NUREG-1379, Rev. 3, NRC Editorial Style Guide

NUREG-1379, Rev. 3, NRC Editorial Style Guide

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Issue date:	04/30/2022
From:	Jay Dougherty, Lynn Ronewicz Office of Administration
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NUREG-1279 R3
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NUREG-1379 Revision 3 NRC Editorial Style Guide Office of Administration

AVAILABILITY OF REFERENCE MATERIALS IN NRC PUBLICATIONS NRC Reference Material Non-NRC Reference Material As of November 1999, you may electronically access Documents available from public and special technical NUREG-series publications and other NRC records at the libraries include all open literature items, such as books, NRCs Library at www.nrc.gov/reading-rm.html. Publicly journal articles, transactions, Federal Register notices, released records include, to name a few, NUREG-series Federal and State legislation, and congressional reports.

publications; Federal Register notices; applicant, licensee, Such documents as theses, dissertations, foreign reports and vendor documents and correspondence; NRC and translations, and non-NRC conference proceedings correspondence and internal memoranda; bulletins and may be purchased from their sponsoring organization.

information notices; inspection and investigative reports; licensee event reports; and Commission papers and their Copies of industry codes and standards used in a attachments. substantive manner in the NRC regulatory process are maintained at NRC publications in the NUREG series, NRC regulations, The NRC Technical Library and Title 10, Energy, in the Code of Federal Regulations Two White Flint North may also be purchased from one of these two sources: 11545 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852-2738

1. The Superintendent of Documents U.S. Government Publishing Office These standards are available in the library for reference Washington, DC 20402-0001 use by the public. Codes and standards are usually Internet: www.bookstore.gpo.gov copyrighted and may be purchased from the originating Telephone: (202) 512-1800 organization or, if they are American National Standards, Fax: (202) 512-2104 from American National Standards Institute

2. The National Technical Information Service 11 West 42nd Street 5301 Shawnee Road New York, NY 10036-8002 Alexandria, VA 22312-0002 Internet: www.ansi.org Internet: www.ntis.gov (212) 642-4900 1-800-553-6847 or, locally, (703) 605-6000 Legally binding regulatory requirements are stated only in A single copy of each NRC draft report for comment is laws; NRC regulations; licenses, including technical available free, to the extent of supply, upon written specifications; or orders, not in NUREG-series publications.

request as follows: The views expressed in contractor prepared publications in this series are not necessarily those of the NRC.

Address: U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission The NUREG series comprises (1) technical and Office of Administration administrative reports and books prepared by the staff (NUREG-XXXX) or agency contractors (NUREG/CR-XXXX),

Digital Communications and Administrative (2) proceedings of conferences (NUREG/CP-XXXX),

Services Branch (3) reports resulting from international agreements Washington, DC 20555-0001 (NUREG/IA-XXXX),(4) brochures (NUREG/BR-XXXX), and E-mail: distribution.resource@nrc.gov (5) compilations of legal decisions and orders of the Facsimile: (301) 415-2289 Commission and the Atomic and Safety Licensing Boards and of Directors decisions under Section 2.206 of the NRCs regulations (NUREG-0750).

Some publications in the NUREG series that are posted at the NRCs Web site address www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/ DISCLAIMER: This report was prepared as an account doc-collections/nuregs are updated periodically and may of work sponsored by an agency of the U.S. Government.

differ from the last printed version. Although references to Neither the U.S. Government nor any agency thereof, nor any employee, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, material found on a Web site bear the date the material or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for any third was accessed, the material available on the date cited partys use, or the results of such use, of any information, may subsequently be removed from the site. apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this publication, or represents that its use by such third party would not infringe privately owned rights.

NUREG-1379 Revision 3 NRC Editorial Style Guide Manuscript Completed: February 2022 Date Published: April 2022 Prepared by:

J. Dougherty L. Ronewicz, NRC Project Manager Office of Administration

ABSTRACT NUREG-1379, Revision 3, NRC Editorial Style Guide, presents style guidance for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) documents. It addresses editorial issues that the staff and NRC contractors often handle, and it contains guidance specific to the language of nuclear technology and regulation.

This style guide also links writers and editors to external authorities and agency resources for additional information on the topics covered, including the principles of plain writing, which support the agencys goals of transparency and accessibility. Additionally, the guide modernizes agency guidance on typography, updates the spelling and use of computer-related terminology, and guides the staff to use more inclusive language.

