Style GuideRevised September 2016

Table of Contents

HUMAN RIGHTS BRIEF FORMAT AND STYLE 4

ARTICLE FORMATTING (CONTRIBUTOR PIECES) 4ARTICLE FORMATTING (STAFF PIECES) 4GENERAL GRAMMAR AND STYLE GUIDELINES 7APOSTROPHES 13COLONS 13COMMAS 14LISTS 18PERIODS 18SEMICOLONS 19QUOTATION MARKS 19

COPY EDITING RESOURCES: GRAMMAR 21

DANGLING PARTICIPLES 21PARALLEL CONSTRUCTION 21PASSIVE VOICE 22THAT V. WHICH 23COMMONLY CONFUSED WORDS 23

COPY EDITING RESOURCES: STYLE 28

CAPITALIZATION 28ABBREVIATIONS 29CONTRACTIONS 29FOREIGN WORDS AND TRANSLITERATION 29GENDER 29PARAGRAPH LEVEL 30SENTENCE LEVEL 30WORD LEVEL 30THINGS TO AVOID 31

COPY EDITING CHECKLIST 32

FACT CHECKING 33

CITATION CHECKLIST 34

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Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a violation of Washington College of Law’s Honor Code. As such, the Human Rights Brief has a zero-tolerance policy. Under Article IV of the Honor Code, Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to: “incorporating into works he or she offers in compliance with such program any passages taken either word for word or in substance from any work of another, unless the student credits the original author’s work by quotation marks and footnotes or other appropriate written explanation.” Anything that includes four or more words from a source must be in quotation marks or paraphrased. Please direct any questions regarding plagiarism to your Senior Editors.

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Human Rights Brief Format and Style

To ensure consistency in our publication, please adhere to the following general guidelines when writing and editing pieces for the HRB.

Article Formatting (Contributor Pieces)

These guidelines apply to longer Contributor pieces. For general guidelines for all staff-written work, see the following section on “General Grammar and Style Guidelines.”

▪ Articles use endnotes, not footnotes. Endnotes should be numbered with Arabic numerals, not roman numerals. Endnotes should go outside quotation marks.

▪ Headers and sub-headers are in Times New Roman.

▪ Headers are centered, bolded, and in small caps.

▪ Sub-headers are left justified, in small caps, and not bolded.

▪ A short biography should be in a footer at the end of the first page.

▪ Place a space after the asterisk in the bio line. There should be no space between the name and the asterisk in the byline.- EXAMPLES: * Jane Smith is co-director . . .

by Jane Smith* ▪ The byline should have a lowercase “b” with no colon or comma following it. The byline

should be in italics.Correct: by Megan Chapman*Incorrect: By: Megan Chapman

Article Formatting (Staff Pieces)

Generally, articles for the Human Rights Brief should be structured as follows:

I. Introduction A. Introduce country, topic, and current events B. Describe the responsibilities of the state and the rights that may be violated, with reference to applicable law

II. Background A. Explain the history of the situation and any past cases or legislation B. Explain the current situation more fully

III. Law and Obligations A. Explain the governing law, treaties, or decisions of international bodies B. Translate the law into a concrete duty on the part of the state in this situation

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IV. Argument: Discuss how the state is/is not violating its duty, possible solutions, factors that should be balanced against one another, etc.

V. Conclusion: Summarize the situation, possible violations, state duties, and the possible future of the situation.

Citations: Articles on the Human Rights Brief use hyperlinks to cite their sources. Writers may provide links in footnotes, or may create hyperlinks themselves. Junior Editors are responsible for checking that each assertion is supported by a source and creating hyperlinks. Examples of this format are available at www.hrbrief.org.

Images: Each article should be sent to the Column Editor with an (1) image and (2) credit information included. See “Images” below for more information.

Legal Analysis: The legal analysis section is critically important to our work on the Human Rights Brief; without it, we are reporters, not lawyers. Analyses need not be long to be insightful, interesting, and of value to readers. A legal analysis should (1) cite the relevant law(s) or principle(s), (2) apply law to the situation at hand, and (3) state an opinion as to whether the state is in violation of the law.

Writers should feel free to reach out to Deputy Editors and the Senior Column Editor for help constructing a legal argument.

Some sources of law that may be helpful:

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights The UDHR is not binding on states, but is often cited as customary international law (i.e.,

the rights embodied are generally respected and upheld in the international community).

International treaties Largely available through the UN, remember to ensure that the state at issue is party to

the cited treaty. This means that the country has both signed the treaty, and that its legislature has ratified it, or agreed to be bound by its terms. If the state has not agreed to be bound, then that law has no force on it. Here are some of the more common examples:

o International Covenant on Civil and Political Rightso International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rightso International Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or

Degrading Treatment or Punishmento International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial

Discriminationo Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Womeno Convention on the Rights of the Child

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o Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitieso International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers

and Members of their Familieso International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced

Disappearance

Regional human rights instruments Promulgated by region-specific organizations. The cautions explained avove also apply

here: make sure either that the country has agreed to be bound, or that the instrument is considered binding on all members without need for specific agreement

Agreements Currently in force:o The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rightso The American Convention on Human Rightso The European Convention on Human Rights

Case law from international/regional bodies This source of law is probably the most difficult to use because (1) there is not a lot of it,

and (2) it is difficult to search. Writers are most likely to find relevant cases through regional bodies (e.g., the Organization of American States, African Union, etc.), but should not worry too much about researching case law.

Domestic law and constitutions A Country’s own laws and/or constitution may also provide for rights that the country is

violating

Images

Each article on the Human Rights Brief includes an image that is somehow associated with the topic. Either Writers or Junior Editors may select the image, with the Writer having the ultimate decision. All images must comply with copyright laws; that is, they must be available for public sharing free of charge.

Creative Commons is a good resource for more information, and their licenses are the most commonly used to label creative works (including images). Basically, their licenses are combinations of different permissions.

- EXAMPLES: ● Attribution (CC BY): Anyone may share or modify this work, as long as they

credit the original creator. ● Attribution: Share Alike (CC BY-SA): Anyone may share or modify this work, as

long as they credit the original creator and share their work under the same license.

● Attribution-Noncommercial (CC BY-NC): Anyone may share or modify this work for “non-commercial” purposes, as long as they credit the original creator.

