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National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
John F. Kennedy Space Center
KSC FORM 16-12 06/95 (1.0) PREVIOUS EDITIONS MAY BE USED
TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION STYLE GUIDE
July 8, 2017
Engineering Directorate
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RECORD OF REVISIONS/CHANGES
REV
LTR
CHG
NO.
DESCRIPTION
Basic issue.
Basic-1
Added Section V, Space Station Project Documentation
Format and Preparation Guidelines.
A
General revision incorporating Change 1.
B
General revision incorporating Supplement 1 and the metric
system of measurement.
C
Revised all sheets to incorporate simplified document
formats and align them with automatic word processing
software features.
D
Revised to incorporate an export control sign-off on the
covers of documents and to remove the revision level
designation for NPR 7120.5-compliant project plans.
E
General revision.
F
General revision and editorial update.
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CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1
1.1 Purpose ......................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Scope and Application.................................................................................... 1
1.3 Conventions of This Guide ............................................................................. 2
2. DOCUMENTS ................................................................................................ 2
2.1 Applicable Documents.................................................................................... 2
2.1.1 Government Documents ................................................................................ 2
2.1.2 Non-Government Documents ......................................................................... 3
2.2 Reference Documents.................................................................................... 3
2.2.1 Government Documents ................................................................................ 3
2.2.2 Non-Government Documents ......................................................................... 3
3. GENERAL CONVENTIONS FOR WRITING AND FORMATTING.................. 4
3.1 Selecting Words and Phrases ........................................................................ 4
3.2 Consistency and Accuracy of Terms .............................................................. 4
3.3 Voice and Mood ............................................................................................. 5
3.4 Shall, Should, Will, and Must .......................................................................... 5
3.5 Abbreviations ................................................................................................. 6
3.5.1 Types of Abbreviations ................................................................................... 6
3.5.2 Use of Abbreviations ...................................................................................... 7
3.5.3 Abbreviations Not Called Out ......................................................................... 7
3.5.4 Plurals of Abbreviations .................................................................................. 8
3.5.5 Possessives of Abbreviations ......................................................................... 8
3.5.6 Articles with Abbreviations ............................................................................. 8
3.5.6.1 Definite Article ................................................................................................ 8
3.5.6.2 Indefinite Articles ............................................................................................ 9
3.5.7 Periods, Spaces, and Mixed Cases with Abbreviations .................................. 9
3.6 Contractions ................................................................................................. 10
3.7 Pronouns...................................................................................................... 10
3.7.1 Use of Pronouns .......................................................................................... 10
3.7.2 Problems with Pronouns and Gender ........................................................... 11
3.8 Attributive Nouns .......................................................................................... 11
3.8.1 Excessive Consecutive Nouns ..................................................................... 11
3.8.2 Singular vs. Plural Attributive Nouns ............................................................ 12
3.9 Compound Words and Phrases ................................................................... 12
3.9.1 Compound Nouns ........................................................................................ 12
3.9.1.1 Nouns Combined with Adverbs .................................................................... 12
3.9.1.2 Process Nouns ............................................................................................. 13
3.9.1.3 Phrasal Nouns ............................................................................................. 13
3.9.2 Compound Verbs ......................................................................................... 13
3.9.3 Compound Adjectives .................................................................................. 14
3.9.4 Prefixes and Suffixes ................................................................................... 17
3.9.5 Suspending Hyphens ................................................................................... 18
3.10 Items in a Series .......................................................................................... 19
3.10.1 Simple Items ................................................................................................ 19
3.10.2 Complex Items ............................................................................................. 19
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3.10.3 Inconsistently Modified Items ....................................................................... 20
3.10.4 Appositives in Items ..................................................................................... 21
3.11 Parallel Construction .................................................................................... 22
3.11.1 Parallel Grammatical Expression ................................................................. 22
3.11.2 Parallel Visual Arrangement ......................................................................... 22
3.11.2.1 Items in Running Paragraphs ....................................................................... 23
3.11.2.2 Outline Structure of Bulleted or Enumerated Lists ........................................ 23
3.11.2.3 Grammatical Structure of Bulleted or Enumerated Lists ............................... 25
3.12 Casing .......................................................................................................... 26
3.12.1 Sentence Case ............................................................................................ 26
3.12.2 Title Case ..................................................................................................... 27
3.13 Proprietary Names ....................................................................................... 28
3.14 E-Mail Addresses ......................................................................................... 28
3.15 Website Addresses ...................................................................................... 29
3.16 Numbers ...................................................................................................... 29
3.16.1 Countable Quantities .................................................................................... 29
3.16.2 Measured Quantities .................................................................................... 31
3.16.3 Fractions ...................................................................................................... 33
3.16.4 Percentages ................................................................................................. 34
3.16.5 Money .......................................................................................................... 35
3.16.6 Mathematical or Chemical Expressions in Running Text .............................. 35
3.16.7 Display Equations ........................................................................................ 36
3.16.8 Dates ........................................................................................................... 37
3.16.9 Ordinal Numbers .......................................................................................... 38
3.17 Figures and Their Titles ................................................................................ 38
3.18 Tables and Their Titles ................................................................................. 41
3.19 Writing and Formatting Definitions ............................................................... 44
3.20 Warnings, Cautions, and Notes .................................................................... 45
3.21 Treatment of Computer Interfaces ................................................................ 46
3.21.1 Screenshots ................................................................................................. 46
3.21.2 Expression and Order of Instruction ............................................................. 46
3.21.3 Specific Terms for Computer Interfaces ....................................................... 47
3.22 References to Other Material ....................................................................... 48
3.22.1 Material in the Current Document ................................................................. 48
3.22.2 Material from Other Sources ........................................................................ 50
3.22.2.1 Identification of Applicable or Reference Documents ................................... 50
3.22.2.2 Identification of Specific Material in Applicable or Reference
Documents ................................................................................................... 51
3.22.2.3 Identification and Placement of Explanatory Comments ............................... 51
3.22.2.4 Identification, Placement, and Formatting of Footnotes, Endnotes,
Citations, and Bibliographies ........................................................................ 51
4. OVERALL FORMATTING CONVENTIONS FOR DOCUMENT
TYPES ......................................................................................................... 52
4.1 Overall Formatting Conventions for Formal Documents ............................... 53
4.2 Overall Formatting Conventions for Engineering Documents ....................... 53
5. FORMATTING SPECIFIC DOCUMENT ELEMENTS ................................... 56
5.1 Cover ........................................................................................................... 56
5.2 Signature Page ............................................................................................ 60
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5.3 Record of Revisions/Changes ...................................................................... 64
5.4 Foreword, Preface, Acknowledgment, and Executive Summary ................... 67
5.4.1 Foreword and Preface .................................................................................. 67
5.4.2 Acknowledgment .......................................................................................... 68
5.4.3 Executive Summary ..................................................................................... 69
5.5 Table of Contents ......................................................................................... 70
5.6 Lists of Figures and Tables .......................................................................... 71
5.7 List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................... 72
5.8 Sections and Subsections ............................................................................ 73
5.9 Section for Introductory Material ................................................................... 74
5.10 Section for Applicable or Reference Documents .......................................... 74
5.11 Paragraphs .................................................................................................. 76
5.12 Appendices .................................................................................................. 76
5.13 Multivolume Manuals or Documents............................................................. 78
6. REVISIONS, CHANGES, AND CANCELLATIONS ...................................... 78
6.1 Revisions ..................................................................................................... 78
6.2 Changes ...................................................................................................... 79
6.3 Cancellations ............................................................................................... 81
APPENDIX A. USE OF SPECIFIC TERMS ......................................................................... 83
APPENDIX B. GLOSSARY ................................................................................................. 93
APPENDIX C. POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS FOR STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES ....... 105
INDEX ..................................................................................................................................... 107
FIGURES
Figure 1. Outline Structure of Bulleted List ................................................................................ 24
Figure 2. Outline Structure of Enumerated List.......................................................................... 25
Figure 3. Examples of Correct Title Casing ............................................................................... 28
Figure 4. Opening Pages of a Typical Formal Document .......................................................... 54
Figure 5. Opening Pages of a Typical Engineering Document .................................................. 55
Figure 6. Measurement Indicators ............................................................................................. 56
Figure 7. Example of a KSC Form 16-12 Cover ........................................................................ 59
Figure 8. Signature Page for Three Signatories ........................................................................ 62
Figure 9. Signature Page for Signatories with Shared Roles ..................................................... 63
Figure 10. Record of Revisions/Changes for a Change Following a Revision ........................... 65
Figure 11. Record of Revisions/Changes for a Revision Following a Change ........................... 66
Figure 12. Example of the Cover for a Change Edition .............................................................. 80
Figure 13. Example of the Cancellation of a Formal Document ................................................. 82
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TABLES
Table 1. Patterns of Compound Adjectives ............................................................................... 14
Table 2. Three Combinations of Introductory Text and Corresponding List Items ...................... 25
Table 3. Specific Terms for Computer Interfaces ...................................................................... 47
Table 4. Margins and Header/Footer Offsets for Document Pages ........................................... 52
Table 5. Page Assignments for a Cover .................................................................................... 58
Table 6. Page Assignments for a Signature Page ..................................................................... 61
Table 7. Page Assignments for a Record of Revisions/Changes ............................................... 67
Table 8. Page Assignments for a Foreword, Preface, Acknowledgment, and Executive
Summary ........................................................................................................... 68
Table 9. Page Assignments for a Table of Contents ................................................................. 71
Table 10. Page Assignments for Lists of Figures and Tables .................................................... 72
Table 11. Page Assignments for a List of Abbreviations ............................................................ 73
Table 12. Page Assignments for an Appendix ........................................................................... 77
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ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND SYMBOLS
@
at
′
foot, minute (plane angle)*
″
inch, second (plane angle)*
°
degree (of temperature or plane angle)*
ed
edition
e.g.
for example
et al.
and others
etc.
and so forth
ibid
in the same place
i.e.
that is
ISBN
International Standard Book Number
ISO
International Organization for Standardization
KDDMS
KSC Design Data Management System
KSC
Kennedy Space Center
lb
pound
lbf
pound-force
lbm
pound-mass
MLA
Modern Language Association
NASA
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
PDF
Portable Document Format
SI
International System of Units
START
Standards and Technical Assistance Resource Tool
UTC
Coordinated Universal Time
* Two meanings are shown for prime (′), double prime (″), and degree (°) because the uses and multiple
meanings of these symbols are explained in 3.5.2.i, 3.16.2.m and n, and in Appendix B (in the definition of
apostrophe). See 3.5.2.f for guidance about assigning multiple meanings to abbreviations.
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
This guide promotes writing that is clear, concise, accurate, consistent, organized, and above all,
easy for the reader to understand and use.
Because the customary products of technical writing are specifically formatted documents, this
guide also describes the elements that documents commonly include, the elements they should
include, and how those elements should be arranged and formatted. It recognizes two broad types
of documents: formal documents and engineering documents.
Formal documents are those with lasting reference value across KSC organizations, programs,
or projects. KSC Specifications, KSC Standards, and other documents that carry similar broad
authority are examples of formal documents. Formal documents are subject to broad and
rigorous review and are often invoked in KSC contracts. They are stored in the KSC Library and
are available throughout NASA via the Standards and Technical Assistance Resource Tool
(START) at https://standards.nasa.gov/. Formal documents are formatted for publication as
books, with specific left-hand (even-numbered) and right-hand (odd-numbered) pages. See 4.1
for more detail.
Engineering documents address the engineering, business, or administrative aspects of specific
programs or projects. Their reference value and authority are confined to their specific programs
or projects, and they are subject to program or project review. Engineering documents are
primarily for KSC use but may be invoked for specific procurements. They are stored and
managed as specified by the applicable program or project plan. Because of their more limited
application and availability, engineering documents can be formatted more simply, without
regard for book-publishing conventions. See 4.2 more detail.
1.2 Scope and Application
The writing and formatting conventions in this guide are those that are applied in the course of
professional editing. Whether your document will be professionally edited or not, as an author,
you are encouraged to consult this guide for specific writing and formatting questions and to
apply its conventions when it is practical to do so.
This guide applies to KSC directorates and to contractors (to the extent specified in their
contracts).
The writing conventions in this guide apply to most of the written communication prepared for
or by KSC.
The formatting conventions in this guide apply to Basic editions and Revisions of formal
documents and engineering documents. See 6.2 for how the formatting conventions apply to
Changes.
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The formatting conventions do not apply to documents of the KSC Business Management
System (Kennedy NASA Procedural Requirements, Kennedy Documented Procedures, etc.).
These documents are governed by KNPR 1470.1.
1.3 Conventions of This Guide
This guide is intended as a reference manual to be consulted for particular questions, rather than
as a lesson to be read from start to finish. Although the goal is to treat each topic adequately in
its own subsection or paragraph, cross-references to other discussions are often necessary (see
3.22.1). Cross-references to numbered itemss (such as the one in this paragraph and references to
appendices) are not specially formatted but are hyperlinked for online use. Because of how
hyperlinks and dynamic cross-references work together, in cross-references to items in
alphabetical lists (such as in 1.3.g), only the letter is hyperlinked. Hyperlinks to items within
the KSC firewall, to definitions, and to website addresses are underlined and set in blue.
This guide also offers the following resources:
a. usage and spelling conventions for specific words, phrases, and symbols (some of
which also appear in the body) in Appendix A,
b. a glossary of grammatical, formatting, and documentation terms, with hyperlinks (blue
and underlined) from instances of defined terms in the body (Appendix B),
c. the postal abbreviations for states and U.S. territories (Appendix C),
d. an index,
e. links to Microsoft Word templates for formal documents and engineering documents
(see 2.2),
f. links to a list of keystroke combinations for typing symbols that don’t appear on
standard keyboards, and
g. links to files for graphics that appear on document covers (see 5.1.a, 6.2, and 6.3).
The formatting guidance assumes a certain level of skill with word processing functions and does
not offer step-by-step instructions for achieving specific results. Where necessary, the formatting
conventions in this guide are differentiated for formal documents and engineering documents.
2. DOCUMENTS
2.1 Applicable Documents
The following documents form a part of this document to the extent specified herein.
2.1.1 Government Documents
KDP-KSC-P-1538
NASA KSC Specifications and Standards Development
Process
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2.1.2 Non-Government Documents
ISO 80000-1
Quantities and units, Part 1: General
NOTE
ISO 80000-1 can be viewed and downloaded inside
the KSC firewall through the Standards and
Technical Assistance Resource Tool (START) at
https://standards.nasa.gov/.
2.2 Reference Documents
2.2.1 Government Documents
KDP-T-5405
Basic Template for KSC Engineering Document
KDP-T-5411
Template for Formal KSC Document
KDP-T-5413
Advanced Template for KSC Engineering Document
KNPR 1470.1
KSC Business Management System Documentation
KNPR 8715.3-1
KSC Safety Procedural Requirements, Volume 1,
Safety Procedural Requirements for Civil Servants/
NASA Contractors
2.2.2 Non-Government Documents
ANSI/NISO Z39.8-2005
(ISBN 1-880124-66-1)
Scientific and Technical Reports – Preparation,
Presentation, and Preservation
ISBN 0-07-293653-3
The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style,
Grammar, Usage, and Formatting, 10
th
Edition
ISBN 0-226-10420-6
The Chicago Manual of Style, 16
th
Edition
ISBN 0-7356-1746-5
Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications,
3
rd
Edition
ISBN 10-0873522974
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing,
3
rd
Edition
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3. GENERAL CONVENTIONS FOR WRITING AND FORMATTING
Computer spelling- and grammar-checking functions often give helpful signals about how you
have spelled words or constructed sentences, but they are not authorities on spelling or grammar.
Consider the suggestions they offer, but consult this guide (as well as other reliable references)
whenever the necessary correction is not immediately obvious.
Likewise, a dictionary shows you how words are spelled and what they mean, but it doesn’t
guide you to the best choices for what you want to say. The fact that a word appears in a
dictionary, with a particular meaning, doesn’t necessarily make a word a good choice. See
Appendix A for guidance on the use of some specific words and phrases.
Section 3 offers general conventions of good writing style, but is not a complete replacement for
dictionaries, usage references, and professional opinions. Use this guide and other resources to
tailor your style to suit your material and serve your readers.
3.1 Selecting Words and Phrases
Expressing ideas concisely and directly is most important. It shows your respect for the material
and for your readers. Choose shorter words and fewer words as long as they are concise and
direct. It’s better to use a few more short, direct, well-arranged words than to rely on jargon or
long strings of nouns that can be hard to understand. Imagine how you would explain a point
(orally) to people who don’t know quite as much about the topic as you do. Then write it down.
If you think the sentences don’t sound important enough, you’re probably on the right track. If
you can make the sentences simpler and more direct, do so. If you don’t tend to say facilitate,
optimize, or utilize (and you probably don’t), don’t write them. Assume that your readers don’t
have much time and need to understand the material in one pass. (This is almost always the
case.) Imagine yourself as those readers, and write to make their jobs easier. Don’t respond to the
endless examples of bad writing, even those handed down to you, by writing badly yourself. Be
as critical as you can of your own writing, and whenever it is practical, have someone review
your draft. See Appendix A for guidance about specific terms.
3.2 Consistency and Accuracy of Terms
Observe the following conventions for using terms consistently and accurately:
a. Refer to the same thing by the same term throughout a document. For example, don’t
call the same thing a cabinet in one sentence and an enclosure in another sentence.
b. Make the terms in the document agree with those in any corresponding engineering
drawings.
c. Make references to labels (on panels, on equipment, on signs, or in computer interfaces)
identical to the actual labels.
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3.3 Voice and Mood
Voice reflects the relationship between the subject of a sentence (that is, who does or asserts
something) and the predicate (that is, what happens or is asserted). English has two voices: active
and passive. In active voice, the subject performs the act conveyed by the verb, as in “The
engineer completes the requisition.” The action happens to the object. In passive voice, the
object becomes the subject, but still receives the action, as in “The requisition is completed by
the engineer.” In general, active voice is the better choice when both the performer and the
receiver are known and are important to identify. It’s good to notice, though, that active voice
does not benefit all sentences, especially those in which the performer is either not known or not
as important as the action or its receiver. Express your thoughts as directly as possible, but don’t
allow them to lose their focus simply for the sake of using active voice.
Mood is the form of the verb that indicates how the action or state is conceived. English has
three moods: indicative, imperative, and subjunctive. The indicative and imperative are the
moods we use the most. The indicative mood makes statements and asks questions (“When
switch A is in the ON position, lamp 34 lights.”), using normal verb conjugation. The imperative
mood instructs or commands (“Remove test set from carrying case.”), using just the infinitive
form of the verb (such as do, be, and have). The subjunctive mood is trickier and is defined in
Appendix B.
3.4 Shall, Should, Will, and Must
Observe the following conventions in differentiating these terms:
a. Shall: Use shall to express a requirement that is subject to verification. For example,
“The contractor shall submit a status report by close of business each Friday.” Make
sure that requirements are specific and not open to interpretation.
b. Should: Use should to express a recommendation. For example, “This objective should
be our top priority.”
c. Will: Use will to forecast an event or condition that is certain or highly likely. For
example, “The Government will review all submittals.”
d. Must: Use must to describe a dependent relationship. For example, “For the installation
to be completed, the computer must be restarted.”
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3.5 Abbreviations
3.5.1 Types of Abbreviations
Abbreviations are shortened forms of words or phrases. They may be any of the four following
types. When you refer to these shortened forms of words or phrases broadly or collectively, call
them abbreviations.
a. Acronyms are abbreviations that are pronounced as words (for example, NASA, OSHA,
laser, and radar). Though there is no defining rule about how acronyms are cased, the
acronyms that stem from proper nouns tend to retain their capital letter, and the
acronyms that stem from common nouns are more likely to be lowercased.
b. Contractions (in this sense) are usually formed by dropping some of the letters in a
word or phrase (for example, ft for foot). These contractions, especially those that
represent units of measure, are usually pronounced by saying the words they represent.
The contractions that represent English units of measure are usually lowercased. The
contractions that represent units of the International System of Units (SI), which is
overseen by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), are cased as
specified in ISO 80000-1.
c. Initialisms are usually formed from the initial letters of words or phrases (for example,
KSC for Kennedy Space Center or PC for personal computer). Most initialisms are
capitalized and are pronounced by saying the individual letters. However, most
initialisms that represent units of measure are not capitalized and are pronounced by
saying the words they represent.
d. Symbols include the letters and numbers that represent elements and compounds (such
as GN
2
) and the typographical characters outside the English alphabet. Symbols are
usually pronounced by saying the words they represent (for example, ° for degree in °C
[for degree Celsius] or µ for micro in µm [for micrometer]). See keystroke
combinations for how to type some of the common symbols that don’t appear on the
standard keyboard.
When the symbols for elements or compounds represent the elements or compounds
themselves, numbers and other accompanying symbols (such as + and −) follow
scientific convention for typesetting—superscript, subscript, or normal position—
depending on meaning. For example, when gaseous nitrogen is described as running
through a pipe, it is abbreviated as “GN
2
.” When an element or compound is part of the
name of a system or subsystem, all characters in the symbol are set full-size, as in “the
GN2 subsystem.” The symbols for elements or compounds are sometimes pronounced
by saying the name of the element or compound (such as saying “argon” instead of
saying the letters A and r) and other times by saying the individual letters and numbers.
The letters that combine with symbols (such as in µm for micrometer) are most often
part of the International System of Units (SI), which is overseen by the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO). SI units are cased as specified in ISO 80000-1.
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3.5.2 Use of Abbreviations
Observe the following conventions in determining when and how to use abbreviations:
a. Make sure that a term warrants being abbreviated. You don’t need to abbreviate a term
that appears only a few times, unless the abbreviation replaces a long, cumbersome
phrase or unless your readers are likely to recognize the abbreviation faster than they
would recognize the term.
b. In general, and always for KSC Specifications and KSC Standards, show an
abbreviation in parentheses after the first appearance of the term it represents (but also
see 3.5.2.c). The abbreviation may be used thereafter (but also see 3.5.2.e).
c. Wherever possible, avoid calling out an abbreviation in the title of a document, section,
subsection, figure, or table. Instead, wait until the next appearance in running text.
d. At their first appearance in the body, repeat the callouts for abbreviations that appeared
in the foreword, preface, acknowledgment, or executive summary.
e. If you think it will be a service to your readers, repeat the callout for an abbreviation
(especially a less familiar one) that has not appeared for many pages.
f. Don’t assign multiple meanings to a single abbreviation in a document.
g. Be cautious in coining an abbreviation. Avoid applying a well-established abbreviation
to a new term. It is unreasonable to expect your readers to disregard a strong association
and link a new term to the abbreviation.
h. Unless space is extremely tight (for example, in a table), don’t abbreviate the names of
days, months, states, or U.S. territories (except for D.C. in Washington, D.C.). Where
necessary, use the two-letter postal abbreviations for states or U.S. territories shown in
Appendix C. When you abbreviate days, months, states, or U.S. territories, don’t
include those abbreviations in the list of abbreviations.
i. Use abbreviations for units of measure only with numerical values or as labels for table
columns or graph axes. In expressing ranges and series of measured quantities with
abbreviated units, show the abbreviation with each quantity. Also see 3.16.2.
j. Be sure to use foreign abbreviations (such as e.g., i.e., and etc.) correctly. See the
entries for these and other foreign abbreviations in Appendix A for more guidance.
Always include foreign abbreviations in the list of abbreviations (see 5.7).
3.5.3 Abbreviations Not Called Out
Observe the following conventions for abbreviations that are not called out in text:
a. Except in KSC Specifications or KSC Standards, you don’t need to call out Kennedy
Space Center or National Aeronautics and Space Administration anywhere in the text
of documents intended primarily for KSC use, but list both abbreviations in the list of
abbreviations (see 5.7). Don’t call out U.S. in text when it stands for United States (see
Appendix A), and don’t include U.S. in the list of abbreviations.
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b. Many document numbers (such as NASA-STD-5005) include characters that identify
attributes of the document, such as its type or the organization responsible for it. In the
context of document numbers, these characters are not treated as abbreviations. When
you write a document number, never write the attributes that such characters represent.
For example, never write “National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Standard (STD) 5005.” Unless such characters serve as true abbreviations elsewhere in
the document—not just in document numbers—don’t include them in the list of
abbreviations (see 5.7).
c. Symbols for elements, compounds, and units of measure can sometimes be awkward to
call out in text. In scientific or technical documents (other than KSC Specifications or
KSC Standards) intended for experts, you may use such symbols and other well-
understood abbreviations without callout in text, but see 5.7.c.
d. Symbols for commonly understood mathematical operators (such as +, −, ±, and ×), the
dollar symbol ($), and the percent symbol (%) are not called out in text and are not
included in the list of abbreviations.
e. Abbreviations for foreign words or phrases (such as e.g., i.e., and etc.) are not called
out in text but are included in the list of abbreviations.
f. The abbreviations for Page and Pages (p. and pp., respectively) are not called out in
text and are not included in the list of abbreviations. See 3.22.1.g.
3.5.4 Plurals of Abbreviations
In general, form the plurals of abbreviations, except those for units of measure, by adding just a
lowercase s, rather than an apostrophe and a lowercase s (’s). Abbreviations for units of measure
are always singular, regardless of the value.
3.5.5 Possessives of Abbreviations
In general, form the possessives of abbreviations by adding an apostrophe and a lowercase s (’s).
3.5.6 Articles with Abbreviations
3.5.6.1 Definite Article
Whether to use the definite article (the) with an abbreviation depends on the type of abbreviation
and its function in the sentence. Nevertheless, what sounds most natural is usually the best
solution. Trust your ear, but consider the following conventions:
a. When an acronym represents a singular noun that functions as a subject or an object
and that cannot be made plural (often an office or department, such as OSHA or NASA),
the is usually omitted, as in “OSHA sets standards that apply to Government and
industry,” and “Space exploration is the cornerstone of NASA.” (Notice that the would
have been essential if Occupational Safety and Health Administration and National
Aeronautics and Space Administration had been used instead of the acronyms.) Be
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open to exceptions though, such as FAR for Federal Acquisition Regulation. We tend to
add the to FAR when it stands alone as a subject or an object.
b. When an initialism represents a singular noun that cannot be made plural (often an
office or department, such as DOT or DOL) and that functions as a subject or an object,
the is usually added, as in “The DOT met with representatives of the DOL.”
c. When either an acronym or an initialism functions as an attributive noun (as in U.S.
taxes or NASA programs), the is usually omitted when the assertion applies to all
instances within the context (as in “U.S. taxes finance NASA programs.”) When the
assertion does not apply to all instances, adding the can highlight the limits of the
assertion. Such sentences often include a qualifying clause, as in “This applies to the
NASA programs that involve international space agencies.”
3.5.6.2 Indefinite Articles
Use the customary pronunciation of the abbreviation to determine which indefinite article to
use: a or an.
a. Use a before an abbreviation (or any word) that begins with a consonant sound. For
example, write “a RID” (an acronym pronounced as “rid”) or “a GSE requirement”
(an initialism pronounced by saying each letter).
b. Use an before an abbreviation (or any word) that begins with a vowel sound. For
example, write “an ANSI standard” (an acronym pronounced as “an·sē”) or “an LRU”
(an initialism pronounced by saying each letter).
3.5.7 Periods, Spaces, and Mixed Cases with Abbreviations
Observe the following conventions for periods, spaces, and mixed cases with abbreviations:
a. Write most initialisms and contractions without periods or spaces, but because
exceptions exist, follow the guidance of the authority that presides over the particular
abbreviation. The organization’s website is often a good source. Noteworthy exceptions
are Certificate of Compliance (or Certificate of Conformance), which is usually
abbreviated as C of C; Page and Pages, which are abbreviated as p. and pp.,
respectively; and United States, which is always abbreviated as U.S.
b. With the exception of inch, don’t add a period to abbreviations of units of measure.
The use of a period is essential for avoiding a miscue between the abbreviation of inch
and the word in, as in the following: “Use a 3 in. test strip in the first run. Increase the
length to 4 in. in the second run.” Omit the period when you abbreviate square inch as
in
2
or cubic inch as in
3
.
c. Try to reflect mixed-case abbreviations (those that combine uppercase and lowercase
letters) accurately. Try to avoid starting a sentence with an abbreviation that begins
with a lowercase letter.
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3.6 Contractions
Contractions (for example, it’s for it is or it has; don’t for do not; doesn’t for does not; isn’t for
is not; and won’t for will not) are not forbidden in technical or business writing. A few well-
placed contractions can help your material sound as if a person wrote it—always a worthy goal.
But too many contractions can make your message sound too casual.
3.7 Pronouns
3.7.1 Use of Pronouns
English depends heavily on personal and demonstrative pronouns, and they have a place in
business and technical writing. Frequently repeating long names (and even some abbreviations)
or referring to yourself as the author can make your writing sound tedious and stiff. The
judicious use of personal pronouns can help show your readers that you are invested in your
message. Use personal pronouns when they sound natural and help your writing flow smoothly,
but always make sure your readers will understand who or what each pronoun represents—its
antecedent. Consider the following in determining how to best use pronouns:
a. The first-person singular pronouns (I, me, myself, my, and mine) rarely appear in
business or technical writing, which tends to convey a collective or organizational
viewpoint. An exception may occur in a preface, foreword, acknowledgment, or entire
document written by and credited to one person.
b. The use of first-person plural pronouns (we, us, ourselves, our, and ours) is often
effective when a group or organization (such as members of a committee or
representatives of a directorate, division, or branch) is not only a subject of the material,
but also its author. Another acceptable time to use first-person plural pronouns is when
a team or committee reports its actions or findings.
c. The use of second-person pronouns (you, yourself, yourselves, your, and yours) is
essential when you command or instruct your readers or when you advise them or
explain actions or concepts that they will be directly involved in. When you command
or instruct (in an imperative sentence), you are addressing your readers directly, but
without calling them by name. The understood subject of the sentence is you. When you
advise your readers or explain things they should do (in a declarative sentence such as
this one), the readers are the natural subject of the sentence, and the natural way to refer
to your readers or to address them is to call them you. Notice that second-person
pronouns appear throughout this guide.
d. The use of third-person pronouns (he, him, himself, his, she, her, herself, hers, it,
itself, its, they, them, themselves, their, and theirs) and demonstrative pronouns (this,
these, and those) is essential in business and technical (or any kind of) writing. Don’t
make a sentence more complicated just to avoid these pronouns. Also see 3.7.2.
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3.7.2 Problems with Pronouns and Gender
English lacks a singular gender-neutral pronoun—a word to use instead of he, she, him, her, his,
hers, himself, or herself—to refer back to a person of unspecified gender (its antecedent).
Without a singular gender-neutral pronoun, methods to indicate gender neutrality can create
awkward sentences. Such methods as using the masculine and feminine separated by a slash (as
in his/her, he/she, or s/he), using the masculine in all cases, and alternating between the
masculine and feminine have all been tried but are not good solutions. Another method, to use a
plural pronoun (they, them, themselves, or their) to refer back to a singular antecedent, is
common in speech. Although this method is deemed acceptable by some highly respected usage
authorities, the disagreement in number between a singular antecedent and a plural pronoun still
distracts and even annoys some readers. The best approach is to avoid the problem by using
plural antecedents (such as employees and people) whenever possible. (See the following
examples and explanations.) However, if the meaning or emphasis truly depends on a singular
antecedent and the sentence needs pronouns to prevent awkwardness, use plural ones.
a. “Each employee shall inform their supervisor.” (Common in speech but better avoided
in writing: The plural possessive pronoun [their] disagrees with the singular antecedent
[employee].)
b. “Each employee shall inform his or her supervisor.” (Correct, but awkward: The
singular antecedent [employee] requires two singular, gender-specific, possessive
pronouns [his and her].)
c. “All employees shall inform their supervisors.” (Good choice: The plural antecedent
[employees] takes the plural possessive pronoun [their] and prevents the need to specify
gender.)
