At CSMLS, we follow format, grammar and punctuation guidelines as established in The Canadian Press (CP) Stylebook: A Guide for Writers and Editors (17th Ed.) for digital and print materials.*

Although we should all try to adhere to the CP Stylebook, it is perfectly acceptable, and even advisable, to deviate from these guidelines for aesthetic reasons. What does this mean, exactly?

If following the stylebook to the letter will result in a clunky, cluttered-looking document, skip the guidelines. Instead, select the format, grammar or punctuation style that will look best in the document and apply consistently.

The type of document you are writing or reviewing also plays a role in how the text should look. A guideline that works well for text-heavy information booklets doesn’t necessarily fit well for sales-based marketing ads; for example, the CP Stylebook states that all numbers at the beginning of a sentence should be written out (e.g., seventy percent vs. 70%). While spelling out numbers at the beginning of a sentence in most materials is preferred, this is not the case for all marketing advertisements. Ads should use 70%, not seventy percent. Why? Aesthetics.

The key for all writing, editing and proofreading is to be consistent document wide. If you are consistent, the end result will be a clean, easy-to-read document, and that’s what truly matters.

*Scientific articles should follow the The Vancouver style guide. The Vancouver style guide is not covered here.