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Notice that each license has a title, acronym, and icon (though the icon does not always appear with a citation).

Other combinations—for instance, Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike (CC BY-NC-SA) may also exist. Since our purposes are noncommercial and we always credit the author, we can generally use photos labeled under any of these licenses. Staff can find Creative Commons-licensed photos in several places:

Flickr (click “Advanced” under the search bar; underneath that, there is a drop-down menu labeled “Any license”)

Wikimedia Commons (everything is freely usable)

Google Images (click “Search tools” under the search bar; underneath that, there is a drop-down menu labeled “Usage rights”)

Any other source you find, so long as you make sure the author consents to our use! Image credit: In addition to a brief description of the image, the caption will include a credit to the author.

Credits should be formatted in the following format: ● [Image description] via [image source with link to image] user ● [creator name with link to profile/page], licensed under [license type]

Example: Photo of a baby infected with Zika virus via Flickr user Pan American Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-NC

General Grammar and Style Guidelines

These guidelines apply to all student and practitioner pieces.

▪ All writing must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document, single-space, Times New Roman, 12 point font.

▪ Student column drafts should be cited with footnotes. A hyperlink will be sufficient, however if the document or page is longer, additional information should be provided to help the spader fact check.

▪ One space between a period and the following sentence.

▪ Try to be gender neutral where possible. See “Gender” in the “Copy Editing Resources: Style” section of this Style Guide.

▪ Verb tense should be consistent throughout the article.

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▪ Do not use contractions .- EXCEPTION: Where the contraction is used in a direct quotation.

▪ Do not use periods in abbreviations.- EXAMPLE:

Correct: United Nations (“UN”) European Union (“EU”)

- EXCEPTION: United States (“U.S.”)

▪ Court case names should be italicized, not underlined.

▪ Non-English words and phrases should be italicized.

▪ Use the Oxford comma. - EXAMPLE:

Correct: She likes apples, bananas, and plums.Incorrect: She likes apples, bananas and plums.

- EXCEPTION: When the list is a direct quote from a source that does not use serial commas.

▪ Numbers 0 to 99 should always be spelled out. Anything above should be included in numeral form unless it starts a sentence or you can use hundred, thousand, million, or billion to eliminate the multiple zeros.

▪ The words “state” and “government” should be lowercase except when a party to a suit. If a state or government is party to a suit, try to use the country’s name where possible. This rule also applies to the words president, administration, and other similar words except when used as a substitute for an individual’s name.

Correct: The European Court found Italy in violation of Article 1.Incorrect: The European Court found the State in violation of Article 1.Incorrect: Human Rights Watch concluded that the State violated Article 1.

▪ Acronyms

- Once an acronym has been defined in a column, the acronym can be repeated throughout the column (including all sub-parts) without being redefined.

- UN does not need to be defined. Sub-entities (e.g., UNICEF, UNAIDS, UNIFEM) must be defined. The author may use “UN” or “United Nations” interchangeably throughout the article or column.

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- NGO does not need to be defined. The author may use “non-governmental organization” and “NGO” interchangeably throughout the article or column.

- Courts, Commissions, and Conventions should be abbreviated as shown below. The author should define the appropriate institution, parenthetically introducing the appropriate acronym:

European Court of Human Rights – ECtHREuropean Convention on Human Rights – ECHRInter-American Court on Human Rights – IACtHRInter-American Commission on Human Rights – IACHRAmerican Convention on Human Rights – ACHR

▪ When using percentages, always write out “percent.”

▪ When using monetary figures, always use monetary symbols (e.g., $, £, €, etc.).- EXAMPLE: The damages totaled €11 million.

▪ When using dollars, specify whether you are referring to U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars. - EXAMPLE: The United States paid the victims US$1,000.

Canada paid the victims CAD$1,000.

▪ Double quotation marks (“”) should be used for all quotations. Single quotation marks (‘’) should be reserved for quotations within a quotation.

▪ Decades do not have apostrophes. Try to include the numerical expression of the decade whenever possible (i.e., “in the 1970s” not “in the seventies”). - EXAMPLE:

Correct: 1960sIncorrect: 1960’s

▪ In the text of an article, correct date formats include 1) the full date; 2) the month and day if the year is unambiguous from the surrounding text; or 3) the month and year.- EXAMPLE:

Correct: May 20, 2009May 20May 2009

Incorrect: May 20thMay of 2009May, 2009

▪ E.g., and i.e., should not be italicized. If possible, try to use “for example.”

▪ All spelling should be standard American English. - EXAMPLE:

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Correct: color center analyze checktraveling

Incorrect: colour centre analyse chequetravelling

General Editing Guidelines

▪ Always use track changes when editing an article. Writers should accept or reject all changes from their editors and address all comments before submitting a revised draft of their articles. Always send a clean copy to your editors.

▪ Be thorough .

▪ Keep all deadlines . They are extremely important to the smooth running of HRB. Missing a deadline by just one day can throw the editorial calendar off course. Familiarize yourself with the editorial calendar and plan ahead so you can complete your work on time. If there is an emergency or you are in a position where you cannot complete your work by the deadline, contact your Senior Editor or the Co-Editors-in-Chief immediately.

Senior Editors

▪ Do a complete editing job. Simply pointing out a problem is not sufficient. You must suggest a solution.

▪ Help the author to make their argument as clear and readable as possible while trying to preserve their voice.

▪ Use comment bubbles to make suggestions or enter a note. Do not enter comments directly into the text.

▪ Be professional and diplomatic in all communication with authors. Proofread everything you send them. If you have any difficulties or concerns, contact the Co-Editors-in-Chief.

▪ Save articles as Word documents as “Date_Name_Subject.” Subsequent drafts should be saved with each editors’ initials (Example: Updated Date_Author_Subject_Jr. Editor Initials_Deputy Editor Initials.”

Staff Editors

▪ Verify all citations. If you are editing a long form practitioner piece, look up each citation and check it against the Bluebook to make sure it is in the proper format per your Senior Editor’s instructions. For all pieces, verify that any assertions are properly supported in

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the cited source and quotations are accurate. In addition, confirm that the author has not plagiarized anything from the original materials.

▪ Add appropriate hyperlinks throughout the piece.

▪ Check for grammar and spelling errors.

