Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003
• Rail Industry and Safety Standards Board (RISSB)
Glossary of Rail Terminology
•
Cambridge Aerospace Dictionary, Bill Gunston, November 2004
•
Convention on International Civil Aviation Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation,
Annex 13.
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Plain English
Government and ATSB policy
Writing in plain English is Australian Government policy and ATSB policy. It is part of an
international movement that began in the 1970s and has been specified in Australian
Government legislation since 1983.
What is plain English?
Plain English is language your readers can understand and immediately act on. It is clear
and accessible.
Plain English is simple and direct, but not simplistic. It does not mean omitting key
information or dumbing down content. Even complex technical and legal information can
be conveyed accurately when written in plain English.
Why use plain English?
Plain English is effective for many reasons. For the ATSB, this includes:
• getting messages across quickly and clearly
• motivating readers and increasing their understanding
• avoiding confusion
• enabling readers to concentrate on content instead of being distracted by
complicated language
• enhancing image and reputation
• making reading easy.
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Plain English writing tips
Follow these tips to write in plain English.
1. Keep sentences sh
ort
Vary sentence length but aim for an average of about 22 words.
Appendix A: Reduce unnecessary words
2. Use short everyday words
Use familiar words and aim to write like you speak. Use short words that are direct and
precise.
3. Avoid jargon
Do not use jargon. Uncommon and unfamiliar words (jargon) are often taken to be
pretentious.
4. Avoid bureaucratic writing
Do not use bureaucratic language. Instead explain as simply as possible.
5. Use technical language well
Use technical and specialist language sparingly and explain on first use where required
(in brackets or in a footnote).
6. Write in the active voice not the passive voice
See ‘Active voice’.
7. Make every word count
If a word does not add value do not use it.
8. Be consistent
Describe objects, events and concepts the same way instead of varying language and
causing confusion. For example, use either the word report, document or paper (but do
not use a mix of all three); program or project or initiative (not a mix of all three).
9. Avoid shortened forms
Avoid shortened forms (acronyms and initialisms) or reduce to a bare minimum.
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Unintended judgment
Using plain English ensures ATSB reports and communications are impartial
and accurate and can be interpreted correctly by the media.
Excess words, especially adjectives and adverbs, can inadvertently carry unintended
emotion or judgment.
Examples of words to watch out for
At no point did tThe crew member did not notice anything abnormal about the bearings
on the wagon.
Again, tThere was no report of an abnormal condition.
The driver would have noticed the fault but did not even report it.
The second driver took the time to walked back to investigate the cause.
The pilot finally decided to take action.
Notes:
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Writing, editing and style issues
Abbreviations
Rule
Examples
Do not use a full stop when the abbreviation includes the last
Dept
(Department)
letter of the word.
Pty Ltd
(Proprietary
Exception: ‘no.’ which needs a full stop to distinguish between
Limited)
‘number’ and the word ‘no’.
Do not abbreviate an aircraft registration number.
VH-WHO
Use a full stop when the abbreviation does not include the last
Inc.
letter of the word, except if plural (see below).
vol. (vols)
no. (nos)
Use a full stop if the abbreviation is plural or repeats a letter.
pp. (for pages)
ed. (eds)
Acronyms
See Shortened forms
Active voice not passive voice
Write in the active voice unless there is a good reason to use the passive voice.
Why?
Active voice:
• often uses less words
• makes reading easier and faster
• makes it clear who does what
• puts ATSB front and centre
• avoids misleading the reader
• avoids giving the impression the author is hiding something (for example, who did
what).
How?
Verbs have two voices—active and passive.
• If the subject does the action, the verb is active.
• If the action is done to the subject, the verb is passive.
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Examples
Passive
Active
The freight train is owned and operated by
Johnson and Co. owns and operates the
Johnson and Co.
freight train.
The partner bearing was examined by the
The ATSB’s failure analysis specialists
ATSB’s failure analysis specialists.
examined the partner bearing.
The safety report was completed by the
The department completed the safety
department.
report.
The new policy was implemented by the
The ATSB implemented the new policy.
ATSB.
Initial discussions were held by the ATSB
The ATSB discussed with the airline how to
and the airline on how to improve the
improve the safety record.
safety record.
It was indicated that the portainer driver
The portainer driver was ‘pretty busy’ at
was ‘pretty busy’ at the time of the
the time of the accident.
accident.
It was reported that the train crashed.
The train crashed.
When to use the passive voice
1. When you do not know who did the action or when it is irrelevant who did the action.
Example:
The report was sent to the department last week.