3.8 Attributive Nouns
3.8.1 Excessive Consecutive Nouns
Attributive nouns act as adjectives and modify the nouns they precede. English is full of
attributive-noun phrases, and they are indispensable for how we talk and write. When attributive-
noun phrases are at their best, they convey ideas quickly and economically, as in “test design”
and “review board.” Both are obviously better than “design for the test” and “board to review”
when the ideas stand alone. But when lots of nouns stack up, they can weaken your message and
obscure your point, as in “test design option review board.” Use short attributive-noun phrases
that are easy to grasp quickly, but in general, after the third consecutive noun, consider using one
or two well-placed prepositional phrases (as in “a board for reviewing test design options”) or
infinitive phrases (as in “a board to review test design options”). Varying the dominant part of
speech can help keep your message alive and your readers awake.
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3.8.2 Singular vs. Plural Attributive Nouns
Attributive nouns are most often singular, whether the notions they represent are singular or
plural. Everyday concepts illustrate this point well:
“A cookie (attributive noun) jar holds more than one cookie.”
“A car (attributive noun) dealership offers more than one car.”
We understand that the singular attributive noun has plural capability. But there are exceptions in
everyday English (such as sports page and sales clerk) and in engineering and business (such as
requirements document, systems engineering, communications network, and workers’
compensation). If you wonder whether to make a particular attributive noun singular or plural,
make it singular.
3.9 Compound Words and Phrases
English is full of compound words and phrases (or compounds for short). Compounds combine
words, often in different parts of speech, to act as a unit and perform a single function in a
sentence. Some compounds are written as separate words (such as the noun ground support
equipment), some are written as solid words (such as the noun workstation), and some are
hyphenated (such as the verb to leak-test and the adjective cost-effective). Some compound
nouns started as separate words, then became hyphenated words, and finally became solid
compounds. How to treat a compound depends largely on the parts of speech of the individual
words and on the function that the compound performs. But exceptions exist, simply because
they can. So why bother trying to compound correctly? Because correct compounding will
eliminate an opportunity for misunderstanding, and because correct compounding is less
distracting than incorrect compounding.
English usage manuals often devote long chapters to compounding. This guide does not attempt
to treat the subject exhaustively, but to offer general conventions in the following subsections.
3.9.1 Compound Nouns
3.9.1.1 Nouns Combined with Adverbs
There are no absolute rules for compounding nouns with adverbs. The addition of an adverb can
yield setup and start-up, countdown and sit-down, checkout and time-out, and liftoff and sign-
off—each of which is correct. Some other adverbs combine with nouns more predictably:
1
a. In, on, between, together, and through attach to most nouns via a hyphen, as in a check-
in, a follow-on, a go-between, a get-together, and a walk-through. A notable exception
is a breakthrough.
1
William A. Sabin, The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting, 10
th
ed.,
(Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2005), 218-219.
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b. Over, back, away, about, around, and by attach to most nouns solidly, as in a turnover,
a rollback, a breakaway, a turnabout, a turnaround, and a standby.
For more help, consult a recent dictionary. If the compound noun you want to use is not there,
look for compounds of similar construction, and apply the pattern you find. Don’t rely solely on
the word processing program’s spell-checking function for guidance in compounding. Also see
3.9.4 and specific words in Appendix A.
3.9.1.2 Process Nouns
Process nouns combine a noun and a gerund—the form of a verb that ends in -ing and that
functions as a noun (such as word processing, fund-raising, and recordkeeping). As these
examples show, the words that make up process nouns can be separate, hyphenated, or solid,
without exhibiting a reliable pattern. Many process nouns start as separate words, become
hyphenated, and finally become (and stay) solid. For more help, consult a recent dictionary. If
the process noun you want to use is not there, look for compounds of similar construction, and
apply the pattern you find. Don’t rely solely on the word processing program’s spell-checking
function for guidance in compounding. Also see 3.9.4 and specific words in Appendix A.
3.9.1.3 Phrasal Nouns
A phrasal noun combines words from other parts of speech (not nouns) to convey a single idea.
Phrasal nouns are less common in business and technical writing because of their more casual
tone, but when they appear, it is because they convey an idea instantly, in only two or three
words. Most phrasal nouns are hyphenated. Examples include a go-ahead, a win-win, and
know-how.
3.9.2 Compound Verbs
Most compound verbs consist of a noun or an adjective, followed by a verb, and most are either
solid (to handpick, to highlight) or hyphenated (to air-condition, to dry-clean). Nouns
customarily modify only other nouns, and adjectives customarily modify only nouns. Attaching a
noun or an adjective to a verb solidly or through hyphenation allows the noun or adjective to do
what neither of these parts of speech customarily does—modify a verb. It’s important to make
sure that you are using the compound as a verb. For example, “Because you want air
conditioning (an attributive-noun phrase [see 3.8]), you will be air-conditioning (a verb) your
house.” For more help, consult a recent dictionary. If the compound verb you want to use is not
there, hyphenate the compound verb. Don’t rely solely on the word processing program’s spell-
checking function for guidance in compounding. Also see 3.9.4 and specific words in
Appendix A. If you’re still in doubt, hyphenate the compound verb.
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3.9.3 Compound Adjectives
Compound adjectives result when we transform and shorten longer adjective phrases or clauses,
often changing the order of the words and their parts of speech. We constantly speak and write
compound adjectives in all kinds of communication. Here are a few examples:
Fully Expanded
Compounded
an inspection with 10 points
a 10-point inspection
components that have been tested in the field
field-tested components
an atmosphere that is free of ammonia
an ammonia-free atmosphere
The value of compound adjectives is obvious. They help us apply complex distinctions to nouns
(or noun phrases) without spending a lot of words.
Compound adjectives have more diverse and complicated patterns than the other types of
compounds, but they have a single function: to modify a noun. They can consist of combinations
of nouns, adverbs, other adjectives, verbs (including participles), and phrases. And they can
appear before the noun or after the noun. But to a large extent, they can be treated methodically
according to pattern and position. When they come before a noun, compound adjectives are most
often hyphenated, sometimes solid, and occasionally separate words. The solid or hyphenated
construction emphasizes the union of the compound and helps prevent a reading miscue. Table 1
shows the major patterns that compound adjectives follow, how they should appear before the
noun and (where applicable) after the noun, and of course, some exceptions.
2
To treat countable
quantities acting as adjectives, see 3.16.1.a(3). To treat measured quantities acting as adjectives,
see 3.16.2.a(4).
Table 1. Patterns of Compound Adjectives
Pattern
Before Noun
After Noun
Exceptions and Notes
Adjective + Noun
The pattern holds for
comparative and
superlative adjectives.
a long-term gain
a higher-tech solution
gain is long-term;
gain is for the long term
solution is higher-tech;
solution uses higher tech
Exceptions:
commonsense alternative
freshwater source
lightweight gear
heavyweight equipment
real estate agent
high school teacher
Some adjective-noun compounds are
already solid words. Some adjective-
noun compounds are well
recognized as separate words.
Noun + Noun
ground support system
launch pad repairs
Nouns that build progressively after
preceding nouns tend to be separate.
Also see 3.9.1.
input-output device
time-space problem
device for input and output
problem of time and space
When the nouns are equally ranked
and a shared idea is implied, the
nouns tend to be hyphenated.
2
William A. Sabin, The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting, 10
th
ed.,
(Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2005), 224-240.
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Pattern
Before Noun
After Noun
Exceptions and Notes
Noun + Adjective
fiber-optic cable
camera-ready page
cable is fiber-optic; cable
made of optical fiber
page is camera-ready; page
is ready for the camera
Beware of suffixes that look like
adjectives, such as in worldwide,
waterproof, noteworthy, and
yearlong. See 3.9.4.
Noun + Participle
The pattern holds for the
participles of regular
verbs (those ending in -ed,
-ing, and -en) and
participles of irregular
verbs (such as build).
vacuum-jacketed cable
time-consuming plan
labor-driven budget
custom-built device
cable is vacuum-jacketed
plan is time-consuming
budget is labor-driven;
budget is driven by labor
device is custom-built
Exceptions:
handheld device
handwritten note
homemade product
timesaving method
Adjective + Participle
The pattern holds for
comparative and
superlative adjectives.
The pattern also holds for
the participles of regular
verbs (those ending in -ed,
-ing, and -en) and the
participles of irregular
verbs (such as make).
half-consumed supply
longer-lasting finish
highest-ranking officer
ready-made solution
supply is half consumed
finish is longer-lasting;
finish lasts longer
officer is highest-ranking;
officer has the highest
ranking; officer ranks
highest
solution is ready-made
Beware of adjectives that end in -ly,
such as costly and friendly. When
one of these combines with a
participle that indicates one of the
noun’s attributes (especially how it
looks, sounds, smells, tastes, or
feels), the resulting compound is
hyphenated, as in costly-sounding
alternative and friendly-sounding
voice.
Adjective + Noun
(-ed)
The pattern holds for
comparative and
superlative adjectives.
low-pitched sound
higher-priced goods
sound is low-pitched
goods are higher-priced
Although these nouns that end in -ed
look like verbs, they aren’t—
because the subject can’t perform
what, at first glance, looks like an
action: a sound can’t pitch, and a
good can’t price.
Adverb (-ly) +
Participle
The pattern also holds for
the participles of regular
verbs (those ending in -ed,
-ing, and -en) and the
participles of irregular
verbs (such as cut).
newly approved
project
clearly alarming fact
completely hidden
detail
freshly cut lawn
project is newly approved
fact is clearly alarming
detail is completely hidden
lawn is freshly cut
These compounds are always
separate words. Contrast these with
the Adjective + Participle pattern
and the Adverb (no -ly) + Participle
pattern.
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Pattern
Before Noun
After Noun
Exceptions and Notes
Adverb (no -ly) +
Participle
The pattern holds for
comparative and
superlative adverbs. The
pattern also holds for the
participles of regular
verbs (those ending in -ed,
-ing, and -en) and the
participles of irregular
verbs (such as know).
much-needed revisions
ever-changing number
long-forgotten method
well-known exception
revisions are much needed
number is ever changing
method was long forgotten
exception is well known
Exceptions:
upcoming
widespread
Participles of go: ongoing, outgoing
better-behaved sample
clear-cut violation
well-known author
sample was better-
behaved; sample behaved
better
violation is clear-cut
author was well known
When the participle does not
function as a verb after the noun, the
compound remains hyphenated after
the noun.
Participle + Adverb
The pattern holds for all
participles.
filled-up tank
scaled-down project
checked-in document
checked-out system
agreed-upon solution
tank is filled up
project was scaled down
document was checked in
system was checked out
solution was agreed upon
These compounds are hyphenated
before the noun and separated after
the noun.
Verb + Verb
plug-and-play device
find-and-replace
routine
cut-and-paste step
device is plug-and-play;
device we can plug and
play
routine is find-and-replace;
routine to find (something)
and replace (it with
something)
step is cut-and-paste; step
to cut and paste text
After the noun, hyphenate the
compound when it acts as an
adjective. Separate the compound
when it acts as a verb.
Verb + Adverb
read-only disc
pop-up menus
drop-down lists
disc is read-only; disc
allows you to read only
menus that pop up
lists that drop down
After the noun, hyphenate the
compound when it acts as an
adjective. Separate the compound
when it acts as a verb. If the
compound becomes a noun (as in
“Block all pop-ups.”), see 3.9.1.1.
Verb + Noun
take-home software
take-charge approach
software is take-home;
software is to take home
approach is take-charge;
approach is to take charge
Exceptions:
turnkey system
lackluster response
After the noun, hyphenate the
compound when it acts as an
adjective. Separate the compound
when it acts as a verb.
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Pattern
Before Noun
After Noun
Exceptions and Notes
Phrasal Adjective
as-built drawing
in-house design
in-service test
off-the-shelf product
on-the-job training
on-time delivery
state-of-the-art
technology
up-to-date information
drawing shows the
hardware as-built (how it
was built); the report shows
the hardware as built (as
having been built)
design was in-house; it was
designed in house
test is in-service; system is
tested in service
product is off-the-shelf
(commercially available)
training is on the job
delivery is on time;
delivered on time
technology is (or reflects
the) state of the art
information is up to date
Hyphenate as-built when it means
how something was built, except
when words come between as and
built. When it means whether
something was built, use separate
words.
3.9.4 Prefixes and Suffixes
Prefixes and suffixes are groups of letters that affix or attach to base words to change their
meaning. A prefix attaches to the beginning of the base word, and a suffix attaches to the end of
the base word. Most prefixes and suffixes attach to the base word solidly, without hyphens, but
there are exceptions.
Sometimes it’s easy to overlook prefixes and suffixes when they are also words in their own
right, such as the prefixes counter and post and the suffixes like, proof, and worthy. Dictionaries
usually have a separate entry for a word that serves as a prefix or a suffix. Sometimes a
dictionary will identify the word with comb form (or c.f.) for combining form. Another way to
help tell whether a word is acting as a prefix or suffix is to listen to yourself say the potential
prefix or suffix and the base word. We tend to say base words with prefixes or suffixes with less
intermediary pause than we give to separate words.
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Observe the following conventions for whether to hyphenate words with prefixes or suffixes:
3
a. Generally, don’t hyphenate prefixes or suffixes that attach to base words in the
following patterns:
(1) prefixes that end with consonants (such as counter, non, over, post, and sub),
(2) prefixes that end with vowels (such as pre, co, and semi) and base words that
begin with a different letter (as in prelaunch, copilot, and semiannual),
(3) prefixes that end and base words that begin with e (as in reenter and preexisting),
except for de-emphasize, de-energize, de-escalate, and their derivatives, or
(4) suffixes, regardless of their initial letter (such as down, hood, less, like, proof,
wide, and worthy), unless they cause a letter to appear three times in a row (for
example, instead of shellless, write shell-less).
b. Generally, hyphenate prefixes or suffixes that attach to base words in the following
patterns:
(1) prefixes that end and base words that also begin with a (as in intra-articular),
with i (as in anti-inflammatory), or with o (as in co-owner), except for cooperate,
coordinate, and their derivatives,
(2) prefixes added to phrases that are already hyphenated, when the prefix modifies
the already-hyphenated phrase (as in non-load-bearing wall),
(3) prefixes and suffixes added to proper nouns (for example, non-American,
NASA-wide, and Center-wide), or
(4) suffixes that cause a letter to appear three times in a row (for example, instead of
shellless, write shell-less).
3.9.5 Suspending Hyphens
When multiple hyphenated adjectives (see 3.9.3) or prefixed words (see 3.9.4) have a common
base word and they either are arranged as items in a series (see 3.10) or show a range, the base
word is sometimes shown for only the last item. In such a case, a suspending hyphen follows
each item that does not show the base word.
4
Use suspending hyphens only when it is clear that
the base word applies to each item. Otherwise, repeat the base word with each item. See the
following examples:
“short- and long-term objectives,”
“single-, double-, and triple-insulated panes,”
“a 5- to 10-step procedure,” and
“pre- and posttest briefings.”
3
William A. Sabin, The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting, 10
th
ed.,
(Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2005), 240–244.
4
William A. Sabin, The Gregg Reference Manual: A Manual of Style, Grammar, Usage, and Formatting, 10
th
ed.,
(Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2005), 240.
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3.10 Items in a Series
Two or more grammatical constructions that function in parallel within a sentence—whether
subjects, verbs, objects, phrases, clauses, or modifiers—are called items in a series. The previous
sentence contains simple items in a series: “subjects, verbs, objects, phrases, clauses, or
modifiers.” The items in this series are easy to recognize because all of them are unmodified
nouns. But when the items contain punctuation marks, have different modifiers, or include
appositives, they can be harder for your readers to separate and understand quickly. The
following subsections discuss the varying characteristics of items in a series and how you can
present the items more accurately and clearly.
NOTE
Never use the ampersand (&) in place of and
between words in running text. Use the ampersand
only in an abbreviation.
3.10.1 Simple Items
The next-to-the-last item in a simple series is customarily separated from the last item by a
conjunction such as and, or, or nor. When there are only two simple items, the conjunction alone
adequately separates the items. When there are three or more simple items, commas (often called
serial commas or Oxford commas in this construction), in addition to the conjunction, are
necessary to adequately separate all the items—even the last two. Though the inclusion of a
comma between the last two items is not always necessary in informal writing, it is important in
technical and business writing. (For information about how the presence of enumerators affects
punctuation of items in a series, see 3.11.2.)
The following examples demonstrate how commas adequately separate relatively simple items
in a running paragraph without enumerators:
More clear: The color designations are red, white, and blue. (There are three distinct
designations. Notice the final comma between the next-to-the-last item
[white] and the conjunction [and].)
Less clear: The color designations are red, white and blue. (Are there three designations
or two—one using red and one using both white and blue?)
3.10.2 Complex Items
As is true for items in a simple series (see 3.10.1), the next-to-the-last item in a complex series is
customarily separated from the last item by a conjunction such as and, or, or nor. When any of
the items in a series already contain commas or when more distinction is needed to separate the
items and avoid confusion, semicolons are placed between all the items—even the last two. (For
information about how the presence of enumerators affects punctuation of items in a series, see
3.11.2.)
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The following examples demonstrate how semicolons are necessary in order to adequately
separate complex items (especially, when any of the items contain commas) in a running
paragraph without enumerators. (Also see 3.11.2.1, Note.)
More clear: The cable jackets are patterned in red, white, and blue; yellow and green; or
orange and black. (There are three distinct patterns.)
Less clear: The cable jackets are patterned in red, white, and blue, yellow and green, or
orange and black. (How many patterns are there? Even though the
conjunctions are placed correctly, some readers will not feel confident in
their interpretation.)
3.10.3 Inconsistently Modified Items
It is common for only some items in a simple series (3.10.1) or in a complex series (3.10.2) to be
modified—whether by clauses, prepositional phrases, or single words—and equally common for
items in a single series to be modified in different ways. The following situations illustrate how
these variables require your attention in order to help your readers tell quickly which modifiers
apply to which items:
a. Single adjectives that precede nouns can easily produce uncertainty when they
precede the first item. The series in the first sentence of the preceding paragraph
(“whether by clauses, prepositional phrases, or single words”) was originally written as
“whether by single words, prepositional phrases, or clauses.” The idea was to list the
items in the order of increasing grammatical complexity. But would that order have
made it clear to all readers that single was meant to modify only words and not
prepositional phrases or clauses? Probably not. Because clarity was not certain and
because the order of increasing grammatical complexity was not important, the
modified item was moved to the end. When it is important to preserve a particular order
(such as a logical or dependent sequence), do so, and emphasize each item by repeating
the word or words that can signal the parallel structure. In the example, the preposition
by is the word that can signal the parallel structure. Applying this technique to the
original series would produce “whether by single words, by prepositional phrases, or by
clauses.” Note also that using enumerators (see 3.11.2) is always an effective way of
presenting modified items clearly.
b. Clauses, prepositional phrases, and single adverbs, which usually follow the words
they modify, can easily produce uncertainty when they follow the last item. Consider
the following series, whose last item is modified by a prepositional phrase: “The
component was built, tested, and validated in the field.” It’s clear that the order of the
items is logical and should be preserved. But were all three actions completed in the
field? Let’s assume that the following scenarios are accurate and that the details are
important to express:
(1) “The component was built in the shop, tested in the laboratory, and validated in
the field.” This treatment applies a prepositional phrase to each item and keeps all
three items parallel.
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(2) “The component was built and tested in the shop and was validated in the
field.” This treatment combines the items (built and tested) that share a
prepositional phrase. Repeating the helping verb was emphasizes the parallel
structure of the (now) two items: was built and tested as the first item and was
validated as the second item. In this treatment, no commas or semicolons are
necessary.
c. A combination of differently modified items can also produce uncertainty, as in the
following example: “The design team reviewed 48 requirements, completed drawings,
and discrepancies that needed immediate attention.” Were there 48 requirements, or did
the number of requirements, completed drawings, and discrepancies total 48? Did
everything need immediate attention or just the discrepancies? Let’s assume that the
following scenarios are accurate:
(1) “The design team reviewed 48 requirements, the discrepancies that needed
immediate attention, and the completed drawings.” This treatment uses the
definite article (the) to distinguish the completed drawings and the discrepancies
from the 48 requirements and to prevent readers from misinterpreting completed
as a verb. Changing the order makes it clear that only the discrepancies needed
immediate attention.
(2) “The design team reviewed a combined total of 48 requirements, completed
drawings, and discrepancies, all of which needed immediate attention.” The
addition of “a combined total of” emphasizes the total effort, and the deletion of
completed prevents readers from misinterpreting completed as a verb. The
addition of “all of which” and the comma creates a clause that more clearly
modifies all three items.
3.10.4 Appositives in Items
We often specifically identify or further explain a term (whether a word or a phrase) immediately
after its appearance with an appositive, as in “Changes shall be approved by the Review Board
chair, the division chief, before they are implemented.” In the example, division chief is the
appositive of (identifies) the Review Board chair, and because this appositive (division chief)
isn’t essential for the meaning of Review Board chair to be clear, it is set off in commas. The
meaning is usually clear when a term and its appositive stand alone, as they do in the example,
but when such a term and its appositive are part of a series of items, it can be hard to tell an
appositive from a true item. In such a case, always enclose the appositive in parentheses, and
keep it in the same, separately punctuated item with its term, as in “Changes shall be approved
by the Review Board chair (the division chief), the project manager, and the lead engineer before
they are implemented.” See 3.11.2.2 and 3.11.2.3 for guidance on punctuating items in a bulleted
or enumerated list.
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3.11 Parallel Construction
Parallel construction is the grammatical expression and visual arrangement of related thoughts
(whether in the form of sentences, clauses, phrases, or single words) in a consistent way.
Consistent expression and arrangement make it easier for your readers to recognize how your
thoughts are related and to keep the relationship in mind as they read. Think of the related
thoughts as items in a series (see 3.10)—a series that may be arranged as part of a running
paragraph (see 3.11.2.1), as a bulleted or enumerated list (see 3.11.2.2 and 3.11.2.3), as the titles
of sections or subsections at a given outline level (see 5.8), or to some extent, as data in a table
(see 3.18.z). Notice the parallel construction of grammatical expressions and the visual
arrangement of related thoughts in the following subsections.
3.11.1 Parallel Grammatical Expression
Observe the following conventions to construct parallel grammatical expressions:
a. Use the same grammatical unit for all the items in the series:
(1) all complete sentences or all independent clauses,
(2) all phrases or all single words, or
(3) all subordinate clauses.
b. Use the same structure for all the complete sentences or independent clauses:
(1) all statements,
(2) all commands, or
(3) all questions.
c. Use the same overall part of speech for all the phrases, single words, or subordinate
clauses:
(1) all nouns,
(2) all verbs,
(3) all adjectives, or
(4) all adverbs.
3.11.2 Parallel Visual Arrangement
The most effective visual arrangement for items in a particular series depends on (1) how
numerous, long, or complex the items are, (2) whether any of the items introduce subordinate
items, (3) whether any of the items will be cited elsewhere, and (4) how your readers can most
easily see, understand, and use the items. The following subsections describe the arrangements
and explain their conventions.
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3.11.2.1 Items in Running Paragraphs
When the items in a series (1) are few, (2) are in a single sentence, (3) have no subordinate items,
and (4) will not be cited elsewhere, they are best arranged in the running paragraph where they
occur. The conventions for punctuation explained in 3.10 apply to such items, but if you want to
further distinguish the items, you can enumerate them as is illustrated in the previous sentence.
Enumerate such items with arabic numbers (1, 2, etc.) enclosed in parentheses. Keep the
enumerator on the same line with its item. Place a nonbreaking space between the enumerator’s
closing parenthesis and the word that follows it. See keystroke combinations for how to type a
nonbreaking space.
If a phrase or clause applies to all the items, place the phrase or clause before the first item.
Don’t add a phrase or clause after the last enumerated item unless the phrase or clause applies to
only the last item.
If a bulleted or enumerated paragraph contains items that would also benefit from being bulleted
or enumerated, extend the list and apply the next subordinate bullet or enumerator. See 3.11.2.2
and 3.11.2.3. Don’t enumerate items within a running paragraph that is already an item in a
bulleted or enumerated list.
NOTE
Enumerators (including bullets) thoroughly
distinguish items in a series, whether those items
are enumerated in a paragraph or in a vertical list
(see 3.11.2.2 and 3.11.2.3). Enumerators clearly
show the number of items and where each item
begins and ends. When enumerators are used,
commas sufficiently separate the items. Semicolons
are unnecessary.
3.11.2.2 Outline Structure of Bulleted or Enumerated Lists
a. Bulleted Lists
A bulleted list uses a pattern of simple symbols—bullets—to identify related items and
illustrate their relationship. It is effective for simple items that are not cited elsewhere
in the document and that are not likely to need ordered identifiers (enumerators—see
3.11.2.2.b) for reference. Although three bulleted levels are provided, if multiple levels
are necessary, strongly consider using an enumerated list (see 3.11.2.2.b). Observe the
following conventions, and see the example in Figure 1 for the formatting and outline
structure of bulleted lists:
(1) Always have at least two items at each level.
(2) Keep the first bulleted item at each level on the same page with the text
(paragraph, heading, or higher-level bulleted item) that introduced it.
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(3) Apply a different style of bullet to each outline level. The default bullet styles
applied by the word processing program (most likely a round and filled bullet [•]
for the first level, a round and open bullet [
○
] for the second level, and a square
and filled bullet [▪] for the third level) are suitable.
(4) Indent each level progressively from the left margin (see Figure 1), and space
evenly between items.
Figure 1. Outline Structure of Bulleted List
b. Enumerated Lists
An enumerated list uses an alternating pattern of letters and numbers—enumerators—to
identify related items and illustrate their relationship. It is effective for simple or
complex items and allows you to direct your readers to specific items, by enumerator,
from anywhere in the document. Observe the following conventions, and see the
example in Figure 2 for the formatting and outline structure of enumerated lists:
(1) Always have at least two items at each level.
(2) Keep the first enumerated item at each level on the same page with the text
(paragraph, heading, or higher-level enumerated item) that introduced it.
(3) Apply the pattern of enumeration shown in Figure 2.
(4) Indent each level progressively from the left margin (see Figure 2), and space
evenly between the items.
(5) Don’t place multiple, separately enumerated lists within a discretely numbered
section. As an example, see 5.10, where a short bulleted list prevents the
confusion of having two items identified as 5.10.a and two items identified as
5.10.b.
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Figure 2. Outline Structure of Enumerated List
3.11.2.3 Grammatical Structure of Bulleted or Enumerated Lists
Bulleted and enumerated lists have two main components: the introductory text and the
corresponding items. For items that can be introduced and listed without intervening titles or
headings, the grammatical relationship between the introductory text and the corresponding
items determines how the items are cased (see 3.12) and how the introductory text and items are
punctuated. Therefore, an effective way to determine this relationship (and consequently the
formatting) is to write the content as a running paragraph and then arrange the material
vertically, without changing the capitalization or punctuation.
Table 2 shows how three combinations of introductory text and items are formatted in bulleted
and enumerated lists. A fourth combination is explained immediately after the table.
Table 2. Three Combinations of Introductory Text and Corresponding List Items
Material in Running Paragraph
Material in Vertical List
Intro = Sentence. Items = Sentences.
The first list is introduced by a complete sentence, ending
with a colon: In this case, the items are complete sentences.
That means that every item at this level consists of one or
more complete sentences.
The first list is introduced by a complete sentence, ending
with a colon:
a. In this case, the items are complete sentences.
b. That means that every item at this level consists of
one or more complete sentences.
Intro = Sentence. Items = Words, phrases, or
subordinate clauses.
The second list is introduced by a complete sentence,
whose essence or examples are stated as words, phrases, or
clauses: ones that are not complete thoughts, ones that are
cased as phrases, and ones that are punctuated as items in a
series.
The second list is introduced by a complete sentence,
whose essence or examples are stated as words, phrases, or
clauses:
ones that are not complete thoughts,
ones that are cased and punctuated as phrases, and
ones that are punctuated as items in a series.
Intro starts a sentence. Items complete the sentence.
The third list needs the introductory text to begin a
sentence and the items to complete the sentence.
The third list needs
the introductory text to begin a sentence and
the items to complete the sentence.
Note: Here, the introductory text is grammatically
incomplete within the logical context. That’s why it has no
end punctuation. It depends on the items in the list to
complete the grammatical proposition.
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The fourth combination of introductory text and list items cannot be arranged in a single initial
paragraph. The introductory text is a complete sentence, and the list items are titles for other
paragraphs, as is illustrated by this sentence and the following:
a. Logical Order and Inclusion
(1) Order the items so your readers can quickly understand the logic. Where
necessary, explain the logic of the order in the introductory text.
(a) Alphabetize simple items that are equally ranked and that don’t involve a
sequence.
(b) In general, order explanations from broad to specific points.
(c) If the items are instructions, present them in the order the users will perform
the operation. (See 3.21.2. Although it specifically addresses instructions for
computer interfaces, its conventions can also apply to other lists of
instructions.)
(2) Always have at least two items at a level.
b. Parallel Grammatical Expression and Visual Arrangement
(1) Parallel grammatical expression: Use the same type of sentences at a given
level (that is, use all statements, all commands, or all questions), especially for the
opening sentence of each item.
(2) Parallel visual arrangement: If you use titles as items at a given level, use titles
for all items at that level. You could also use inline headings, as shown in this
subordinate item, as long as you use them for all items at that level in that list.
3.12 Casing
Casing is the application of initial uppercase (capital) or lowercase (small) letters to nouns based
on their type (proper or common) and to other parts of speech based on purpose and context.
Avoid using all caps except for the titles of whole sections (see 5.8.f) and some elements of
covers, signature pages, headers, and footers. For the casing of abbreviations, see 3.5.1; of
proprietary names, see 3.13; of e-mail addresses, see 3.14; of website addresses, see 3.15; of
abbreviations, see 5.7; and of some specific terms, see Appendix A.
3.12.1 Sentence Case
Sentence case applies to running text (to sentences or parts of sentences in paragraphs). Observe
the following conventions for capitalization in running text:
a. Capitalize the first word of the sentence.
b. Capitalize proper nouns—the names of people and organizations, proprietary names
(see 3.13), and other nouns that represent specific systems, subsystems, or structures
(such as Launch Complex 39A and External Tank). Do not treat occupational titles as
proper nouns, but see 3.12.1.c.
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c. Capitalize an occupational title only when it immediately precedes a person’s name,
without an intervening comma (as in Chief Jones, but John Jones, chief of operations,
or chief of operations, John Jones).
d. Capitalize the following words as shown below:
(1) Agency, when it represents NASA,
(2) Center, when it represents a NASA Center,
(3) Federal or Government, when it represents the U.S. Federal Government,
(4) Orbiter, when it represents a spacecraft of the Space Transportation System,
(5) Shuttle or Space Shuttle, when it represents the Space Transportation System, and
(6) Space Launch System, when it represents NASA’s vehicle system.
e. Don’t capitalize a common noun, such as ground support equipment, unless it starts a
sentence.
f. Don’t capitalize a term simply because its abbreviation is capitalized.
3.12.2 Title Case
Title case applies to the titles of documents, sections, subsections, figures, and tables. Observe
the following conventions for capitalization in titles, and see Figure 3 for examples of correct
title casing:
a. If any part of a hyphenated word is capitalized, capitalize all the parts of the word.
b. Always capitalize the following categories of words:
(1) first and last words,
(2) nouns,
(3) verbs (excluding the particle to when
it is used to form an infinitive),
(4) pronouns,
(5) adjectives,
(6) adverbs,
(7) interjections, and
(8) conjunctions or prepositions
with five or more letters.
NOTE
An exception to 3.12.2.b(8) occurs in a title that
contains multiple logically parallel conjunctions or
prepositions, of which at least one has five or more
letters. In such a title, capitalize all the logically
parallel conjunctions or prepositions. See Figure 3.
c. Capitalize an article (a, an, or the) only when it is the first word, when it is the last
word, or when it represents itself as a word (as a, an, and the do immediately above).
When a word represents itself as a word, it functions as a noun.