This revision substantially aligns NRC style with these well-known authorities: The Chicago Manual of Style Online (Chicago), the GPO Style Manual, and Federal Plain Language Guidelines. It is important to note that these references often present more than one acceptable way to write; moreover, they do not always agree. In most cases, Chicago style is used. In those cases where Chicago is not followed, the preferred or required source for certain types of agency documents is usually identified.

This guidance will make agency documents more accessible to those for whom they are written and support the Commissions values of openness and clarity.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................iii TABLE OF CONTENTS................................................................................................. v PREFACE .....................................................................................................................vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................ix USING THIS GUIDANCE...............................................................................................xi 1 ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS ....................................................................1 2 ACRONYMS AND INITIALISMS..........................................................................5 3 CAPITALIZATION................................................................................................7 4 COMPOUND TERMS AND UNIT MODIFIERS .................................................. 13 5 NUMBERS ......................................................................................................... 17 6 PUNCTUATION ................................................................................................. 23 7 COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND WRITING.................................................... 33 8 INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE ................................................................................... 35 9 PLAIN LANGUAGE............................................................................................ 37 10 WORD USAGE................................................................................................... 41 11 FOOTNOTES AND CREDIT LINES................................................................... 45 12 REFERENCES AND CITATIONS ....................................................................... 47 13 CITING FEDERAL REGISTER INFORMATION.................................................. 51 14 TOOLS AND REFERENCES.............................................................................. 53 v

PREFACE The Office of Administration is issuing Revision 3 to NUREG-1379, NRC Editorial Style Guide, to promote consistency in NRC writing. In addition to aligning with updated guidance from Chicago, the GPO Style Manual, and Federal Plain Language Guidelines, the revision addresses many comments and suggestions made by the staff since the publication of NUREG-1379, Revision 2.

We have tried to make this revision a more compact, easy-to-use reference for NRC authors while still providing helpful examples of the style rules discussed. For a more in-depth discussion of the topics covered, we direct the staff to Chicago. All agency staff members now have access to Chicago through the Technical Library, and we have provided direct links to specific sections of Chicago in this guidance.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS We wish to acknowledge the contributions of the NRC staff members who worked on this guidance, as well as the staff members who authored and revised NUREG-1379, Revision 2, on which this revision is based.

Two working groups participated in this latest revision, and we would like to thank the members in both of them for their valuable time and effort.

Editorial Guidance Working Group Handbook Review Working Group Keith Azariah-Kribbs Tison Campbell June Cai Amy Elam Jay Dougherty Julie Ezell Yvonne Edmonds Wendy Moore Adam Glazer James Park Lynn Ronewicz Malcolm Patterson Jennifer Scro Richard Stattel Andrea Silvia Eric Wood We would also like to acknowledge the staff who worked on NUREG-1379, Revision 2:

Caroline Hsu, Keith Azariah-Kribbs, Helen Chang, Malcolm Patterson, Cindy Bladey, Catherine Jaegers, Gary Lauffer, Michael Lesar, Georgette Price, and Linda Stevenson.

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USING THIS GUIDANCE NRC staff and contract authors should follow this editorial guidance for most of the documents they prepare. Keep in mind, though, that the NRC produces everything from adjudicatory decisions to public service announcements. This means that sometimes other editorial guidance applies. For example, NRC press releases are written for the media, and because most media outlets follow The Associated Press Stylebook, so do NRC press releases. Legal pleadings, too, are prepared according to rules set by each jurisdiction. Similarly, Federal Register notices are prepared in accordance with a document drafting handbook that invokes the GPO Style Manual.

Also, conferences and other journals often have styles that govern contributions by NRC staff.

Therefore, as an author, you should identify your intended audience and write for them, using this guide in addition to any other guidance that may be required for the type of document you are preparing. Regardless of your intended audience, though, remember that the NRC serves the public. We want the public to be able to understand our regulations, policies, and correspondence. Even when writing for a technical audience, we should make our writing as accessible as possible. To that end, you can use the tips in the section on plain language to make your writing clearer, more direct, and more powerful.

Throughout this document, you will find hyperlinks to relevant sections of Chicago. These are labeled CMOS, colored blue, and followed by specific paragraph numbers that address the topic. Additional information may be supplied in brackets to identify the relevant section of a link that covers a broader topic. All other internal and external hyperlinks are presented in the Segoe UI Semibold typeface and colored blue.

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1 ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS An abbreviation is a shortened form of a word or phrase used to make text easier to read or understand. In general, NRC documents should follow The Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago) guidance on the use of abbreviations (see CMOS 10 [Abbreviations]). Note that Chicagos guidance is consistent with Federal Plain Language Guidelines, which state that commonly recognized abbreviations may be used without definition, dependent upon the documents audience. For example, internal agency documentation typically does not need to spell out the name of an office or the agency. Above all, abbreviations should make text easier to read or understand, not more difficult.