2. When you want the doer of the action to remain anonymous, because you do not want
or need to assign blame.
Example:
The investigation was not completed on time.
3. When the doer of the action is not as important as the rest of the content in the
sentence.
Example:
The airport runway was cleared by early this morning.
Bills before Parliament
Rule
Examples
Cite exactly as on original—do not alter
Regulation of Genetic Material Bill 2012
spelling or capitalisation
Always cite in full on first mention with
Coastal Trading (Revitalising Australian
shortened form if there is one in brackets
Shipping) 2012
(CT(RAS) Bill)
Do not italicise
As above
See also ‘Legislation’ and ‘Regulations’.
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Capitalisation
Use minimal capitalisation as a rule.
Rule
Example
Atmospheric phenomena
cyclone Tracey
Common nouns with date, number or letter
appendix C
wagon 69
runway 37
model MU-2B
Company names
Boeing
DuPont
Document names, when full name is used
Airworthiness Directive 89–1
Safety Recommendation R20000115
Manual of Air Traffic Services
Note: partial titles do not need capital
letters.
The airworthiness directive is detailed.
The pilot had not read the safety
recommendation.
ATSB needs to update the manual.
Geographical names—cities, countries,
Baltic Sea
mountains, rivers, towns and official names
of areas
Blue Mountains
Murray River
Port Germein
Western District
Withnell Bay
Yung An (Taiwan)
Note: partial names do not need capitals.
The ship sailed the sea.
The crowd gathered at the port.
The town’s police were involved.
The river was murky.
Note: descriptive and unofficial titles do
not need capitals.
eastern Australia
central Australia
far north Queensland
northern France
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Rule
Example
Government, when full title is used
The Australian Government is
responsible for the policy.
Note: partial title does not need capital
letter.
The government proposes to introduce
the legislation.
The investigator examined government
policy before making final
recommendations.
Names of aircraft, ships, trains, models and
British Sapphire
classes of vehicles
Vega Gotland
Beechcraft King Air
Boeing 747
Freight train 3PW4
Wagon RKWY-4W5C
Names of organisations, bodies and
Air Tractor Inc.
companies when full name is used and
following the style the organisation itself
BP Shipping
uses
De Havilland
Pacific National
Note: articles, prepositions or
conjunctions do not need capitals.
International Society of Air Safety
Investigators
Standards and Recommended Practices
Nationalities and distinct groups of people
Queenslander
Filipino
Indigenous
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Rule
Example
Proper nouns and proper names (specific
Chief Commissioner of the Australian
people, places, organisations, things)
Transport Safety Bureau
Use capitals for official or abbreviated titles
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
but not for generic or plural references
Copilot John Citizen
Sydney Flight Service Centre
Cessna Citation Flight Manual 2012
Note: partial titles do not need
capitals.
The commissioner proposed the new
review.
The minister backed the department’s
recommendations.
The centre’s manual had not been
consulted.
The flight manual was detailed.
The copilots made the call.
Radio transmission letters
Papa Alpha Charlie
Seasons
spring, summer, autumn, winter
States and territories
See ‘States and territories’
Time zones—Australian
Central Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time
Western Standard Time
Central Daylight-saving Time
(lower case ‘s’)
Eastern Daylight-saving Time
(lower case ‘s’)
Western Daylight-saving time
(lower case ‘s’)
Notes: Include in full on first mention
and use initialism thereafter (CST, EST,
WST, CDT, EDT, WDT).
All time zones included should be
Australian, unless specified otherwise.
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Compass points
In general text
Rule
Example
Spell out in full, do not capitalise
The train was travelling south.
Hyphenate compound forms
The aircraft took off in a north-westerly
direction.
Tables
Rule
Example
Abbreviate in capitals, no full stops
50 km NNE Gold Coast Airport,
in-between initials
Queensland
25 km WNW of Leongatha, Victoria
In report titles
Rule
Example
Use the abbreviated form in ATSB report
Collision with terrain involving a Robinson
titles
R22, 41 km NW of Dubbo, NSW
Contractions
Rule
Correct
Incorrect
Do not use in safety or research reports
are not
aren’t
except if the contraction is in a direct quote could not
couldn’t
did not
didn’t
it is
it’s
would not
wouldn’t
Example general text
People
are not likely to report any risk-
related event if they think that
they will be
punished for doing so.
Example direct quote
‘People
aren’t likely to report any risk-
related event if they think that
they’ll
be punished for doing so,’ said the
investigator.
Contractions may be used in less formal
publications such as leaflets, brochures and
the safety summary.
