FAQs

Can my freelancers access the RMA Style and Design Guide?
Yes. Just copy the link (http://community.rmahq.org/RMAStyleandDesignGuide/Home), paste it in an email, and send it your freelancers.

Does it make any difference if I use a hyphen instead of a dash?
Yes, it makes a difference from a grammatical standpoint and from a design standpoint. Dashes are marks of punctuation and have a purpose different than hyphens. See Dashes and Hyphens for more information
 
Can I use two hyphens to represent a long (em) dash?
No. Use em dashes to set aside a parenthetical thought that requires more emphasis than parentheses will give. Use em dashes in pairs—to enclose a word, phrase, or clause—or use a single em dash to detach the last parenthetical thought in the sentence from the main body. See Dashes and Hyphens for more information

Should I use one or two spaces after a period?
Use one space after all punctuation: a period, question mark, an exclamation point, a colon, etc. Today's word processing software uses proportionally spaced fonts, so two spaces is unjustified.

What are serial commas?
Using serial commas means that, in a series of three or more items, a comma should go before the conjunction, e.g., and, nor.  Although the serial comma rule was abandoned for a short time in the twentieth century, we have since recognized that using the serial comma promotes clarity. RMA's standard is to use serial commas.

Should I capitalize job titles?
Capitalize job titles only when they precede a name or when they are in a list. Otherwise, job titles are lowercase. See Titles of Individuals.

Do you need a comma when Jr. or III follows the name?
Don't use commas in names that are followed by Jr. or a numeral; if someone is "the third," use the Roman numeral (III) after the name.

What is parallel construction?
Parallel construction means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. Also called parallelism, or parallel structure. See Parallel Construction.

How does RMA present cybertems?
Internet and Web are capitalized.  Website is one word (lower case if not the first word in the sentence).  Online is one word.  Do not hyphenate email. See RMA Institutional Spellings.