▪ Verify that the piece conforms to HRB style guidelines.

▪ Keep all deadlines you set with your Senior Editor.

▪ Regarding Contributor Pieces, do not contact an author yourself. If there is an issue that you believe needs to be discussed with the author, contact your Senior Editor.

▪ Suggest high-resolution photos that fit the piece’s topic and that are free to use (Flickr Creative Commons, Wikimedia Commons, etc., have options that may be reproduced with HRB pieces). Please include the type of licensing under which an image may be used. For further information, please reference the production guide.

Substantive Editing

Senior Editors should keep the following guidelines in mind when making substantive edits to an article that was externally submitted. REMEMBER: Your goal is to make the author’s article as organized, clear, and readable as possible. Senior Editors may, however, provide more extensive line edits for internal pieces.

▪ Verify that the author’s argument supports the thesis and conclusion, and that the ideas flow logically throughout the piece. If it does not, give clear suggestions on how to improve the organization and structure.

▪ Make sure the author’s argument can withstand academic and legal scrutiny. Is the argument logical in its conclusions? Is there sufficient legal support for the arguments? - REMEMBER: the question is not whether you agree with the author’s argument, but

rather whether they have properly supported their assertions.

▪ Simply pointing out a problem to an author is not enough. You must find a solution or give a suggestion.- EXAMPLE:

Do not say: This is unclear.Instead try: This is unclear. May I suggest ….

▪ Preserve the author’s voice to the extent possible.

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▪ Use comments to make suggestions for revisions. Do not enter comments directly into the text, as this can be confusing for the reader. Clarity is very important, so make sure your comments are specific and understandable.

▪ Remember to maintain professionalism in your communications with the author. Be firm but polite and diplomatic in your corrections and suggestions.

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Copy Editing Resources: Punctuation

Apostrophes

▪ Apostrophes are used for possessive phrases. - Two people who share an item or event also share a single apostrophe.

- For a single possessive, the apostrophe generally precedes the “s”; for a plural possessive, the apostrophe generally follows the “s.”

- Note that when a proper noun ends in an “s” and is made possessive, it should be followed by an apostrophe after the “s”, e.g. “Mr. Jones’.”

▪ Apostrophes are used to form contractions- REMEMBER: Contractions are only used in the HRB within a direct quotation.

▪ Apostrophes should never be used to form the plural version of a word.- EXAMPLES:

✓ I went to Mike’s house.✓ I went to Mike and Sam’s wedding.✓ Congress’s laws are poorly written. ✓ The two burglars’ tools were found on the lawn.✓ That is the Smiths’ house.

Colons

▪ In sentences, the words preceding of a colon must always constitute a complete, independent clause — i.e., they must form a whole sentence by themselves. The initial independent clause may end in phrases such as “the following” or “as follows.”

▪ When the material following a colon is used as a single response, a list, or responsive sentences, it should answer, illustrate, or amplify the clause.

- EXAMPLES:Incorrect: The money went to: soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and clinics.

Correct: The money went to soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and clinics. Correct: The money went to elementary institutions: soup kitchens,

homeless shelters, and clinics.

▪ Colons should never introduce a compound object of a sentence. - EXAMPLES:

Incorrect: The most popular pets are: cats, which are fearsome, scratching beasts; dogs, whose loyalty is indefatigable; and mice, which are small, white rodents.

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Correct: The most popular pets are cats, which are fearsome, scratching beasts; dogs, whose loyalty is indefatigable; and mice, which are small, white rodents.

▪ Colons should be used to introduce quotations longer than one sentence.

Commas

“The comma causes trouble equally by its absence, by its presence, and by wrong placement.” – Wilson Follett, Modern American Usage

▪ Use the Oxford comma except when a list is a direct quote from a source.

▪ Use a comma before the conjunction in a series - EXAMPLES:

Incorrect: She had Tofurkey, salad and vegan pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.Correct: She had Tofurkey, salad, and vegan pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.Okay: As her mother wrote angrily in her journal, “She had Tofurkey,

salad and vegan pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.”

▪ Commas are used to separate two or more independent clauses in a compound sentence unless there are only two and they are very short.

▪ Do not use a comma to unnecessarily splice two large sentences together.- EXAMPLES:

✓ Spot is a small dog, but she is capable of great and long-lasting achievement.✓ Spot is a dog and she’s beautiful.✓ Spot is a beagle, and Barker is a black and white mutt. ✓ Spot wants to go for a walk, but is it raining cats and dogs? ✓ Spot is a beagle, Barker is a black and white mutt, and Agatha is a gray cat.

▪ Commas are used to separate two or more adjectives , each of which modifies a noun.- EXAMPLES:

✓ I have a big, brown book.✓ ACUS is a defunct federal agency. ✓ We salute a red, white, and blue flag.

▪ If the first adjective modifies an idea expressed by the combinations of the second adjective and the noun, no comma should be used. - EXAMPLES:

✓ The restaurant is near the eastern city limits.✓ He supports tough, technology-based environmental laws.

▪ Adverbial and adjectival dependent clauses and phrases should not be set off by commas from the main clause unless:

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- They precede it. - EXAMPLES:

✓ If she goes without medicine, she will die. ✓ She will die if she goes without medicine. ✓ The trip will take more than an hour however you go.

- They are nonrestrictive—i.e., they can be removed without altering the meaning of the main clause.- EXAMPLES:

✓ Dr. Tomas, who came to our meeting, will deliver the keynote address. ✓ The doctor who came to our meeting will deliver the keynote address. ✓ John, overcome by the smoke, was taken to the hospital. ✓ The man overcome by the smoke was taken to the hospital.

▪ An introductory adverbial and participial phrase that immediately precedes the verb should not be separated from it by a comma.- EXAMPLES:

✓ Beneath the mailbox was a clean white envelope that someone dropped.

✓ Sitting quietly there in the room is the third victim.✓ Blocking out the path to the crooks was a high chain-link fence. ✓ Planted between the house and the garage was an oak tree.

▪ Commas should be used to set off transitional adverbs unless they are integral to the sentence.- EXAMPLES:

✓ All of the evidence, therefore, was admitted. ✓ All of the evidence was therefore admitted. ✓ The witness’ credibility, consequently, has been undermined. ✓ The witness' credibility has consequently been undermined. ✓ He will, perhaps, seek better counsel. ✓ Perhaps he will seek better counsel.