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Country names
In general text
Rules
Examples
Spell out in full in general text
New Zealand
Capitalise as the country itself capitalises
Papua New Guinea
United Kingdom
United States (not United States of
America)
In tables, illustrations, notes, lists and where space is a premium
Rules
Examples
Use shortened form
NZ
Capitalise
PNG
No full stops between initial letters
UK
US (not USA)
Notes:
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Dashes (or rules)
Symbol Name of
Keys
Rules
Examples
symbol
-
Hyphen
Hyphen key
Use for compound
Examples of correct use
words and some
(no space
prefixes
de-ice
either side)
Use Macquarie
diesel-electric system
Dictionary and
off-track system
mandatory
references
two-year plan
pp. 2 including
for homonyms
long-term development
(words having the
hand-held radio
same spelling or
sound but different
pre-eminent
meanings
take-off adj.
*recover (retrieve)
take-off n.
or re-cover (cover
again)
take off v.
resigned
Examples where
(acquiescent) or
hyphens are not used
re-signed (signed
again)
outboard motor
in service
near collision
wheel sets
–
En (short;
Ctl+Minus
Use for linking
2011–12
width of
key
spans of figures,
an n)
dates, time and
pp. 9–13
(Use the
distances (usually
Where the
minus on the
60–65 pounds
means ‘to’ or
rule links a
numeric key
‘between’)
0300–0700
single word pad)
or set of
September–December
numbers
2011
there is no
space.
Use for an
Canberra–Sydney flight
association
Victoria–New South
between two
Wales border
entities
Use spaces
a Commonwealth – New
if there is
South Wales agreement
more than
one word on
the Alice Springs –
either side.
Darwin railway
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—
Em
Alt+Ctl+Num
Use to signify
The primary
abrupt change in a
factors associated
(long; width
sentence, amplify,
with accidents—
of an m)
explain or set apart
poor judgment,
(no space
overconfidence and
Use for words,
either side)
lack of expertise—have
phrases and clauses changed little over the
that add to, but are
years.
not necessary to,
the completeness
Three carriers—Qantas,
or meaning of the
Virgin Blue and British
sentence. These are Airways—responded to
called interrupters
the request.
or parenthetical
elements.
Dates
In general text
Item
Rules
Examples
Days of week
Spell out in full
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday,
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Initial capital letter only
Months
Spell out in full
January, February, March, April,
May, June, July, August, September,
Initial capital letter only
October, November, December
Full dates
Present as day, month, year 15 January 2011
No commas (except after
Thursday, 3 March 2012
day if used)
Decades
No apostrophe or short
1990s (not 1990’s or ‘90s)
form
Spans of years
En dash, no space either
2011–12
(calendar and
side
financial)
(not 2011 – 2012 or 2011/12)
No forward slash
Both years in full when
spanning a decade
1999–2000
En dash, no space either
(not 1999–00 or 1999/2000)
side
No forward slash
Plain presentation
Do not use ‘nd’, ‘rd’, ‘th’
2 May (not 2nd May)
23 October (not 23rd October)
4 July (not 4th July)
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In charts, figures, tables
Item
Rules
Examples
Days of week
Abbreviate with full stop
Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs., Fri., Sat.,
Sun.
Months
Abbreviate with full stop
Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., May, June,
(except May, June, July)
July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
Full dates
Present as day, month, year 12 Sept. 2011 (not 12/09/11 or
12-09-11, but month in abbreviated
Use full stops
form as per examples above)
Plain presentation
Do not use ‘nd’, ‘rd’, ‘th’:
2 November (not 2nd November)
3 August (not 3rd August)
24 June (not 24th June)
Dot point and numbered lists
Item
Rule
Example
Semi-colons or
Do not use at end of dot
ATSB promotes safety by:
commas
points
• publishing investigation and
research reports
• providing information on its
website
• delivering presentations.
And
Do not use at the end of the See above
second last item in the list
Or
Place on separate line to
Correct
show alternatives, but
only when more than
Three options are available to
two alternatives provided
improve your writing:
(otherwise just leave out)
1. take a writing course
2. study on your own
or
3. get a writing coach.
Incorrect
Three options are available to
improve your writing:
1. take a writing course or
2. study on your own or
3. get a writing coach.
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Item
Rule
Example
Full stop
Only use at end of last dot
Examples above.
point.
Complete
Only use capitals and full
Correct
sentences
stops in list items when
they contain complete
The commissioners came to two
sentences.
important conclusions:
• The ATSB should undertake
research into the three areas
identified in the report.