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Figure 3. Examples of Correct Title Casing
3.13 Proprietary Names
A trade name, copyrighted name, or other brand name identifies a proprietary product. Observe
the following conventions in writing about proprietary products:
a. Mention a proprietary product only to report findings related to the specific product or
to require the product. Otherwise, use the name of the generic device, material, or
commodity.
b. When a proprietary product is specifically required or is a principal in the work
reported, capitalize the name of the proprietary product.
c. Don’t show the trademark (™), copyright (©), or registered (
®
) symbol after the name
of a proprietary product. It is unnecessary except in advertisements for a competing
product.
3.14 E-Mail Addresses
Observe the following conventions in showing e-mail addresses:
a. Try to use consistent casing for e-mail addresses, especially for those reflecting names.
Although e-mail addresses are not case-sensitive and may be written in lowercase, it
may be helpful to your readers if you apply normal capitalization to those e-mail
addresses that contain people’s names (proper nouns).
b. To prevent confusion of an e-mail address with surrounding punctuation, apply
distinctive formatting or a hyperlink (usually a combination of color for on-screen use
and underlining for paper use), as in the following (nonlinked) example: “Direct
inquiries to [email protected].”
Equipment to Be Removed from Service
Directional Movement With or Without the Use of Propellers
preposition with
less than five letters
but parallel with longer
preposition
preposition with
at least five letters
preposition with
less than five letters
conjunction with
less than five letters
preposition with
less than five letters
particle used to
form an infinitive
article
noun nounfirst word
first word
last word
last wordverbverb
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c. Always try to fit an e-mail address on a single line. If you must break an e-mail address
across two lines, break before the at symbol (@) or before a dot. Never insert a hyphen
into an e-mail address to indicate a line break.
d. Make sure that e-mail addresses are accurate at document release.
e. Make sure that hyperlinked e-mail addresses are functional in the files for release (word
processing files and static files [such as Portable Document Format (PDF) files]).
3.15 Website Addresses
Observe the following conventions in showing website addresses:
a. Show all letters in website addresses as lowercase.
b. To prevent confusion of a website address with surrounding punctuation, apply
distinctive formatting or a hyperlink (usually a combination of color for on-screen use
and underlining for paper use), as in the following (nonlinked) example: “Visit us at
http://ourhomepage.com.”
c. Always try to keep a website address on a single line. If you must break a website
address across two lines, break after the double slash but before a single slash, dot,
underscore, hyphen, or any other punctuation mark. Never insert a hyphen into a
website address to indicate a line break.
d. Make sure that website addresses are accurate at document release.
e. Make sure that hyperlinked website addresses are functional in the files for the
document (word processing files and static files [such as Portable Document Format
(PDF) files]).
3.16 Numbers
3.16.1 Countable Quantities
A countable quantity represents a number of things that we can count individually, such as
parts, desks, people, and computers. It consists of a count and the name of the thing being
counted. Though most counts are integers only, some can be partial, for example, those that
show how many times something happens (such as “four cycles” or “one-half turn”) or degrees
of comparison (both positive [for example, “three times the size of”] and negative [for example,
“half the size of”]). See 3.16.2 for how to treat measured quantities.
Observe the following conventions in showing countable quantities:
a. Make the name of the thing being counted singular or plural as follows:
(1) When the count is one or when the count is less than one but greater than zero,
make the name singular, as in “One anomaly was expected,” and “One-half turn is
sufficient.”
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(2) When the count is zero or greater than one (whether an integer or a mixed
number), make the name plural, as in “One and a half turns are necessary to close
the valve completely,” and “One anomaly was expected, three causes were
suggested, but zero nonconformances were found.” Notice that it is equally
correct and often more natural-sounding to replace zero with no, as in “…but no
nonconformances were found.” Also make such names plural when they are
abbreviated (see 3.5.4).
(3) When a count (of any number) and the name of the thing being counted combine
and act as an adjective to modify a noun, make the name singular and hyphenate
the count (whether written in numbers or words) to the name, as in “a three-
person job” and “a 10-step process.”
b. When a countable quantity is the subject of a sentence or clause, conjugate the
associated verb to agree in number with the name determined in 3.16.1.a. The example
in 3.16.1.a(2) illustrates correct conjugation.
c. Write counts of zero through nine in words, but also see 3.16.1.e.
d. Write counts of 10 or greater in numbers, unless they start a sentence or title.
e. If a sentence contains multiple countable quantities in a category and if any of those
counts are 10 or greater, write all the counts in numbers, as in the following example:
“Of the four new offices, one has 6 employees, one has 12 employees, and the
other two have 10 each.”
The example contains two categories of countable quantities: offices and employees.
All the office counts are less than 10, so all are written as words. At least one of the
employee counts is 10 or greater, so all are written as numbers.
f. Avoid starting sentences or titles with counts of 10 or greater, especially sentences or
titles that also contain counts of less than 10 in the same category.
g. In running text, use a comma to separate thousands from hundreds in integers of five
digits or more (not counting any numbers to the right of a decimal point). That is, use a
comma in 10,000 but not in 9999. See 3.18.w for guidance on showing numbers in
tables.
h. Don’t repeat a count that is written in words as a number in parentheses. That is, write,
for example, “Run the test four times,” not “Run the test four (4) times.”
i. Keep a count written as a number on the same line with the name of the thing being
counted. If the countable quantity is a modifier, join the count and the name with a
nonbreaking hyphen (as in “a 10-step process”). In all other situations, separate the
count and the name with a nonbreaking space. See keystroke combinations for how to
type nonbreaking hyphens and nonbreaking spaces.
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3.16.2 Measured Quantities
A measured quantity represents an amount of something that we consider as a whole (such as
time, temperature, area, or volume), even though we might be able to count the parts that make
up the whole. It consists of a value (an integer, a portion thereof, or a mixed number, whether
shown as a decimal or as a fraction) and a unit of measure. See 3.16.1 for how to treat countable
quantities. See 3.16.6 for how to treat short mathematical expressions in running text. See 3.16.7
for how to treat display equations.
Observe the following broad conventions for showing measured quantities:
a. Make the unit of measure singular or plural as follows:
(1) When a value is less than 1 but greater than 0 and the unit is written fully (not
abbreviated), make the unit singular, as in the following (but also see 3.16.2.j):
“Cut each strip 0.5 inch wide.”
(2) When a value is 0 or greater than 1 and the unit is written fully (not abbreviated),
make the unit plural as in the following:
“Reduce the temperature to 0 degrees Fahrenheit.”
“Cut each strip 3.5 inches wide.”
(3) Write all abbreviated units as singular.
(4) When a value (of any amount) and the unit combine and act as an adjective to
modify a noun, make the unit singular. When the unit is written fully (not
abbreviated), join the value and the unit with a nonbreaking hyphen. When the
unit is abbreviated, separate the value and the unit with a nonbreaking space. See
the following examples, but also note 3.16.2.l, m, and n:
“The 4-day mission was a success.”
“The 8 ft board is not suitable.”
See keystroke combinations for how to type nonbreaking hyphens and
nonbreaking spaces.
b. In general, conjugate the associated verb as singular, as in the following examples:
“Consequently, 2 weeks is being added to the schedule.”
“We thought that 10 feet was a significant increase in height.”
c. Write values in numbers, unless they start a sentence or title.
d. Try to avoid starting sentences or titles with values.
e. When the value is written in words, don’t abbreviate the unit of measure.
f. In running text, use a comma to separate thousands from hundreds in integers of five
digits or more (not counting any numbers to the right of a decimal point). That is, use a
comma in 10,000 but not in 9999. See 3.18.w for guidance on showing numbers in
tables.
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g. When the value and unit stand alone and function as a noun, separate the value and unit
(whether written fully or abbreviated) with a nonbreaking space. See keystroke
combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space. Don’t place a unit abbreviation
directly against a value, except as indicated in 3.16.2.m and n.
h. Repeat the unit (whether abbreviated or written fully) with values in a series and values
in a range, whether the measured value stands alone as a noun or modifies a noun, as in
the following examples:
“Durations of 3 s, 5 s, and 10 s were recorded,” not “Durations of 3, 5, and 10 s
were recorded.”
“Lengths varied from 3.8 ft to 4.2 ft,” not “Lengths varied from 3.8 to 4.2 ft.”
“The panels are mounted at 3 ft and 6 ft intervals, respectively,” not “The panels
are mounted at 3 and 6 ft intervals, respectively.”
i. Don’t repeat a value that is written in words as a number in parentheses. That is, write,
for example, “Two weeks is being added to the schedule,” not “Two (2) weeks is being
added to the schedule.”
j. When a value less than 1 is written as a decimal, use a 0 as the integer before the
decimal (as in “0.1”), except for those values that can never exceed 1: coefficient of
correlation, probability, and caliber.
k. Write factors and ratios as numbers, as in the following examples:
“increased by a factor of 3,”
“a 3:1 ratio,”
“a ratio of 3:1,”
“a 3-to-1 ratio,” or
“a ratio of 3 to 1.”
l. Separate a temperature value from its symbol and scale with a nonbreaking space, as in
the following examples:
“32 degrees Fahrenheit or 32 °F,”
“20 degrees Celsius or 20 °C,” but
“100 kelvin or 100 K.”
NOTE
A kelvin is a unit, not a scale, and therefore does
not exist in degrees. When written fully, the unit is
lowercased. Its abbreviation is “K.” Do not write
“degrees Kelvin,” “degrees kelvin,” or “°K.”
See keystroke combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space and the degree
symbol.
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m. Place the symbols for plane angle directly after and against the value: degree (°),
minute (′), and second (″). The symbols for minute and second of plane angle are the
prime and double prime, respectively. Don’t use an apostrophe or quotation mark
(curly or straight) for minute or second of plane angle. See keystroke combinations for
how to type these symbols.
n. Place the symbols for foot (′) and inch (″) directly after and against the value. The
symbols for foot and inch are the prime and double prime, respectively. Don’t use an
apostrophe or quotation mark (curly or straight) for foot or inch. See keystroke
combinations for how to type these symbols.
o. Place the symbol for magnification (×)—the multiplication sign, not the letter x—
directly after and against the number that indicates the power of magnification, as in
“10×.” See keystroke combinations for how to type this symbol.
p. Don’t allow any part of a value (integer or fraction) and its unit (whether abbreviated or
written fully) to break across two lines. Keep the entire value and unit together with a
nonbreaking space (or nonbreaking hyphen when appropriate, as explained in
3.16.2.a(4)). See keystroke combinations for how to type nonbreaking hyphens and
nonbreaking spaces.
q. When dual measurement scales (metric and English) are shown, first show the metric
measurement, and then show the English equivalent in parentheses (or in brackets [ ] if
the metric measurement is already parenthesized). See the following examples:
“Keep the top margin at 25.4 mm (1.0 in.).”
“Keep all margins consistent (25.4 mm [1.0 in.]).”
Continue to observe the conventions for calling out abbreviations of units of measure
(see 3.5.2, 3.5.4, and 3.5.7). When dual measurements are used, show them consistently
for all applicable measurements in the document. Also see 5.1.a(3)(a) regarding the use
of measurement indicators on the cover.
r. Try to apply a consistent measurement scale (metric, English, or dual) and to write
values consistently throughout the document, using either decimals or fractions. But
don’t change traditional nomenclature or actual data just to achieve overall consistency.
For example, if a document contains metric measurements taken as decimal values but
also identifies tools or materials traditionally sized in English units with fractions,
reflect each instance in the expected number style and measurement scale.
3.16.3 Fractions
Observe the following conventions in showing fractions:
a. To indicate an inexact portion of a countable quantity (see 3.16.1) less than one, write
the fraction in words, and place a nonbreaking hyphen between the numerator and the
denominator (for example, “processing time was reduced by two-fifths” and “accuracy
increased by one-half”). See keystroke combinations for how to type a nonbreaking
hyphen. Notice that with inexact portions, you can almost always reduce one-half to
just half.
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b. In a purely mathematical context or one that is highly technical or instructive (such as
steps in a procedure), write the fraction in numbers, as in “Turn the dial ¾ revolution
clockwise.” But see 3.16.3.c.
c. In an expression constructed as “<a fraction> of <something>,” always write the
fraction in words (for example, “one-half of the employees,” or “three-quarters of the
affected subsystems”). Notice that with inexact portions, you can almost always reduce
one-half to just half.
d. Use a consistent style for fractions written in numbers. Don’t mix fractions set as
individual, full-size characters (such as 1/2) with fractions set as single characters (such
as ½). See keystroke combinations for how to type some of the more common fractions
as single characters.
e. Write mixed numbers as follows:
(1) For a fraction set as individual, full-size characters, separate the integer and the
numerator with a nonbreaking space (for example, 5 1/2). See keystroke
combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space.
(2) For a fraction set as a single character, write the mixed number without a space
(for example, 5½). See keystroke combinations for how to type some of the more
common fractions as single characters.
3.16.4 Percentages
Observe the following conventions in showing percentages:
a. Write percentage values as numbers, followed immediately by the percent symbol (%),
unless the percentage starts a sentence or title.
b. Try to avoid starting sentences or titles with percentages.
c. When the value is written in words, replace the percent symbol with the word percent,
as in “Eighty percent of the budget is for labor,” not “Eighty % of the budget is for
labor.”
d. Don’t repeat a percentage that is written in words as a number and symbol in
parentheses. For example, write “Eighty percent of the budget is for labor,” not “Eighty
percent (80%) of the budget is for labor.”
e. Don’t use the percent symbol or the word percent without a value, except as a label in
a table column or a graph axis. Use percentage instead, as in “A large percentage of the
budget is for labor.”
f. Repeat the percent symbol or the word percent with values in a series and values in a
range. For example, write “Responses of 25%, 38%, and 48% were recorded,” and
“Ten percent to twenty percent of the samples show promise.”
g. Don’t call out the percent symbol as an abbreviation in text or include the symbol in the
list of abbreviations.
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3.16.5 Money
Observe the following conventions in showing amounts of money:
a. Write amounts of money as numbers, preceded immediately by the dollar symbol ($),
unless the amount starts a sentence or title.
b. Try to avoid starting sentences or titles with amounts of money.
c. When the amount of money is written in words, omit the dollar symbol and spell out
dollars, as in “One thousand dollars is budgeted for travel.”
d. Don’t repeat an amount of money that is written in words as a symbol and number in
parentheses. For example, write “One thousand dollars is budgeted for travel,” not
“One thousand dollars ($1000) is budgeted for travel.”
e. Don’t use the dollar symbol without a value, except as a label in a table column or a
graph axis.
f. For a large, round sum, use the abbreviation for thousand (K), million (M), or
billion (B) where it will help your readers comprehend the amount quickly.
(1) Avoid using these abbreviations with values that exceed two decimal places.
(2) Set the abbreviation directly after the value, as in “$1.6M.”
(3) Always repeat the abbreviations for these multiples, when applicable, for each
item in a series and for values on both sides of a range. In a series, write, for
example, “The cost decreased $8K, $6K, and $2K in each of the last three
quarters, respectively,” not “The cost decreased $8, $6, and $2K in each of the
last three quarters, respectively.” In a range, write, for example, “The budget
increased from $100K to $150K,” not “The budget increased from $100 to
$150K.”
(4) Don’t use abbreviations for these multiples without a value, except as a label in a
table column or a graph axis.
(5) Don’t call out these abbreviations in text or tables, but include them in the list of
abbreviations (see 5.7).
g. Don’t call out the dollar symbol in text or include the symbol in the list of
abbreviations.
3.16.6 Mathematical or Chemical Expressions in Running Text
Observe the following conventions in showing mathematical or chemical expressions in running
text, and see keystroke combinations for how to type nonbreaking spaces and some mathematical
symbols that don’t appear on the standard keyboard (such as the multiplication sign [×], the
minus sign [−], the plus/minus sign [±], and the middle dot [·]):
a. Place short mathematical or chemical expressions (ones that can be kept on a single
line) in the running text, as long as they will not be cited. See 3.16.7 for displaying
longer mathematical or chemical expressions and those that will be cited.
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b. When you repeat any part of a display equation in running text, replicate the character
formatting from the display equation.
c. Don’t allow mathematical or chemical expressions to interrupt the grammatical
structure of the sentences in which they occur. Therefore, apply normal punctuation
conventions to mathematical or chemical expressions in running text.
d. To show area dimensions in running text, write, for example, “a 5 mm by 10 mm area.”
Don’t use the letter x in place of by. In a table, where space may be tight, by may be
replaced with the multiplication sign (×).
e. To express a purely mathematical value in running text, write, for example, “4.2 × 10
6
”
or “4.2 · 10
6
.” Place a single nonbreaking space between the operation sign and any
numbers. Don’t use the letter x in place of the multiplication sign.
f. To indicate positive or negative numbers, place the plus sign (+) or the minus sign (−)
directly before the number.
NOTE
A hyphen is not a minus sign. See keystroke
combinations for how to type a true minus sign.
g. Use “±” instead of “+/−” when it applies to a single value, and place the symbol
directly before the number. See keystroke combinations for how to type a plus/minus
sign.
h. Show all variables in italics.
i. Show all numerals, chemical symbols, trigonometric terms, and any other intervening
text in roman (nonitalic) type.
j. Show vectors in bold.
k. Don’t call out or otherwise define the symbols for mathematical operators in text or
include them in the list of abbreviations.
3.16.7 Display Equations
A display equation is appropriate for a mathematical or chemical expression that is longer than
just a few characters, has more than one vertical level, or will be cited elsewhere in the text. Each
display equation occupies its own paragraph and is identified by an arabic number (1, 2, etc.),
from a single series that continues through the body of the document and the appendices. The
equation number is enclosed in parentheses at the right margin and is aligned at the vertical
center of the display equation. Eq. (1) is an example of a properly formatted display equation.
( ) ( ( ) ( ))
walls out in
P i k T i T i
(1)
where P
walls
(i) is the power flow, k is the building’s effective thermal conductivity, T
out
(i) is the
temperature outside the building, and T
in
(i) is the temperature inside the building.
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Observe the following conventions in showing display equations:
a. Whenever possible, compose display equations in an equation editing component of a
word processing program or in a separate equation program. This allows more control
and accuracy in formatting.
b. Show all variables in italics.
c. Show all numerals, chemical symbols, trigonometric terms, and any other intervening
text in roman (nonitalic) type.
d. Show vectors in bold.
e. Although a display equation should be a complete sentence or part of a complete
sentence, don’t apply normal sentence punctuation to a display equation itself.
f. If a display equation ends a sentence, use proper punctuation for the portion of the
sentence that precedes the display equation. In the preceding example, Eq. (1) begins
the sentence, and a compound clause (which begins with where and defines the
variables) completes the sentence. That’s why where is not capitalized. The variables
could also be defined in a vertical list.
g. If a mathematical expression extends beyond a single line of type, break the expression
before an operator (such as +, −, or ×) or after a final parenthesis, bracket, or other
enclosing symbol.
5
h. If a chemical expression extends beyond a single line of type, break the expression after
an arrow, and left-align the runover with the last element of the previous line.
6
i. Try to keep all parts of a sentence that contains a display equation on the same page.
j. Don’t call out or otherwise define the symbols for mathematical operators in text or
include them in the list of abbreviations.
3.16.8 Dates
Observe the following conventions in showing dates:
a. Unless space is tight, spell out the names of days of the week and months. When you
abbreviate days or months, don’t include them in the list of abbreviations.
b. Write full dates in “Month day, year” format (for example, July 8, 2015), and don’t
place a leading zero before a single-digit day.
c. Write years as four digits.
d. For a full date, place a comma between the day and year.
e. When a full date occurs before the end of a sentence, also place a comma after the year.
f. When only a month and year are shown, don’t separate them with a comma.
5
ANSI/NISO Z39.18-2005, Scientific and Technical Reports – Preparation, Presentation, and Preservation,
(Bethesda, Maryland: NISO Press), 37.
6
Ibid.
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g. Use nonbreaking spaces to prevent any parts of a date (whether a full date or just a
month and year) from breaking across two lines of text. See keystroke combinations for
how to type a nonbreaking space.
h. When dates are shown only in numbers, use the following format: mm/dd/yyyy.
i. In dates, use ordinal numbers for days only in such an expression as “the 4
th
of July” or
“on the 15
th
and the 30
th
.” For example, write “July 4,” not July 4
th
”; and write
“June 21, 2014,” not “June 21
st
, 2014.” See 3.16.9 for general guidance on the use of
ordinal numbers.
3.16.9 Ordinal Numbers
Ordinal numbers, whether written in words or numerals, indicate position, sequence, or rank.
Examples are first, second, third, and fourth. All ordinal numbers carry one of the following
suffixes: -st, -nd, -rd, or -th. Observe the following conventions for ordinal numbers:
a. Write first through ninth as words, unless they are used in parallel with higher ordinal
numbers. For example, write “the 9
th
and 10
th
iterations,” not “the ninth and
10
th
iterations.” The edition numbers in 2.2 illustrate this exception.
b. Write 10
th
and higher ordinal numbers in numerals, unless they start a sentence or title.
c. Try to avoid starting sentences or titles with ordinal numbers of tenth or higher.
d. Apply a consistent style to the suffixes of ordinal numbers written in numerals. Make
them all either full size (as in 10th) or superscript (as in 10
th
).
e. When an ordinal number is written in numerals, acts as an adjective, and immediately
precedes a noun (as in “the 10
th
iteration”), use a nonbreaking space between the
ordinal number and the noun to keep the two words from breaking across lines. See
keystroke combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space.
f. When an ordinal number and a cardinal number modify the same noun, always put the
ordinal number first. For example, write “the first three options,” not “the three first
options.”
g. See 3.16.8.i for guidance on using ordinal numbers in dates.
3.17 Figures and Their Titles
A figure can be a photograph, diagram, drawing, sketch, graph, chart, or the like, but not a table
with live data—even if the table is graphical as opposed to typeset. An exception occurs when a
picture of a table containing only sample data is included solely as an illustration, as is done in
5.3 (see Figure 10 and Figure 11).
NOTE
See 3.21.1 for specific conventions about including
screenshots in instructions about computer
interfaces.
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Figures are generally more effective when they are placed along with the text they illustrate,
whether that text is in the body or in an appendix.
Observe the following conventions for figures and their titles:
a. Introduce each figure individually or as part of a range of figures, before its appearance.
b. Place each figure as soon after its introduction as good page layout will permit. Where
necessary in order to achieve a good page layout, place additional paragraphs between
the introducing paragraph and the figure (filling excessive white space that wasn’t large
enough for the figure).
c. Center each figure between the left and right margins.
d. Crop figures closely.
e. Whenever possible, size the figure to fit comfortably within the side margins for the
prevailing page layout (usually a portrait area 6.5 inches wide by up to 9 inches high on
a letter-size page). When the figure requires more width, consider the document type
(formal or engineering [see 1.1, 4.1, and 4.2]) and how the document will be used most
often—online or as a hard copy—and then format the page or the figure as follows:
(1) If the document will be used mostly online, format the page as a landscape, with
the header and footer along the longer dimension. This will keep the figure
oriented correctly for on-screen viewing.
(2) If the document will be used mostly as a hard copy, keep the portrait format, with
the header and footer along the shorter dimension, and rotate the figure and title
90 degrees to the left, to lead from the left. This will preserve the overall page
layout of the document or book. The reader will rotate the hard copy 90 degrees to
the right to view the figure.
(3) For a formal document requiring an oversize page (17 inches wide by 11 inches
high) in order to accommodate a particularly wide figure, place the figure on a
right-hand (odd-numbered) page, and return to a letter-size page (8.5 inches wide
by 11 inches high) on the next unaffected right-hand (odd-numbered) page.
(4) For an engineering document requiring an oversize page (17 inches wide by
11 inches high) in order to accommodate an oversize figure, place the oversize
figure on a new page, and return to a letter-size page on the page that follows the
end of the oversize figure.
(5) For both types of documents, apply the guidance in 3.17.p if an oversize figure
occupies multiple sheets.
f. In documents that are likely to be printed, limit the use of color to those figures that
need it to convey information.
g. Make the style of callouts (text and arrows applied to graphics) consistent for all
figures. Use Arial type for text, and make the casing (see 3.12) consistent. Make sure
that the text is large enough to be read easily in the final layout, that text and arrows
contrast sufficiently with the background, and that the callouts don’t obscure important
features of the figure.
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h. Make the text in figures consistent (for terminology, spelling, abbreviations, spacing,
and punctuation) with the running text.
i. If any values in a figure are 10,000 or greater, place a comma between the thousands
and hundreds of all values. If no value in a graphic is 10,000 or greater, don’t place a
comma in any value in the graphic.
j. Center the figure label, number, and title in a single paragraph below the figure, and
allow a comfortable space between the figure and the title—usually 6 to 12 points.
k. Keep the figure and its title paragraph on the same page.
l. Set the title paragraph in bold, 11-point Arial type.
m. Capitalize the label “Figure,” and apply a simple series of arabic numbers (1, 2, etc.),
from the first figure in the body to the last figure in the last appendix. See 5.4.3.d(1)
about labeling and titling figures in an executive summary.
NOTE
Figure numbers that include the section number and
that restart the sequential number with each new
section (as in “Figure 1-2”) are acceptable but can
make the word processing file more difficult to
prepare and manage, especially when there are
figures in an appendix.
n. Separate the figure number from the title with a period and a space.
o. Give each figure a unique title, expressed as a noun phrase and set in title case (see
3.12.2), as is done for all the figure titles in this guide. Don’t use end punctuation.
p. Whenever possible, use multiple, separately numbered figures rather than a single
multisheet figure. Multisheet figures often depict the same thing but from different
views. In such cases, different views can be indicated in the titles, thereby allowing
separately numbered and titled figures. When a multisheet figure is unavoidable, use
the same figure number and title for each instance, and append the following to each
title “(Sheet X of Y),” where X is the sequential sheet and Y is the total number of
sheets. List only the first sheet of the multisheet figure in the list of figures.
q. If a centered figure title requires multiple lines, insert manual line breaks—not new
paragraphs—at natural points, so that the resulting lines increase in length
progressively. To insert a manual line break, hold down the Shift key while you press
the Enter key. Remove any spaces around these manual breaks.
r. If a list of figures will not be included in the front matter and if more text is necessary
in order to effectively identify any of the figures, treat all the figure titles as follows:
(1) Express the titles as full sentences, and use sentence case (see 3.12.1).
(2) Use the same overall sentence structure for all the title sentences.
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(3) Left-align the title paragraph at the left edge of the figure image, break the text
even with the right edge of the figure image, and align the runover text with the
left edge of the figure image.
(4) Set the label, number, and period in bold type, and set the rest of the paragraph in
plain roman type.
3.18 Tables and Their Titles
A table is appropriate for displaying one or more pieces of data for one or more items in a
category. That means that a table should have multiple columns. If the information does not
require multiple columns, consider displaying the items in a bulleted or enumerated list (see
3.11.2.2 and 3.11.2.3).
A consistent format for all the tables in a document is important. Original, typeset tables are
preferred over images of tables from other sources, especially scans, but see 3.18.e(2). Original
typesetting allows better control so that all the tables can be formatted as consistently as possible.
Tables are generally more effective when they are placed along with the text they support,
whether that text is in the body or in an appendix.
Observe the following conventions for tables and their titles:
a. Introduce each table individually or as part of a range of tables, before its appearance.
b. Place each table as soon after its introduction as good page layout will permit. Where
necessary in order to achieve a good page layout, place additional paragraphs between
the introducing paragraph and the table (filling excessive white space that wasn’t large
enough for the table).
c. Center each table between the left and right margins.
d. Size the rows and columns to accommodate the necessary data. In general, keep cell
margins narrow to accommodate long text strings.
e. Whenever possible, size the table to fit comfortably within the side margins for the
prevailing page layout (usually a portrait area 6.5 inches wide on a letter-size page).
When the table requires more width, consider the document type (formal or engineering
[see 1.1, 4.1, and 4.2]) and how the document will be used most often—online or as a
hard copy—and then format the page or the table as follows:
(1) If the document will be used mostly online, format the page as a landscape, with
the header and footer along the longer dimension. This will keep the table
oriented correctly for on-screen viewing.
(2) If the document will be used mostly as a hard copy, keep the portrait format, with
the header and footer along the shorter dimension, and rotate the title and an
image of the finished table 90 degrees to the left, to lead from the left. This will
preserve the overall page layout of the document or book. The reader will rotate
the hard copy 90 degrees to the right to read the table.
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(3) For a formal document requiring an oversize page (17 inches wide by 11 inches
high) in order to accommodate a particularly wide table, start the table on a right-
hand (odd-numbered) page, and return to a letter-size page (8.5 inches wide by
11 inches high) on the next unaffected right-hand (odd-numbered) page.
(4) For an engineering document requiring an oversize page (17 inches wide by
11 inches high) in order to accommodate a particularly wide table, start the table
on a new page, and return to a letter-size page on the page that follows the end of
the table.
f. In documents that are likely to be printed, limit the use of color to those tables that need
it to convey information.
g. Center the table label, number, and title in a single paragraph above the table, and allow
a comfortable space between the title and the table—usually 6 to 12 points.
h. Make sure that the table begins on the same page as its title paragraph.
i. Don’t allow only a few rows of a table to appear at the bottom of a page.
j. Set the table title paragraph in bold, 11-point Arial type.
k. Capitalize the label “Table,” and apply a simple series of arabic numbers (1, 2, etc.),
from the first table in the body to the last table in the last appendix. See 5.4.3.d(1) about
labeling and titling tables in an executive summary.
NOTE
Table numbers that include the section number and
that restart the sequential number with each new
section (as in “Table 1-2”) are acceptable but can
make the word processing file more difficult to
prepare and manage, especially when there are
tables in an appendix.
l. Separate the table number from the title with a period and a space.
m. Give each table a unique title, expressed as a noun phrase and set in title case (see
3.12.2), as is done for all the table titles in this guide. Don’t use end punctuation.
n. If a centered table title requires multiple lines, apply manual line breaks—not new
paragraphs—at natural points, so that the resulting lines increase in length
progressively. To insert a manual line break, hold down the Shift key while you press
the Enter key. Remove any spaces around these manual breaks.
o. If a list of tables will not be included in the front matter and if more text is necessary in
order to effectively identify any of the tables, treat all the table titles as follows:
(1) Express the titles as full sentences, and use sentence case (see 3.12.1).
(2) Use the same overall sentence structure for all title sentences.
(3) Left-align the title paragraph at the left edge of the table, break the text even with
the right edge of the table, and align the runover text with the left edge of the
table.
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(4) Set the label, number, and period in bold type, and set the rest of the paragraph in
plain roman type.
p. Don’t repeat the table title in the top row of the table.
q. When a table extends beyond a page, repeat the column heads but not the title
paragraph.
r. Don’t allow a row to break across pages.
s. Set column heads in bold Arial type, no larger than 11 points. If any tables in the
document require smaller type for column heads, apply that smaller size to all column
heads in the document. Align the column heads consistently, but see 3.18.u. Indicate
common units of measure by their abbreviations in parentheses at the end of the column
head.
t. Set table data in Times New Roman type, no larger than 11 points. Make sure that the
type for the data never looks larger than the type for the column heads. Where
necessary in very tight tables (especially in large tables in appendices), reduce the type
for the data further, or consider a narrower font (such as Arial Narrow) for the data.
u. In a table where space is tight and where a column head is substantially wider than the
data in the column, rotate the text in the column head 90 degrees to the left so that the
text reads sideways from bottom to top. Align the rotated text at its new left margin.
v. Make sure that words in column heads and data cells wrap only at syllables.
w. Align all related numbers in a column according to place value, and where the integrity
of the data will permit it, show the same number of decimal places throughout the
column. If any values in the table are 10,000 or greater, also use a comma to separate
thousands from hundred in all values. If no value in a table is 10,000 or greater, don’t
place a comma in any value in the table.
x. When a cell entry requires a note, flag the end of the entry with a superscript indicator
(either a lowercase roman letter in sequence [
a
,
b
, etc.] or a symbol from a series [for
example, *, †, ‡, §, ¶]). Because of their potential to be mistaken for exponents or other
mathematical notations, don’t use numbers as note indicators in tables. Assign note
indicators in the table from left to right, top to bottom. Place the notes in a row (usually
borderless) at the end of the table. First address any general notes to the table as a
whole. Then address notes to specific cells. Keep at least two data rows on the same
page as the note row in order to help your readers understand the relationship between
the notes and a multipage table at a glance. If it is important for readers to see general
notes or a key on each page of a long table, consider placing the notes or key as the first
row—above the column heads—and repeating this row and the column heads on each
page of the table. The table in Appendix A uses this technique.
y. Keep lines and borders consistent and as simple as possible for all tables in the
document. A single stroke in a consistent weight (usually 0.5 point or 1.0 point) is
recommended for all lines and borders, though it is acceptable to use heavier weights
for outside borders or to emphasize differences in adjacent rows or columns.
z. Observe the conventions of parallel construction discussed in 3.11 for an effective
display of data, which relies heavily on structure and visual consistency.