▪ Commas should set off complementary and antithetical phrases (not merely compound verbs) that refer to a single, following word.- EXAMPLES:

✓ I want to, and probably should, take a vacation. ✓ I can and should take a vacation. ✓ The defendant has had and will have chances to prove his innocence. ✓ You are one of the best, if not the best, students in my class. ✓ The man ran toward, rather than away from, the fire because his child was in

the house.

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▪ Antithetical phrases beginning with “not” are often set off by commas unless their removal would destroy the meaning of the sentence.- EXAMPLES:

✓ Kim, not Tim, washed the dishes. ✓ The jury found him guilty, not because of the evidence against him, but

because the color of his skin. ✓ I'm speaking to you not as your father but as your friend. ✓ He bought not only the TV but also the VCR.

▪ Interdependent antithetical clauses should be separated with a comma. - EXAMPLES:

✓ The longer he studied, the more he learned.✓ Whatever the outcome, we gave it our best.

▪ Commas should be used after expressions such as “that is,” “namely,” “i.e.,” and “e.g.” These terms may be preceded by an open parenthesis, a dash, or a comma, depending upon the magnitude of the break in the flow of the sentence. - EXAMPLES:

✓ She dotes on her younger children, namely, Juan, Maria, and Marcos.✓ The witness said that she was standing 50 feet away (i.e., she could not have

heard what he said unless he yelled) when the gun went off.

▪ Commas should set off phrases beginning with “such as.”- EXAMPLES:

✓ Katharine learned about the various ecosystems, such as oceans, rivers, and swamps.

✓ Katharine learned about such ecosystems as oceans, rivers, and swamps.

▪ Use of “including ”: The phrase should be set off by commas at the start and the end. - EXAMPLES:

✓ Several states are parties to the treaty, including Germany, France, and Italy, demonstrating its acceptance.

▪ Commas always appear on both sides of a year that follows a date with both the month and the day, and on both sides of larger geographical unit that follows a smaller one. If only the month or the season appear with the year, no commas are necessary.- EXAMPLES:

✓ The feds will always be wary when the anniversary of September 11, 2001, rolls around.

✓ The candidate from Louisville, Kentucky, gave a good speech.✓ Paris, France, is warmer than Paris, Maine. ✓ June 1995 was the rainiest month in history. ✓ In June 1995 it rained every day.

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▪ Names and Titles : When a name accompanies a title, the following phrase should be offset by commas before and after. - EXAMPLES:

✓ Macarena Saez, Faculty Director of the Center, led the session.✓ The Editors-in-Chief, Stefan Ducich and Blake Paradis, adore the Oxford

comma.

▪ Commas should be used to set off interjections , words in direct address, and parenthetical elements that are too closely related to the sentence to be set off by parentheses or dashes. - EXAMPLES:

✓ No, sir, there is no whiskey left.✓ Matt, do not sit there.✓ The plaintiff, the court said, would have to seek relief elsewhere. ✓ He did, at least, tell me in advance that he would be late.

▪ Commas are used to set off direct (but not indirect) questions included at the end (but not the beginning) of a sentence.- EXAMPLES:

✓ The question is, how do you jump-start negotiations when the parties are at loggerheads?

✓ The court wondered why the plaintiff's lawyer had not crossed-examined the witness.

▪ Commas should be used to prevent mistaken junctions and to separate unrelated numbers . - EXAMPLES:

✓ Mary jumped up when John came in the room, and gasped. ✓ In 1879, 124 children died of consumption.

▪ When the clauses of a compound sentence are joined by a conjunction , place a comma before the conjunction unless the clauses are short and closely related. EXAMPLE:

✓ The two men quickly bolted the door, but the intruder had already entered through the window.

Em Dashes ( — )

▪ Most word processing programs will convert two hyphens automatically to a single em dash. Remember to include a space both before and after the em dash.

▪ Em dashes should be used to set off radical breaks in the grammar or meaning of sentence. They are useful for interjecting emphasis or explanation.- EXAMPLE:

✓ She said — and we’ve got this on tape — “you can have it for a hundred bucks.”

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▪ Em dashes may also be used to set off phrases that have internal commas and to introduce phrases such as “that is” or “namely.”- EXAMPLES:

✓ John studied the classics — Homer, Dante, and Shakespeare — while Jane preferred modern authors — Greene, Ludlum, and Cook.

Lists

▪ Use numbers only when the listed phrases are very long and numerous, when the order of the phrases is significant, or when you want to refer to them later by number.- EXAMPLES:

✓ The most popular pets are cats, dogs, and mice.✓ These are the most popular pets: cats, dogs, mice, and birds.✓ The most popular pets are cats, which are fearsome, scratching beasts; dogs,

whose loyalty is indefatigable; and mice, which are small, white rodents.✓ The most popular pets are (1) cats, which are fearsome, scratching beasts that

many people love to hate; (2) dogs, which pay slavish attention to people, especially those who fear them; (3) mice, which are small, white rodents without a shred of personality; and (4) birds, which cannot distinguish between fingers and sunflower seeds.

✓ These are the most popular pets: cats, which are fearsome, scratching beasts; dogs, whose loyalty is indefatigable; mice, which are small, white rodents; and birds, which can't distinguish between fingers and sunflower seeds.

✓ The most popular pets are [note the lack of any punctuation mark here] cats, which are fearsome, scratching beasts; dogs, whose loyalty is tireless; mice, which are small, white rodents; and birds, which cannot distinguish between fingers and sunflower seeds.

Periods

▪ Use periods at the end of declarative and imperative sentences. - EXAMPLES:

✓ My professor wrote a book.✓ Take out the trash.

▪ Use periods to end indirect questions.- EXAMPLE:

✓ This raises the issue whether the practice of non-refoulement has become a peremptory norm.

▪ Do not use them at the end of sentences incorporated into other sentences, whether within parentheses, brackets, dashes, or quotation marks.- EXAMPLES:

✓ My professor wrote a book (it is not very good) on the First Amendment.✓ Her statement, “My mother said she was afraid,” is hearsay.