• Funding should be sought from
government sources.
Note: Do not combine full
sentences and sentence
Incorrect
fragments in the same
bulleted or numbered lists.
The committee came to two
important conclusions:
• that ATSB investigators should
research three areas identified in
the report
• Funding should be sought from
from government sources.
Number of dot or
Do not use more than six.
numbered points
If more than six required,
rework material to present
another way (for example,
in columns or tables).
First level list
Use black bullet style.
ATSB promotes safety by:
• publishing investigation and
research reports
• providing information on its
website
• delivering presentations.
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Item
Rule
Example
Second level list
Use en dash (–)
ATSB promotes safety by:
Indent
• publishing investigation and
research reports, including on
accidents in:
– aviation
– marine
– rail
• providing information:
– on the website
– in publications
– on bulletin boards
• delivering presentations.
Third level list
Do not use
Rework material to present
another way
Avoid repetition
Do not repeat wording at
Incorrect
beginning of each dot point
It states the knowledge required
Adjust lead-in sentence
includes:
to include the repetitive
thought
• methods of launching survival craft
• methods of recovering survival
craft
• methods of launching rescue boats
• methods of recovering rescue
boats.
Correct
It states the knowledge required
includes methods of recovering and
launching:
• survival craft
• rescue boats.
Introducing lists
Introduce points with a
As above (correct)
lead-in sentence
Place a colon at end of lead-
in sentence
Ensure content of each
dot point follows logically
from lead-in (see ‘Parallel
construction’ below)
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Item
Rule
Example
Parallel
Each list must:
Incorrect
construction
(presenting items
• start with a noun or verb, Canberra Airport has taken several
the same way)
but not a mix
actions, including:
• be a full sentence, phrase • the distribution of radios to
(sentence fragment) or
operators
short paragraph, but not
a mix
• developing new radio procedures
• start with an upper case
• provision of training.
word or lower case word
Correct
(unless first word is a
proper noun), but not a
Canberra Airport has taken several
mix.
actions, including:
• distributing radios to operators
• developing new radio procedures
• providing training.
OR
Canberra Airport has taken several
actions, including the:
• distribution
of radios to operators
• development
of new radio
procedures
• provision
of training.
Using numbered
Use numbers or letters in
The ATSB made four
lists
an itemised list when you
recommendations, listed below in
need to:
order of priority:
• emphasise sequence
1. review this investigation report in
detail
• show rank
2. address all safety issues identified
• draw attention to the
quantity of items.
3. monitor implementation
4. communicate which safety actions
worked and which did not work.
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Ellipsis ( … )
Rule
Examples
Use to indicate omission of
At the beginning of a quote:
words in quoted material
…no manufacturer in the world requires mandatory
Use three full stops only
fitment of such aural warnings.
Follow spacing pattern shown
In the middle of a quote:
in the examples.
As soon as the craft is waterborne make sure the
wave compensation button is pressed once… To
stop wave compensation bring the lever down lower
into position.
At the end of a quote:
No manufacturer in the world requires mandatory
fitment of such aural warnings…
Email and Internet addresses
Rule
Examples
Do not enclose in brackets
Do not use bold or italics
The reader was directed to xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx for
more information.
No full stop when in a
sentence
Program details are available on www.atsb.gov.au.
Use full stop if the address
forms the end of the sentence
Avoid deep links to individual
Incorrect
documents or files on a
website.
www.atsb.gov.au/media/4027315/AO-2012-100%20
Final.pdf
Correct
The ATSB research report,
Provide a link to the content
Australian aviation wildlife
page or a link to the website
strike statistics 2004 to 2013 (AR-2014-075), is available
from the ATSB website.
with general instructions.
Visit www.atsb.gov.au and follow the link on the
Aviation tab to aviation statistics.
Exclamation marks
Do not use unless quoting written material that uses an exclamation mark.
Figures, charts, tables, illustrations, graphs, maps, photographs
Use these aids to help the reader clarify information and/or absorb information quickly.
See
Safety Investigation Guidelines Manual—Reporting.
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Footnotes
Rule
Examples
Use sparingly and for
Use footnotes to:
requirements listed under
‘Examples’
• define technical terms
• explain or supplement material not needed in general
text
• cross reference other parts of work
• acknowledge quoted or borrowed material.
Place all reference numbers The emergency response was not well coordinated.1
outside of all punctuation
(including within a sentence This changed the tower’s centre of gravity,2 causing the
and at end of sentence)
scaffolding to collapse.