For commonly used NRC abbreviations, see NUREG-0544, Revision 5, Collection of Abbreviations.

Chapters 9 and 10 of the GPO Style Manual present comprehensive lists of abbreviations, signs, symbols, and guidance.

For numbered items below that do not provide a Chicago link, Federal Plain Language Guidelines provide additional information.

1. Spell out the term from which an abbreviation not commonly known is formed, followed by its abbreviation in parentheses if the term will be used several more times in a document.

Subsequently, use the abbreviation instead of the term. Redefine abbreviations in every major section, each chapter of a lengthy document, and each enclosure to a document.

• National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU)

• high confidence in low probability of failure (HCLPF)

• integrated leak-rate testing (ILRT)

(See CMOS 10.3, CMOS 10.6 [capitalization/lowercase])

2. Use periods in abbreviations for foreign phrases (et is Latin for and; therefore, it is not an abbreviation).

• et al. (et alii, meaning and others)

• e.g. (exempli gratia, meaning for example)

• i.e. (id est, meaning that is)

• et seq. (et sequentia, meaning and the following [things])

(See CMOS 10.4)

3. The abbreviations e.g. and i.e. (followed by a comma) should be used only inside parentheses; otherwise, write out the English equivalents. Do not italicize e.g. and i.e.

• Today we received specific instructions for preparing the report (i.e., its due date, contents, and format).

• Today we received specific instructions for preparing the report, that is, its due date, contents, and format.

(See CMOS 6.51) 1

4. In running text, always spell out the names of states and territories (except DC). Enclose the state name with commas.

• Prince Georges County, Maryland, is east of the Nations capital.

• Atlanta, Georgia, has been the State capital since 1868.

(See CMOS 10.27)

5. Use the U.S. Postal Service two-letter state and province abbreviations in any address.

• Mailing address: 20852 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20854 (See CMOS 10.27, CMOS 10.29 [tabular matter or lists])

6. The same abbreviation should not be used to mean more than one thing in a given document or enclosure.

• independent design review (IDR)

• inspection discrepancy report (IDR)

7. The same term should not be defined with two different abbreviations in the same document.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE)

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)

8. Normally, use no periods with abbreviations that include two or more capital letters.

• PhD

• VP

• CEO

• MD

• butU.S. for United States. This is a departure from Chicago.

(See CMOS 10.4, CMOS 14.276 [cases and court decisions])

9. Do not define abbreviations in titles or headings. You may, however, use abbreviations in titles or headings if they are more easily recognized than the spelled-out term or if they are helpful to the reader in some other way (e.g., shortening the heading so it doesnt wrap on the page or in the table of contents).

10. You may use abbreviations in figures and tables as follows:

• When abbreviations are used in a figure, define them in a key, legend, or in notes to the figure, defined separately from any footnotes to the text and placed directly below the figure. Use letters or symbols for these notes instead of numerals to avoid confusing these definition notes with footnotes.

• When abbreviations are used in a table, define them in notes to the table, numbered separately from footnotes to the text and placed at the end of the table, not at the bottom of the page. Use letters or symbols instead of numerals to define these notes to avoid confusing these definition notes with footnotes.

(See CMOS 3.45 [in labels], CMOS 3.56 [column heads], CMOS 3.7 [captions, legends, keys])

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11. If an abbreviation is used in a heading before it has been defined in the text, spell out the term in the first paragraph after the heading, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses.

12. Contractions are another common form of abbreviation. Federal Plain Language Guidelines suggest using contractions with discretion. Use them where they sound natural.

• lets

• its

• doesnt

13. An alternate way to abbreviate an entity or term is to use a simplified term or nickname.

This is usually a key word or two excerpted from the longer term. Nicknames are often easier for readers to remember than a new acronym or initialism.

• Westinghouse Electric Company, LLC, was one of the first nuclear steam supply system vendors. Westinghouse requested certification for the AP600 design.

14. Use the same form of an abbreviation for both the singular and plural forms of a unit of measure.

• 1m

• 3m

• 1 kg

• 5 kg

15. Omit internal and terminal punctuation unless its omission would cause confusion.

• 1 in. (The period avoids confusion with the word in.)

• 5 cm

16. Use abbreviations for units of measure when they are combined with numbers to express a quantity. Spell out the name of a unit when it is not immediately preceded by a number.

• 2.200 r/min

• The test would determine the number of revolutions per minute.

