As some of you may not know I left Secondary school with no qualifications.. and I such I didn't learn me much grammar n stuff as RW knows all too well.
right now I am writing some words for this dissertation thingmy on cyber warfare and need some advice please and thank you kind CL people:
when do I use capitalisation, inverted commas and when do I use italics? Have looked online for advice but its not that straightforward,
https://weblearn.ox.ac.uk/access/content/group/01a2c7e3-3066-493a-9809-3d6ff12141d2/thesesconventions.pdfand I'm being a bit thick possibly due to deadline looming and lots of editing and 2000 or so more words needed
For example if I use terms like cyber warfare, does it have capitals?
or if I use terms like honey pot or hack back should they be in italics?
When do I use inverted commas? e.g. 'warrior geek' and should it have capitals?
I generally copy the way its done in the source, but not sure that's correct.
Many thanks
R
Comments
Some newpsapers and magazines also italicize ship's names and/or foreign words, but I don't see either used much these days. Then again, italicizing a word is a useful way to add emphasis: I bloody well did say that!'
They can be quite useful to help develop a consistant style of your own.
Here's the BBC's: bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/article/art20130702112133530
And this might be useful? Another bit of quality EU at work for us!
ec.europa.eu/translation/english/guidelines/documents/styleguide_english_dgt_en.pdf
The Bank of England had an excellent guide but I can't find it on-line - it may be for internal consumption only.
ETA: Actually that's not bad. But I only got as far as B....
For what it's worth following might help but I'm not an English teacher!
I don't have a clue what cyber warfare is, and can't be bothered to google it, so either you could just use the words assuming the reader will work it out from the context, or, you put it in italics so i know i have to make an effort to work it out from the context. Or you could help me by defining it in a formal sort of way as if in a dictionary with cyber warfare in italics.
Simple rule for capitals is only use them if you only ever see the word elsewhere in capitals.
Honey pot same as cyber warfare. If "honey pot" (your words) is a euphemism for a something attractive that is not actually a pot with honey in it I might put it in italics if it was in the middle of a serious article. Probably not if writing on CL because everyone would know I was referring to a tart tempting me to have her wicked way with me.
Think of italics as used for words the reader either isn't expected to understand without some help or used out of context like....She's married to a Nigel but her puppies are so cute.
Could also use italics if you use words that are not intended to be read literally but as a cliche so people don't think you are a nob ... It was a typical game of two halves.
inverted commas are single marks and used when quoting the title of a book or play for example. Quotation marks of the double variety, and the clue is in the name, just denote words said by someone else. Think of using double quotation marks when the words are meant to be read as if your were hearing someone saying them.
It does seem common place to add capitals to other words though. She works in Accounts etc but not sure that is correct unless it is protocol in the company etc.
So if it is a person or place then it has capitals (Razil from Kent). If a letter stands for something then it has capitals - MBA and Mr for example but not the c in MSc as the c isn't the start of a word. Which makes me think (Mr) that shortened words may also have Caps such as Caps and Etc.
God is supposed to be with a capital because it's supposedly a proper noun - equally if He or Him (God that is) is used in church etc.
And stuff like that. I fink.
Sack the Dean!
If I use terms like cyber warfare, does it have capitals?
No, 'it' is a pronoun so there's no need to capitalise. Seriously, I wouldn't use capitals for cyber warfare unless it's in a title, reserve your capitals for proper nouns.
If I use terms like honey pot or hack back should they be in italics?
I wouldn't, unless there was a particular reason to do so. In which case you'd put a note in the text explaining why they are italicised. For example, 'words in italics denote systems currently in use'.
When do I use inverted commas? e.g. 'warrior geek' and should it have capitals?
Inverted commas soften what you are saying. If 'warrior geek' is a phrase that is not really your choice but which others use, you can use it to distance yourself a little. Alternatively you can use them to pick out a phrase and make it clear what you are discussing. However I'd probably be inclined to use this only when introducing a term, not when it's cropped up for the fiftieth time.
I generally copy the way its done in the source, but not sure that's correct?
Probably correct in most cases. As a general rule, if you feel the need to change it (for example, to highlight a particular passage in someone's text) you should state what changes you've made.
Happy to help out with some proofreading as well!
My advice is to keep your sentences short. Academic writing is plagued by long, rambling sentences. Shorter sentences help you make your point more efficiently.
Never use semicolons; no one knows how to use them.
I would only capitalise pre-defined terms or initials. So I might say Charlton Athletic Football Club (CAFC) if people didn't already know.
I hate random capitalisation which my American colleagues seem to like especially in headings.
The Most Important Heading in the World.
Grrrr
Agree with earlier comments though, whatever you decide, be consistent.