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3.19 Writing and Formatting Definitions
Definitions are optional in most documents, but they can be valuable to your readers. See
Appendix B for examples of well-written and well-formatted definitions.
Observe the following conventions in writing and formatting definitions:
a. Consider applying distinctive formatting or a hyperlink (usually a combination of color
for on-screen use and underlining for paper use) to a defined term where it appears in
the body. You don’t have to hyperlink every instance of a defined term. But in order for
the technique to be useful, you should format or hyperlink the defined term at least once
within your readers’ normal field of view.
b. Define only terms that appear in the body or in an appendix and terms that the reader
must understand in order to fully comprehend other definitions.
c. Don’t define commonplace terms unless they are used in uncommon ways.
d. Don’t include a term in a glossary or in a short list of definitions in the body simply to
introduce an abbreviation. Instead, use the list of abbreviations (see 5.7) or a callout in
the body.
e. Don’t capitalize the term unless it is a proper noun.
f. For the terms, use the singular for nouns (for example, connector, not connectors) and
the infinitive or most basic form of the present tense for verbs (for example, cavitate,
not cavitates or cavitated).
g. Try to word the defining phrase so it could replace the term in a sentence and remain
grammatically correct. That is, use the same part of speech for the term and the defining
phrase. This can be difficult when you want to define an adjective, such as critical. It
can be natural to define such an adjective in the context of the noun it modifies, such as
“a function that, if lost or improperly performed, could result in a Level 4 or 5 effect.”
When it is clearer to define such an adjective this way, define the modified noun instead
of the adjective. For this example, that means defining critical function instead of
critical.
h. Because the definition is a phrase, don’t capitalize the first word of the definition,
unless it is a proper noun.
i. Make the defining phrase as practical as possible. The practice of not using any part of
the term in its definition is not always effective, especially when the purpose is more to
distinguish something than to absolutely define it. For example, when we define ground
support equipment, we are not trying to explain what equipment means, but to
distinguish ground support equipment from other types of equipment. Therefore, it is
fine to repeat part of the term (in this example, equipment) in a defining phrase that is
meant to distinguish.
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j. If you are quoting definitions from another source (for example, from standards of the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration), cite the source. Because such a source
is likely to be an applicable or reference document, you can show the document number
(or the title of a book or an unnumbered document) in parentheses at the end of the
defining phrase. Also see 3.22.2.
k. End the defining phrase (and any parenthetical source [see 3.19.j]) with a period. This
makes it easier to add examples or supplemental information (as complete sentences)
after the defining phrase but in the same paragraph.
l. Place definitions where your readers can find them easily (such as within a glossary
placed [1] immediately after the list of abbreviations, [2] in an early section, or [3] in an
appendix), and direct your readers to that location early in the document. If the
document requires only a few definitions, place them near the first instance of their
respective terms.
m. Unless you have a logical reason to do otherwise, alphabetize the entries by term in a
glossary or in a short list in the body. If you don’t alphabetize by term, explain the logic
of your order in an introductory paragraph, and in this circumstance, arrange the entries
in an enumerated list (see 3.11.2.2.b).
n. If you present the definitions in an alphabetized list within the body or within a
glossary, simply align the entries at the left margin, without bullets or enumerators.
o. Make the term stand apart visually from its definition. A good practice is to show the
term in bold type (followed by a colon, also in bold type) and the definition in plain
roman type. If the term has an abbreviation, place the abbreviation in parentheses
between the term and the colon. If the definition begins on the line below the term, omit
the colon, but start the term and its definition on the same page.
3.20 Warnings, Cautions, and Notes
A warning gives critical information about an operating procedure or practice that, if not strictly
observed, may injure or kill someone.
A caution gives important information about an operating procedure or practice that, if not
strictly observed, may damage or destroy equipment.
A note gives additional information about an operating procedure, a practice, or a condition that
should be emphasized, such as important distinctions or inclusions, with the goal of reducing
misinterpretation, rework, delay, or additional cost.
Observe the following conventions for writing and formatting warnings, cautions, and notes:
a. Place the title and statement of a warning, caution, or note immediately after the
paragraph to which they pertain—the subject paragraph.
b. Keep the following on the same page: the end of the subject paragraph; the title of the
warning, caution, or note; and the statement of the warning, caution, or note.
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c. If any combination of warnings, cautions, or notes applies to the same subject
paragraph, place the warning first, then the caution, and then the note.
d. Keep statements of warnings, cautions, and notes short and concise, but complete.
e. Double-space between the subject paragraph and the title WARNING, CAUTION, or
NOTE.
f. Set the title in bold, 11-point Arial type and in all caps. Underline the title and center it
over the statement paragraph. Double-space between the title and the statement
paragraph.
g. Indent the statement from both margins in a block-style paragraph (no extra indentation
of the first line). Double-space between the statement and the material that follows it.
h. Set the statement in 12-point Times New Roman type.
i. If multiple warnings, multiple cautions, or multiple notes apply to the same subject
paragraph, show the title in plural and number the statements, beginning with 1.
3.21 Treatment of Computer Interfaces
The following subsections guide you in how to discuss and represent computer interfaces in KSC
technical documents, not in how to design computer interfaces. These conventions align with
those from the Microsoft Manual of Style for Technical Publications, Third Edition.
3.21.1 Screenshots
Observe the following conventions for screenshots:
a. Whenever possible, include screenshots of relevant windows, menus, and dialog boxes.
b. Crop screenshots closely, and provide enough image size and resolution to allow users
to understand and follow your instruction easily.
c. Present screenshots in the order that users will encounter the windows, menus, or dialog
boxes.
d. If numbering and titling the screenshots will make the series of instructions easier to
follow, apply the conventions of 3.17 to all screenshots in the series. If all the
screenshots in a series immediately follow their respective instructions, are easy to
identify, and are not cited later, don’t number or title any of the screenshots in the
series.
3.21.2 Expression and Order of Instruction
Observe the following conventions in general discussions of computer interfaces and specific
instructions to users:
a. Present instructions and explanations in the order that users will perform the operation.
b. Express instructions as commands (see 3.3).
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c. Place multistep operations in an enumerated list (see 3.11.2.2.b).
d. Keep explanations and notes separate from instructional steps.
e. In explaining navigation, follow the path the user will take (for example, from window
to menu, and then from menu selection to dialog box). Direct the users through the
necessary navigation and then to perform the necessary actions (for example, “Click the
Home tab, and then click Format Painter,” not “Click Format Painter on the Home
tab.”).
f. Show the names of windows, tabs, groups, dialog boxes, commands, selection options,
and other features exactly as they appear in the interface. If the labels in the user
interface are not capitalized consistently, apply title case (see 3.12.2). Omit trailing
punctuation and the character underscoring that denotes keystroke combinations. As
long as the directions are clear, omit generic descriptors after the names of windows,
dialog boxes, and other command features—except box, list, check box, and tab. Show
labels and descriptors consistently.
g. Set the names of features and any command keys (enter, alt, shift, delete, etc.), in bold
type.
h. Set placeholders for user input in italics (for example, “Type password.”).
i. If you are providing mouse and keyboard instructions, give mouse instructions first.
j. If it is important to show multiple ways of performing an operation, separate the
options clearly. Make sure that alternatives cannot be interpreted as consecutive
actions.
3.21.3 Specific Terms for Computer Interfaces
Table 3 provides notes and instructions for the use of specific terms in discussions of computer
interfaces.
Table 3. Specific Terms for Computer Interfaces
Use These Terms
Avoid These Terms
Notes
available
active
Use available for describing an option that can be selected.
clear
deselect, unselect
Use clear for cancelling a selected checkbox or dialog box
option.
click, select
click on, choose, pick
Use click or select for selecting menus, tabs, list items, buttons,
or dialog box options with the left mouse button. Use select for
selecting check boxes with the left mouse button.
dialog box
property sheet
Use dialog box for identifying any level of command window
that appears after a selection.
double-click
Use double-click for opening a folder or file.
point to
Use point to for navigating and opening submenus.
press
depress
Use press for keyboard operations.
right-click
Use right-click for selecting icons, folders, files, or other
features, whose resulting options (usually listed in a context
menu) will be acted upon.
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Use These Terms
Avoid These Terms
Notes
type
enter
Use type for keyboard input. Use enter only when there is no
chance of confusion.
unavailable
gray, grayed out,
inactive
Use unavailable for describing an option that cannot be
selected.
under <name>, in the
<name> area
in the <name> group
box
Use under for directing the user to an outlined group of controls
in a dialog box.
3.22 References to Other Material
3.22.1 Material in the Current Document
Referring to specific locations in your document helps your readers find the information they
need. To that end, careful use of the cross-reference feature of the word processing program can
help you keep internal references accurate while you’re preparing the document. Furthermore,
such automated cross-references and even specially formatted hyperlinks can make the document
substantially more useful online. Make sure that all references are accurate and that automated
ones remain functional in the word processing file and in any static files (such as Portable
Document Format [PDF] files) that may be released. Also see Appendix A, reference, about
phrasing.
Observe the following conventions when you refer to material in the current document in
running text:
a. Numbered section: To refer, for example, to the sixth section as a whole, write “see
Section 6,” or “as discussed in Section 6.” Don’t add the title of the section or such a
phrase as “…of this document.” Capitalize Section when it identifies a specific
instance. Keep the label (Section) and the number on the same line by placing a
nonbreaking space between the two. See keystroke combinations for how to type a
nonbreaking space.
b. Numbered subsection: To refer to a subsection (a second-level or lower section), write
the subsection number only (for example, “see 6.1”). Don’t add the title of the
subsection or such a phrase as “…of this document.”
c. Enumerated item: To refer to an enumerated item in a vertical list (for example, the
item you are reading now), write the subsection number, a period, and then the
enumerator, as in “see 3.22.1.c.” In this example, don’t write “see 3.22.1, Item c,” or
“see Item c in 3.22.1.”
d. Figure or table: Introduce each figure and table before its appearance. To refer to a
figure or table, write, for example, “see Figure 1,” or “as shown in Table 2.” Don’t add
the title of the figure or table or such a phrase as “…of this document.” Capitalize
Figure, Table, and their plurals when these labels identify specific instances. Keep the
label (Figure, Table, or their plurals) and the number on the same line. When you make
these references with the word processing program’s cross-reference feature, it is
pointless to insert a nonbreaking space manually between the label and number, except
as the final step in preparing a document for release. When automatic cross-references
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are updated, nonbreaking spaces are overwritten with regular spaces. See keystroke
combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space.
NOTE
Occasionally, it may serve your readers to mention
a figure or table that is better placed later in the
document, probably in a section or appendix
devoted to the subject of the figure or table. When
you cite such a later figure or table, first identify the
section or appendix and then the figure or table in
parentheses, as was done in 3.17 to direct you to 5.3
(Figure 10 and Figure 11).
e. Appendix: Introduce each appendix before its appearance. To refer to an entire
appendix, write, for example, “See Appendix A.” If a reference to an appendix
subsection is needed, write, for example “see A.1.” Don’t add the title of the appendix
or such a phrase as “…of this document.” Capitalize Appendix when the label identifies
a specific instance. Keep the label (Appendix) and the letter on the same line. When you
make these references with the word processing program’s cross-reference feature, it is
pointless to insert a nonbreaking space manually between the label and letter, except as
the final step in preparing a document for release. When automatic cross-references are
updated, nonbreaking spaces are overwritten with regular spaces. See keystroke
combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space.
f. Equation: To refer to an equation, write, for example, “see Equation (1)” or “as shown
in Eq. (8).” The equation number itself is enclosed in parentheses. Don’t add such a
phrase as “…of this document.” Capitalize Equation or Eq. when the label identifies a
specific instance. Keep the label (Equation or Eq.) and the number on the same line.
When you make these references with the word processing program’s cross-reference
feature, it is pointless to insert a nonbreaking space manually between the label and
letter, except as the final step in preparing a document for release. When automatic
cross-references are updated, nonbreaking spaces are overwritten with regular spaces.
See keystroke combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space.
g. Page: For consistency, when you refer to a page in the current document, capitalize
Page or Pages when the label identifies specific instances. An alternative is to
abbreviate Page as p. and Pages as pp. (Note that periods are used.) Don’t call out
either abbreviation in text or include either in the list of abbreviations. Don’t add such a
phrase as “…of this document.” Keep the label (whether written fully or abbreviated)
and the page number on the same line by placing a nonbreaking space between the label
and the page number. See keystroke combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space.
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3.22.2 Material from Other Sources
Apart from including short quotations or paraphrases (see 3.22.2.4), don’t republish the content
of another document (in whole or in part) in your document. Though it may be tempting to
include such reference material for the sake of completeness or for the convenience of your
readers, your readers are not served by the inclusion of potentially outdated material. Identifying
the edition or date of the original publication does not make the practice acceptable. Simply
citing applicable documents is a better way of invoking their content.
An exception may be necessary when the content considered for reproduction is not easily
accessible. However, material on the internet is considered easily accessible.
3.22.2.1 Identification of Applicable or Reference Documents
Applicable documents are sources whose authority you invoke in your document. Reference
documents offer information that relates to but is not essential for understanding your subject.
Reference documents may or may not be mentioned in your document. (Also see 5.10.)
NOTE
In KSC Specifications and KSC Standards,
reference documents are typically cited as guidance.
Observe the following conventions when you cite an applicable document in text or direct your
readers to a reference document:
a. If your document contains a list of sources (whether in the second section [see 5.10] or
in a bibliography), identify a numbered document by its document number only—even
if that document also has an International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Keep all
parts of the document number on the same line by replacing regular hyphens with
nonbreaking hyphens and by replacing regular spaces with nonbreaking spaces. See
keystroke combinations for how to type nonbreaking hyphens and nonbreaking spaces.
b. If your document does not contain a list of sources (as could be the case for a
spreadsheet of requirements), identify a numbered document first by its document
number. Keep all parts of the document number on the same line by replacing regular
hyphens with nonbreaking hyphens and by replacing regular spaces with nonbreaking
spaces. See keystroke combinations for how to type nonbreaking hyphens and
nonbreaking spaces. Place a comma after the document number, and then show the full
title (not an abbreviated title) in italics. If the sentence continues after the title, place a
comma after the title.
c. Identify a book or other unnumbered publication by its title, and set the title in italics.
Don’t refer to books in text by their International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs).
d. If you are writing a legally binding document, such as a contract, procurement
specification, statement of work, or performance work statement, specify the edition or
revision level of each applicable document. Otherwise, don’t specify editions or
revision levels of applicable documents.
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3.22.2.2 Identification of Specific Material in Applicable or Reference Documents
Observe the following conventions when you invoke specific material from an applicable
document or direct your readers to specific material in a reference document:
a. Be as specific as you can in identifying a particular location (section, figure, table, etc.)
in another source.
b. First identify the document number (or the title of a book or an unnumbered document),
and then identify the particular location, as in “see KSC-DF-107, Table 2.”
c. If the sentence continues after the identification of the source, separate the final location
from the rest of the text with a comma, as in “KSC-DF-107, Table 2, lists the
acceptable forms of….”
d. Keep all parts of a document number on the same line by replacing regular hyphens
with nonbreaking hyphens and by replacing regular spaces with nonbreaking spaces.
See keystroke combinations for how to type nonbreaking hyphens and nonbreaking
spaces. Apply the same convention to the labels and identifiers of figures, tables, and
appendices from other sources.
3.22.2.3 Identification and Placement of Explanatory Comments
An explanatory comment provides additional information that might divert your readers’
attention from your point if you include that information where the relevant word or phrase
appears. Explanatory comments are not the same as warnings, cautions, or notes (see 3.20). The
text to which the comment applies is usually marked with a superscript number or symbol after
the closing punctuation mark of the sentence. The explanatory comment itself can appear as a
footnote at the bottom of the page or as an endnote at the end of the section or document.
3.22.2.4 Identification, Placement, and Formatting of Footnotes, Endnotes, Citations,
and Bibliographies
The reference data for a quotation or paraphrase takes one of three forms: a footnote at the
bottom of the page, an endnote at the end of the section or document, or a citation—a
parenthetical identification in the text. For footnotes and endnotes, a superscript number or
symbol marks the quotation or paraphrase, whereas a citation itself marks the quotation or
paraphrase. The citation functions of word processing programs are easy to use. After you enter
the reference data for the bibliography, according to the types and style you choose (for example,
Microsoft Word 2013 offers 17 reference types [such as books and journal articles] and
12 reference styles [such as those from The Chicago Manual of Style and the MLA Style Manual
and Guide to Scholarly Publishing]), you can generate the citation automatically. Footnotes and
endnotes are just as acceptable as citations for providing reference data, but they must often be
constructed either through an add-on program or as a separate, manual step. The reference data
in footnotes, endnotes, or citations can be condensed or abbreviated in various ways, as long as
the full data for each reference also appears in a bibliography, which is usually the last piece of
material in the document—but before an index.
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Choose a consistent style for formatting footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies (such as that
from The Chicago Manual of Style [which was used for the footnotes in this guide] or the MLA
Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing), but notice that the punctuation of footnotes or
endnotes may differ from the punctuation of bibliographies for a given style.
Observe the following conventions for identifying quotations and paraphrases in text:
a. When the sentence contains only one quotation or paraphrase, place the citation or the
identifier for the footnote or endnote (usually a superscript number or symbol) after the
closing punctuation mark of the sentence, as long as misunderstanding is unlikely.
Notice, however, that misunderstanding can occur if you quote or paraphrase the work
of another but also express your own findings or conclusions in a single sentence. In
such a case, place the citation or identifier immediately after the last word of the
quotation or paraphrase.
b. When the sentence contains multiple quotations or paraphrases or when a citation or
identifier at the end of the sentence could be misleading, observe the following
conventions:
(1) When the last word of the quotation or paraphrase is inside parentheses or
brackets, place the citation or identifier inside the parentheses or brackets.
(2) When the last word of the quotation or paraphrase comes before the end of a
sentence but not inside parentheses or brackets, place the citation or identifier
directly after the last word but also after any trailing punctuation mark, except a
dash or colon.
4. OVERALL FORMATTING CONVENTIONS FOR DOCUMENT TYPES
This section describes the overall formatting conventions for two broad types of document:
formal documents (see 1.1 and 4.1) and engineering documents (see 1.1 and 4.2). Document type
affects how some specific document elements are formatted. See Section 5 for guidance on
formatting specific document elements.
Table 4 shows the margins and header/footer offsets suitable for pages of formal documents and
engineering documents.
Table 4. Margins and Header/Footer Offsets for Document Pages
Page
Top Margin
Bottom Margin
Inside/Left
Margin
Outside/Right
Margin
Header/Footer
Distance
(mm)
(in.)
(mm)
(in.)
(mm)
(in.)
(mm)
(in.)
(mm)
(in.)
Cover
27.9
1.1
25.4
1.0
25.4
1.0
25.4
1.0
12.7
0.5
Signature page
27.9
1.1
30.5
1.0
25.4
1.0
25.4
1.0
12.7
0.5
All other pages
25.4
1.0
25.4
1.0
25.4
1.0
25.4
1.0
12.7
0.5
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4.1 Overall Formatting Conventions for Formal Documents
Formal documents are formatted for publication as books, in which specific document elements
begin on either left-hand (even-numbered) or right-hand (odd-numbered) pages (see Section 5).
Where necessary, in order to achieve these page assignments, some otherwise blank left-hand
pages are page-numbered and marked “This page was intentionally left blank.”
The pages in the front matter (beginning with the record of revisions/changes [see 5.3]) display a
series of lowercase roman page numbers (ii, iii, iv, etc.) in the footer, at the outside margin. The
cover of a formal document is like the hard cover of a book and neither bears a page number nor
counts as a numbered page. The signature page counts as Page i but does not bear a page
number. The first page of the body begins a new series of arabic page numbers (1, 2, etc.) in the
footer, at the outside margin, beginning with 1 and continuing through any appendices.
The headers for the covers and signature pages of formal documents are shown in Figure 4 and
are discussed in 5.1 and 5.2. The headers of all other pages in formal documents display the
document number on one line, followed by the Revision level (and Change number, if applicable
[see 6.2]) on the next line. Both lines are aligned at the outside margin.
Figure 4 shows the layout of the first five pages of a typical formal document printed double-
sided. Arrows indicate how the pages flow like a book, beginning with the right-hand cover.
KDP-T-5411 (a Microsoft Word template) is available for formatting formal documents
according to this guide.
4.2 Overall Formatting Conventions for Engineering Documents
Because of their more limited application and availability, engineering documents can be
formatted more simply, without regard for book-publishing conventions. Some specific
document elements begin on new pages, but none are designated as left-hand (even-numbered)
or right-hand (odd-numbered) pages.
Engineering documents show a single series of arabic page numbers (1, 2, etc.), which are
formatted as “Page # of <Total>” and are centered in the footer in 11-point Arial type. All sheets
(front matter, body, and appendices) count toward the total, but page numbers do not appear until
the first page after any signature pages (see 5.3).
The headers for the covers and signature pages of engineering documents are shown in Figure 5
and are discussed in 5.1 and 5.2. The headers of all other pages in engineering documents display
the document number on one line, followed by the Revision level (and Change number, if
applicable [see 6.2]) on the next line. Both lines are right-aligned at the right margin.
Figure 5 shows the layout of the first five pages of a typical engineering document printed
double-sided. Arrows indicate how the pages flow in a simple series.
Two Microsoft Word templates are provided for formatting engineering documents according to
this guide. KDP-T-5405 is the basic template, and KDP-T-5413 is an advanced template that
controls some document data through Advanced Document Properties.
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Figure 4. Opening Pages of a Typical Formal Document
counts as
Page i,
but never
bears a
number
right-hand pages
(front of two-sided print)
left-hand pages
(back of two-sided print)
cover
blank
back of
cover
signature
page
record of
revisions
/changes
table of
contents
doesn’t
count as a
page, so
no page
number
doesn’t
count as a
page, so
no page
number
Page ii Page iii
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Figure 5. Opening Pages of a Typical Engineering Document
Page
3 of 14
new pages
(front of two-sided print)
new pages
(back of two-sided print)
cover
signature
page
record of
revisions
/
changes
table of
contents
counts as
Page 1,
but never
bears a
number
counts as
Page 2,
but never
bears a
number
Page
4 of 14
list of
abbreviations
Page
5 of 14
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5. FORMATTING SPECIFIC DOCUMENT ELEMENTS
When a document contains any of the elements explained in this section, those elements should
be arranged in the order shown in this section.
5.1 Cover
A cover is required for all formal documents and engineering documents.
Observe the following conventions for components of the covers of formal documents and
engineering documents:
a. KSC Form 16-12
(1) Use KSC Form 16-12 for the covers of all formal documents. Use KSC
Form 16-12 for the covers of all engineering documents, unless the project or
release authority has designated a different cover.
(2) Replicate the features of the KSC Form 16-12 footer exactly. These features are
labels for NASA, KSC, and KSC Form 16-12; the NASA emblem; and a
horizontal dividing line. See the cover of this document as an example. Add any
required export control markings below the form features, but don’t add other text
or graphics in this area or delete, move, or alter any of the form features.
(3) Except as follows, add no other emblems or logos to a KSC Form 16-12 cover:
(a) Add the applicable measurement indicator (see Figure 6) to the upper left
corner of the cover of a formal document as directed by the release authority
(or designee) or to an engineering document as directed by the project. Use
the metric indicator when all measurements in the document are metric. Use
the metric/inch-pound indicator when all measurements are first given as
metric and then, in parentheses, as English equivalents. Use the not-
measurement-sensitive indicator when measurements are present but do not
strictly follow the metric or metric/inch-pound convention.
Figure 6. Measurement Indicators
(b) Add the Change emblem as instructed in 6.2 to release a Change.
(4) If the document follows a released template, place the template file name (such as
KDP-T-5405_Basic) in 6-point Arial type in the lower left corner below the KSC
Form 16-12 footer.
METRIC/INCH-POUND NOT MEASUREMENT-SENSITIVEMETRIC
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b. Document Number, Revision Level, and Change Number (if Applicable)
(1) Set these components in the header in title case (see 3.12.2) in bold, 14-point
Arial type.
(2) Place the document number on one line, and place the Revision level immediately
below it. If the release is for a Change (see 6.2), place the Change number (for
example, “Change 1”) after (but on the same line as) the Revision level, and
separate the two with a comma. Align both lines at the right margin, and don’t
add space between the lines.
c. Document Title
(1) Set the document title in all caps and in bold, 18-point Arial type.
(2) Center the title between the left and right margins, and balance the vertical
placement of the document title with the other cover components.
(3) Avoid introducing abbreviations in document titles. For document titles that have
two parts—one part that identifies the subject system, subsystem, project, or
program, and another part that identifies the type of document—put the subject
first and the type of document below it, double-spacing between. Don’t put a
comma between such components of the title.
d. Export Control Label and Language Paragraph
NOTE
The export control officer (ECO) may require
markings in addition to or in place of the export
control label and language paragraph. Explicit
instructions from the ECO take precedence over any
related instructions in this guide.
(1) Display any required export control label and language below the document title.
(2) Set the label (for example, “EAR 99 – NO LICENSE REQUIRED”) in bold,
14-point Arial type, and use all caps.
(3) Center the label between the left and right margins.
(4) Allow space between the label and the language paragraph.
(5) Set the language paragraph below the label, in a block paragraph of 10-point Arial
type, aligned at the left margin (with a ragged right margin).
(6) Don’t place a border around the label or language paragraph.
(7) Balance the vertical placement of the label and language paragraph with the other
cover components.
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e. Release Date
(1) Display the release date in “Month day, year” format and in title case (see 3.12.2)
below the export control text. Don’t add a zero before a single-digit day. Write
years as four digits.
(2) Set the date in bold, 14-point Arial type.
(3) Center the date between the left and right margins, and balance its vertical
placement with the other cover components.
f. Sponsoring Directorate
(1) Display the name of the sponsoring directorate or office in title case (see 3.12.2)
below the date.
(2) Set the name of the directorate or office in bold, 14-point Arial type.
(3) Center the name of the directorate or office between the left and right margins,
and balance its vertical placement with the other cover components.
Table 5 shows page assignments for the covers of formal documents and engineering documents.
Figure 7 shows an annotated cover suitable for a formal document or an engineering document.
Table 5. Page Assignments for a Cover
Cover of Formal Document
Cover of Engineering Document
• KSC Form 16-12
• KSC Form 16-12 unless designated otherwise by
project
• Right-hand page with entirely blank back
• New page
• Does not count as a page and shows no page number
• Counts as Page 1 but shows no page number
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Figure 7. Example of a KSC Form 16-12 Cover
14-point Arial, bold,
title case, right-aligned
18-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
10-point Arial, bold,
sentence case, left-aligned
14-point Arial, bold,
title case, centered
top
margin
1.1″
header 0.5″
from edge
bottom
margin
1.0″
right
margin
1.0″
left
margin
1.0″
footer 0.5″
from edge
unified graphic of the features
of KSC Form 16-12, placed
in-line in footer
one empty paragraph above document number
(for export control marking, if necessary):
11-point Arial, regular, centered, 6 points after
single-space a
multiline title
double-space between
a title and a document type
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5.2 Signature Page
Evidence of the identity, title, and signature (whether physical or electronic) of the release
authority for each document should be easy to find.
For formal documents, a mandatory signature page provides this evidence. The release authority
for a formal document is usually the director of the sponsoring directorate, though that authority
may be delegated. At the direction of the release authority (or designee), other signatories
(authors and reviewers) may be shown.
For engineering documents, the document repository may store this evidence. If that is the case,
the project or release authority may choose not to include a signature page in an engineering
document. For engineering documents, the release authority and other signatories are determined
by the program or project.
Regardless of document type, the number of signatories should be kept to a minimum. Multiple
signature pages are to be avoided. If a second signature page is unavoidable, it should show the
signatures of reviewers only—not the release authority.
Use plain paper—not KSC Form 16-12.
Except for the Cancellation emblem (when necessary—see 6.3), add no emblems or logos to a
signature page.
Observe the following conventions for components of the signature pages of formal documents
and engineering documents:
a. Document Number, Revision Level, and Change Number (if Applicable): Follow
the instructions in 5.1.b.
b. Document Title: Follow the instructions in 5.1.c.
c. Signature Blocks
(1) Use the following labels for the roles of signatories:
“Prepared by:” for authors,
“Concurrence by:” for reviewers, and
“Approved by:” for the release authority.
(2) For documents with up to three signatories, center the signature blocks in a single
column between the left and right margins. For documents with more signatories,
use two columns, and see 5.2.c.(3).
(3) When multiple signatories share a role (as authors, reviewers, or release
authorities), arrange the signature blocks for shared roles side by side and then in
multiple rows, if necessary. Don’t place signature blocks of different roles side by
side. When two signature blocks are side by side, align the signature lines
vertically, and label only the top left signature block for the particular role.
(4) Allow ample vertical space for written signatures.
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(5) Set all text in 11-point Arial type, and align all text below the corresponding
signature line at the left edge of the block. If space is tight because of multiple
signatories, reduce the type to 10 points, especially if it will preclude the need for
a second signature page.
(6) Try to show all names consistently. Initials and last name are sufficient, but honor
any expressed preferences for fuller name representations. Academic titles and
abbreviations are unnecessary.
(7) In formal documents with multiple signatories and in engineering documents,
place the signatory’s mail code after the name, but on the same line, and separate
the name and mail code with a comma. Below the name, show the signatory’s
functional title first, and then give enough context (program, project, system,
office, etc.) for the association with the subject of the document to be clear. For
example, write “Lead Design Engineer, CMASS” instead of “Engineer V.” Show
a managerial title first and then the office. For example, write “Chief, Technical
Management Branch” instead of “Branch Chief, Technical Management.”
(8) In a formal document signed by only the director or other head of a KSC office or
directorate, omit the mail code and show the name, position, and office as the
signatory prefers.
d. Release Date: Follow the instructions in 5.1.e.
e. Footer: In bold, 18-point Arial type and all caps, center the following in the footer,
between the left and right margins:
JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, NASA
Table 6 shows page assignments for the signature pages of formal documents and engineering
documents. Figure 8 shows an annotated signature page for three signatories, and Figure 9 shows
an annotated signature page for more signatories with shared roles.
Table 6. Page Assignments for a Signature Page
Signature Page of Formal Document
Signature Page of Engineering Document
• Right-hand page
• Next page: backs up the cover when document is
printed double-sided
• Counts as Page i but shows no page number
• Counts as Page 2 but shows no page number
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Figure 8. Signature Page for Three Signatories
14-point Arial, bold,
title case, right-aligned
18-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
top
margin
1.1″
header 0.5″
from edge
bottom
margin
1.0″
right
margin
1.0″
left
margin
1.0″
footer 0.5″
from edge
14-point Arial, bold,
sentence case, centered
18-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
all text in signature blocks:
11-point Arial, regular,
title case, left-aligned
all signature lines:
typed underscores, not drawn lines
one empty paragraph above document number
(for export control marking, if necessary):
11-point Arial, regular, centered, 6 points after
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Figure 9. Signature Page for Signatories with Shared Roles
14-point Arial, bold,
title case, right-aligned
18-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
top
margin
1.1″
header 0.5″
from edge
bottom
margin
1.0″
right
margin
1.0″
left
margin
1.0″
footer 0.5″
from edge
14-point Arial, bold,
sentence case, centered
18-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
all text in signature blocks:
11-point Arial, regular,
title case, left-aligned
all signature lines:
typed underscores, not drawn lines
one empty paragraph above document number
(for export control marking, if necessary):
11-point Arial, regular, centered, 6 points after
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5.3 Record of Revisions/Changes
NOTE
In this section, whenever Revision or Change
represents an edition of a document (whether
released or being prepared), the term is capitalized
to distinguish it from its more common use to
represent the concept of the corresponding altered
state.