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2 ACRONYMS AND INITIALISMS An acronym is a pronounceable term formed from the initial letters of a compound expression (e.g., LOCA for loss-of-coolant accident). An initialism is a nonpronounceable term formed from the initial letters of a compound expression; the initial letters are pronounced as separate letters (e.g., NRC for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission).

Most acronyms are capitalized except for certain well-known acronyms that are lowercase by convention. For a list of commonly used NRC acronyms, see NUREG-0544, Revision 5, Collection of Abbreviations.

1. Use an acronym or initialism if the term it represents will be used several more times in a document. Initially, spell out the term from which the acronym is formed, followed by the acronym itself in parenthesis. As a general rule, you can subsequently use the acronym instead of the term.

• The Resource Advisory Council (RAC) has reviewed this plan. The RAC advised the staff to revise three sections.

• The Resource Advisory Council has reviewed this plan. The council advised the staff to revise three sections.

2. In a lengthy document, redefine abbreviations in every major section, each chapter of a lengthy document, and each enclosure to a document.

3. Avoid using several acronyms together in a single sentence whenever possible.

4. Do not define acronyms or initialisms in headings and titles. An exception is when space is constrained, as with some figure and table headings. In such cases, you may use previously undefined acronyms, defining them in a footnote beneath the figure or table.

5. Although an acronym or initialism is capitalized, do not capitalize the term it represents unless the term would ordinarily be capitalized.

• Office of the General Counsel (OGC)

• technical specification (TS)

• crack opening displacement (COD)

• renewed facility operating license (RFOL)

(See CMOS 10.6)

6. To form the plural for most acronyms and initialisms, add a lowercase s without an apostrophe. When the plural form of an acronym appears in parentheses, a lowercase s is included within the parentheses.

• 12 NPPs

• 2.0 FTEs

• URLs

• BSs, MAs, PhDs (See CMOS 7.15) 5

7. To form the possessive of an acronym or initialism, use an apostrophe plus s, just as you would for a normal word. For the first appearance of an acronym, it is preferable to avoid using the possessive form of the term to be abbreviated; if used, the possessive form of the acronym should be put in parentheses.

• the EDOs report

• the IAEAs May conference

• RESs funding (alsofunding from RES; RES funding)

• O3s chemical instability (alsoozones chemical instability; the chemical instability of O3)

• guidance issued by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation (NRR) (avoidthe Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulations (NRRs) guidance)

(See CMOS 7.17, Chicago FAQ on defining possessives)

8. To decide whether a or an should precede an acronym or initialism, pronounce the first syllable of the acronym. A should precede a consonant sound; an should precede a vowel sound.

Vowel Sounds Consonant Sounds An ACRS meeting (ay) A FEMA decision (fee)

An SER update (es) A LOCA occurred (low)

An NRC office (en) A UFO (yew)

(See CMOS 10.9)

9. Use the definite article (the) before an organizations name when it is used as a noun (subject or object). Do the same if an abbreviation is used in place of the name, except when it is an acronym and not an initialism. Do not use the definite article when the name or the abbreviation is used as a modifier, but recognize that an article may be needed for the word that is modified.

• She has worked at the NRC for over 30 years.

• NRC laptops should never be left unattended in a public area.

• An NRC laptop should never be left unattended in a public area.

• The NRC Chairman testified before the oversight committee.

• NATO is an alliance of 30 countries from North America and Europe.

(See CMOS 5.70 [articles], CMOS 5.71 [the definite article], CMOS 5.76 [effect of article on meaning] CMOS 10.9 [articles before acronyms of entities])

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3 CAPITALIZATION Capitalize the first word of a sentence, the pronoun I, and proper names. When in doubt, do not capitalize. For example, if a term could be either a proper name or a description (e.g., the department of engineering, nuclear power plant, or memorandum of understanding), use lowercase.

(See CMOS 5.4 [nouns generally], CMOS 5.5 [common nouns], CMOS 5.6 [proper nouns])

1. Capitalize civil, religious, military, and professional titles if they precede a personal name.

Use lowercase if the title follows the name except for titles of great eminence, including heads of state, assistant heads of state, heads of governmental units, and royal rulers. Do not capitalize general references to titles. Likewise, capitalize specific names of organizations but not general references to them.

• President George Washington (and alsothe President King Bhumibol Adulyadej; the King of Thailand; His Royal Highness)

• Governors Richardson and Lingle (and alsoThe Governors will meet later.)

