House style

First, we are not strict about the formatting of submitted articles - if the content is good, we will take care of the rest. However, some writers prefer to know the house style. The following is generally the case:

• Exhibition titles are in italics.
• Titles of works are in italics.
• For both of the above, only the first letter of the first word is capitalised, unless the first word is 'A', 'An' or 'The', in which the first letter of the second word is also capitalised.
• Reported speech and text excerpts are enclosed by double quotes, with the final punctuation mark coming inside the double quotes.
• Reported speech is not italicised.
• Single quotes are used to highlight the usage of a term - as in: 'highlight' here is synonymous with 'emphasise'. The final punctuation mark falls outside the closing apostrophe.
• References within the text are in superscript (Word does this automatically). If the reference comes at the end of a sentence, it comes after all punctuation marks, e.g.: Brown asserts, "This is not so."³
• The reference list follows the main text, each reference number in superscript. Citations should give the names of the author(s), including first name(s), title of the article, and year of publication. In the case of magazines/ journals, give the volume number (if appropriate), issue number (if appropriate), month/season of publication (if appropriate). In the case of books, give the name of the publisher and city of publication. If the book is edited, give the full name(s) of the editor(s). If the article is translated, give the name of the translator. If the citation in the main text of your article is specific - eg, a quote from someone else's article - give in the reference list the page number from which it is taken. If the citation refers to the whole article, give the page numbers of the article. If the article was published previously elsewhere, state this ("originally published in 1942," eg). 'Ibid' and 'op cit' should be used as necessary.
• Spelling can be British or American.

Notes for first-time writers

Construction
These are a few suggestions:

• The article should have an overall structure.
• Support your argument.
• The opening paragraph or two should engage the reader. Usually, they signpost the form and content of the article.
• Articles have a point to them, and this is usually stated or restated at the end.
• Check your facts.

Style
Some observations:

• Never insult anyone.
• Avoid the use of jargon and artspeak for its own sake.
• Short sentences are efficient. Don't overdo it.
• A paragraph should express a single idea.
• Paragraphs should average around five sentences in length.
• Avoid generalisations.
• Avoid hyperbole.

And some pedantic further suggestions (compliance inspires confidence):

• Accents: if a word has an accent - a fada, an umlaut, etc. - put it on; put it over the right letter.
• Be clear and unambiguous with your geographical terms. (In particular, if you mean Britain, use 'Britain' not 'UK', as the UK includes Northern Ireland; if you mean the Republic of Ireland, say so, as 'Ireland' refers to the whole island.)
• Confusing "its" and "it's" looks bad; the latter never means 'of it'.