Evidence of the release history for each document should be easy to find. For formal documents,
a mandatory record of revisions/changes provides this evidence. For engineering documents, the
document repository may store this evidence. If that is the case, the project or release authority
may choose not to include a record of revisions/changes in an engineering document.
The record of revisions/changes consists of a table listing the Revision level (REV LTR),
Change number (CHG NO.), description, and effective date, from left to right.
Observe the general conventions for tables explained in 3.18 and the following conventions for
records of revisions/changes of formal documents and engineering documents. Also see
Figure 10 and Figure 11.
a. Overall Formatting
(1) Title the page “RECORD OF REVISIONS/CHANGES.” Use bold, 11-point Arial
type, and center the title at the top of the page. Don’t place this title within the
table.
(2) Set column heads as bold, 11-point Arial type.
(3) Set data cells as 11-point Times New Roman type.
(4) Don’t allow a row to break across pages, except for a Change with a long
enumerated list of modifications (see 5.3.d(3) and f(3)).
(5) When the record extends to additional pages, repeat the column headings, but not
the page title.
(6) Don’t include the record of revisions/changes in the table of contents.
b. Release of a Basic Edition
(1) Leave the REV LTR and CHG NO. cells blank.
(2) In the DESCRIPTION cell, write “Basic issue.”
(3) In the DATE cell, repeat the release date from the cover.
c. Release of an Initial Revision
(1) Place the corresponding uppercase letter in the REV LTR cell, and leave the
CHG NO. cell blank.
(2) Unless a more specific description is necessary, in the DESCRIPTION cell, write
“General revision.”
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(3) Where a more specific description is desired, make an enumerated list with arabic
numbers, beginning with 1. (See the parallel example for Change A-1 in Figure
10.) Express each major content modification as a verb phrase in past tense. Set
each phrase in sentence case (see 3.12.1), and end each phrase with a period.
Notice that not every instance of a broad change needs to be listed.
(4) In the DATE cell, repeat the release date from the cover.
(5) See 6.1 for more information about Revisions.
(6) If the document being developed requires a record of revisions/changes and the
prior edition did not include one, compile one showing Revision levels, Change
numbers (if any), effective dates, and minimal descriptions. Show the Basic
edition and all Revisions and Changes—but not drafts.
d. Release of an Initial Change
(1) Leave the REV LTR cell empty.
(2) In the CHG NO. cell, enter the combination of the Revision level and the Change
number, for example, “Basic-1” or “A-1.”
(3) In the DESCRIPTION cell, make an enumerated list with arabic numbers,
beginning with 1. (See the example for Change A-1 in Figure 10, and see 6.2
regarding the vertical line in the margin of the row for Change A-1.) Express each
major content modification as a verb phrase in past tense. Set each phrase in
sentence case (see 3.12.1), and end each phrase with a period.
(4) In the DATE cell, repeat the release date from the cover.
(5) See 6.2 for more information about Changes.
Figure 10. Record of Revisions/Changes for a Change Following a Revision
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e. Release of a Revision Following a Change
(1) Place the corresponding uppercase letter in the REV LTR cell, and leave the
CHG NO. cell empty.
(2) Unless a more specific description is necessary, in the DESCRIPTION cell, write
“General revision.” Then mention the incorporation of the modifications from all
the Changes since the prior Revision. Figure 11 shows the record of
revisions/changes for the next Revision after the release of the Change that was
illustrated in Figure 10.
(3) Reduce the enumerated modifications for the prior Change to a summary, as is
shown for Change A-1 in Figure 11.
(4) In the DATE cell, repeat the release date from the cover.
(5) See 6.1 for more information about Revisions and 6.2 for more information about
Changes.
Figure 11. Record of Revisions/Changes for a Revision Following a Change
f. Release of Consecutive Changes
(1) Leave the REV LTR cell empty.
(2) In the CHG NO. cell, enter the combination of the Revision level and the Change
number, for example, “Basic-2” or “A-2.”
(3) In the DESCRIPTION cell, make an enumerated list with arabic numbers,
beginning with 1. (See the example for Change A-1 in Figure 10, and see 6.2
regarding the vertical line in the margin of the row for Change A-1.) Express each
major content modification as a verb phrase in past tense. Set each phrase in
sentence case (see 3.12.1), and end each phrase with a period.
(4) In the DATE cell, repeat the release date from the cover.
(5) Reduce the enumerated modifications for prior Changes to a summary, as is
shown for Change A-1 in Figure 11.
(6) See 6.2 for more information about Changes.
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Table 7 shows page assignments for the records of revision/changes for formal documents and
engineering documents.
Table 7. Page Assignments for a Record of Revisions/Changes
Record of Revisions/Changes
in Formal Document
Record of Revisions/Changes
in Engineering Document
• Left-hand page: backs up the signature page
• Next page: backs up the signature page when document
is printed double-sided
• Page numbering: “ii” at left margin of footer
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in center of footer
5.4 Foreword, Preface, Acknowledgment, and Executive Summary
Any or all of these optional elements may be included in the front matter of a formal document
or an engineering document at the discretion of the project or the release authority. These
elements should be placed in the order shown in the title of 5.4. See 5.4.1 through 5.4.3 for
specific writing conventions for these elements, but observe the following overall formatting
conventions:
a. Set the title of each of these elements in bold, 11-point Arial type, and center it between
the margins.
b. Don’t include the title in the table of contents.
c. Allow a comfortable space (at least 18 points) between the title and the text.
d. Set all paragraphs in 12-point Times New Roman type.
e. Use block-style paragraphs, left-aligned with ragged right margins.
Table 8 shows page assignments for these elements of the front matter in formal documents and
engineering documents.
5.4.1 Foreword and Preface
A foreword (which is written by someone other than the author of the document) and a preface
(which is written by the author of the document) serve the same purpose: to provide interesting
though nonessential background, such as how a project was conceived or its history. Observe the
following conventions for writing forewords or prefaces, and also see Table 8.
a. Don’t include material that is essential for understanding the document as a whole,
unless that material is repeated in the body of the document.
b. Don’t write a foreword or preface as an executive summary (see 5.4.3).
c. Identify the author of a foreword by name and title at the end of the foreword text.
d. If the document does not include a signature page, identify the author of a preface at the
end of the preface text.
e. Don’t include tables or complicated lists.
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f. Avoid placing figures in a foreword or preface, but if they are necessary to serve the
message, include only simple drawings or photographs—not complex diagrams or
charts.
g. Apply the conventions explained in 3.17 to figures in a foreword or preface, with the
following exceptions:
(1) Don’t number the figures or include them in the list of figures.
(2) Refer to figures in a foreword or preface generally rather than specifically, for
example, “as shown in the figures.”
Table 8. Page Assignments for a
Foreword, Preface, Acknowledgment, and Executive Summary
Element
Formal Document
Engineering Document
Foreword
• Right-hand page
• Page numbering: “iii” at right margin in
footer (following a one-page record of
revisions/changes)
• Next page: backs up the record of
revisions/changes when document is printed
double-sided
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in
center of footer
Preface
• Right-hand page if no foreword; otherwise,
can follow foreword on same page or can
start on next page
• Page numbering follows pattern at left or
right margin in footer
• Next page but can follow foreword on same
page
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in
center of footer
Acknowledgment
• Right-hand page if no foreword or preface;
otherwise, can follow foreword or preface on
same page or can start on next page
• Page numbering follows pattern at left or
right margin in footer
• Next page but can follow foreword or preface
on same page
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in
center of footer
Executive
Summary
• Right-hand page
• Page numbering follows pattern at left or
right margin in footer
• Next page
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in
center of footer
5.4.2 Acknowledgment
An acknowledgment may be written by the author of the document or by someone else closely
involved with the subject of the document to thank individuals or groups for their contributions.
Observe the following conventions for writing acknowledgments, and also see Table 8.
a. Try to express the gratitude and to describe the contributions specifically and in a
personal tone. See 3.7 about the use of personal pronouns.
b. Be thorough (or even generous) in acknowledging contributions—you won’t have a
second chance.
c. Show all names and titles accurately, reflecting individuals’ preferences. If you are not
sure about how contributors wish to be identified, contact them.
d. Don’t include tables, figures, or lists in an acknowledgment.
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e. Identify the author of an acknowledgment by name and title at the end of the
acknowledgment text.
5.4.3 Executive Summary
An executive summary does what the term implies: it summarizes a document’s content for one
or more executives. Its purpose is to help those executives make informed decisions quickly. An
executive summary is appropriate for a document that reports findings, such as the results of a
test, assessment, analysis, investigation, or trade study. It is not appropriate for a short document
or for a long detailed account without conclusions or findings, such as a requirements document.
Observe the following conventions for writing and organizing the material in executive
summaries, and also see Table 8.
a. Though an executive summary has no minimum or maximum length, keep it as short as
possible to adequately cover the material.
b. Write at a high level, but include enough detail and discussion to convince your
executive readers that your findings are valid. Don’t refer to material in the body or in
an appendix.
c. Make your conclusions clear from the start and easy for your executive readers to find.
d. Include essential figures or tables, and apply the conventions explained in 3.17 and
3.18 to figures and tables in an executive summary, with the following exceptions:
(1) Label figures and tables as “Executive Figure” and “Executive Table,” and
number them in a simple sequence (1, 2, etc.).
(2) Don’t include figures or tables from an executive summary in a list of figures or
tables.
e. If titled sections and subsections will make the executive summary easier to understand,
try to use no more than three unnumbered levels as follows:
(1) For the first level, set the titles in bold, 11-point Arial type in all caps, aligned at
the left margin.
(2) For the second level, set the titles in bold, 11-point Arial type in title case (see
3.12.2), aligned 0.5 inch from the left margin. Align runover title text with the
first line of the heading.
(3) For the third level, set the titles in bold, italic, 11-point Arial type in title case
(see 3.12.2), aligned 1.0 inch from the left margin. Align runover title text with
the first line of the heading.
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5.5 Table of Contents
A table of contents is required for all formal documents and for those engineering documents
(1) whose body and any appendices exceed 15 pages or (2) that include either a list of figures or
a list of tables (see 5.6).
Observe the following conventions for tables of contents:
a. Make a single table of contents for sections and subsections of the body and titles of
appendices. Don’t place appendix titles in a separate table.
b. Title the page “CONTENTS”—not “TABLE OF CONTENTS.” Use bold, 11-point
Arial type, and center the title at the top of the page. If the table of contents extends to
another page, don’t repeat the page title.
c. Allow a comfortable space (at least 18 points) between the title and the text.
d. Don’t include column labels for sections, titles, or page numbers.
e. Set the entries in 11-point Arial type, and apply the same casing used in the
corresponding titles in the body.
f. Left-align the numbers of sections and subsections and the labels and identifiers of
appendices (for example, “APPENDIX A”) at the left margin.
g. Left-align the titles of sections, subsections, and appendices 1.25 inches from the left
margin.
h. Don’t allow long titles to crowd page numbers. Break long titles well short of the width
necessary for page numbers, and align any runover title text with the beginning of the
title.
i. Right-align page numbers at the right margin, with leader dots from the ends of the
titles.
j. Don’t include elements of the front matter (record of revisions/changes; foreword;
preface; acknowledgment; executive summary; table of contents; or lists of figures,
tables, or abbreviations) in the table of contents.
k. Begin entries with the first section in the body.
l. Show up to five body levels (for example, “1.2.3.4.5”) in the table of contents.
m. Don’t show subsections within appendices.
n. Double-space before entries for sections and appendices, for example, between “1.3”
and “2,” but not between “1.2” and “1.3.”
o. Show numbers and titles as they appear in the body and appendices. Using the word
processing program’s automatic features (styles, etc.) will make the table of contents as
accurate as it can be.
Table 9 shows page assignments for tables of contents in formal documents and engineering
documents.
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Table 9. Page Assignments for a Table of Contents
Table of Contents in Formal Document
Table of Contents in Engineering Document
• Right-hand page
• Next page
• Page numbering follows pattern at right margin in footer
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in center of footer
5.6 Lists of Figures and Tables
Lists of figures and tables are required for documents that contain more than five figures or
tables. Although you show figures and tables in separate lists, observe the following conventions
for both lists:
a. Place the list of figures before the list of tables.
b. Title the lists “FIGURES” and “TABLES”—not “LIST OF FIGURES” and “LIST OF
TABLES.” Use bold, 11-point Arial type, and center the title between the margins. If a
list extends to another page, don’t repeat the list title.
c. Allow a comfortable space (at least 18 points) between the title and the entries.
d. Don’t include column labels for figure or table numbers, titles, or page numbers.
e. Set the entries in 11-point Arial type, and apply the same casing used in the
corresponding titles in the body.
f. Align the labels and numbers of figures and tables at the left margin.
g. Separate the figure or table number from its title with a period and a space.
h. Don’t allow long titles to crowd page numbers. Break long titles well short of the width
necessary for page numbers, and align any runover title text with the beginning of the
title.
i. Single-space between entries.
j. Show numbers and titles as they appear in the body and appendices. Using the word
processing program’s automatic features (styles, captions, etc.) will make the lists of
figures and tables as accurate as they can be.
k. Don’t show figures or tables from an executive summary (see 5.4.3) in a list of figures
or tables.
l. Don’t show the title of a list of figures or a list of tables in the table of contents.
Table 10 shows page assignments for lists of figures and tables in formal documents and
engineering documents.
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Table 10. Page Assignments for Lists of Figures and Tables
Lists of Figures and Tables
in Formal Document
Lists of Figures and Tables
in Engineering Document
• List of figures can follow table of contents on same
page or can start on next page
• List of tables can follow table of contents (or list of
figures) on same page or can start on next page
• List of figures can follow table of contents on same page
or can start on next page
• List of tables can follow table of contents (or list of
figures) on same page or can start on next page
• Page numbering follows pattern at left or right margin in
footer
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in center of footer
5.7 List of Abbreviations
A list of abbreviations is required for documents that contain 15 or more abbreviations. Observe
the following conventions for lists of abbreviations:
a. Title the list “ABBREVIATIONS, ACRONYMS, AND SYMBOLS.” Use bold,
11-point Arial type, and center the title at the top of the page. If the list extends to
another page, don’t repeat the list title.
b. Allow a comfortable space (at least 18 points) between the title and the first entry.
c. In an engineering document that contains abbreviations that were not called out in the
body or appendices (see 3.5.3), place the following statement between the title and the
first entry. Use 12-point Times New Roman type, and set the statement as a block-style
paragraph, left-aligned with a ragged right margin:
Elements, units of measure, and other terms commonly understood within the
subject disciplines are abbreviated in this document without callouts. Those
abbreviations and symbols are among the following.
d. Don’t include column labels for the abbreviation or the meaning.
e. Align the abbreviations at the left margin.
f. Set the abbreviations and meanings in 12-point Times New Roman type.
g. Align the meanings 1.5 inches to 2 inches from the left margin, and align any runover
text with the beginning of the meaning. Increase the indentation of the entire meaning
column if more space is necessary to accommodate a wide abbreviation.
h. Don’t allow a meaning to be broken across pages.
i. Allow enough space between entries to allow them to be read comfortably. You can
adjust the spacing to prevent the final few entries from requiring an additional page.
j. If the document content is highly scientific or mathematical, consider a separate list for
Latin or Greek symbols.
k. List all abbreviation and meanings (including those for rates) as singular. For example,
define V as volt—not volts—and mph as mile per hour—not miles per hour.
l. Capitalize only those meanings that are proper nouns.
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m. Don’t show the title of a list of abbreviations in the table of contents.
n. Don’t show the following abbreviations or types of abbreviations in the list of
abbreviations: days, months, states, U.S. territories, symbols for mathematical
operators, the dollar symbol ($), the percent symbol (%), or U.S. when it stands for
United States.
o. Make sure that the list of abbreviations contains only those abbreviations that appear in
the document.
Table 11 shows page assignments for lists of abbreviations in formal documents and engineering
documents.
Table 11. Page Assignments for a List of Abbreviations
List of Abbreviations in Formal Document
List of Abbreviations in Engineering Document
• Right-hand page
• Next page
• Page numbering follows pattern at right margin in footer
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in center of footer
5.8 Sections and Subsections
Observe the following conventions for establishing sections and subsections:
a. Although word processing programs offer many levels of automatically numbered
headings, keep the number of levels to the minimum that will adequately organize the
material, but see 5.8.c.
b. Set all headings (that is, the numbers and titles of sections and subsections) in bold,
11-point Arial type.
c. Apply outline numbering with arabic numbers (1., 1.1, 1.1.1, etc.), as is done in this
guide. Add a closing decimal point to only the first level.
d. Separate the heading numbers from the titles with a tab. Align any runover title text
with the beginning of the title.
e. With the exception of a requirements document, don’t subdivide a section or
subsection into only one subsequent subsection. For example, don’t allow Section 1
without Section 2 or allow 2.1 without 2.2. In a requirements document, in which
individual requirements are outline-numbered but not titled, a single numbered
requirement may exist within a titled section or subsection.
f. Except as is explained in 5.8.e, give each outline-numbered section and subsection a
title. Set the titles of whole sections (such as Section 3, but not 3.1 or 3.1.1) in all caps,
and set the titles of subsections (such as 2.1 or 4.2.15) in title case (see 3.12.2).
g. Express titles as simple noun phrases (as appear in the titles of sections and subsections
throughout this guide) set in title case (see 3.12.2), without end punctuation. Keep titles
brief but descriptive. Except where a pattern of subsections applies to multiple subjects
in the document, make each title unique.
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h. Double-space between the title of a section or subsection and the paragraph that follows
it, and keep the section or subsection title and the beginning of its first paragraph on the
same page. If a section or subsection title is followed by another subsection title, keep
both titles and the beginning of their first paragraph on the same page.
i. Don’t force new sections to the tops of pages simply as a matter of course, but see
5.11.c.
5.9 Section for Introductory Material
The first section of a document introduces the subject and context of the document and
customarily discusses purpose and scope. In addition to applying the general guidance of 5.8,
observe the following conventions for introductory sections:
a. Keep all introductory material in a single section (that is, in Section 1).
b. Arrange any subsections logically, and keep the content concise and on topic.
5.10 Section for Applicable or Reference Documents
The second section of a document is reserved for a listing of documents in the following
categories:
applicable document: a document whose authority is expressly invoked by the current
document to a specified degree.
reference document: a document whose authority is not expressly invoked by the
current document but that provides relevant though nonessential information.
Refer to Section 2 as an example of properly formatted lists of applicable documents and
reference documents. In addition to applying the general guidance of 5.8, observe the following
conventions for this section:
a. If there are both applicable documents and reference documents, title Section 2 as
“Documents,” 2.1 as “Applicable Documents,” and 2.2 as “Reference Documents.”
Place the following introductory paragraph immediately below the title “Applicable
Documents,” and then list the documents that apply to each subsection as instructed in
5.10.e.
“The following documents form a part of this document to the extent specified
herein.”
b. If there are only applicable documents, title Section 2 as “Applicable Documents,”
place the introductory paragraph shown in 5.10.a, and then apply the guidance in
5.10.d.
c. If there are only reference documents (cited or not), title Section 2 as “Reference
Documents” and apply the guidance in 5.10.d and e.
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d. If either applicable documents or reference documents come from both Government
and Non-Government sources, establish subsections at the next lower level and title
them as “Government Documents” and “Non-Government Documents,” in that order.
Then list the documents that apply to each subsection as instructed in 5.10.e.
e. Arrange and format each list in Section 2 as follows:
(1) Set each list of documents in two untitled columns in 12-point Times New Roman
type, with the document numbers on the left and the titles on the right.
(2) Don’t italicize the titles here.
(3) If an applicable document or reference document has no document number or
International Standard Book Number (ISBN), leave the left column blank.
(4) If an applicable document or reference document has both a document number
and an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), show the document number
first, and place the ISBN in parentheses below the document number.
(5) Indent the document numbers at least 0.5 inch from the left margin. Indent the
titles at least 2.5 inches from the left margin, and if necessary, increase that
indentation consistently for all lists in Section 2 to accommodate the width
occupied by the longest document number or book number.
(6) If you are writing a legally binding document, such as a contract, procurement
specification, statement of work, or performance work statement, specify the
edition or revision level of each applicable document. Otherwise, don’t specify
editions or revision levels of applicable or reference documents.
(7) Try to show each title as it appears on the document cover, but don’t try to mimic
fonts or spacing. Do not abbreviate titles unless multiple titles are long and
difficult to comprehend quickly. You may then replace phrases with well-
recognized abbreviations, as long as you explain this method in a paragraph that
immediately precedes the particular list. Except for ISO standards (which observe
sentence case [see 3.12.1] for titles and subtitles) and the Code of Federal
Regulations (which observes title case for titles and parts [see 3.12.2] and
observes sentence case for sections), apply title case to document titles.
(8) Align any runover title text with the beginning of the title.
(9) Don’t allow a title to be broken across pages.
(10) Allow enough vertical space between document entries to allow them to be read
comfortably.
(11) In new documents, make no further source distinctions (such as for NASA
Centers, for U.S. Government agencies, or for scientific or industrial
organizations). In Revisions, retain any further source distinctions that remain
useful.
(12) Sort each list alphanumerically by document number or book number.
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5.11 Paragraphs
Observe the following conventions for paragraphs in the front matter, body, and appendices:
a. Unless otherwise noted, use 12-point Times New Roman type.
b. Set the paragraphs in block style (that is, without initial indentation) aligned at the left
margin. Keep a ragged right margin. Don’t use justification. Single-space all lines
within paragraphs, but double-space between paragraphs.
c. Don’t allow a single line of a multiline paragraph to be stranded at the top of a page (a
widow) or at the bottom of a page (an orphan). Engaging the widow/orphan protection
feature of the word processing program will usually keep three-line paragraphs from
breaking across pages. In general, try to keep short paragraphs (five lines or less) on a
single page.
d. Keep any sentence or clause that uses a colon to signal the introduction of a list or
explanatory text (sentences, clauses, phrases, or words) on the same page with the
beginning of the list or explanatory text, whether in the same paragraph or separate
paragraphs. Likewise, when a paragraph ends in a sentence that is completed by items
in a vertical list (see Table 2) (and therefore does not take a colon), keep the end of the
introductory paragraph and the first item on the same page.
e. Avoid automatic hyphenation for two reasons: First, automatic hyphenation can give
the impression that some words, especially those containing prefixes or suffixes, are
misspelled. Second, automatic hyphenation will allow the last word of a paragraph to
be broken across lines and allow the last word on a page to be broken across pages.
Avoid such breaks, regardless of whether automatic hyphenation is used.
f. Avoid the use of quotation marks, italics, or underlining to emphasize words in running
text, especially when the meaning (often figurative) is clear. If emphasis is essential,
apply bold typeface.
g. Use italics where it can highlight a pattern that applies to a section of text. An example
is paragraphs that state individual requirements, where each requirement paragraph is
followed by an explanatory or guidance paragraph. Setting the requirement paragraphs
in roman type and the explanatory or guidance paragraphs in italic type can help your
readers to quickly distinguish the purpose of a paragraph by its appearance. To use the
technique most effectively, you should explain the pattern immediately before its first
instance.
5.12 Appendices
Appendices are appropriate for large amounts of data or any amount of supplemental reference
information that will not flow smoothly in the body of the document. Observe the following
conventions for appendices:
a. Don’t reproduce other documents and attach them as appendices (see 3.22.2).
b. Identify each appendix by a capital letter, starting with A. In this scheme, use AA for
the 27
th
appendix, BB for the 28
th
appendix, and so on. But if you expect more than
26 appendices, consider using arabic numbers (1, 2, etc.) to identify all the appendices.
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c. Introduce each appendix in the body (or in a prior appendix) by label and identifier, as
in “see Appendix A.”
d. Arrange the appendices in the order in which they were introduced.
e. In a formal document, start each appendix on a right-hand (odd-numbered) page.
f. In an engineering document, start each appendix on a new page.
g. At the top of the page, left-align the label APPENDIX (in all caps) and the identifying
letter and follow them with a period, a tab, and the title (also in all caps). Don’t use end
punctuation.
h. Set the label, the identifying letter (or number [see 5.12.b]), and the title in bold,
11-point Arial type. Align any runover title text with the beginning of the title.
i. To divide an appendix into subsections, apply the following conventions, but also see
5.12.b:
(1) Outline-number the subsection headings in the following pattern: A.1 to identify
the first-level subsection in Appendix A, A.1.1 to identify the second-level
subsection in Appendix A, etc.
(2) Don’t subdivide an appendix or a subsection of an appendix into only one
subsequent subsection. For example, don’t allow A.1 without A.2.
(3) Don’t include subsections of appendices in the table of contents.
(4) Left-align the subsection number and separate it from the title with a tab.
(5) Set the title in bold, 11-point Arial type and in title case (see 3.12.2).
(6) Express titles as simple noun phrases (as appear in the titles of appendices in this
guide) set in title case (see 3.12.2). Keep titles brief but descriptive. Except where
a pattern of subsections applies to multiple subjects in the appendix, make each
title unique.
Table 12 shows page assignments for appendices in formal documents and engineering
documents.
Table 12. Page Assignments for an Appendix
Appendix in Formal Document
Appendix in Engineering Document
• Right-hand page
• Next page
• Page numbering follows pattern at right margin in footer
• Page numbering: “Page # of <Total>” in center of footer
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5.13 Multivolume Manuals or Documents
Avoid dividing manuals or documents into multiple volumes, but when they are necessary,
observe the following and all other conventions in this guide:
a. Devote each volume to a discrete aspect of the overall subject. Assign volumes
logically. Don’t simply divide a long document into volumes at arbitrary points.
b. Give each volume the same document number and overall title, but assign a distinct
subtitle and a volume number. Roman numerals (I, II, etc.) are preferred for a confined
number of volumes (perhaps up to 20), where the roman notation is easy to decode. For
documents expected to exceed 20 volumes, arabic volume numbers (1, 2, etc.) are
preferred.
c. Give each volume a cover (5.1), a signature page (5.2), a record of revisions/changes
(5.3), a table of contents (5.5), and if warranted, lists of figures and tables (5.6) and a
list of abbreviations (5.7).
d. Place the volume number in the header of each page, separated from the document
number by a comma, as in “KSC-GP-435, Volume I.”
e. Reflect updates comprehensively and consistently across affected volumes, but release
Revisions (6.1), Changes (6.2), or Cancellations (6.3) for only the affected volumes.
6. REVISIONS, CHANGES, AND CANCELLATIONS
NOTE
In this section, whenever Revision, Change, or
Cancellation represents an edition of a document
(whether released or being prepared), the term is
capitalized to distinguish it from its more common
use to represent the concept of the corresponding
altered state.
6.1 Revisions
The following conventions apply to Revisions of all documents, but see KDP-KSC-P-1538 for
how Revisions of KSC Specifications and KSC Standards are processed.
a. A Revision is issued for the following types of updates:
(1) additions, deletions, and updates of a significant portion of the total text,
(2) reorganization of material, or
(3) any important differences in scope, application, or technical content.
b. The Revision includes the content of any Changes (see 6.2) that were released since the
previous edition (Basic or Revision), and the record of revisions/changes mentions the
inclusion of Changes by number.
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c. Revisions require at least the same participation, review, and approval that applied to
the Basic edition.
d. Revisions are identified by capital letters, beginning with A.
e. The revised content requires no special formatting.
f. The reflection of a Revision in the record of revisions/changes is described in 5.3.
6.2 Changes
The project or release authority determines whether Changes are released for associated
engineering documents and how those Changes will be indicated.
The following conventions apply to Changes against all formal documents (including KSC
Specifications and KSC Standards), but see KDP-KSC-P-1538 for how Changes against KSC
Specifications and KSC Standards are processed.
a. A Change is released when a full review is not warranted for the following types of
updates:
(1) important editorial corrections (confusing typographical errors, title changes,
paragraph renumbering, etc.),
(2) removal of obsolete requirements,
(3) removal of cancelled applicable documents with no replacements,
(4) substitution of cancelled applicable documents with replacements that were
authorized by their cancellation, or
(5) addition of requirements or applicable documents that are already authorized or
mandated by a NASA directive or by law.
b. Changes are identified by appending the words “Change X” to the Revision level of the
current edition, where “X” is the next available arabic number (1, 2, etc.). For example,
the first Change against Revision Basic would be “Revision Basic, Change 1,” and the
next Change would be “Revision Basic, Change 2.”
c. The cover, signature page, record of revisions/changes, and those pages whose
technical content is affected by the Change are labeled as Change pages. Pages whose
composition is affected only by the addition or deletion of material on prior pages
(pages that roll) are also labeled as Change pages.
d. The Change emblem appears on the cover of each Change, as shown in Figure 12.
e. The updated points are described clearly, concisely, and in parallel expression
(see 3.11) in the record of revisions/changes (see 5.3).
f. A vertical bar appears in the outer margin next to lines whose technical content is
altered by the Change.
g. Lines whose composition (that is, the positions of their characters) is altered solely
from the addition or deletion of material in prior lines are not marked with vertical bars.
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Figure 12. Example of the Cover for a Change Edition
14-point Arial, bold,
title case, right-aligned
18-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
10-point Arial,
sentence case,
left-aligned
14-point Arial, bold,
title case, centered
top
margin
1.1″
header 0.5″
from edge
bottom
margin
1.0″
right
margin
1.0″
left
margin
1.0″
footer 0.5″
from edge
unified graphic of KSC
Form 16-12 features
placed in-line in footer
one empty paragraph above document number
(for export control marking, if necessary):
11-point Arial, regular, centered, 6 points after
14-point Arial,
right-aligned,
date of Change
date of Basic
or Revision
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h. Vertical bars do not appear next to modifications to covers, signature pages, headers,
footers, tables of contents, or lists of figures or tables.
i. When multiple Change editions affect a page (whether from technical modifications
marked with vertical bars, from page roll, or from a combination), all vertical bars are
retained and the page is identified with the newest Change number.
j. The participation and review associated with the preparation of a Basic edition or a
Revision are neither required nor appropriate.
k. All Changes are thoroughly reflected in the next Revision. See 6.1.b.
l. The reflection of a Change in the record of revisions/changes is described in 5.3.
6.3 Cancellations
a. The project or release authority determines the method for indicating the cancellation of
engineering documents.
b. Formal documents (including KSC Specifications and KSC Standards) are cancelled by
releasing the signature page (see 5.2) bearing a Cancellation emblem in the upper left
corner as shown in Figure 13. The Revision level is raised, and the document date is
changed to the effective date of the cancellation. The cancellation statement identifies
the number, Revision level, and release date of the document being cancelled and the
supersession, if any. The cancellation statement appears in 12-point Arial type,
centered, and in sentence case. Only the signature of the release authority needs to be
shown on a cancellation signature page (see 5.2.c(8)). See KDP-KSC-P-1538 for how
Cancellations of KSC Specifications and KSC Standards are processed.
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Figure 13. Example of the Cancellation of a Formal Document
14-point Arial, bold,
title case, right-aligned
18-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
top
margin
1.1″
header 0.5″
from edge
bottom
margin
1.0″
right
margin
1.0″
left
margin
1.0″
footer 0.5″
from edge
14-point Arial, bold,
title case, centered
18-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
all text in signature block:
11-point Arial, regular,
title case, left-aligned
signature line: typed underscores,
not drawn line
cancellation statement:
12-point Arial, regular,
sentence case, centered
10-point Arial, bold,
all caps, centered
1.5-point outline,
1.5″W × 0.5″H
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APPENDIX A. USE OF SPECIFIC TERMS
See keystroke combinations for typing nonbreaking spaces, nonbreaking hyphens, and other characters not found on the standard keyboard.
Term
Usage Notes
#) (single closing parenthesis)
Avoid the use of a single closing parenthesis following an enumerator,
whether it appears in running text or in a list. When enumerators need to
be set off, especially in running text, always enclose them fully. Always
keep such enumerators on the same line as the first word of the text they
introduce.
