Our editorial policy aims to present printed text in a consistent manner. Here you will find rules for the use of punctuation and abbreviations, construction of tables and selection of headings. These rules conform closely to the APA Publication Manual.

There is no accepted standard on all points of editorial style for all disciplines. Please use these pages as a reference when reviewing your paper before submission.

Punctuation

Period - periods are most often used to end a sentence. They are also used in abbreviations and references. Always insert one space after a period. Do not use a period in:

• Abbreviations of state names (NY, NC, CT)

• Capital letter abbreviations and acronyms (APA, NSF, NIH)

• Metric and nonmetric measurement abbreviations (cd, cm, lb, kg)

Comma - the comma is commonly used to separate independent clauses, to separate nonessential or nonrestrictive clauses, and to break up lists of items.

Quotation Marks - quotation marks are used to quote directly, to cite an article, and to introduce a coined term.

Numbers - spell out numbers from one to ten, except when used in tables and lists, and when used with mathematical, statistical, scientific, or technical units and quantities, such as distances, weights, and measures. All other numbers are expressed numerically.

Abstract: An abstract of about 100 words should be presented immediately
preceding the text. The abstract should concisely inform the reader of the manuscript’s topic, its methods, and its findings. The manuscript’s title, but neither the author’s name nor other identification designations, should appear on the abstract page.

Equations: Equations should be numbered in parentheses, flush with the right-hand margin.

Documentation - see Reference Page.

Contact:

Editor-in-chief

Emily Kiser

egkiser@ncsu.edu

200 Ricks Hall

Last Updated: August 17, 2009