The special instructions included to:3
Separate multiple reference Additional reports4,5 were examined during the
numbers with a comma but investigation.
no space after the comma
Do not split over two pages
Gender
Use gender-neutral language. Avoid gender-specific pronouns.
Grammar
See
Style manual (6th edition), pp. 63–77.
Headings and sub headings
Rule
Correct
Incorrect
Use minimal caps
Technology used in this
Technology Used In This
report
Report
Do not include full stop at
Post occurrence
Post occurrence.
end
If using a numbering
system keep it clear and
consistent
When stepping down
Heading level 3 follows
through headings, don’t skip heading level 2
heading levels.
Initialisms
See ‘Shortened forms’
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Internet addresses
See ‘Email and Internet addresses’
Italics
Item
Rule
Examples
Legislation and legal
Use italics with full and
Transform Reform Act 1993
cases—Acts and
formal titles for Australia
(Cwlth) but Transform Reform Act
Ordinances
Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (WA)
but Equal Opportunity Act
Do not use italics with full
and/or formal titles for other
Huges and Vale Pty Ltd v. New
countries
South Wales
Sale of Floods Act 2000 (UK)
Bills before Parliament, Do not use italics
Navigation (Confidential Marine
regulations and other
Reporting Scheme) Regulations
forms of delegated
2008
legislation
Transport Safety Investigation
Regulations 2003
Regulation of Genetic Material
Bill 2012
Departmental
Do not use italics
The department’s safety
programs, policies and
management system was
initiatives
released yesterday.
Email and Internet
Do not use italics
xxxxxxxx@xxxx.xxx.xx
addresses
See ‘Email and Internet
www.atsb.gov.au
addresses’
Names of ships
Use italics for the names of
Atlantic Blue
ships, aircraft. Do not prefix
ships with names with ‘the’.
Queen Mary
Lady Bird Walton
Orient Express
Quoted material
Do not use italics
See ‘Quoted material’ under Q
(regular or indented)
Technical terms and
Use italics the first time
In this instance the term
buffer
terms being defined
only
zone means an area of land
that forms a natural protective
Do not use single quotation barrier.
marks
Titles of books, reports, Use italics
According to Transport Canada,
journals and periodicals
in
Introduction to Safety
Do not use quotation marks
Management Systems, all
management systems provide
for goal setting, planning and
measuring performance.
Failure Analysis and Prevention
indicates that discolouration often
results from surface heating.
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Latin forms
Rule
Correct
Incorrect
Do not use Latin
for example
e.g
shortened forms.
and others
et al.
Present in full in
including, or and so on
etc.*
English.
that is
i.e.
among other things
inter alia
by way or by means of
via
* Using etc. can also suggest imprecision and/or offhandedness.
Notes:
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Legislation
Rule
Examples
Cite exactly as on original—
do not alter spelling or the
capitalisation
Always cite, in full, on first
Transport Safety investigation Act 2003 (TSI Act)
mention with the shortened
form, if there is one, in brackets
Occupational Health & Safety (Commonwealth
Employment) Act 1991
Public Service Act 1999
Occupational Health and Safety Act 2000 (NSW)
Always use italics when citing
As above
in full
Do not use italics when citing
the TSI Act
shortened form after first
mention.
the Commonwealth Employment Act
the Public Service Act
the OH&S Act
Specify jurisdiction on first
the
Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003 (Cwlth)
mention (Commonwealth, state
or territory) by:
the
Equal Opportunity Act 1984 (WA)
• abbreviating, in parentheses
the Commonwealth’s
Transport Safety Investigation
and in roman type after the
Act 2003
date
or
• including in full before the
Western Australia’s
Equal Opportunity Act 1984
name of the Act.
Cite divisions or units as per
Beginning of a sentence (in full)
examples
Section 4 of the…
Shortened forms:
Within a sentence singular
• lower case
In s. 3 of the…
• full stop following
Within a sentence plural
• space between shortened
form and number.
The
Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003, ss. 4–7,
state that…
Subsections
The
Transport Safety Investigation Act 2003,
s. 19(1)(1)(iii), states that…
See also ‘Bills’ and ‘Regulations’.
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Location of incident
Rule
Rule
Examples
Provide a clear description
Present location as a simple 130 km east of Sydney
of the incident location
statement
150 km north-east of Cairns
20 km south-south-west of
Melbourne
overhead Batam Island,
Indonesia
Provide exact latitude and
When providing latitude and 37° 12.105’ S
longitude coordinates in a
longitude coordinates insert
footnote if necessary
a space after the degress
153° 06.005’ E
Money
See
Style manual, (6th edition) pp. 174–5.