& (ampersand [and])
The ampersand is used in running text only in an abbreviation. Its only
other acceptable use is in a title that is specially formatted for visual
effect (such as in a poster). In such a title, omit the comma that would
have preceded and in a series of three or more items.
$ (dollar)
Use the dollar symbol only with a value or to indicate the unit of
measure for a table column or a graph axis. The symbol may be used in
all documents, without callout or inclusion in lists of abbreviations. Use
$K, $M, and $B to indicate thousands, millions, and billions of dollars,
respectively. Always repeat the dollar symbol and these abbreviated
multiples, when applicable, for all such items in a series and on both
sides of a range. Also see 3.16.5.
% (percent)
See percent, percentage, %.
(s) (es) (inflection)
See parenthetical plurals.
2-D, 3-D (adjective, noun)
The hyphenated form is preferred when two-dimensional or three-
dimensional (adjective) is abbreviated. For consistency, retain the
hyphen when this abbreviation represents the noun (two dimensions or
three dimensions), as in “The launch was filmed in 3-D.” Keep the
abbreviation from breaking across lines by using a nonbreaking hyphen.
about (adverb)
See approximately.
adapter (noun)
Spell as shown.
advance planning,
advanced planning (noun)
See planning.
adviser (noun)
Spell as shown.
after (preposition)
Use after instead of subsequent to. After sounds more natural and
therefore less pretentious, and both prepositions mean the same thing.
and/or (conjunction)
Avoid this combination. In nearly all cases, or conveys the possibility
that either or both of the stated options apply. If you cannot trust or to
carry your message, write, for example, “use <option 1>, <option 2>, or
both.”
appear, display (verb)
Use display only transitively (with a direct object, as in “to display the
instructions here” or “click More to display options”). To signify a
resulting change in a computer interface, use appear or appears, as in
“When you click More, additional options will appear.”
appendix, appendices (noun)
Appendices is the preferred plural.
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See keystroke combinations for typing nonbreaking spaces, nonbreaking hyphens, and other characters not found on the standard keyboard.
Term
Usage Notes
approximately (adverb)
Use approximately instead of about or around to describe estimations in
technical and scientific writing. Don’t use approximately with highly
specific values. Don’t use approximately and any form of estimate in the
same sentence. Write, for example, “The conduit holds approximately
50 cables” or “We estimate that the conduit can hold 50 cables,” not
“The conduit is estimated to hold approximately 53 cables.”
as (conjunction)
Don’t use as to introduce a clause of reason. Instead, use because, since,
or for, as in “We chose this material because (not as) it is the industry
standard.”
as per (preposition)
See per.
assure, ensure, and insure
(verb)
Use assure only to mean “to give confidence to.” In active voice, use
assure only with an object, as in “I assure (give confidence to) you
that….” In passive voice, the object in the example (you) becomes the
subject, as in “You were assured that….”
Use ensure only to mean “to guarantee.” Also see specific advice about
ensure.
Use insure only to mean “to protect against financial loss,” as through an
insurance policy.
axis, axes (noun)
x-axis, y-axis, or z-axis
(nouns)
When you identify a particular dimension of a coordinate system,
italicize the dimension (such as x, y, and z), and connect it to the base
word (axis—but not italicized) with a nonbreaking hyphen. When you
identify multiple dimensions consecutively, take care to apply the same
typesetting and suspend all but the final hyphen (for example, “the x-
and y-axes”) as explained in 3.9.5.
before (preposition)
Use before instead of prior to. Before sounds more natural and therefore
less pretentious, and both prepositions mean the same thing.
cancel, cancelled, cancelling
(verb)
cancellation (noun)
Spell as shown.
communication (noun)
communications (noun)
Use communication as a noun or a modifier in the general sense of
imparting or exchanging information (for example, “a method of
communication” or “a communication plan”). Use communications as a
noun or a modifier to indicate either a means of transmitting data (for
example, “satellite communications” or “a communications network”) or
a field of study.
Coordinated Universal Time
(noun)
Use this internationally accepted name (capitalized) instead of
Greenwich Mean Time or GMT. Abbreviate it as UTC, but only if space
is tight. Don’t use Universal Time Coordinate or Universal Time
Coordinated to align with the abbreviation.
D.C. (noun)
In other than a postal address, retain the periods when abbreviating
District of Columbia, and don’t insert spaces. Always identify the
District of Columbia as “Washington, D.C.”
directorate (noun)
Treat the same way as program.
display (verb)
See appear.
division (noun)
Treat the same way as program.
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See keystroke combinations for typing nonbreaking spaces, nonbreaking hyphens, and other characters not found on the standard keyboard.
Term
Usage Notes
due to (adjective phrase)
In strict terms, due to means attributable to. Reserve due to for opening
an adjective phrase following some form of the verb to be, as in “the
failure is due to a faulty circuit.” For opening an adverb phrase, avoid
due to in favor of a more precise phrase, such as because of, as a result
of, on account of, or as a consequence of. Also, express reasons as
specifically as possible. To illustrate, “the launch was delayed because
of bad weather” is better stated and more precise than “the launch was
delayed due to weather.”
e.g. (abbreviation)
This Latin abbreviation means “for example” or “such as.” Always
retain the periods. Italicize e.g. only when it represents itself as a word
(as it does in this sentence) or when it is part of text that is already
italicized. Unless e.g. is representing itself as a word, always follow it
with a comma. E.g. and the words or phrases it introduces are best
enclosed in parentheses. Because examples are understood not to be
exhaustive, never end a list introduced by e.g. with etc. Never begin a
sentence with e.g. unless you are using it to represent itself as a word, as
was done earlier in this note. Always keep e.g. on the same line as the
first word of the text it introduces by placing a nonbreaking space
between the comma and the next word. If there is any chance that your
readers will mistake e.g. for the meaning of i.e. (that is), use the English
words (either for example or such as) instead.
either (adjective)
Be careful of confusing either with both. Either means only one of two
stated or clearly implied alternatives. Consider this example: “Keep a
3 ft clearance around either side of the door.” This tells the reader to pick
one—and only one—side of the door and to keep a 3 ft clearance around
that side. Use either when you mean only one of two alternatives. Use
both when you mean both.
e-mail (noun, verb)
Always hyphenate this term, and use a nonbreaking hyphen to prevent
the term from breaking across lines.
ensure (verb)
Try to notice words or phrases that exaggerate. A particular exaggerator
is ensure, which means “to guarantee.” If you’re not comfortable
replacing ensure with guarantee, don’t write ensure. Determine whether
the outcome you claim to be ensured can indeed be ensured, and be
certain that the agent, whether a person, system, or procedure, can truly
ensure the outcome you claim. Adding help to ensure is not a good
alternative if it is not truly possible to ensure the outcome you claim. A
better approach is to analyze the agent for what it can actually do and to
describe the capability directly (for example, using improve, increase, or
benefit). This same caution applies to the use of optimize, maximize,
minimize, prevent, and other words that denote the achievement of an
ultimate or absolute outcome.
et al. (abbreviation)
This Latin abbreviation means “and others.” Always retain the period.
Italicize et al. only when it represents itself as a word (as it does in this
sentence). Use et al. only in footnotes, endnotes, or bibliographies. Use
it to indicate all but the first author of a work by at least three authors, as
in “H.W. Fowler et al.,” or “Garner, B.A., et al.”
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See keystroke combinations for typing nonbreaking spaces, nonbreaking hyphens, and other characters not found on the standard keyboard.
Term
Usage Notes
etc. (abbreviation)
This Latin abbreviation means “and others” or “and so forth.” Always
retain the period. Italicize etc. only when it represents itself as a word (as
it does in this sentence) or when it is part of text that is already italicized.
Unless etc. appears at the end of a sentence, always follow it with a
comma. Don’t use “and etc.” Don’t use etc. in phrases that began with
such as, for example, namely, that is, e.g., or i.e.
flight equipment (noun)
Capitalize only in titles and column heads.
flight hardware (noun)
Capitalize only in titles and column heads.
gauge, gage (noun, verb)
Gauge is preferred, but gage is an acceptable variant if the spelling is
consistent within the document and conforms to the spelling in any
governing documents.
gray (adjective, noun)
Spell as shown. Don’t use gray or grayed out to describe a computer
option that cannot be selected. Use unavailable instead.
ground support equipment
(noun)
Capitalize only in titles and column heads.
hard copy (noun)
hard-copy (adjective)
A hard copy is a paper print of a software file. Avoid using the term as
an adjective (as in “a hard-copy version”) because the noun it modifies is
usually superfluous. However, if the term is essential as an adjective,
hyphenate it as hard-copy. Also see soft copy.
headquarters (noun)
For clarity, always distinguish between KSC Headquarters and NASA
Headquarters. In these uses, capitalize the term, and use a singular verb
with it. Without the attachment of a proper noun, set headquarters in
lowercase (for example, “the company’s headquarters is in Washington,
D.C.”). Headquarters implies a building, so don’t write “KSC (or
NASA) Headquarters building.”
i.e. (abbreviation)
This Latin abbreviation means “that is.” Always retain the periods.
Italicize i.e. only when it represents itself as a word (as it does in this
sentence) or when it is part of text that is already italicized. Unless i.e. is
representing itself as a word, always follow it with a comma. I.e. and the
words or phrases it introduces are best enclosed in parentheses. Because
the words or phrases are understood to identify their subject definitively
and exhaustively, never end a list introduced by i.e. with etc. Never
begin a sentence with i.e. unless you are using it to represent itself as a
word, which was done earlier in this note. Always keep i.e. on the same
line as the first word of the text it introduces by placing a nonbreaking
space between the comma and the next word. If there is any chance that
your readers will mistake i.e. for the meaning of e.g. (for example), use
the English words (that is) instead.
impact (noun, verb)
Avoid impact except for the sense of forceful physical contact. To
express an unknown result, use a neutral noun, such as effect, result,
change, influence, or consequence. When the result is known, use a more
descriptive noun, such as delay, improvement, increase, benefit,
decrease, reduction, or damage. For a verb, use affects, results in,
influences, or changes when the effect is unknown. When the effect is
known, use a more descriptive verb, such as delays, improves, increases,
benefits, decreases, reduces, or damages.
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Term
Usage Notes
incentivize (verb)
Incentivize is an unfortunate vogue word. Don’t use it. Instead, identify
the incentive that is offered by name. If you don’t know the incentive or
don’t want to identify it, express the thought in terms of giving or
offering an incentive, motivating or offering motivation, or inducing or
offering an inducement.
include, to (infinitive phrase)
When it is necessary to emphasize that the message of the sentence
applies to particular examples, including is preferred over to include.
Also see including.
including (preposition)
When the message of the sentence clearly applies to all members of a
stated class, don’t emphasize particular examples. To do so is redundant,
as in “All ground support equipment designs shall comply with the
requirements of KSC-DE-512-SM, including designs of fluid systems.”
Trust the reader to understand absolutes.
When it is necessary to emphasize that the message of the sentence
applies to particular examples, introduce the examples with including,
and place a comma before including. Also see including but not limited
to.
including but not limited to
(prepositional phrase)
Including signals one or more examples. By definition, examples are not
exhaustive. Don’t write including but not limited to. See including.
inert (verb)
Don’t use inert as a verb. Instead, write “purge” or “render <something>
inert.” Use inert as only an adjective.
in situ (adjective, adverb)
Use this Latin phrase, which means “in the natural or original position or
place,” only in scientific discussions. Always italicize it and show it as
two separate words—without a hyphen. As part of text shown in title
case (see 3.12.2), capitalize both words.
interface (noun, verb)
Don’t substitute “interface with” for “work with,” “communicate with,”
“talk to,” “use,” or any other more direct and more natural way of
describing how people interact with other people, hardware, or computer
programs. Reserve interface (as a noun or a verb) for discussions of how
items of hardware or software interconnect or work.
internet (noun)
Capitalize only in titles or column heads.
issue (noun)
Avoid issue as a substitute for problem, concern, factor, etc. Use issue to
signify topics that are open to debate.
its (pronoun)
it’s (contraction)
Its is the possessive form of the pronoun it, as in “This document is in its
fifth revision.” The possessive its never takes an apostrophe.
It’s is a contraction for it is or it has, as in “It’s time this document was
revised.” The contraction it’s always takes an apostrophe.
launch (verb)
In passive voice, make the thing that is launched the subject of the
sentence, as in “The rocket was launched from KSC today.” In active
voice, chiefly use this verb transitively (that is, with a direct object, as in
“NASA launches rockets from KSC.”). Avoid using launch
intransitively in active voice (for example, avoid writing “The rocket
launched from KSC today.”). Note: The active, intransitive use of launch
is acceptable in the figurative, reflexive sense, as in “We launched
(ourselves) into a detailed discussion of GSE design.”
launch pad (noun)
Capitalize only to identify a specific launch pad by number, as in
“Launch Pad 39A.”
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Term
Usage Notes
lb, lbf, lbm (abbreviations)
Don’t use lb alone to represent pound. Always distinguish between
values of pound-force (lbf) and pound-mass (lbm). Keep these
abbreviations lowercase and singular—never add an s.
life cycle (noun)
Write this common compound noun as two separate words, whether it
functions as a stand-alone noun or modifies another noun.
office (noun)
Treat the same way as program.
one (1)
Don’t write numerals in parentheses after numbers written as words.
Trust the reader to understand numbers written as words.
oral (adjective)
See verbal.
pad (noun)
Treat the same way as launch pad.
parenthetical plurals
(inflection)
(s) (es)
Avoid parenthetical plurals—the addition of “(s)” or “(es)” to a singular
noun or verb to indicate the possibility of multiple instances or
occurrences. Instead, use the plural alone, and trust in the reader’s
intelligence. If it is essential to emphasize the possibility of singular and
multiple instances or occurrences, write “one or more (plural noun),”
and use the corresponding plural verb.
per (preposition)
Avoid per except in the sense of rates or apportionment, as in “60 miles
per hour” or “one per customer.” Instead, use “according to,” “in
accordance with,” “as specified in/by,” “as required by,” or “as directed
by.” Don’t write “as per” or “as per usual.”
percent, percentage, % (noun,
noun, symbol)
Use the symbol only with a value or to indicate the unit of measure in a
column head or a graph axis. The symbol may be used in all technical
documents, without callout or inclusion in lists of abbreviations. Place
the symbol directly against the value. If percent is used, it must be
accompanied by a value. In all other expressions, use percentage (for
example, “the percentage of equipment use”).
personnel (noun)
If you can call the subjects employees (or workers or a more descriptive
but relevant title, such as engineers or technicians), do so. For example,
write “employees shall,” not “personnel shall.” Never use personnel
with a number. For example, write “three employees,” not “three
personnel.” Use personnel as an attributive noun in such phrases as
“personnel administration,” where it clearly means “matters related to
employment or a workforce,” but again, if you can substitute employee
or employees, do so.
planning (noun)
All planning is done in advance. Advance planning and preplanning are
redundant. Don’t use these phrases. Advanced planning is simply wrong.
plurals in parentheses
(inflection)
See parenthetical plurals.
prior to (preposition)
See before.
process (noun),
in the process of
(prepositional phrase)
Don’t add process after or in the process of before a term that clearly
implies a process on its own. For example, instead of writing “during the
fabrication process,” simply write “during fabrication.”
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Term
Usage Notes
program (noun)
Capitalize Program when it is used with the name of a single NASA
program (for example, “the Ground Systems Development and
Operations Program”). Use lowercase with the names of multiple NASA
programs (for example, “the Gemini and Apollo programs”) or in
general references to NASA or other programs (for example, “the U.S.
space program”).
project (noun)
Treat the same way as program.
quality (attributive adjective)
Avoid quality as an unmodified attributive adjective. Either modify
quality to make it more descriptive or replace it with another more
descriptive adjective. For example, instead of writing “The department
does quality work,” write “The department does high-quality work,” or
“The department does excellent work.” Especially avoid this unmodified
use of quality if the term is also being used as an attributive noun, as in
“The quality clauses are in Appendix A.” In this example, the clauses
have to do with requirements for quality.
quotations
Replicate written quotations exactly, with proper credit (see 3.22.2.4).
Apply standard spelling and punctuation to quotations of spoken
remarks, regardless of the speaker’s pronunciation or cadence.
reference (verb)
Avoid reference as a verb. To direct readers to a specific source or
location, write see, consult, refer to, or cite. To repeat or to call attention
to something that has already been said or written, use a simpler and
more descriptive verb, such as said, wrote, mentioned, discussed, or
explained.
requester (noun)
Spell as shown.
ship (verb)
Treat the same as launch.
Note: The active, intransitive use of ship out is acceptable in the sense of
departing (by ship or other means) for an assignment, as in “The crew
ships out tomorrow for training.”
soft copy
Avoid this term in favor of file or electronic document. Also see hard
copy.
spoken (adjective)
See verbal.
subsequent to (preposition)
See after.
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Term
Usage Notes
that/which (relative
adjectives)
Both that and which introduce subordinate clauses. These clauses give
more information about an earlier word or phrase.
If the clause is essential for identifying the specific instance of what the
word or phrase represents, the clause is introduced with that, as in “The
report that is being reviewed is only preliminary.” Here, “that is being
reviewed” is essential for identifying the particular report. Because the
clause is essential, it is not set off with commas. You read the sentence
straight through, without pausing. Using that and omitting the commas
shows your readers the importance of the clause and, in this example,
guides them to a specific report.
If the clause gives only additional, nonessential information about what
the word or phrase represents, the clause is introduced with which, as in
“The report, which is being reviewed, is only preliminary.” Here,
“which is being reviewed” indicates what’s happening to the report but
doesn’t identify it. It can be dropped from the sentence without loss of
understanding or focus. Because the clause is nonessential, it is set off
with commas. When you read the sentence, you naturally pause before
which and after reviewed. Using which and setting the clause off with
commas shows your readers that the clause doesn’t give essential
information and, in this example, directs them to the important part of
the sentence.
times less than (adjective
phrase)
In comparing the lesser attributes of one thing to the greater attributes of
another, express the lesser amount as a fraction of the greater amount
(for example, “The new model is only half as heavy as [or half the
weight of] the old model.”)
“Times less than” does not make mathematical sense.
times more than (adjective
phrase)
In comparing the greater attributes of one thing to the lesser attributes of
another, write, for example, “The new model has twice (or three times)
as much power as the old model,” or “The new model has twice (or
three times) the power of the old model.”
“Times more than” does not make mathematical sense.
transpire (verb)
Some writers and language experts insist that transpire (in its
nonscientific sense) can mean only “to be revealed, to come to light, or
to become apparent,” and not “to happen, occur, or take place.” Not true.
But because you may ruffle a few readers if you use transpire for
happen and because happen, occur, and take place are all simpler and
more straightforward, reserve transpire for its scientific sense: “to pass
off or give passage to (a fluid) through pores or interstices.”
underway
Spell as shown (as a solid word, without an internal space or hyphen)
whether used as an adjective or an adverb
uniform resource locator
(URL) (noun)
Call out this abbreviation in nontechnical material. Don’t use universal
resource locator.
United States (noun)
U.S. (adjective)
Spell out the noun, as in “…throughout the United States.” United States
of America may be reduced in unquoted text to United States. Use the
abbreviation only as an adjective (for example, “the U.S. space
program”) or in a title or table where space is tight. Retain the periods in
the abbreviation.
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Term
Usage Notes
UTC
See Coordinated Universal Time.
utilize (verb)
utilization (noun)
In almost all cases, use (verb or noun) is not only sufficient, but
preferred.
verbal (adjective)
Verbal means “put into words, whether spoken or written.” For clarity,
use written or either oral or spoken.
verbiage (noun)
Verbiage means excessive text that adds little substance to the meaning.
It is not a synonym for writing or text. Not only should you avoid writing
verbiage, but you should also avoid describing writing as verbiage
unless it fits the definition.
Washington, D.C. (noun)
See D.C.
website (noun)
Spell as shown (as a solid word), and use lowercase except in a title.
which (relative adjective)
See that/which.
workers’ compensation
(noun)
Capitalize the term only when you refer to the Department of Labor’s
Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. Always use the plural
possessive (workers’).
written (adjective)
See verbal.
x-axis
See axis.
x-ray (adjective, noun, verb)
Capitalize the word only at the beginning of a sentence, at the beginning
of a list item in which other first words are being capitalized, and in a
title in which title case is being used (in this situation, capitalize as
X-Ray). Always hyphenate this term, and use a nonbreaking hyphen to
prevent the term from breaking across lines.
y-axis
See axis.
z-axis
See axis.
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APPENDIX B. GLOSSARY
abbreviation: a character (whether a letter, number, or typographical symbol) or combination of
characters that represents a word or phrase. Initialisms, contractions, acronyms, and symbols are
types of abbreviations (see 3.5.1).
acronym: an abbreviation that can be pronounced as a word (see 3.5.1).
active voice: the grammatical relationship in which (1) the subject of a sentence performs the
action of the verb and (2) the receiver of the action (the direct object) is identified. For example,
“The lead engineer submitted the report.” Active voice is a better choice of expression than
passive voice when the performer and the receiver of the action are known and are the focus of
the sentence.
adjective: a word that indicates any of various attributes of a noun, such as quality, size, age,
shape, color, origin, material, or purpose. Also see comparatives and superlatives.
adverb: a word that indicates any of various attributes of an adjective, a verb, a prepositional
phrase, a clause, a sentence, or another adverb, such as degree, manner, place, quality, or time.
Also see comparatives and superlatives.
antecedent: the noun or noun phrase to which a pronoun refers. Pronouns should agree with
their antecedents in terms of person (but see 3.7.2).
apostrophe (’): the punctuation mark that (1) contracts adjacent words into a single word,
(2) indicates missing letters in dialect and other types of nontechnical writing, or (3) makes
abbreviations and words (other than pronouns) possessive. In the normal formation of
contractions (see 3.6), no spaces appear before or after the apostrophe. Though curly apostrophes
(’) are preferred over straight apostrophes ('), consistent application throughout the document is
more important than the style of apostrophe. Don’t use an apostrophe (curly or straight) for a
foot symbol or to indicate minutes of plane angle. Use a prime (′). See keystroke combinations
for how to type a prime.
appendix: a section or chapter of supplemental material, following the body, in the back matter
of a document (see 5.12). Appendices is the preferred plural.
applicable document: a document, book, or other publication whose authority is expressly
invoked to a specified degree by the current document.
appositive: a word or phrase usually set immediately after a word or phrase that it identifies or
explains.
article: one of three words that can limit or define a noun without adding or implying other
distinctions. The definite article is the, and the indefinite articles are a and an.
attributive noun: a noun that acts as an adjective to modify the noun it precedes (see 3.8).
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back matter: the pages of a document that follow the body. The following elements are part of
the back matter: appendices, endnotes, bibliography, and index.
base word: a word to which a prefix or suffix is attached and whose meaning is thereby changed
(see 3.9.4 and 3.9.5).
Basic: the first released edition of a document.
bibliography: a list of documents or other references cited in the current document or used in its
preparation.
body: the main text of a document, often divided into sections or chapters, but excluding front
matter and back matter.
bold: the dark, heavy appearance of type in any font, commonly used (1) to emphasize words or
phrases, (2) to emphasize elements of the current document (such as its title and date; the titles of
sections, subsections, figures, tables, and appendices; and some items in vertical lists), or (3) to
identify vectors in mathematical expressions.
bracket ([ ]): either of the pair of punctuation marks that set off words, phrases, or clauses
within already parenthesized text. Brackets are always used in pairs: an opening bracket and a
closing bracket. No space appears after an opening bracket or before a closing bracket. When the
bracketed text is a complete sentence, the end punctuation is inside the closing bracket. When the
bracketed text is not a complete sentence, the end punctuation is outside the closing bracket.
Also see parenthesis.
Cancellation: the release of a document’s signature page to indicate that the document is no
longer in effect. A Cancellation may or may not include supersession (see 6.3).
cardinal number: a number used in simple counting.
case: a change (an inflection) applied to a noun or pronoun to show whether it functions as a
subject (“we wrote the report”), an absolute possessive (“the report is ours”), or an object (“the
report was written by us”); also, any of the three types of casing: all caps, sentence case, and title
case (see 3.12).
casing: the application of initial uppercase (capital) or lowercase (small) letters to nouns based
on their type (proper or common) and to other parts of speech based on purpose and context
(see 3.12).
caution: a notation before an operational step which if not adhered to or observed, could result
in damage to equipment (KNPR 8715.3-1) (see 3.20).
Change: an edition of a released document to make important corrections or mandated
modifications (see 6.2).
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citation: a parenthetical identification of the source of quoted or paraphrased material in running
text. Most citations identify only the author and year of publication, as long as the document also
includes a bibliography. A citation may contain more information if the document does not
include a bibliography.
clause: a grammatical unit that contains a subject and a predicate. Also see independent clause
and subordinate clause.
colon: the punctuation mark that (1) signals an explanation of the word, phrase, clause, or in-line
title it follows, (2) joins values in a ratio, or (3) separates hours from minutes in numerical
representations of 12-hour time. When a colon signals an explanation, no space appears before
the colon and a single space follows the colon. For ratios and time, no space appears before or
after the colon.
comma: the punctuation mark that (1) indicates a pause in a sentence, (2) indicates a
grammatical separation of words, phrases, or clauses, or (3) groups digits of large numbers. No
space appears before a comma. A single space follows a comma that separates a word from
another word or from a number. No spaces appear within numbers, whether they contain
commas or not.
common noun: a noun that represents any of a general class of people, places, things, actions, or
concepts. A common noun can be singular or plural and is capitalized only when it begins a
sentence (see 3.12.1) or appears in a title (see 3.12.2).
comparative: the form of an adjective or adverb that shows a higher or lower degree of the
quality or manner. Most positive comparatives are formed by the addition of -er to shorter base
words or by the addition of more before longer base words, as in newer, quicker, more reliable,
and more efficiently. Most negative comparatives are formed by the addition of less before the
base word, as in less new, less quick, less reliable, and less efficiently. But notice that a positive
yet reciprocal comparative is sometimes a better choice than a negative comparative. For
example, older is better than less new and slower is better than less quick.
complex sentence: a sentence that contains an independent clause and a subordinate clause.
compound sentence: a sentence that contains multiple independent clauses.
conjugation: the inflection of a verb to indicate tense, person, or mood.
conjunction: a word that joins clauses, phrases, or words. Examples include and, but, yet, and
nor. Though the notion is widely disbelieved, there is no respected advice—much less a rule—
against starting a sentence with a conjunction. Consulting almost any published reference on
English grammar and usage, regardless of age, will prove this point. Starting a sentence with a
conjunction emphasizes the relationship with the assertions in the prior sentence. And signals a
continuation or logical progression of the assertion, as does nor, when the assertion is negative.
But and yet signal a deeper and sometimes contradictory consideration of the prior assertion.
Because initial conjunctions draw your reader’s attention, they can help you emphasize
important points when you use them judiciously. Also see 3.10 regarding the role of conjunctions
with items in a series.
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contraction: an abbreviation formed by the omission of letters (see 3.5.1); also, a word formed
by the combination of two words, with an apostrophe to indicate the omission of letters (see 3.6).
declarative sentence: a sentence that makes a statement.
em dash (—): the punctuation mark that indicates a grammatical break in a sentence. The effect
is to emphasize the break. The mark is placed between words, without intervening spaces. If the
grammatical sentence continues after the break, a second em dash is required. See 3.5.3.b and 3.6
for examples. See keystroke combinations for how to type an em dash.
en dash (–): the punctuation mark that indicates a range in numerical typesetting of measured
values, dates, times, etc. The mark is placed between the values, without intervening spaces. See
keystroke combinations for how to type an en dash.
endnote: an explanatory comment or a source reference placed at the end of a section or
document.
engineering document: a KSC document that addresses the engineering, business, or
administrative aspects of a specific program or project. Project plans, test plans and procedures,
requirements documents, and test and analysis reports are examples of engineering documents
(see 4.2).
enumerator: a letter, number, or symbol that, with any accompanying punctuation marks, sets
off items in a series and makes them more distinct. A letter or number enumerator indicates the
relative position of the item. A symbol enumerator (that is, a bullet) does not (see 3.11.2).
exclamation point (!): the punctuation mark that signals the end of an exclamatory sentence. No
space appears before an exclamation mark that ends a sentence. A consistent number of spaces
follow all punctuation marks that end sentences.
footer: an area at the bottom of the pages in a document, where page numbers and sometimes
other markings are displayed.
footnote: an explanatory comment or a source reference placed at the bottom of the page on
which the subject is mentioned.
formal document: a KSC document with lasting reference value and application, usually across
all KSC programs and directorates. KSC Specifications and KSC Standards are examples of
formal documents (see 4.1).
front matter: the pages of a document that precede the body. The following elements are part of
the front matter: cover, signature page, record of revisions/changes, foreword, preface,
acknowledgment, executive summary, table of contents, list of figures, list of tables, and list of
abbreviations (and definitions if they continue from the list of abbreviations).
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gerund: the inflected form of a verb, ending in -ing and functioning as a noun. A gerund (such
as writing in “writing well is fun,” or having in “the importance of always having good
examples”) represents the action or condition conveyed by the verb. Like a noun, a gerund can
be a subject or an object. But, like a verb, a gerund can take an object and be modified by an
adverb.
hard return: the result of the keyboard command (pressing Enter) that groups text into a
paragraph by placing the next typographical entry point on a new line.
header: an area at the top of the pages in a document, where identifying or other information,
such as document number, revision level, date, or distribution restrictions, is repeated.
hyperlink: as a noun, an electronic link in a file for directly reaching another location in the file
or elsewhere; as a verb, to create or possess a hyperlink or to reach another location by means of
a hyperlink. Hyperlinks are usually formatted with a distinctive color and attribute, such as
underlining.
hyphen (-): the punctuation mark that (1) attaches modifying words or numbers (and in
particular cases, prefixes or suffixes [see 3.9.4 and 3.9.5]) to base words to produce a
combination with a different meaning, (2) joins letters, numbers, or both to form identifiers, or
(3) breaks a word that is too long to fit before the end of a line of type. No space appears on
either side of the hyphen.
imperative mood: the form of a verb used to make a command or give an instruction.
imperative sentence: a sentence that commands or instructs. An imperative sentence begins
with a verb, and its understood subject is you, as in “Follow the advice in this guide.”
independent clause: a grammatical unit that contains a subject and a predicate and that
expresses a complete thought. An independent clause can be a complete sentence or part of either
a complex sentence or a compound sentence.
index: an alphabetical list of topics discussed in a document, showing the page or section
numbers of instances. An index, when present, is usually placed as the last piece of back matter.
indicative mood: the form of a verb used to make a statement or ask a question.
infinitive: the basic, uninflected form or any verb. The particle to joins an infinitive to form an
infinitive phrase, such as to be. In addition to forming infinitive phrases, this form provides the
imperative mood, which we use in commands and instructions (imperative sentences).
inflection: a change applied to the form of a word in order to show a particular meaning or a
relationship to another word or to a phrase. Verbs are inflected (conjugated) to indicate tense,
person, and mood. Nouns and pronouns are inflected to indicate person and case. Adjectives and
adverbs are inflected to indicate comparatives and superlatives (as in the adjectives big, bigger,
and biggest, and the adverbs reliably, more reliably, and most reliably).