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Semicolons

▪ Semicolons should be used between two independent, coordinate clauses that are not separated by a conjunction. The second clause is usually responsive to an implicit question in the first. - EXAMPLES:

✓ The umbrella is not in the stand; John must have taken it to work.✓ There was no one in the store when I entered; the clerk had gone to the

bathroom.

▪ When adverbs, rather than conjunctions, lead a subsequent independent clause, they should be preceded by a semicolon if the two clauses are to be put in the same sentence (but note that such clauses also can be treated as separate sentences). E.g., however, thus, hence, indeed; besides, therefore. - NOTE: “Yet” and “so” are adverbs but are generally accepted as conjunctions. - EXAMPLE:

✓ I went to the store to buy fish; however, they did not sell any seafood.

▪ Use semicolons to separate the coordinate clauses of a compound sentence that have internal commas.- EXAMPLE:

✓ Killer is a beagle, which is a calm breed of dog; Barker is the mutt that I found at the pound; and Agatha is a gray cat, which followed me home one day.

▪ Semicolons should be used to separate long and complex phrases in a series.EXAMPLE:

✓ The most popular pets are cats, which are fearsome, scratching beasts; dogs, whose loyalty is indefatigable; and mice, which are small, white rodents.

Quotation Marks

▪ Periods and commas should go INSIDE of a quotation mark. - EXAMPLES:

✓ The Court considered it to be “inhuman and degrading.” ✓ The definition of “inhuman and degrading,” however, is not clear.

▪ Semicolons and colons should be placed OUTSIDE quotation marks or parentheses. - EXAMPLE:

✓ Curtis assumed that everyone in the room had read “Mr. Prokharchin”; he alluded to it several times during the discussion.

▪ Exclamation and question marks can go inside or outside quotation marks, depending on whether they appear within the quoted material.- EXAMPLES:

✓ Can you believe she said, “I don’t like to learn about grammar”?

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✓ I said, “Can you believe she doesn’t like to learn about grammar?”

▪ Quotations within quotations should be marked with a single quotation mark.- EXAMPLE:

✓ “Those who arrive on our shores seeking asylum find not the ‘golden door’ of freedom but the steel doors of prison.”

▪ Omissions: When omitting part of a quotation, use ellipses to replace the omitted portion. Put spaces before and after the three periods in the ellipses and in between each period (i.e., where*.*.*.*they). - EXAMPLE:

✓ “If the international community fails to address the needs of Darfurians . . . this genocide may very well continue unchecked.”

▪ Block Quotations : Do not use quotation marks unless something is internally quoted within the block quote. Instead, indent the block quote on both sides. Block quotations should never begin with ellipses. Block quotes should only rarely be used.

▪ Use quotation marks for quoted material less than 50 words long; otherwise, use a block quote.

▪ Citation : If an author is quoting from another source, they should either attribute the source within that sentence or paraphrase the material without using quotation marks.

▪ Endnotes should go outside quotation marks.- EXAMPLE: “She is nice.”12

▪ If a quotation that is only part of the sentence in the original forms a complete sentence as quoted, the first letter should be capitalized even if it was not the beginning of the sentence. Brackets are not needed.- EXAMPLE:

Original Text: “He went to the park and then he drove home.”Quoted Text: The police report noted, “He drove home.”

▪ If a quote follows a direct attribution (e.g., “he said,” “she said,” “they said”) the first letter should be capitalized. If “that” is inserted, the first letter is lower case.- EXAMPLE:

✓ He said, “She is nice.”✓ He said that “she is nice.”

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Copy Editing Resources: Grammar

Dangling Participles

▪ Participles must be as close as possible to nouns they modify.- EXAMPLES:

Incorrect: John forgot to lock the door, exhausted from the workout.Correct: Exhausted from the workout, John forgot to lock the door.

Incorrect: Jane went out to walk the dog, forgetting to lock the door behind her.

Correct: Jane, forgetting to lock the door behind her, went out to walk the dog.

Parallel Construction

▪ Multiple equivalent elements in a sentence must be constructed similarly, whether they are subjects, verbs, objects, predicates, prepositions, or dependent clauses. Each element must form a whole grammatical sentence if the other equivalent elements are removed.- EXAMPLES:

✓ Multiple subjects :Incorrect: Drama, playing tennis, and collection of stamps are my favorite

activities.Correct: Acting in dramas, playing tennis, and collecting stamps are my

favorite activities. Correct: Drama, tennis, and stamp collecting are my favorite activities.

✓ Multiple verbs :Incorrect: The baby stood up, has fallen, and has cried. Correct: The baby stood up, fell, and cried.Correct: The baby has stood up, has fallen, and has cried.

✓ Multiple predicated :Incorrect: Blue has broken her leash, the gate, and caught a rabbit.Correct: Blue has snapped her leash, broken the gate, and caught a rabbit. Correct: Blue has snapped her leash, which was new; has broken the gate

that leads to the park; and has caught a wild rabbit, which she carried home and ate.

✓ Multiple prepositions of objects of a preposition :Incorrect: The hound dog ran by the door, the mailbox, and through the park.Correct: The hound dog ran by the door, past the mailbox, and through the

park. Correct: The hound dog ran by the door, the mailbox, and the park.

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✓ Multiple gerunds as objects of a preposition :Incorrect: The woman was arrested for loitering, solicitation of “Johns,” and

for indecency.Correct: The woman was arrested for loitering, soliciting “Johns,” and

dressing indecently.

✓ Multiple dependent clauses :Incorrect: He said that he tried to find the book, it was not where he left it,

and that she should buy another.Correct: He said that he tried to find the book, that it was not where he left

it, and that she should buy another.

✓ Coordinating conjunctions :Incorrect: I will fix the sentence either by retyping it or entering your changes

by hand.Correct: I will fix the sentence either by retyping it or by entering your

changes by hand. Incorrect: Both by land and sea, they are arriving.

Correct: Both by land and by sea, they are arriving. Correct: By both land and sea, they are arriving.

Passive Voice

▪ Avoid using the passive voice; most sentences can be rewritten into the active voice. - EXAMPLES:

Passive: The rabbit was eaten by my dog.Active: My beagle Killer ate the rabbit.Passive: The hall is being swept.Active: The man is sweeping the hall.Passive: The bill will be passed by a wide margin.Active: The house will pass the bill by a wide margin.