Numbers
Item
Rule
Examples
Decimals
Use figures
An average of 4.3 a year.
In general text
Spell out one to nine, but The department wrote reports on eight
10 and above in figures
accidents in the year.
ATSB held 10 writing training
workshops in July.
Exception: When
A total of 15 passengers were killed
comparing several
(5 female and 10 male) and 3 were
numbers in one sentence, injured (1 female and 2 male).
use figures
Seats rows 8 through
17 remained attached.
Scientific,
Use figures not words
mathematical,
technical and
statistical work
where figures
appear regularly
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Item
Rule
Examples
Start of a sentence Always fully spell
Twenty-five years ago, the government
numbers
introduced the policy.
A total of 132 people were affected by
If large number rewrite
the accident.
sentence and use figures.
not
One hundred and thirty-two people
were affected by the accident.
and not
132 people were affected by the
accident.
Four-digit numbers Set without a space
5,293
and above in
general text and
Use comma before each
16,000
tables
group of three figures
234,000
Note: this rule differs
from the Style manual
Mathematical
Space either side
15 – 9 = 6
signs (addition,
subtraction,
Use en dash (not hyphen) 16 x 5 = 80
multiplication)
for minus
+100
No space between
positive or negative sign
–253
and number
–50
Use en dash (not hyphen)
for negative sign
Ordinals
When using ordinals
Do not use ‘nd’, ‘rd’, ‘th’
(‘first’, ‘second’, ‘third’
etc.)
Do not use abbreviations
It began to traverse the third and
to specify general
longest bridge.
ranking.
Use when repetition
The 20th wagon was the first derailed
demands it (example:
followed by the 31st and 45th.
reporting a rail accident
involving multiple
wagons).
Do not superscript.
No spacing after number.
Percentages in
Use figure and word per
9 per cent
general text
cent (as two words)
Percentages in
Use figure and per cent
9%
tables, figures,
symbol
charts, and
15.4%
statistical work
No space between
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Item
Rule
Examples
Ratios
Use colon
1:10,000
No space before or after
colon
Spans of figures
Use en dash (not hyphen) pp. 402–05
(including dates)
to link
9–12
En dash usually means
‘to’
45–50
475–89
440–553
2011–12
Adjacent set of
Insert a comma between By 2012, 152 more staff will be
numbers
two sets of numbers or
needed.
rearrange the sentence
or
By 2010, an additional 152 staff will be
needed.
Fractions
Use figures for
1/2-inch pipe (not ½-inch pipe
measurement and
distance
3/4 km west (not ¾ km west)
Use full font size
Only one third agreed.
Use words in other
The second report was filed.
instances except in
references
Metric
Follow style example
25 kg (not kilograms or kilos and space
between figure and kg)
2,000 m (not metres and space
between figure and m)
35 mm gap (not millimetre and space
between figure and mm)
Symbols of
Space between number
500 kg (not 500kg)
measurement
and symbol
20 mm (not 20mm)
Time
Use figures not words
1 second
10 hours
13 years
7 minutes
24-hour clock
0001 hours
5 hours 53 minutes (no ‘and’ between)
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Item
Rule
Examples
Time—24-hour
Number hours
clock
consecutively from 1 to
24, beginning at midnight
0000)
Always use four digits
1830
(first two indicating hours
and last two minutes)
Use zeros to indicate no
0050
hours
Use zero to indicate
whole hours
0600
No punctuation or spacing
between hours and
As above
minutes
Indicate the correct time
0745 EST
zone
1230 WST
Note: times are always
taken to be Australian,
unless specified
otherwise.
Units of
See Units of measurement
measurement
Photographs and captions
Rules
All photographs must be credited with the name of the organisation and/or photographer
from which they have been sourced (the copyright owner).
All photographs must have a clear caption explaining what is in the photograph.
See report templates for more information.
Pronouns
Rule
Correct
Incorrect
Do not use personal
The ATSB investigated the
We investigated the
pronouns in formal
accident.
accident.
reporting unless in a direct
quote
‘We investigated the
accident,’ said the ATSB
Marine Investigation Team
Leader.
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Proofreading
See ‘Spelling and proofreading’.
Quoted material
Rule
Examples
Use single quotation marks except when
‘We investigated the accident and the pilot
quoting within a quote.
said: “I couldn’t see because of the fog.”
This is why the weather was an important
factor,’ said the ATSB Aviation Investigation
Team Leader.
According to the training workbook:
To maintain safe and efficient operations
the team leader must be the “frontline
supervisory person” and the link between
management and operational personnel.