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initialism: an abbreviation formed by retaining (and usually capitalizing) only the initial letters
of words in a phrase (see 3.5.1).
integer: zero, any number of 1 or greater that includes no fractional amount, or the negative of
that number.
interjection: a grammatically independent word used to exclaim or to express a simple answer
or reaction.
interrogative sentence: a question.
italics: the slanted appearance of type in any font, commonly used to distinguish (1) certain
words, such titles of books, (2) names of vehicles, (3) some foreign words and phrases, (4) words
that represent themselves as words, and (5) certain paragraphs on the basis of purpose or
message (see 5.11.g).
item in a series: one of at least two grammatically parallel words, phrases, clauses, or sentences
whose structural consistency reinforces their relationship (see 3.10).
justification: alignment of text such that the text stretches from the left margin to the right
margin.
landscape: the orientation of a nonsquare page such that content is arranged for reading or
viewing between the margins along the shorter sides. The resulting content area is wider than it
is long.
modify: to expand or change the meaning of a word, whether by the addition of a prefix or suffix
or the placement of a clause, a phrase, or another word.
mood: the form of a verb that indicates how the action or state was conceived. The moods are
indicative, imperative, and subjunctive.
nonbreaking hyphen: a specially typed hyphen that prevents a hyphenated term from breaking
across lines. See keystroke combinations for how to type a nonbreaking hyphen.
nonbreaking space: a specially typed space that prevents a line break from occurring between
characters. See keystroke combinations for how to type a nonbreaking space.
note: text that is specifically formatted to convey context, restrictions, or advice, the adherence
to which will reduce misinterpretation, rework, delay, or additional cost (see 3.20).
noun: the name of a person, place, thing, action, or concept. Nouns can be either common or
proper, a distinction that determines their casing in a sentence (see 3.12.1). Entire phrases
employing various parts of speech (as in what we need in “What we need is clear writing.”) can
function as nouns and are known as noun phrases.
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object: a noun or noun substitute that (1) receives the action of a verb (as a direct object) or
(2) relates to another word in the sentence via a preposition (as the object of a preposition) or via
an implied preposition (as an indirect object).
ordinal number: a number that indicates position, sequence, or rank. Examples are first, second,
third, and fourth. All ordinal numbers carry one of the following suffixes: -st, -nd, -rd, or -th.
orphan: the first line of a multiline paragraph, stranded at the bottom of a page (see 5.11).
Oxford comma (,): in a series of at least three items in running text, the comma placed between
the next-to-the-last item and the conjunction that precedes the final item. This comma is also
known as a serial comma (see 3.10.1).
paragraph: a single sentence or multiple adjacent and related sentences formatted (whether
through alignment, indentation, or vertical spacing) to be distinguished from adjacent text. In a
typographical context, a paragraph is all the lines (and the contents thereof) between consecutive
hard returns.
parallel construction: the grammatical expression and visual arrangement of related thoughts
(whether sentences, clauses, phrases, or individual words) in a consistent way (see 3.11).
paraphrase: as a verb, to rephrase something said or written by someone else; as a noun, spoken
or written words that have been rephrased by someone other than the speaker or writer.
parenthesis ( ): either of the pair of punctuation marks that (1) surround a nonessential word,
phrase, or clause and reduce the emphasis of what they surround, (2) group some mathematical
operations, or (3) sometimes indicate enumeration. Parentheses are always used in pairs: an
opening parenthesis and a closing parenthesis. No space appears after an opening parenthesis or
before a closing parenthesis. The closing parenthesis after an enumerator is always kept on the
same line with the word that follows it. Parentheses set off the entire string of characters. Any
part of a parenthetical string that must be set off further is enclosed in brackets (so parentheses
are on the outside [and brackets are on the inside]). However, parentheses around references to
enumerators are retained—that is, not changed to brackets—even when those references are
entirely within parentheses. See the end of 6.3.b as an example. When the parenthesized text is a
complete sentence, the end punctuation is inside the closing parenthesis. When the parenthesized
text is not a complete sentence, the end punctuation is outside the closing parenthesis.
Parentheses reflect the typeface (roman, italic, or bold) of the overall sentence rather than
specifically what they enclose. Therefore, parentheses are most often roman.
participle: the inflected form of a verb that functions as an adjective. For most verbs, the
participles end in -ed, -en, or -ing. Like adjectives, participles can modify nouns. But, like verbs,
participles can take objects and be modified by adverbs.
particle: a function word that combines with another part of speech to fulfill a particular
grammatical purpose. For example, the particle to joins the infinitive verb write to form the
infinitive phrase to write.
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part of speech: any of eight classes of words distinguished by the types of ideas they convey
and the purposes they fulfill in a sentence. The parts of speech are adjectives, adverbs,
conjunctions, interjections, nouns, prepositions, pronouns, and verbs.
passive voice: the grammatical relationship in which the receiver or the action is the subject of a
sentence, and the performer of the action becomes the object of a preposition. For example, “The
report was submitted by the lead engineer.” Active voice is a better choice of expression when
the performer and the receiver of the action are known and are the focus of the sentence.
period (.): the punctuation mark that (1) signals the end of a declarative sentence, (2) reduces
some names to initials and some words to abbreviations, or (3) as a decimal point, indicates a
portion of an integer. No space appears before a period that ends a sentence. A consistent number
of spaces follow all punctuation marks that end sentences. When periods are used after a
person’s first and middle initials, that portion of the name is usually written tight, as in
“J.E. Smith.” Try to honor people’s preferences for how their names are punctuated, but also
strive for consistency within a document. See 3.16.2.j regarding space before a decimal point.
person: the form of a verb (its conjugation) that corresponds to the inflection of a noun (for
number—singular or plural) or a pronoun (for person and number); also the inflection of a
pronoun to show whether
someone is speaking (first person: I for singular and we for plural),
someone is being spoken to (second person: you for singular and plural), or
someone or something is being spoken about (third person: he, she, or it for singular
and they for plural).
phrase: a grammatical unit that does not include a subject and predicate.
plural: as an adjective, of or related to multiple instances of the subject being described; as a
noun, the inflected form of a noun or verb that indicates multiple instances. Also see singular.
portrait: the orientation of a nonsquare page such that content is arranged for reading or viewing
between the margins along the longer sides. The resulting content area is longer than it is wide.
predicate: a grammatical unit that expresses what the subject does or what is asserted about the
subject. It consists of the main verb and all the words, phrases, and clauses that modify the main
verb.
prefix: a group of letters attached to the beginning of a base word to change its meaning
(see 3.9.4 and 3.9.5).
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preposition: a function word that establishes a relationship between its object (a noun or noun
phrase) and another word. The preposition and object combine to form a prepositional phrase.
Examples of prepositions abound, such as at, in, on, over, and to. Although the notion is widely
disbelieved, there is no respected advice—much less a rule—against ending a sentence with a
preposition. Rigid avoidance of ending sentences with prepositions can make your writing
unnecessarily stiff and formal and can make some questions sound ridiculous. End sentences
with prepositions to avoid stiffness and excessive formality, but don’t mistake an essential
preposition, such as to in “This is what we agreed to,” for a superfluous preposition, such as to in
“This is where we went to.”
pronoun: a word that substitutes for a noun. Pronouns can act as subjects or objects and can act
as adjectives to identify nouns and indicate possession. It is essential for the writing to clearly
indicate what a pronoun represents—its antecedent (see 3.7.2).
proper noun: a noun that represents a specific person, place, thing, or concept as opposed to a
general class of such. Proper nouns are always capitalized and tend to be singular.
question mark (?): the punctuation mark that signals the end of an interrogative sentence (a
question). No space appears before a question mark that ends a sentence. A consistent number of
spaces follow all punctuation marks that end sentences.
quotation mark (“ ”): either of the pair of punctuation marks that indicate the beginning and
end of quoted material; or that indicate the title of a chapter, article, etc., within a larger
published work. The conventions for combining quotation marks and other punctuation marks
are complex, and they are best left to other reliable, published usage guides. But in general, do
the following: (1) Place no space after an opening quotation mark or before a closing quotation
mark. (2) Place a comma or period inside the closing quotation mark, even when the comma or
period is not part of the quoted material. (3) Place all other punctuation marks outside the closing
quotation mark unless they are part of the quoted material. (4) Although curly quotation marks
(“ ”) are preferred over straight quotation marks (" "), use a consistent style of quotation marks
throughout the document. (5) Don’t use quotation marks (curly or straight) for an inch symbol or
to indicate seconds of plane angle. Use a double prime (″). See keystroke combinations for how
to type a double prime.
quotation: the character-for-character recitation or reproduction of something said or written by
someone else.
ragged right margin: the uneven lengths of lines of text in a left-aligned, unjustified paragraph.
reference: as a noun, an indication of another location or element in the current document; also,
the source of quoted or paraphrased material. See Appendix A, Page 89, for advice on avoiding
reference as a verb.
reference document: a document, book, or other publication whose authority is not expressly
invoked by the current document but that provides relevant though nonessential information.
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release: the issuance of a document for general availability through a recognized KSC
documentation management system, such as the KSC Design Data Management System
(KDDMS) or TechDoc.
release authority: the person with the authority to order release.
Revision: a subsequent edition of a released document to update or reorganize its technical
content (see 6.1).
roman: the normal, upright appearance of type, as opposed to italic type, which slants to the
right.
semicolon (;): the punctuation mark that indicates a more pronounced grammatical separation of
phrases or clauses than is produced by a comma. No space appears before a semicolon. A single
space follows a semicolon.
sentence: a complete thought with (1) an expressed or implied subject and (2) a predicate.
Sentences can be declarative, imperative, or interrogative.
serial comma (,): in a series of at least three items in running text, the comma placed between
the next-to-the-last item and the conjunction that precedes the final item. This comma is also
known as an Oxford comma (see 3.10.1).
single quotation mark (‘ ’): either of the pair of punctuation marks that indicate a quotation
within a quotation. The conventions for combining single quotation marks and other punctuation
marks are complex, and they are best left to other reliable, published usage guides. But in
general, do the following: (1) Place no space after a single opening quotation mark or before a
single closing quotation mark. (2) Place a comma or period inside the single closing quotation
mark, even when the comma or period is not part of the quoted material. (3) Place all other
punctuation marks outside the single closing quotation mark unless they are part of the quoted
material. (4) Place no spaces or other marks of punctuation between a single quotation mark and
an immediately adjacent quotation mark. (5) Although curly single quotation marks (‘ ’) are
preferred over straight single quotation marks (' '), use a consistent style of single quotation
mark throughout the document. (6) Don’t use a single quotation mark (curly or straight) for a
foot symbol or to indicate minutes of plane angle. Use a prime (′). See keystroke combinations
for how to type a prime.
singular: as an adjective, of or related to one instance of the subject being described; as a noun,
the inflected form of a noun or verb that indicates one instance. Also see plural.
slash (/): the punctuation mark that (1) indicates a choice between or among multiple words or
phrases, (2) indicates division (as in fractions) or the mathematical relationship of per or for
each, or (3) separates parts of some abbreviations, such as c/o for care of, w/o for without, and
N/A for not applicable. In an unbroken string of full-size type, no space appears on either side of
the slash. If a line break is necessary, break after the slash by placing a single space after the
mark. Where very small or narrow type makes a slash hard to see (as in a figure callout or a tight
table), a single space may be placed on both sides of the slash.
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subject: a grammatical unit that performs an action or about which something is asserted. It
consists of a noun (or a phrase or clause functioning as a noun) and all the words, phrases, or
clauses that modify that noun.
subjunctive mood: the form of the verb in expressions of the following:
conditions contrary to fact (“If I were you….” “If this were the first instance….”) and
recommendations, suggestions, proposals, or demands (“The team recommended [or
suggested, proposed, or demanded] that he increase his efforts.”).
Because of how English verbs are conjugated, subjunctive verbs are more apparent in first-
person singular (when the subject is I) and in third-person singular (when the subject is a
singular noun or pronoun [he, she, or it]).
subordinate clause: a grammatical unit that contains a subject and a predicate but that does not
express a complete thought. A subordinate clause modifies a word or phrase in the sentence. For
example, in “I will consult this guide when I have questions,” the subordinate clause “when I
have questions” modifies “will consult.”
suffix: a group of letters attached to the end of a base word to change its meaning (see 3.9.4).
superlative: the form of an adjective or adverb that shows the highest or lowest degree of the
quality or manner. Most positive superlatives are formed by the addition of -est to shorter base
words or by the addition of most before longer base words, as in newest, quickest, most reliable,
and most efficiently. Most negative superlatives are formed by the addition of least before the
base word, as in least new, least quick, least reliable, and least efficiently. But notice that a
positive yet reciprocal superlative is sometimes a better choice than a negative superlative. For
example, oldest is better than least new and slowest is better than least quick. Also notice that we
often use the before positive and negative superlatives, as in “the newest model runs the least
efficiently.” Trust your ear to tell you when to add the.
suspending hyphen: a hyphen that follows a prefix or base word to indicate the relationship of
the base word or prefix to a base word in either the final item in a series or the end of a range.
The suspending hyphen prevents the repetition of well-understood relationships in quick
succession. For example, in “a 10- to 20-page document,” the suspending hyphen after 10
indicates that it means 10-page. In “the test involved one-, two-, and three-story drops,” the
suspending hyphens after one and two indicate that they mean one-story and two-story,
respectively (see 3.9.4 and 3.9.5).
symbol: an abbreviation consisting of letters, other typographical characters, or both, usually to
represent a numerical quantity, a unit of measure, or a mathematical operation or concept
(see 3.5.1).
tab: as a noun, in word processing, (1) the key that moves the insertion point by a specified
distance rather than by a certain number of characters or (2) the spacing that results from
pressing the Tab key once; as a verb, in word processing, to press the Tab key.
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tense: the form of a verb that indicates its relationship to time. The basic tenses are past, present,
and future.
verb: a word that expresses an action, an occurrence, or a mode of being.
verb phrase: the combination of the main verb and other essential and consecutive words from
the predicate (often objects, adverbs, or prepositional phrases) that, together, convey an
understandable notion on their own (as in “updated definitions”). Verb phrases are most often
used independently to describe content modifications in records of revisions/changes (see 5.3).
voice: the form of a verb that indicates the relationship of the subject to the action of the
sentence. English has two voices: active and passive.
warning: a notation which if not adhered to or observed could result in loss of life, personal
injury, or exposure (KNPR 8715.3-1) (see 3.20).
widow: the last line of a multiline paragraph, stranded at the top of a page (see 5.11).
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APPENDIX C. POSTAL ABBREVIATIONS FOR STATES AND U.S. TERRITORIES
Use the following postal abbreviations for states and U.S. territories in full addresses and where
space is extremely tight (for example, in a table). Spell out the names of states and U.S.
territories in all other instances. Don’t include abbreviations for states or U.S. territories in the
list of abbreviations.
AL
Alabama
MT
Montana
AK
Alaska
NE
Nebraska
AS
American Samoa
NV
Nevada
AZ
Arizona
NH
New Hampshire
AK
Arkansas
NJ
New Jersey
CA
California
NM
New Mexico
CO
Colorado
NY
New York
CT
Connecticut
NC
North Carolina
DE
Delaware
ND
North Dakota
DC*
District of Columbia*
MP
Northern Mariana Islands
FM
Federated States of Micronesia
OH
Ohio
FL
Florida
OK
Oklahoma
GA
Georgia
OR
Oregon
GU
Guam
PW
Palau
HI
Hawaii
PA
Pennsylvania
ID
Idaho
PR
Puerto Rico
IL
Illinois
RI
Rhode Island
IN
Indiana
SC
South Carolina
IA
Iowa
SD
South Dakota
KS
Kansas
TN
Tennessee
KY
Kentucky
TX
Texas
LA
Louisiana
UT
Utah
ME
Maine
VT
Vermont
MH
Marshall Islands
VI
Virgin Islands
MD
Maryland
VA
Virginia
MA
Massachusetts
WA
Washington
MI
Michigan
WV
West Virginia
MN
Minnesota
WI
Wisconsin
MS
Mississippi
WY
Wyoming
MO
Missouri
* In other than a full address, retain the periods when you abbreviate District of Columbia. In running
text, always refer to the District of Columbia as “Washington, D.C.”
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INDEX
A
a
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2.c, 27
with abbreviation, 3.5.6.2, 9
Abbreviations, 3.5, 6–10 (also see List of
abbreviations)
a or an with, 3.5.6.2, 9
acronyms, 3.5.1.a, 6
apostrophes with, 3.5.5, 8
callouts, 3.5.2.b, 7; 3.5.2.e, 7
capitalization of, 3.5.1, 6; 3.5.7.c, 9
capitalization of meaning, 3.12.1.f, 27
casing of, 3.5.1, 6; 3.5.7.c, 9
coining of, 3.5.2.g, 7
contractions, 3.5.1.b, 6; 96
definition of, 93
foreign, 3.5.2.j, 7
frequency of, 3.5.2.a, 7
inch, 3.5.7.b, 9
in document numbers, 3.5.3.b, 8
in document titles, 5.1.c(3), 57
in front matter and body, 3.5.2.d, 7
initialisms, 3.5.1.c, 6
in titles, 3.5.2.c, 7
KSC, 3.5.3.a, 7
Latin, 3.5.2.j, 7
multiple meanings of, 3.5.2.f, 7
NASA, 3.5.3.a, 7
new, 3.5.2.g, 7
not called out, 3.5.3, 7; 3.16.5.f(5), g, 35
of billion, 3.16.5.f, 35
of chemical compounds, 3.5.3.c, 8
of days, 3.5.2.h, 7
of elements, 3.5.3.c, 8
of million, 3.16.5.f, 35
of months, 3.5.2.h, 7
of states, 3.5.2.h, 7; 105
of thousand, 3.16.5.f, 35
of units of measure, 3.5.2.i, 7; 3.16.2.e, 31
singular or plural, 3.16.2.a(3), 31
of U.S. territories, 3.5.2.h, 7; 105
pages, 3.5.3.f, 8
periods with, 3.5.7.a, 9; 3.5.7.b, 9
plurals of, 3.5.4, 8
possessives of, 3.5.5, 8
pronunciation of 3.5.1, 6
spaces in 3.5.7.a, 9
symbols 3.5.1.d, 6
numerical values with, 3.5.2.i, 7
ranges of values with, 3.5.2.i, 7
the with, 3.5.6.1, 8
U.S., 3.5.3.a, 7; 90
United States, 3.5.3.a, 7; 90
use of, 3.5.2, 7
with multiple meanings, 3.5.2.f, 7
about (see approximately, 83)
Acknowledgments,
formatting of, 5.4, 67
page numbers of, Table 8, 68
writing conventions for, 5.4.2, 68
Acronyms, 3.5.1.a, 6; 93
active, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Active voice, 3.3, 5; 93
adapter, 83
Adjectives (also see Compound words and
phrases)
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
definition of, 93
advance planning (see planning, 88)
Adverbs (also see Compound words and
phrases)
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
definition of, 93
adviser, 83
after, 83
Agency, 3.12.1.d(1), 27
Agreement
between pronouns and antecedents, 3.7.2, 11
in general phrasing, 3.11, 22
All caps, 3.12, 26; 3.20.f, 46; 5.1.c(1), 57;
5.1.d(2), 57; 5.2.e, 61; 5.4.3.e(1), 69;
5.8.f, 73; 5.12.g, 77
Ampersand, 19, 83
an
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2.c, 27
with abbreviation, 3.5.6.2, 9
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and
in series, 3.10, 19
and/or, 83
Angles, 3.16.2.m, 33
Antecedents
definition of, 93
of pronouns, 3.7.2, 11
Apostrophes
definition of, 93
for plurals of abbreviations, 3.5.4, 8
for possessives of abbreviations, 3.5.5, 8
in contractions, 3.6, 10
appear, 83
appendices, 83
Appendices
definition of, 93
identifiers of, 5.12.b, 76
order and placement of, 5.12.d–f, 77
page numbers of, Table 12, 77
references to, 3.22.1.e, 49
reproduction of material in, 5.12.a, 76
subsections in, 5.12.i, 77
titles, 5.12.g, h, i(4)–i(6), 77
Applicable documents, 5.10, 74
definition of, 93
references to, 3.22.2, 50; 3.22.2.1, 50;
3.22.2.2, 51
Appositives
definition of, 93
in a series, 3.10.4, 21
approximately, 84
Arabic numbers (see Numbers, arabic)
around (see approximately, 84)
Articles
a
before abbreviations, 3.5.6.2.a, 9
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2.c, 27
an
before abbreviations, 3.5.6.2.b, 9
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2.c, 27
definition of, 93
the, 3.5.6.1, 8
before abbreviations, 3.5.6.1, 8
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2.c, 27
as, 84
as per, 84
assure, 84
Attributive nouns
definition of, 93
excessive use of, 3.8.1, 11
singular vs. plural, 3.8.2, 12
available, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
axis, axes, 84
B
Back matter, 94
Base words
definition of, 94
with prefixes, 3.9.4, 17
with suffixes, 3.9.4, 17
with suspending hyphens, 3.9.5, 18
Basic edition
definition of, 94
record of revisions/changes for, 5.3.b, 64
before, 84
Bibliographies, 3.22.2.4, 51
definition of, 94
Blank pages, 4.1, 53
Body, 94
Bold typeface, 94
for emphasis, 5.11.f, 76
for figure labels and numbers, 3.17.r(4), 41
for table labels and numbers, 3.18.o(4), 43
for vectors, 3.16.7.b, 37
Brackets
containing quotations or paraphrases,
3.22.2.4.b(1), (2), 52
definition of, 94
punctuation with, 94
spaces with, 94
with dual measurements, 3.16.2.q, 33
with parentheses, 3.16.2.q, 33; 94
Brand names, 3.13, 28
Bulleted lists (see Lists, bulleted lists)
C
Caliber, 3.16.2.j, 32
Cancelled, cancellation, 84
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Cancellations, 6.3, 81
of engineering documents, 6.3.a, 81
of formal documents, 6.3.b, 81
of KSC Specifications and KSC Standards,
6.3.b, 81
Capitalization (see Casing)
case, 94
Casing, 3.12, 26
based on an abbreviation, 3.12.1.f, 27
definition of, 94
in lists of abbreviations, 5.7.l, 72
in sentences, 3.12.1, 26
in titles
of documents and sections, 3.12.2, 27;
Figure 3, 28
of figures, 3.17.o, r, 40
of tables, 3.18.m, o, 42
of abbreviations, 3.5.1, 6; 3.5.7.c, 9
of brand, proprietary, or trade names, 3.13, 28
of common nouns, 3.12.1.e, 27
of e-mail addresses, 3.14, 28
of job titles, 3.12.1.c, 27
of occupational titles, 3.12.1.c, 27
of proper nouns, 3.12.1.b, 26
of specific terms, 3.12.1, 26; Appendix A, 83
of website addresses, 3.15.a, 29
Cautions, notes, and warnings, 3.20, 45
cautions, 3.20, 45; 94
formatting of, 3.20.e–h, 46
multiple, 3.20.i, 46
notes, 3.20, 45; 98
order of, 3.20.c, 46
phrasing of, 3.20.d, 46
placement of, 3.20.a, b, 45
warnings, 3.20, 45; 104
Celsius, 3.16.2.l, 32
Center, 3.12.1.d(2), 27
CFR (see Code of Federal Regulations)
Change emblems, 5.1.a(3)(b), 56; 6.2.d, 79;
Figure 12, 80
Change numbers
on cover, 5.1.b, 57
on interior pages, 6.2.b, 79
on signature page, 5.2.a, 60
Changes, 6.2, 79
definition of, 94
records of revisions/changes for, 5.3.d–f, 65;
Figure 10, Figure 11, 65
to engineering documents, 6.2, 79
to formal documents, 6.2, 79
to KSC Specifications or Standards, 6.2, 79
Chemical expressions
display equations, 3.16.7, 36
equation numbers and labels, 3.16.7, 36
grammatical construction of, 3.16.7.e, f, 37
line breaks in, 3.16.7.h, 37
placement of, 3.16.7.g, 37
references to, 3.22.1.f, 49
typefaces of, 3.16.7.b–d, 37
short expressions, 3.16.6, 35
grammatical construction of, 3.16.6.c, 36
multiplication sign, 3.16.6.e, 36
negative numbers, 3.16.6.f, 36
positive numbers, 3.16.6.f, 35
punctuation of, 3.16.6.c, 36
spacing within, 3.16.6.e, 36
typefaces of, 3.16.6.b, h–j, 36
choose, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Citations, 3.22.2.4, 51
definition of, 95
clear, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Clauses
definition of, 95
independent, 97
reduced to compound adjectives, 3.9.3, 14
subordinate, 103
click, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
click on, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Code of Federal Regulations
casing of titles, parts, and sections, 5.10.e(7),
75
Coefficient of correlation, 3.16.2.j, 32
Colons
after in-line titles, 95
after paraphrases or quotations, 3.22.2.4.b(2),
52
definition of, 95
in ratios, 3.16.2.k, 32
that introduce lists or explanations, 5.11.d, 76
Column heads, 3.18.s, t, x, 43
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Commas
definition of, 95
in dates, 3.16.8.d, e, 37
in document titles, 5.1.c(3), 57
in headers, 5.1.b(2), 57
in numbers, 3.16.1.g, 30; 3.16.2.e, 31; 3.17.i,
40; 3.18.w, 43
in series, 3.10, 19
in vertical lists
examples, 3.11.1, 22; Table 2, 25
Oxford, 3.10.1, 19; 99
serial, 3.10.1, 19; 102
to set off secondary locations, 3.22.2.2.c, 51
with appositives, 3.10.4, 21
with conjunctions, 3.10, 19
with enumerators, 3.11.2.1, Note, 23
Common nouns
capitalization in running text, 3.12.1.e, 27
definition of, 95
communication, communications, 84
Comparatives, Table 1, 14; 95
Comparisons (see times less than, 90; and times
more than, 90)
Compound words and phrases, 3.9, 12–22
adjectives, 3.9.3, 14; Table 1, 14
nouns, 3.9.1, 12
combined with adverbs, 3.9.1.1, 12
combined with gerunds, 3.9.1.2, 13
combined with -ing words, 3.9.1.2, 13
noun phrases, 3.9.1.3, 13
noun phrases without nouns, 3.9.1.3, 13
phrasal nouns, 3.9.1.3, 13
verbs, 3.9.2, 13
with prefixes, 3.9.4, 17
with suffixes, 3.9.4, 17
Computer interface instructions, 3.21, 46
expression of, 3.21.2, 46
order of, 3.21.2, 46
screenshots with, 3.21.1, 46
specific terms for, 3.21.3, 47
Computer terms, 3.21.3, 47
Conjugation
definition of, 95
in imperative sentences, 3.3, 5
in indicative sentences, 3.3, 5
in subjunctive sentences, 103
with countable quantities, 3.16.1.b, 30
with measured quantities, 3.16.2.b, 31
Conjunctions
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
definition of, 95
in series, 3.10, 19
Contractions, 3.6, 10; 96
Contracts, 3.22.2.1.d, 50
Coordinated Universal Time, 84
Copied from other documents, 3.22.2, 50
Copyright (©) symbol, 3.13.c, 28
Correlation, coefficient of, 3.16.2.j, 32
Covers, 5.1, 56; Figure 7, 59
change numbers on, 5.1.b, 57
directorate, 5.1.f, 58
document numbers on, 5.1.b, 57
document titles on, 5.1.c, 57