NB: The passive voice may be necessary when the writer does not wish to attribute the action described by the verb to a particular person, or when she does not know who committed the act. (“I was told the man is a thief.”)NB: The following sentences do not use the passive voice.

- The verb “to be” is reflexive:✓ My beagle’s name is Killer. ✓ Killer is being an obnoxious brat today.

- Helping verbs merely change the tense:✓ Killer has been my dog for a long time.

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✓ My professor has been writing that book for a long time.

That v. Which

▪ “That” and “which” introduce adjectival/relative clauses. ▪ “That” should be used when the clause is being used to identify exactly what is being

discussed, i.e., when the clause restricts the meaning of the noun to an identifiable thing or group of things. Restrictive clauses begin with "that" and should never be set off with commas.

▪ “Which” should be used when the noun has already been sufficiently identified. The clause merely imparts additional information to the reader. Thus, the clause does not help to identify, or restrict, the noun. Nonrestrictive clauses begin with "which" and should be set off by commas.

- EXAMPLES:✓ There are three chairs in the room. Mary is sitting in one of the two red chairs.

The red chair that Mary is sitting in is the most comfortable. [The clause is necessary to identify which red chair is most comfortable.]

✓ The blue chair, which is covered in dog hair, is the most comfortable.

[Because there is only one blue chair, no more information is necessary to identify it. The clause does not restrict the possibilities as to which chair is under discussion; it merely adds other information about the chair.]

✓ The book that I read was on the War for Independence. [The point of the sentence is to identify the subject of the book that the speaker read. The adjectival clause “restricts” the noun by identifying which book is being discussed.]

✓ The book, which I read, was on the War for Independence. [The fact that the speaker has read the book is tangential to the point of the main clause, which is the subject of the book. The fact that the speaker has read the book does not help to identify it; it is merely an aside.]

Commonly Confused Words

▪ A v. An - Use “a” before a pronounced “h,” long “u” or “eu,” and a word such as “one.” A word’s beginning sound, not beginning letter, is determinative of whether “a” or “an” is appropriate.- EXAMPLES:

✓ A hotel, a euphonious word, a union, a one, a NATO meeting.✓ An honor, an heir, an NAACP meeting.

▪ Accept v. Except - Accept means to receive. Except means to exclude.- EXAMPLES:

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✓ I accept your kind offer.✓ The law excepts no one.

▪ Affect v. Effect - Affect is usually a verb (except in psychology, describing a person’s appearance) and means to influence. Effect, as a verb, means to cause; as a noun it means result.- EXAMPLES:

✓ A high tariff will affect our cotton exports.✓ I want to effect a settlement (verb).✓ For every effect, there is a cause (noun).

▪ Alternative v. Option - An alternative is a choice between two. An option is a choice between two or more.

▪ Although v. While - While means “during the time that.” - EXAMPLES:

✓ I took a nap while he went for a walk.✓ Although Wallace is strict, he is fair.

▪ Altogether v. All Together - Altogether means wholly, totally. All together means everybody together, or all at the same time.

▪ Appraise v. Apprise - Appraise means to ascertain value. Apprise means to inform.- EXAMPLE:

✓ After you appraise the gem, please apprise me of its value.

▪ As Per - The “as” is not necessary.- EXAMPLE:

✓ Per her instructions, I sent the letter.

▪ As Long As - Use “as long as” rather than “so long as.”

▪ Assure/Ensure/Insure - Assure means to confirm or to give confidence to someone. Ensure means to make certain. Insure means to indemnify or to protect.- EXAMPLE:

✓ I assure you that I called to ensure that he would insure the home against fire.

▪ Awhile v. A While – Awhile is an adverb meaning for a while; but when ‘while’ is the object in a prepositional phrase, it must be separate.- EXAMPLE:

✓ Feel free to stay awhile.✓ May I borrow your pen for a while.

▪ Because v. Since - Since connotes the passage of time. Do not use “since” and “because” interchangeably.

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- EXAMPLES:✓ Laura will get a good job because she is smart and driven. ✓ Laura has done well since she demonstrated that she is smart and driven.

▪ In Behalf of v. On Behalf of – In behalf of means in the interest or for the benefit of. On behalf of means as a representative of. - EXAMPLES:

✓ The witness spoke in behalf of the accused. ✓ Joanna went to the meeting on behalf of her sister, who was sick.

▪ Between v. Among - Between can only be used to describe the relationship of two words or objects; for three or more, the word among is used.- EXAMPLES:

✓ She facilitated in negotiations between the government and the rebels.✓ She facilitated in negotiations among the government, the rebels, and the

counter-revolutionaries.

▪ Common v. Mutual - Common means belonging to two or more persons. Mutual means reciprocal or interchangeable.

▪ Comprise v. Compose - Parts compose the whole. The whole comprises (includes, brings together) the parts. Do not use is comprised of.- EXAMPLES:

✓ The 50 states compose the United States of America.✓ The United States of America comprises the 50 states (NOT: is comprised of

the fifty states…).

▪ Continual v. Continuous - Continual means in rapid succession. Continuous means without cease.

▪ E.g. v. I.e.- E.g. is the abbreviation for exemplae gratiae, or “for example.” Use it when you are

listing some, but not all, of the applicable. NB: In general, don’t use unless you have three or more.

- I.e. is the abbreviation for id est, or “that is.” Use it when you are giving an exact and complete example.

- EXAMPLES:✓ I like many kinds of cereal, e.g., Crispix (America’s favorite cereal), Kashi

GoLean Crunch!, and Cheerios.✓ I like three—and only three—kinds of cereal, i.e., Crispix (America’s favorite

cereal), Kashi GoLean Crunch!, and Cheerios.

▪ Elicit v. Illicit - Elicit means to draw out, bring forth, provoke. Illicit means to be illegal, illegitimate, unlawful.

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- EXAMPLE:✓ One’s illicit acts can elicit harsh rebukes, fines, or even jail time.

▪ Engender - In most contexts, engender means to bring into existence or give rise to:

EXAMPLE:✓ “Every cloud engenders not a storm.” — W. Shakespeare, “King Henry VI,”

Part III.

- In gender studies, however, engender means to give something a gendered meaning: EXAMPLE:

✓ They would like to engender the peacekeeping operation so it respects the unique needs of women and men alike.