Use single quotation marks to enclose
‘Beyond Safety Management Systems’, in
titles of chapters or sections from books,
Aero Safety World, is an excellent resource.
manuals, titles of article in magazines.
Do not use quotation marks to enclose
ICHCA International has published two
titles of guidelines, handbooks, magazines, pamphlets—
Safe Working on Container
manuals, newspapers, pamphlets,
Ships and
Container Terminal Safety.
periodicals, proceedings, published books.
Do not use quotation marks around
The instruction stated:
indented quoted material.
Start wave compensation by means of
pushing button on portable remote control
station.
Do not italicise.
The driver said: ‘I did not know about,
and had not been trained to perform,
preventative maintenance inspections.’
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Regulations
Rule
Examples
Cite exactly as on original—do not alter
Navigation (Confidential Marine Reporting
spelling or capitalisation
Scheme) Regulations 2008
Transport Safety Investigation Regulations
2003
Always cite in full on first mention with
Transport Safety Investigation Regulations
shortened form, if there is one, in brackets. 2003 (TSI Regulations)
Do not italicise
As above
Cite divisions as per examples.
Beginning of sentence (in full)
Shortened forms:
Regulation 32 of the Transport Safety
Investigation Regulations 2003 states
• lower case
that…
• full stop following
Within a sentence singular
• space between shortened form and
ATSB investigators must take special
number
note of Navigation (Confidential Marine
Reporting Scheme) Regulations 2008, r. 18.
Within a sentence plural
ATSB investigators …Regulations 2008,
rr. 18–21.
Subregulations
ATSB investigators …Regulations 2008,
r. 82 (2)(1)(iii).
See also ‘Bills’ and ‘Legislation’
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Shortened forms
There are two types—acronyms and initialisms.
Acronyms (strings of initial letters, and occasionally other letters, pronounced as
a word)
Rules
Examples
Always fully spell on first mention unless
Qantas
the acronym is well known to the reader
(not author).
No full stops between letters
ANZAC
Keep name in full unless used more than
safety management system and then
three times in the body of work or edit to
‘the system’ (no need for SMS)
include generic reference.
quick reference handbook and then
‘the handbook’ (no need for QRH)
Always use capital letters unless the proper Qantas
name does not do so.
Do not use single quotation marks around
Incorrect
acronyms (long or short form).
The procedures are documented in their
‘Wagon Maintenance Manual’.
‘DAFWA’ conducted an internal review.
Correct
The ATSB investigated the accident.
Initialisms (strings of initial letters, and occasionally other letters, not pronounced as a
word)
Always spell out on first mention unless
information technology (IT)*
the initialism is well known to the reader
(not author).
New South Wales (NSW)
consumer price index (CPI)*
gross domestic product (GDP)*
visual flight rules (VFR)*
*no need for caps in full
The shortened form ATSB should be used
The ATSB contributes to the wellbeing of
in all communication that is preceded by
all Australians by maintaining and improving
the ATSB logo. When there is no logo,
transport safety and public confidence.
spell out Australian Transport Safety Bureau
(ATSB) at the first mention, then use ATSB
for all future mentions.
Follow other general rules as under
Acronyms.
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Slash (/)
Rule
Examples
Use to indicate alternatives (‘or’)
Yes/no
Do not include spaces either side of the
Enter/exit
slash
Train control/signalling
Do not use to mean ‘both’
Incorrect
They were expected to follow the safe
work instructions/guidelines. [means one
or other]
Correct
They were expected to follow the safe
work instructions and guidelines. [means
both]
For ‘per’, ‘a’ or ‘an’
60 km/h
Do not use in dates
11 Mar 2012 (not 11/03/12)
Spelling and proofreading
Rule
Examples
Set your spelling and grammar checking
software program for Australia.
Use the Macquarie Dictionary—the
‘ise’ rather than ‘ize’ (organise) (except for
Australian Government’s approved
the names of actual organisations such as
dictionary—as priority reference (if more
the International Civil Aviation Organization
than one option is listed in the dictionary
where the ‘z’ is used. )
use the first one).
‘our’ rather than ‘or’ (colour)
If a technical term is not in the Macquarie
Dictionary use the appropriate mandatory
‘yse’ rather than ‘yze’ (analyse)
reference (see page 2).
one ‘s’ only in some words (focused)
two ‘lls’ in some words (equalled, travelled,
fulfilled)
Do not change the spelling of proper
Pearl Harbor not Harbour
name or titles (person, places or things—
including manufacturer’s spelling of
vehicles, equipment, components).