export control markings, 5.1.a(2), 56; 5.1.d,
57
KSC Form 16-12, 5.1.a, 56
measurement indicators, 5.1.a(3)(a), 56;
Figure 6, 56
metric, 5.1.a(3)(a), 56; Figure 6, 56
metric/inch-pound, 5.1.a(3)(a), 56; Figure 6,
56
not measurement-sensitive, 5.1.a(3)(a), 56;
Figure 6, 56
page numbers, Table 5, 58
release date, 5.1.e, 58
revision levels on, 5.1.b, 57
Cross-references (see References)
D
Dashes (also see Hyphens)
em dashes
after paraphrases or quotations,
3.22.2.4.b(2), 52
definition of, 96
en dashes, 96
Dates, 3.16.8, 37
in records of revisions/changes, 5.3.b(3), 64;
5.3.c(4), 65; 5.3.d(4), 65; 5.3.e(4), 66;
5.3.f(4), 66
on covers, 5.1.e, 58
on signature pages, 5.2.d, 61
Days, 3.5.2.h, 7; 3.16.8.a, h, i, 37; 5.7.n, 73
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D.C., 84
Decimals
in section and subsection numbers, 5.8.c, 73
less than 1.0, 3.16.2.j, 32
vs. fractions, 3.16.2.r, 33
Declarative sentences, 96
de-emphasize, 3.9.4.a(3), 18
de-energize, 3.9.4.a(3), 18
de-escalate, 3.9.4.a(3), 18
Definitions (see Terms and definitions)
Degree symbols
Celsius, 3.16.2.l, 32
Fahrenheit, 3.16.2.l, 32
kelvin, 3.16.2.l, 32
for angles, 3.16.2.m, 33
for temperature, 3.16.2.l, 32
depress, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
deselect, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
dialog box, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Dictionaries, 4, 13, 13, 17
directorate, 84
Directorate, 5.1.f, 58
display (see appear, 83)
division (see program, 89)
Document covers (see Covers)
Document numbers
on cover, 5.1.b, 57
on interior pages, 4.1, 53; 4.2, 53
on signature page, 5.2.a, 60
Document titles
on covers, 5.1.c, 57
on signature pages, 5.2.b, 60
Document types (see Engineering documents
and Formal documents)
Documents in appendices, 3.22.2, 50
double-click, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
due to, 85
E
e.g., 3.5.2.j, 7; 3.5.3.e, 8; 85
either, 85
e-mail, 85
E-mail addresses, 3.14, 28
Emphasis, 5.11.f, 76
Endnotes
definition of, 96
for explanatory comments, 3.22.2.3, 51
for paraphrases or quotations, 3.22.2.4, 51
Engineering documents
definition of, 96
general conventions for, 4.2, 53
templates for, 53
ensure, 85 (also see assure, 84)
enter, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Enumerated lists (see Lists, enumerated lists)
Enumerators
definition of, 96
in a running paragraph, 3.11.2, 22; 3.11.2.1,
23
parentheses with, 3.11.2.1, 23; 99
punctuation with, 3.11.2.1, 23
spacing between enumerator and item,
3.11.2.1, 23
Equations (see Mathematical expressions)
(es) or (s) for plurals, 88
et al., 85
etc., 3.5.2.j, 7; 3.5.3.e, 8; 86
Exclamation points, 96
Executive summaries
formatting of, 5.4, 67
page numbers of, Table 8, 68
writing conventions for, 5.4.3, 69
Explanatory comments (see References,
explanatory comments)
Export control markings, 5.1.a(2), d, 56
F
Fahrenheit, 3.16.2.l, 32
Federal, 3.12.1.d(3), 27
Figures
callouts in, 3.17.g–i, 39
color in, 3.17.f, 39
in acknowledgments, 5.4.2.d, 68
in executive summaries, 5.4.3.d, 69
in forewords or prefaces, 5.4.1.f, g, 68
large figures, 3.17.e, 39
list of, 5.6, 71
monitor images as, 3.17, Note, 38; 3.21.1, 46
KSC-DF-107
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112 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE — DISTRIBUTION IS UNLIMITED
multisheet figures, 3.17.p, 40
numbers, 3.17.j, m, n, 40
oversize figures, 3.17.e, 39
placement of, 3.17, 38; 3.17.b, c, 39; 3.17.k,
40
references to, 3.17.a, 39; 3.22.1.d, 48
screenshots as, 3.17, Note, 38; 3.21.1, 46
sizing of, 3.17.d, e, 39
tables as, 3.17, 38
text in, 3.17.g–i, 39
titles of
capitalization of, 3.17.o, r, 40
grammatical construction of, 3.17.o, r, 40
placement of, 3.17.j, k, 40
punctuation of, 3.17.n, o, 40
spacing, 3.17.j, n, q, 40
typeface of, 3.17.l, 40
flight equipment, 86
flight hardware, 86
Footers
definition of, 96
of covers, 5.1.a(2), 56
of engineering documents, 4.2, 53
of formal documents, 4.1, 53
of signature pages, 5.2.e, 61
Footnotes
definition of, 96
for explanatory comments, 3.22.2.3, 51
for paraphrases or quotations, 3.22.2.4, 51
Foreign abbreviations and words, 3.5.2.j, 7;
3.5.3.e, 8
e.g., 85
et al., 85
etc., 86
i.e., 86
in situ, 87
Forewords and prefaces,
formatting of, 5.4, 67
page numbers of, Table 8, 68
writing conventions for, 5.4.1, 67
Formal documents
definition of, 96
general conventions for, 4.1, 53
template for, 53
Fractions, 3.16.3, 33
vs. decimals, 3.16.2.r, 33
Front matter (also see Covers, Signature pages,
Records of revisions/changes, Tables of
contents, Lists of figures, Lists of tables, Lists
of abbreviations, Forewords and prefaces,
Acknowledgments, and Executive
summaries)
definition of, 96
in engineering document, 4.2, 53; Figure 5, 55
in formal document, 4.1, 53; Figure 4, 54
order of components, 5, 56
G
gage, 86
gauge, 86
Gerunds
definition of, 97
in process nouns, 3.9.1.2, 13
Glossaries (see Terms and definitions)
Government, 3.12.1.d(3), 27
Government documents, 5.10.d, 75
Graphics (also see Figures)
on document covers, 5.1.a(3), 56
Grammar-checking, 4
gray, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47; 86
grayed out, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
ground support equipment, 86
H
hard copy, hard-copy, 86
hard return, 97
he, she, 3.7.1.d, 10; 3.7.2, 11
Headers
definition of, 97
of Change pages, 6.2.b, c, 79
of covers, 5.1.b, 57
of engineering documents, 4.2, 53
of formal documents, 4.1, 53
of multivolume documents, 5.13.d, 78
of signature pages, 5.2.a, 60
Headings (see Sections and subsections)
headquarters, 86
her, his, 3.7.1.d, 10; 3.7.2, 11
his, her, 3.7.1.d, 10; 3.7.2, 11
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Hyperlinks
definition of, 97
of e-mail addresses, 3.14, 28
of website addresses, 3.15, 29
to definitions, 3.19.a, 44
Hyphens (also see Dashes)
at ends of lines, 5.11.b, e, 76
automatic, 5.11.b, e, 76
definition of, 97
in fractions written as words, 3.16.3.a, 33
in ranges, 3.9.5, 18
in ratios, 3.16.2.k, 32
nonbreaking, 98
in countable quantities, 3.16.1.i, 30
in fractions written as words, 3.16.3.a, 33
in measurements, 3.16.2.a(4), 31
shared by multiple words, 3.9.5, 18
vs. minus sign, 3.16.6.f, 36
with compound adjectives, 3.9.3, 14
with compound nouns, 3.9.1, 12
with compound words, 3.9, 12
with numbers and counts, 3.16.1.a(3), 30
with phrasal nouns, 3.9.1.3, 13
with prefixes, 3.9.4, 17
with suffixes, 3.9.4, 17
I
I, 3.7.1.a, 10
i.e., 3.5.2.j, 7; 3.5.3.e, 8; 86
impact, 86
Imperative mood, 3.3, 5; 97
Imperative sentences
definition of, 97
pronouns with, 3.7.c, 10
inactive, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
incentivize, 87
Inches
abbreviation of, 3.5.7.b, 9
symbol for, 3.16.2.n, 33
include, 87
including, 87
including but not limited to, 87
index, 97
Indicative mood, 3.3, 5; 97
inert, 87
Infinitives, 97
Infinitive phrases
definition of, 97
in place of attributive nouns, 3.8.1, 11
inflection, 97
Initialisms, 3.5.1.c, 6; 98
in situ, 87
insure (see assure, 84)
Integers
definition of, 98
in countable quantities, 3.16.1, 29
in fractions, 3.16.3, 33
in measured quantities, 3.16.2, 31
in numbers of sections or subsections, 5.8.f,
73
in tables, 3.18.w, 43
Intentionally left blank, 4.1, 53
interface, 87
Interjections
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
definition of, 98
International Organization for Standardization
(see ISO)
International Standard Book Numbers,
3.22.2.1.a, c, 50; 5.10.e(3), e(4), 75
internet, 87
Interrogative sentences, 98
Introductory material, 5.9, 74
ISBN, 3.22.2.1.a, c, 50; 5.10.e(3), e(4), 75
ISO
casing of SI units, 3.5.1.b, 6
casing of titles and subtitles of standards,
5.10.e(7), 75
issue, 87
Italics
definition of, 98
e.g., 85
et al., 85
etc., 86
for book titles, 3.22.2.1.c, 50
for document titles, 3.22.2.1.b, 50
for emphasis, 5.11.f, 76
for highlighting patterns, 5.11.g, 76
for variables, 3.16.6.h, 36; 3.16.7.b, 37
for vectors, 3.16.6.j, 36
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for words used as words, 98
in lists of applicable or reference documents,
5.10.e(2), 75
i.e., 86
in situ, 87
with foreign words or abbreviations
e.g., 85
et al., 85
etc., 86
i.e., 86
in situ, 87
Items in a series, 3.10, 19; 98
its, it’s, 87
J
Job titles, 3.12.1.b, c, 27
Justification, 5.11.b, 76; 98
K
kelvin, 3.16.2.l, 32
KSC Form 16-12 (see Covers)
KSC Specifications
abbreviations in, 3.5.2.b, 7; 3.5.3.a, 7
as formal documents, 1.1, 1
Cancellations of, 6.3, 81
Changes to, 6.2, 79
reference documents cited in, 3.22.1, Note, 50
Revisions of, 6.1, 78
symbols in, 3.5.3.c, 8
KSC Standards
abbreviations in, 3.5.2.b, 7; 3.5.3.a, 7
as formal documents, 1.1, 1
Cancellations of, 6.3, 81
Changes to, 6.2, 79
reference documents cited in, 3.22.1, Note, 50
Revisions of, 6.1, 78
symbols in, 3.5.3.c, 8
L
Landscape pages
definition of, 98
for figures, 3.17.e, 39
for tables, 3.18.e, 41
Latin abbreviations and words, 3.5.2.j, 7
e.g., 85
et al., 85
etc., 86
i.e., 86
in situ, 87
launch, 87
launch pad, 87
lb, lbf, lbm, 88
Leading zeroes
in dates, 3.16.8.b, h, 37
in decimals less than 1.0, 3.16.2.j, 32
Left blank, 4.1, 53
Legally binding documents, 3.22.2.1.d, 50
Letters identifying list items (see Enumerators)
life cycle, 88
Line breaks
in dates, 3.16.8.g, 38
in chemical expressions, 3.16.7.h, 37
in e-mail addresses, 3.14.c, 29
in mathematical expressions, 3.16.7.g, 37
in tables, 3.18.n, o, v, 42
in titles, 3.17.q, 40; 3.18.n, 42
in website addresses, 3.15.c, 29
line stranded at bottom of page, 5.11.c, e, 76
line stranded at top of page, 5.11.c, e, 76
with numbers, 3.16.1.i, 30; 3.16.2.p, 33;
3.16.3.e(1), 34
Lists
bulleted lists, 3.11.2.2.a, 23; Figure 1, 24
as parallel expressions, 3.11.1, 22;
3.11.2.3.b, 26
capitalization of, 3.11.2.3, 25; Table 2, 25
in acknowledgments, 5.4.2.d, 68
in forewords or prefaces, 5.4.1.e, 67
order of items, 3.11.2.3.a, 26
punctuation of, 3.11.2.3, 25; Table 2, 25
titles in, 26
enumerated lists, 3.11.2.2.b, 24; Figure 2, 25
as parallel expressions, 3.11.1, 22;
3.11.2.3.b, 26
capitalization of, 3.11.2.3, 25;, Table 2, 25
in acknowledgments, 5.4.2.d, 68
in forewords or prefaces, 5.4.1.e, 67
order of items, 3.11.2.3.a, 26
punctuation of, 3.11.2.3, 25; Table 2, 25
references to items in, 3.22.1.c, 48
titles in, 26
in a foreword or preface, 5.4.3.e, 67
numbered lists (see Lists, enumerated lists)
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of abbreviations, 5.7, 72
excluded from, 3.5.2.h, 7; 3.5.3.a, b, d, f,
7; 3.16.4.g, 34; 3.16.5.g, 35; 3.16.6.k,
36; 3.16.7.j, 37; 3.16.8.a, 37; 5.7.n, 73;
Appendix C, 105
page number of, Table 11, 73
of figures, 5.6, 71
excluded from, 5.4.1. g(1), 68; 5.4.3.d(2),
69
page number of, Table 10, 72
of tables, 5.6, 71
excluded from, 5.4.3.d(2), 69
page number of, Table 10, 72
M
Magnification symbol, 3.16.2.o, 33
Margins
page margins, Table 4, 52
ragged right margin
definition of, 101
in paragraphs, 5.11.b, 76
Material from other sources
applicable and references documents,
3.22.2.1, 50; 3.22.2.2, 51
material copied from other sources, 3.22.2, 50
quotations or paraphrases, 3.22.2.4, 51
Mathematical expressions
display equations, 3.16.7, 36
equation numbers and labels, 3.16.7, 36
grammatical construction of, 3.16.7.e, f, 37
line breaks in, 3.16.7.g, 37
placement of, 3.16.7.i, 37
references to, 3.22.1.f, 49
typefaces of, 3.16.7.b–d, 37
short expressions, 3.16.6, 35
grammatical construction of, 3.16.6.c, 36
multiplication sign, 3.16.6.e, 36
negative numbers, 3.16.6.f, 36
positive numbers, 3.16.6.f, 35
punctuation of, 3.16.6.c, 36
spacing within, 3.16.6.e, 36
typefaces of, 3.16.6.b, h–j, 36
maximize (see ensure, 85)
Measurements, 3.16.2, 31 (also see Numbers)
agreement with verbs, 3.16.2.b, 31
alignment in tables, 3.18.w, 43
at the beginnings of sentences or titles,
3.16.2.c, 31; 3.16.2.d, 31
commas in, 3.18.w, 43
consistency of scale and number style,
3.16.2.r, 33
decimals less than 1.0, 3.16.2.j, 32
dual measurements, 3.16.2.q, 33
factors, 3.16.2.k, 32
feet and inches, 3.16.2.n, 33
fractions, 3.16.3, 33
hyphens with, 3.16.2.a(4), 31
inches and feet, 3.16.2.n, 33
less than 1.0, 3.16.2.j, 32
magnification, 3.16.2.o, 33
measurement system indicators, 5.1.a(3)(a),
56; Figure 6, 56
metric, 3.5.1.b, 6; 3.16.2.q, r, 33; 5.1.a(3)(a),
56; Figure 6, 56
metric/inch-pound, 3.16.2.q, r, 33;
5.1.a(3)(a), 56; Figure 6, 56
not measurement-sensitive, 3.16.2.q, r, 33;
5.1.a(3)(a), 56; Figure 6, 56
plural or singular, 3.16.2.a, 31
ratios, 3.16.2.k, 32
repeated in parentheses, 3.16.2.i, 32
singular or plural, 3.16.2.a, 31
spacing after, 3.16.2.g, 32; 3.16.2.m–p, 33
temperature, 3.16.2.l, 32
written as numbers, 3.16.2.c, 31
written as words, 3.16.2.c–e, 31; 3.16.2.i, 32
Meatball, 5.1.a(2), 56
Metric, 3.5.1.b, 6; 3.16.2.q, 33; 5.1.a(3)(a), 56;
Figure 6, 56
Metric/inch-pound, 5.1.a(3)(a), 56; Figure 6, 56
minimize (see ensure, 85)
Minus sign, 3.16.6.f, 36
modify, 98
Money, 3.16.5, 35
Monitor images, 3.21.1, 46
Months, 3.5.2.h, 7; 3.16.8.a, h, 37; 5.7.n, 73
Mood, 3.3, 5; 98
imperative, 3.3, 5; 97
indicative, 3.3, 5; 97
subjunctive, 3.3, 5; 103
Multiple volumes, 5.13, 78
Multiplication sign, 3.16.6.e, 36
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must, 3.4.d, 5
N
Names
brand, proprietary, or trade, 3.13, 28
in e-mail addresses, 3.14.a, 28
in signature pages, 5.2.c(6), 61
NASA emblem, 5.1.a(2), 56
NASA meatball, 5.1.a(2), 56
Non-Government documents, 5.10.d, 75
Not measurement-sensitive, 5.1.a(3)(a), 56;
Figure 6, 56
Notes, cautions, and warnings, 3.20, 45
cautions, 3.20, 45; 94
formatting of, 3.20.e–h, 46
multiple, 3.20.i, 46
notes, 3.20, 45; 98
order of, 3.20.c, 46
phrasing of, 3.20.d, 46
placement of, 3.20.a, b, 45
warnings, 3.20, 45; 104
Nouns
acting as adjectives, 3.8.1, 11
attributive nouns, 3.8.1, 11
singular vs. plural, 3.8.2, 11
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
common nouns
capitalization in running text, 3.12.1.e, 27
definition of, 95
compound, 3.9.1, 12
definition of, 98
excessive consecutive nouns, 3.8.1, 11
noun phrases, 98
phrasal, 3.9.1.3, 13
proper, 3.12.1.b, 26
Numbered lists (see Lists, enumerated lists)
Numbers, 3.16, 29
agreement of countable quantities with verbs,
3.16.1.b, 30
agreement of measurements with verbs,
3.16.2.b, 31
alignment in tables, 3.18.w, 43
arabic, 3.11.2.1, 23; 3.16.7, 36; 3.17.m, 40;
3.18.k, 42; 4.1, 53; 4.2, 53; 5.3.c(3), 65;
5.3.d(3), 65; 5.3.f(3), 66; 5.8.c, 73;
5.13.b, 78; 6.2.b, 79
at the beginnings of sentences or titles,
3.16.1.d, 30; 3.16.1.f, 30; 3.16.2.c, 31;
3.16.2.d, 31
cardinal numbers
definition of, 94
with ordinal numbers, 3.16.9.f, 38
commas in, 3.16.1.g, 30; 3.16.2.f, 31; 3.18.w,
43
decimals less than 1.0, 3.16.2.j, 32
dual measurements, 3.16.2.q, r, 33
factors, 3.16.2.k, 32
fractions, 3.16.3, 33
hyphens with, 3.16.1.a(3), 30; 3.16.2.a(4), 31
item numbers in lists (see Enumerators)
less than 1.0, 3.16.2.j, 32
magnification, 3.16.2.o, 33
measurements, 3.16.2, 31
mixed numbers, 3.16.3.e, 34
negative numbers, 3.16.6.f, 36
ordinal numbers, 3.16.9, 38
definition of, 99
in dates, 3.16.8.i, 38
page (see Page numbers)
percentages, 3.16.4, 34
plural or singular, 3.16.1.a, 29; 3.16.2.a, 31
positive numbers, 3.16.6.f, 36
ranges, 3.16.2.h, 32
ratios, 3.16.2.k, 32
repeated in parentheses, 3.16.1.h, 30; 3.16.2.i,
32; 3.16.4.d, 34; 3.16.5.d, 35; 88
roman numerals, 4.1, 53; 5.13.b, 78
singular or plural, 3.16.1.a, 29; 3.16.2.a, 31
spacing after, 3.16.1.i, 30; 3.16.2.g, 32;
3.16.2.m, 33; 3.16.2.n, 33; 3.16.2.p, 33
with units, 3.16.2.e, 31
written as numbers, 3.16.1.d, 30; 3.16.1.e,
30; 3.16.4.a, 34; 3.16.5.a, 35
written as words, 3.16.1.c, 30; 3.16.1.f, 30;
3.16.4.a, 34; 3.16.4.c, 34; 3.16.5.a–c, 35
O
object, 99
Occupational titles, 3.12.1.b, c, 27
office, 88
optimize (see ensure, 85)
oral, 88
Orbiter, 3.12.1.d(4), 27
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Ordinal numbers, 3.16.9, 38
definition of, 99
in dates, 3.16.8.i, 38
Orphans
definition of, 99
in paragraphs, 5.11.c, 76
Oxford commas, 3.10.1, 19; 99
P
pad, 88
Page breaks, 5.11.c, e, 76
Page numbers
in engineering documents, 4.2, 53
in formal documents, 4.1, 53
of acknowledgments, Table 8, 68
of appendices, Table 12, 77
of document covers, Table 5, 58
of executive summaries, Table 8, 68
of forewords, Table 8, 68
of lists of abbreviations, Table 11, 73
of prefaces, Table 8, 68
of lists of figures or tables, Table 10, 72
of records of revisions/changes, Table 7, 67
of signature pages, Table 6, 61
of tables of contents, Table 9, 71
references to, 3.22.1.g, 49
Pages
abbreviations for, 3.5.3.f, 8
blank, 4.1, 53
intentionally left blank, 4.1, 53
landscape, 3.17.e, 39; 3.18.e, 41; 98
left blank, 4.1, 53
left-hand, 4.1, 53
oversize, 3.17.e, 39; 3.18.e, 41
portrait, 3.17.e, 39; 3.18.e, 41; 100
references to, 3.22.1.g, 49
right-hand, 4.1, 53
Paragraphs
alignment of, 5.11, 76
definition of, 99
typesetting of, 5.11.a, f, 76
Parallel construction, 3.11, 22
as items in a series, 3.10, 19
definition of, 99
in running paragraphs, 3.11.2.1, 23
Paraphrased material (see References, to
paraphrases or quotations)
Paraphrases (see References, to paraphrases or
quotations)
Parentheses
containing quotations or paraphrases,
3.22.2.4.b(1), b(2), 52
definition of, 99
numbers repeated in, , 3.16.1.h, 30; 3.16.2.i,
32; 3.16.4.d, 34; 3.16.5.d, 35; 88
punctuation with, 99
typeface of, 99
with appositives, 3.10.4, 21
with dual measurements, 3.16.2.q, 33
with brackets, 99
with e.g., 85
with i.e., 86
with enumerators, 3.11.2.1, Note, 23
example in running paragraph, 3.11.2, 22
Parts of speech
as parallel expressions, 3.11.1, 22
definition of, 100
in compound words and phrases, 3.9, 12
particle, 99
Passive voice, 3.3, 5; 100
per, 88
percent, 88
Percentages, 3.16.4, 34
Performance work statements, 3.22.2.1.d, 50
Periods
definition of, 100
with abbreviations, 3.5.7.a, b, 9
with figure numbers, 3.17.n, o, r, 40
with table numbers, 3.18.l, m, o, 42
Person, 100
personnel, 88
Phrases
compound (see Compound words and
phrases)
definition of, 100
pick, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Plane angles, 3.16.2.m, 33
planning, 88
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Plurals
definition of, 100
ending in parentheses, 88
ending in (s) or (es), 88
of abbreviations, 3.5.4, 8
of units of measure, 3.16.2.a, 31
Plus/minus sign, 3.16.6.g, 36
point to, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Portrait pages
definition of, 100
for figures, 3.17.e, 39
for tables, 3.18.e, 41
Predicate, 100
Prefaces and forewords
formatting of, 5.4, 67
page numbers of, Table 8, 68
writing conventions for, 5.4.1, 67
Prefixes, 3.9.4, 17; 100
Prepositional phrases
definition of, 101
in place of attributive nouns, 3.8.1, 11
Prepositions
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
definition of, 101
ending sentence with, 101
press, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
prior to (see before, 84)
Probability, 3.16.2.j, 32
process, 88
Procurement specifications, 3.22.2.1.d, 50
project (see program, 89)
program, 89
prevent (see ensure, 85)
Pronouns
agreement between possessive and
antecedent, 3.7.2, 11
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
definition of, 101
use of, 3.7.1, 10
Pronunciation of abbreviations, 3.5.1, 6
Proper nouns
capitalization of, 3.12.1.b, 26
definition of, 101
property sheet, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Proprietary names, 3.13, 28
Punctuation marks (see individual marks by
name)
Purpose, 5.9, 74
Q
quality, 89
Question marks, 101
Questions (see Sentences, interrogative)
Quotation marks
definition of, 101
for emphasis, 5.11.f, 76
single quotation marks, 102
Quotations, 89 (also see References, to
paraphrases or quotations)
R
Ragged right margin
definition of, 101
in paragraphs, 5.11.b, 76
Ratios, 3.16.2.k, 32
Record of revisions/changes, 5.3, 64
for a Basic edition, 5.3.b, 64
for a Change, 5.3.d–f, 65; Figure 10,
Figure 11, 65
for a Revision, 5.3.c, e, 64; Figure 10,
Figure 11, 65
page numbers, Table 7, 67
reference
as a verb, 89
definition of, 101
Reference documents, 5.10, 74; 101
references to, 3.22.2, 50; 3.22.2.1, 50;
3.22.2.2, 51
References, 3.22, 48
to applicable documents, 3.22.2, 50; 3.22.2.1,
50; 3.22.2.2, 51
to explanatory comments, 3.22.2.3, 51
to locations in the current document
appendices, 3.22.1.e, 49
enumerated items, 3.22.1.c, 48
equations, 3.22.1.f, 49
figures, 3.17.a, 39; 3.22.1.d, 48
list items, 3.22.1.c, 48
pages, 3.22.1.g, 49
sections, 3.22.1.a, 48
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subsections, 3.22.1.b, 48
tables, 3.18.a, 41; 3.22.1.d, 48
to paraphrases or quotations
as citations, 3.22.2.4, 51
as endnotes, 3.22.2.4, 51
as footnotes, 3.22.2.4, 51
definitions of, 99, 101
identification in text, 3.22.2.4, 51
to references documents, 3.22.2, 50; 3.22.2.1,
50; 3.22.2.2, 51
Registered (
®
) symbol, 3.13.c, 28
release, 101
release authority, 102
requester, 89
Requirements document
numbered requirements in, 5.8.a, e, 73
Revision levels
of applicable documents, 3.22.2.1.d, 50
on cover, 5.1.b, 57
on interior pages, 4.1, 53; 4.2, 53
on signature page, 5.2.a, 60
Revisions, 6.1, 78
definition of, 102
formatting of content, 6.1.e, 79
inclusion of prior Changes, 6.1.b, 78
necessity of, 6.1.a, 78
records of revisions/changes for, 5.3.c, e, 64;
Figure 10, Figure 11, 65
revision letter, 6.1.d, 79
right-click, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Roman numerals (see Numbers, roman
numerals)
Roman type, 102
for figure labels and numbers, 3.17.r(4), 41
for table labels and numbers, 3.18.o(4), 43
S
(s) or (es) for plurals, 88
Scope, 5.9, 74
Screenshots, 3.21.1, 46
Sections and subsections
formatting of, 5.8.b, d, h, i, 73
in appendices, 5.12.i, 77
in executive summaries, 5.4.3.e, 69
minimum number of, 5.8.a, e, 73
numbering of, 5.8.c, 73
references to, 3.22.1.a, 48
titles of, 5.8.f, g, 73
Semicolons
definition of, 102
in series, 3.10, 19
in vertical lists
examples, 3.11.1, 22; Table 2, 25
with conjunctions, 3.10.1, 19
with enumerators, 3.11.2.1, Note, 23
Sentence case, 3.12.1, 26
Sentences
as parallel expressions, 3.11.1, 22
complex, 95
compound, 95
declarative, 96
definition of, 102
imperative, 97
interrogative, 98
Serial commas, 3.10.1, 19; 102
shall, 3.4.a, 5
she, he, 3.7.1.d, 10; 3.7.2, 11
ship, 89
should, 3.4.b, 5
Shuttle, 3.12.1.d(5), 27
Signature pages, 5.2, 60; Figure 8, Figure 9, 62
change numbers on, 5.2.a, 60
document numbers on, 5.2.a, 60
document titles on, 5.2.b, 60
footer of, 5.2.e, 61
functional titles, 5.2.c(7), 61
names, 5.2.c(6), 61
page numbers, Table 6, 61
release dates on, 5.2.d, 61
revision levels on, 5.2.a, 60
roles of signatories, 5.2.c(1), c(3), 60
signature blocks, 5.2.c, 60
alignment and formatting of, 5.2.c(2)–c(5),
c(7), c(8), 60
Signatures, 5.2.c, 60
Singular, 102
Slashes
definition of, 102
in and/or, 83
in plus/minus sign, 3.16.6.g, 36
in website addresses, 3.15.c, 29
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soft copy, 89
Space Launch System, 3.12.1.d(6), 27
Space Shuttle, 3.12.1.d(5), 27
Spaces
in dates, 3.16.8.g, 38
in short mathematical expressions, 3.16.6.e,
36
nonbreaking spaces, 3.16.1.i, 30; 3.16.2.a(4),
31; 3.16.6.e, 36; 3.16.8.g, 38; 98
with fractions, 3.16.3.e, 34
with mixed numbers, 3.16.3.e, 34
with punctuation marks (see individual marks
by name)
Specifications (see KSC Specifications)
Spell-checking, 3, 4;3.9.1.1, 13;3.9.1.2, 13;
3.9.2, 13
spoken (see verbal, 91)
Standards (see KSC Standards)
Statements of work, 3.22.2.1.d, 50
States
abbreviations of, 3.5.2.h, 7; 5.7.n, 73;
Appendix C, 105
Subjects, 103
Subject-verb agreement with numbers, 3.16.1.b,
30; 3.16.2.b, 31
Subjunctive mood, 3.3, 5; 103
Subordinate clauses, 103
Subscripts, 3.5.1.d, 6
Subsections (see Sections and subsections)
subsequent to (see after, 83)
Suffixes, 3.9.4, 17
definition of, 103
in ordinal numbers, 3.16.9, 38
Superlatives, Table 1, 14; 103
Superscripts
for explanatory comments, 3.22.2.3, 51
for footnotes or endnotes, 3.22.2.4, 51
for notes in tables, 3.18.x, 43
in ordinal numbers, 3.16.9.d, 38
in symbols, 3.5.1.d, 6
Suspending hyphens, 3.9.5, 18; 103
Symbols
&, 19, 83
ampersand (&), 19, 83
angle, 3.16.2.m, 33
chemical
in display equations, 3.16.7.c, 37
in running text, 3.16.6.i, 36
copyright (©), 3.13.c, 28
definition of, 103
degree
angular, 3.16.2.m, 33
thermal, 3.16.2.l, 32
dollar, 3.16.5, 35
foot, 3.16.2.n, 33
inch, 3.16.2.n, 33
magnification, 3.16.2.o, 33
minus, 3.16.6.f, 36
multiplication, 3.16.6.e, 36
percent, 3.16.4, 34
plus/minus, 3.16.6.g, 36
registered (
®
), 3.13.c, 28
temperature, 3.16.2.l, 32
trademark (™), 3.13.c, 28
T
Tabs
in headings of appendices and their
subsections, 5.12.i(4), 77
in headings of body sections and subsections,
5.8.d, 73
Table of contents, 5.5, 70
headings and titles excluded from, 5.3.a(6),
64; 5.4.b, 67; 5.5.j, 70; 5.6.l, 71; 5.7.m, 73
page number of, Table 9, 71
Tables
alignment of numbers in, 3.18.w, 43
as figures, 3.17, 38
color in, 3.18.f, 42
consistency, 3.18.z, 43
in acknowledgments, 5.4.2.d, 68
in executive summaries, 5.4.3.d, 69
in forewords or prefaces, 5.4.3.e, 67
layout of, 3.18.d, e, q, r, u, v, 41
line breaks in, 3.18.v, 43
lines and borders, 3.18.x, y, 43
list of, 5.6, 71
notes in, 3.18.x, 43
numbers and labels of, 3.18.g, k, l, 42
pictures as, 3.18, 41
placement of, 3.18.b, c, h, i, x, 41
references to, 3.18.a, 41; 3.22.1.d, 48
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titles of
alignment of, 3.18.g, n, o, 42
capitalization of, 3.18.k, o, 42
grammatical construction of, 3.18.m, o, 42
line breaks in, 3.18.n, 42
placement of, 3.18.g, h, l, 42
punctuation of, 3.18.l, m, o, 42
spacing, 3.18.l, 42
typeface of, 3.18.j, 42
typefaces of
column heads, 3.18.s, t, 43
data cells, 3.18.t, 43
titles, 3.18.j, 42
Temperatures, 3.16.2.l, 32
Templates
for engineering documents, 53
for formal documents, 53
Tense, 104
Terms and definitions, 3.19, 44
alignment of, 3.19.n, 45
definitions
capitalization in, 3.19.h, 44
context of, 3.19.i, 44
examples or supplemental information
after, 3.19.k, 45
interchangeability with term, 3.19.g, 44
part of speech, 3.19.g, 44
punctuation of, 3.19.k, 45
quoted definitions, 3.19.j, 45
that repeat the term, 3.19.i, 44
formatting and typesetting of, 3.19.n, o, 45
order of, 3.19.m, 45
placement of glossary or list, 3.19.l, 45
terms
capitalization of, 3.19.e, 44
formatting in the body, 3.19.a, 44
part of speech, 3.19.f, 44
plural or singular, 3.19.f, 44
selection of, 3.19.b, c, d, 44
singular or plural, 3.19.f, 44
with abbreviations, 3.19.d, o, 45
the, 3.5.6.1, 8
before abbreviations, 3.5.6.1, 8
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
their, them, they, 3.7.1.d, 10; 3.7.2, 11
This page was intentionally left blank, 4.1, 53
three-dimensional, 83
times less than, 90
times more than, 90
Title case, 3.12.2, 27
Title pages (see Signature pages)
Titles
of appendices, 5.12.g, h, i(4)–i(6), 77
of applicable or reference documents,
5.10.e(2), e(7), 75
of Code of Federal Regulations, 5.10.e(7), 75
of current document, 5.1.c, 57
of figures, 3.17.j–r, 40
of ISO standards, 5.10.e(7), 75
of jobs, 3.12.1.c, 27
of occupations, 3.12.1.c, 27
of pages in front matter, 5.3.a(1), a(5), 64;
5.4.a, b, 67; 5.5.b, c, 70; 5.6.b, c, 71;
5.7.a, b, 72
of sections or subsections, 5.8.d–h, 73;
5.10.a–e, 74
of tables, 3.18.g, h, j–q, 42
Trademark (™) symbol, 3.13.c, 28
Trade names, 3.13, 28
transpire, 90
two-dimensional, 83
type, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Typefaces
bold, 94
for computer interfaces, 3.21.2.g, 47
for emphasis, 5.11.f, 76
for vectors, 3.16.7.d, 37
italics, 98
for computer interfaces, 3.21.2.h, 47
for emphasis, 5.11.f, 76
for highlighting patterns, 5.11.g, 76
for variables, 3.16.6.h, 36; 3.16.7.b, 37
for words used as words, 98
roman, 102
underlined, 5.11.f, 76
U
unavailable, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
under, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
Underlining, 5.11.f, 76
underway, 90
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uniform resource locator, 90
United States, 90
Units of measure (see Measurements)
unselect, 3.21.3, Table 3, 47
URL, 90 (also see Website addresses)
us, 3.7.1.b, 10
U.S., 5.7.n, 73; 90
U.S. territories, 3.5.2.h, 7; 5.7.n, 73;
Appendix C, 105
UTC, 84
utilize, utilization, 91
V
Variables, 3.16.6.h, 36; 3.16.7.b, 37
Vectors, 3.16.6.j, 36; 3.16.7.d, 37
verbal, 91
verbiage, 91
Verb phrases, 104
Verbs
capitalization in titles, 3.12.2, 27
definition of, 104
Voice
active, 3.3, 5
definition of, 104
passive, 3.3, 5
Volumes, 5.13, 78
W
Warnings, cautions, and notes, 3.20, 45
cautions, 3.20, 45; 94
formatting of, 3.20.e–h, 46
multiple, 3.20.i, 46
notes, 3.20, 45; 98
order of, 3.20.c, 46
phrasing of, 3.20.d, 46
placement of, 3.20.a, b, 45
warnings, 3.20, 45; 104
Washington, D.C., 84
we, 3.7.1.b, 10
website, 91
Website addresses, 3.15, 29
which (see that/which, 90)
Widows
definition of, 104
in paragraphs, 5.11.c, 76
will, 3.4.c, 5
Words
compound (see Compound words and
phrases)
hyphenated, 3.9, 12; 3.9.4, 17
used as words, 3.12.2.c, 27; 98
with prefixes, 3.9.4, 17
with suffixes, 3.9.4, 17
workers’ compensation, 91
written (see verbal, 91)
X
x for by or multiplication sign, 3.16.6.d, e, 36
x-axis, 84
x-ray, 91
Y
y-axis, 84
you, 3.7.1.c, 10
Z
z-axis, 84
Zeroes, leading
in dates, 3.16.8.b, h, 37
in decimals less than 1.0, 3.16.2.j, 32