▪ Everyone v. Every One – Everyone refers to every person in a given context, or everybody. Every one from refers to each individual - EXAMPLES:

✓ Everyone in this room is on the Human Rights Brief.✓ Every on of my friends is on the Human Rights Brief.

▪ Farther v. Further - Farther is a measure of distance. Further indicates time or degree- EXAMPLES:

✓ The farther I travel…✓ The further I want to explore…

▪ Floundering v. Foundering - When one is floundering, he or she is struggling or thrashing about. When one is foundering, he or she is failing at something, misfiring, etc.

▪ Insipient v. Incipient - Insipient means stupid or foolish. Incipient means beginning to exist or appear.

▪ Into v. In To – Into is used to indicate one motion or a transformation. In all other contexts, use in to.- EXAMPLES:

✓ She walked into the room to deliver the letter.✓ She walked in to deliver the letter.✓ The town hall meeting deteriorated into a shouting match.

▪ Lay v. Lie - Lay means to place something. Lie means to recline. - EXAMPLES:

✓ The policeman asked the burglar to lay down his gun.✓ The child was tired, so his parents told him to lie down and take a nap.

- EXCEPTION: Lay is the past tense of lie, but lay is never used to mean to recline in the present tense.

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EXAMPLES:✓ Yesterday, he lay on the floor sleeping. ✓ Correct: Lie down there.

Incorrect: Lay down there.

▪ Less v. Fewer - Less refers to quantity or degree. Fewer refers to number.- EXAMPLES:

✓ His troubles are less than mine. (His troubles are not as great as those that I have.)

✓ His troubles are fewer than mine. (His troubles are not so numerous as mine.)

▪ Percent v. Percentage - Percent is always used with a number. Percentage is used without a number.- EXAMPLE:

✓ A large percentage of our funds have no sales charge.

▪ Prescribe v. Proscribe v. Circumscribe - Prescribe means to recommend, order, or lay out. Proscribe means to forbid, ban, or make illegal. Circumscribe means to restrict, refine, or demarcate.- EXAMPLE:

✓ The doctor cannot prescribe for my migraine proscribed medication, because the use of drugs is circumscribed by the Food and Drug Administration.

▪ Principle v. Principal - A principle is a fundamental truth. A principal is the chief, a sum placed at interest, or one who employs another.

▪ Reticent v. Reluctant - Someone who is reticent is quiet, reserved, or taciturn. Someone who is reluctant is unwilling or unenthusiastic.- EXAMPLE:

✓ Her reluctance to discuss the matter with him made her somewhat reticent.

▪ That v. Who - That refers to a thing or a class of people. Who refers to people or domesticated animals.- EXAMPLES:

✓ He is the kind of person that will settle only for perfection.✓ She is the one who heads the task force.

▪ Who v. Whom - Use who for the subject, whom for the direct object.- EXAMPLES:

✓ The spy who came in from the cold.✓ The spy whom Dr. Evil killed.

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Copy Editing Resources: Style

Capitalization

▪ Regarding government bodies:- EXAMPLES:

Incorrect: U.S. GovernmentCorrect: U.S. governmentIncorrect: U.S. AdministrationCorrect: U.S. administration

▪ Parties to a Treaty:- EXAMPLES:

Incorrect: State Parties or States Party Correct: States PartiesCorrect: Member StateIncorrect: state party or State party Correct: State Party

▪ State v. state:✓ Capitalize proper names: Washington State✓ Do not capitalize unofficial designations: Northwestern states✓ Do not capitalize state when used alone: The judgment affected the state.✓ Capitalize if party to a suit

▪ Treaty titles:✓ Check UN and other web sites to make sure capitalization is consistent with the

official title. E.g., Convention against Torture, NOT Convention Against Torture.

✓ Only capitalize “convention” if it is used to replace a proper noun. E.g., Zimbabwe has not signed any human rights conventions.

▪ Verify the capitalization of titles , e.g., Secretary of State. The Chicago Manual of Style provides many useful standards and EXAMPLES.

Abbreviations

▪ When referring to an agency, institution, corporation, statute, or other entity, the name of which is long or cumbersome, consistently use an abbreviated form after introducing it parenthetically. Do not use “hereafter” and do not put quotation marks around the abbreviation. - EXAMPLES:

✓ Introduction: International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) monitors compliance with the Geneva Conventions. The ICRC has found . . .

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▪ Noun v. adjective: U.S. v. United States✓ “United States” is the noun form: The United States signed a treaty.✓ “U.S.” is the adjectival form: The U.S. administration is whack.

Contractions

▪ Do not use contractions unless in a direct quote.

Foreign Words and Transliteration

▪ Italicize foreign words or phrases that have not been incorporated into common English usage. Check a dictionary if you’re not sure.

▪ When using transliterated names, BE CONSISTENT. Use what is most commonly used, and stick with it throughout. E.g., Al Qaida, al Qaeda. Consult other HRB columns to maintain consistency throughout the publication. If you are unsure about which version to use, check with your Senior Editor or the Co-Editors-in-Chief.

Gender

▪ Avoid using s/he, him/her, or his/her.

▪ Try to make all language gender neutral by employing the following techniques as suggested in The Elements of Style by Strunk and White:

✓ Use the plural rather than the singular.EXAMPLE:

Correct: Writers must address their readers’ concerns. Incorrect: The writer must address his readers’ concerns.

✓ Eliminate the pronoun.EXAMPLE:

Correct: The writer must address readers’ concerns.Incorrect: The writer must address his readers’ concerns.

✓ Use the second person instead of the third person. EXAMPLE:

Correct: As a writer, you must address your readers’ concerns.Incorrect: The writer must address his readers’ concerns.

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Paragraph Level

▪ Paragraphs: Try to avoid one and two sentence paragraphs. Can the sentences be added to the paragraph that precedes or follows them? If not, is it a thought that could benefit from further development?

▪ First/Second/Third: Do not use a “first” without a “second” or an “(a)” without a “(b).”

Sentence Level

▪ Sentences may begin with adverbs such as however, nevertheless, therefore, etc.

▪ If using “e.g.,” try to use at least three authorities to support it. If possible, use an alternative phrase such as “for example.”

▪ Always use “to” instead of “in order to.” It is more succinct and means exactly the same thing.