Do not solely rely on spelling or grammar
their there
checkers in software because they do
public pubic
not catch all incorrect spelling and cause
embarrassing mistakes.
son sun
check cheque
trial trail
plaque plague
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Temperature
Rule
Correct
Incorrect
Express in Celsius
Express in numerals unless 3 ºC
Three ºC
starting a sentence
(precise or approximate)
Three degrees Celsius
Follow numeral with space
15.5 ºC
15.5ºC
and then ºC.
Place a 0 before the decimal 0.8 ºC
.8 ºC
point for temperatures of
less than 1 degree.
Do not put full stop after ºC The temperature at the time It was 11.6 ºC. at the time of
except at end of sentence.
of the accident was 11.6 ºC.
the accident.
Use the word ‘to’, not
0.6 °C to 10.5 °C
0.6 °C–10.5 °C
a dash for spans of
temperatures.
Use an en dash (–), not a
–1.8 °C
-1.8 °C
hyphen, to represent minus.
States and territories
In general text
Rule
Correct
Spell out in full on first mention.
Australian Capital Territory
Use full presentation unless space is
limited or name is repeated often.
If abbreviating, use list to right as guide,
ACT
following use of capital letters, spacing and
full stops as required.
NSW
NT
Qld
SA
Tas.
Vic.
WA
In tables, figures, notes, references, bibliographies
Rule
Use abbreviated form, following rules above.
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Underlining
Rule
Do not use for emphasis.
Units of measurement
The ATSB uses the following common units of measure in accordance with the
Système
Internationale d’Unités (SI).
SI Base Units
Base quantity
Name
Symbol
length
metre
m
mass
kilogram
kg
time
second
s
electric current
ampere
A
thermodynamic
kelvin
K
temperature
amount of substance
mole
mol
luminous intensity
candela
cd
The ATSB uses non-SI Australian legal units of measurement that have been adopted for
use within Australia under the
National Measurement Act 1960.
Non-SI Australian legal units of measurement
Quantity
Name
Symbol
sound power
decibel
dB
sound pressure
decibel
dB
sound intensity
decibel
dB
area
hectare
ha
energy
electronvolt
eV
length
nautical mile
NM
mass
tonne
t
plane angle
degree
º
plane angle
minute
‘
plane angle
second
“
time interval
day
d
time interval
hour
hour
time interval
minute
minute
See
Style manual, (6th edition) pp 176–186 for further details.
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Questions and more information
If you have any questions or are looking for more detail or advice on writing or style
matters, contact the Communication Manager or visit TheHub.
Notes:
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Appendix A: Reduce unnecessary words
Only include words that are necessary and add value. Drawings have no extra lines and
machines no extra parts. Writing should not have extra words.
These editing exercises illustrates how to keep writing trim and slim by deleting words not
needed and/or making simple adjustments to the text.
Rail
The position of derailed wagons and the site’s environmental sensitivity of the site served
to madke the recovery operations a challenging task.
A total of 15 Fifteen wagons sustained were damaged and the track restoration site
extended over a distance of about 550 m.
It is likely that both bearings had been were overhauled before they were being mounted
on the axle but it was impossible to determine exactly which of the reconditioned bearing
failed and which was the partner bearing.
Aviation
He had a total of 470 hours of flight experience in turboprop aircraft, 80 hours of which
were on the King Air C90 aircraft type.
In order fFor the masks to supply oxygen to the crew and allow for radio communications
during normal or emergency operations, they crew’s masks had to be connected into the
dedicated oxygen and microphone connections that were positioned in the left and right
cockpit sidewalls.
Hypoxic hypoxia can create a sense of wellbeing while at the same time as it is degrading
the subject’s mental and physical performance.
Marine
None of tThe training establishments contacted specifically did not covered wave
compensators in as part of their courses, although some advised they may discuss them in
the course of their overall training.
National and international guidance is available at both national and international levels to
assist stevedoring operators develop appropriate safe work procedures and instructions in
order to reduce the risk of waterfront accidents. on the waterfront.
Despite the action taken, the ATSB believes that by not following the investigatory
guidance provided in the procedure meant the process undertaken might not have been as
effective and as transparent as it could have been possible.
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Notes:
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Approved ATSB variations
The following items have been approved by the Chief Commissioner.
Note: these rules differ from the
Style manual: for authors, editors and printers.
Rule
Variation
nautical miles
NM
numbers
use of comma before each group of three figures
knots
knots or kt
take-off
use of hyphen in noun form
ATSB
see page 30
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