▪ NEVER use “the fact that.” Say what you are trying to say and avoid filler language.

▪ Run-on Sentences: When possible, divide long and possibly confusing sentences into several independent sentences.

▪ “This”: Avoid using the word “this” to singularly refer back to the preceding sentence. Instead of, “This supports the thesis,” use, “This principle supports the thesis.”

Word Level

▪ Do not use “Natasha and/or Shara.” Instead, use “Natasha or Shara or both.”

▪ Avoid tentative words such as “maybe,” “perhaps,” “probably,” and “seems.”

▪ Pronouns: Avoid ambiguous pronouns such as “it,” “this,” and “that.”

▪ Section/§: In all text, spell out “section.”

▪ Toward/Towards: Prefer “toward.”

▪ “Unique” is by definition singular and should never be modified.

Things to Avoid

▪ Personal expressions: i.e. I think, I believe.

▪ Passive voice.

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▪ Hopefully: This word is weak and is rarely used correctly.

▪ Irregardless: This is not a word!

▪ Supposably : This is also not a word!

▪ One of the most: Avoid this feeble formula. “One of the most exciting developments of modern science is…” There is nothing wrong with the grammar; the formula is simply threadbare.

▪ Oriented: A clumsy, pretentious device, much in vogue. Find a better way of indicating orientation or alignment or direction.

▪ Said: Never use “said” in the following manner: “Said provision makes the treaty self-executing.”

▪ So: Avoid, in writing, the use of so as an intensifier: “so good”; “so warm”; “so delightful.” Where emphasis is necessary, use stronger words.

▪ Utilize: Prefer use.

▪ Very: Use this word sparingly. Where emphasis is necessary, use stronger words.

▪ Wise: Avoid appending “-wise” to nouns when there is a more appropriate modifier, or a clearer way of presenting the information. - EXAMPLE:

✓ Instead of, “The day was fine, weather-wise,” use: “The weather was fine.”

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Copy Editing Checklist

Staff Editors, use this checklist to ensure a complete and thorough copy edit:Make sure the article includes an appropriate introduction, thesis and conclusion.- Make certain that the introduction contains a clear and concise thesis statement.- Confirm that the conclusion supports the introduction without adding new

material.- Verify that all arguments in the piece support the author’s thesis and

conclusion.Headings (i.e., for Contributor Pieces)- Ensure all headings properly introduce the information that follows them.- Confirm that all headings are clearly organized and guide the reader through

the piece.Paragraphs- Make sure that each paragraph begins with a strong thesis sentence.- Check that each paragraph addresses only one major concept.- Correct any unwieldy or inappropriately short paragraphs.

Sentences- Correct any run-on sentences or sentence fragments.- Ensure that all sentences are an appropriate length.- Verify that each sentence is readable and understandable.

Grammar- Check all punctuation usage: commas, colons, semicolons, em dashes, periods,

etc.- Remove contractions.- Ensure that the entire article is in the same verb tense: past, present, future.- Remove any inappropriate use of passive voice.

Style- Confirm that all numbers are in the required format.- Verify that capitalization is used correctly.- Ensure that all acronyms are correct and have proper punctuation.- Confirm that there is one period at the end of each sentence.

Check spelling. Remember, spell check does not catch all errors!See Commonly Confused Words

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Fact Checking

General ▪ Check spellings of names and locations.▪ Check dates and chronology of events.▪ Check names used in the article (Google is your best friend).▪ Perform outside research (online, Westlaw/Lexis) if necessary.▪ Note obvious grammatical errors.▪ Look up capitalization and abbreviations (e.g., ICCPR, ICESCR).

Quotations▪ Ensure that quotations are copied accurately, including exact punctuation, capitalization,

and emphasis (such as italics).▪ Omitted or changed letters from words should be indicated with ellipses, brackets, or

both, as appropriate. ▪ Make sure the quotation is correctly attributed.

Statutes, Treaties, and Cases ▪ When specific sections of laws, treaties, or cases are mentioned, skim the indicated.

documents to ensure that the article’s text accurately reflects the substance of the law.▪ Make sure the name of the statute, treaty, or case is correct.

Foreign Words▪ Italicize unless the word has entered general English usage (a good dictionary should tell

you).▪ Make sure any accent markings are correct.▪ Do not use online sources for this — they tend to be unreliable.▪ Consult sources in the War Crimes office when necessary.

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Citation Checklist

Articles Editors are responsible for checking the accuracy and completeness of citations in each article. Looking up every citation will likely be the most time consuming part of the editing process, but is absolutely essential. The HRB is a resource for practitioners around the world and inaccurate citations damage the reputation of our publication and significantly detract from the usefulness of the information. This is an extremely important step in the editing process and one of the most important duties of an Articles Editor. Please take it very seriously.

Is there any information that needs a citation and does not have one? If so, find an appropriate citation.REMEMBER: Never cite to Wikipedia or other disreputable sources.If you have trouble finding a reliable citation, contact your Senior Editor for help.Look up every citation.

- Verify that the source itself exists.- Make sure the cited information appears on the page number it is cited to.- If the citation does not have a pincite (i.e., a citation to a specific page,

article, section, or other subset of the document), add one as appropriate.If you have trouble finding a source, Reference Librarians are great resources!If the source is a website:

- Verify that the site is still active.- Include the date last visited in parentheses after the citation.

Confirm the accuracy of all citations. Does it say what the author says it does?Verify that all quotations are correct (word-for-word) and properly cited.Identify any instances of plagiarism.

- If the plagiarism is minor, add quotation marks or change the language where appropriate. (It is very common for authors to lift language directly from a source, so keep an eye out for this).

- If the plagiarism is major, contact your Senior Editor and the Co-Editors-in-Chief immediately.

If you suspect language is plagiarized, it is helpful to start by copying and pasting it into an internet search.Check all citations to make sure they are in proper Bluebook format.

- Always check citations directly against the rules in the Bluebook.Guide to Foreign and International Legal Citations, on reserve in the library is another useful resource.

Remove all hyperlinks. Websites should not appear in a different font or color from the rest of the citation.To remove hyperlinks in Microsoft Word:

- PC’s: Right click on the link and select “Remove Hyperlink.”- Macs: Press Apple + K and then select “Remove Hyperlink.”

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