• U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye (butDaniel Inouye, senator; the senator)

• The staff in Region IV (butthe regional office)

• Judge Mia Jones (butMia Jones, the judge)

(See CMOS 8.19 [titles/offices], CMOS 8.20 [exceptions], CMOS 8.22 [civil titles], CMOS 8.23

[sovereigns], CMOS 8.24 [military])

2. For NRC titles, follow the above guidance, but you may capitalize titles of branch chief and above (when using the title before or after the staff members name). Exceptions may also be called for in other contexts for reasons of courtesy or diplomacy. Do not capitalize general references to most titles. Note also that once a title has been given, it need not be repeated each time a staff or persons name is mentioned.

• NRC Senior Health Physicist Ana Lee (buttwo NRC health physicists)

• Deputy Director Ryan Yamada (and alsoRyan Yamada, Deputy Director)

• NRC Director of Office of Administration, Jennifer Golder (and alsoJennifer Golder, Director of the Office of Administration)

• Capitalize Commission or Commissioners when referring to the collegial head of the NRC as a group and Chairman or Commissioner when referring to the Chairman or a member of the Commission individually.

• The Chairman requests a response by Friday and expects the Commission to discuss the issue Monday morning.

(See CMOS 8.20 [exceptions])

3. Capitalize formal or accepted titles of policies, acts, and similar documents; use lowercase when they are generic or not complete.

• the Bill of Rights

• the United States (or U.S.) Constitution; the Constitution (normally capitalized when referring to the U.S. Constitution)

• Article VII; the article

• the NRCs Principles of Good Regulation; demonstrate principles of good regulation 7

• the due process clause

• the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993; the 1993 act (See CMOS 8.80)

4. Capitalize a well-known short form of a specific proper name.

• Congress (U.S. Congress, butcongressional action, congressional staff)

• the President (of any country)

• the District (District of Columbia)

• the Capitol (in the District)

• the Agency (for U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, butthe agency for U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and all other organizations that do not have Agency in the name of the organization)

• the Office (U.S. Government Accountability Office, butthe office for all other offices, including NRC internal offices)

(See CMOS 8.62)

5. Capitalize the following governmental organizations. This is a departure from Chicago. For NRC style, these terms are capitalized.

• Federal

• Federal Government

• State (butdo not capitalize local)

• Nation as a synonym for United States as in 10 percent of the Nations energy supply (butnation for general references such as a nation devoted to prosperity)

• Federal, State, and local responders

• the Tribe; Tribal officials (the NRC capitalizes Tribal to signify a sovereign entity)

6. Lowercase (and spell out) words like chapter, appendix, table, and figure when referencing these elements of a document. See Citing Federal Register Information for exceptions.

• Additional information appears in appendix K.

• See table 4 in chapter 3.

• The staff details recommendations in section 7.

(See CMOS 8.180, CMOS 3.50 [table numbers/text references])

7. Do not capitalize a common noun followed by a letter or number identifying a component of a nuclear power plant.

• train A

• valve PRV-22 8

8. Do not capitalize document types unless followed by a number or letter referring to a specific document.

• regulatory guide (butRegulatory Guide 1.18)

• management directive (butManagement Directive 4.1, Accounting Policies and Practices)

• inspection manual chapter (butInspection Manual Chapter 4150)

9. Capitalize the first letter of the symbol for an element. Do not capitalize the spelled-out name for the element or isotope.

• Na sodium

• NaCl sodium chloride deuterium (See CMOS 8.149)

10. Capitalize a trade name.

• Xerox

• Halogen

• Plexiglas

• Vu-Graph

• Zircaloy (butzirconium)

(See CMOS 5.6)

11. Capitalize a descriptive term that denotes a geographic region (definite region or locality) or feature used as a proper name.

• the Midwest

• the Continental Divide

• the East Coast

• Deep South

• Western Europe

• Gulf States (butgulf coast)

(See CMOS 8.47, CMOS 8.54 [generic terms])

12. Do not capitalize a descriptive term used as a geographic direction or a position that is not a proper name.

• northerly, northern

• north, south, east, west

• eastern seaboard (See CMOS 8.46, CMOS 8.47 [regions])

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13. Capitalize months, but not seasons.

• May, October

• spring, autumn

• spring 2007 (notSpring 2007)

(See CMOS 8.88)

14. Generally, capitalize the first and last words of titles and subtitles. Also capitalize all major words in titles and subtitles (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions). Lowercase the articles the, a, and an, as well as coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, yet, and so. Also lowercase as and to (when a preposition or as part of an infinitive). Lowercase prepositions regardless of length unless they are used adjectivally or adverbially (up in Look Up, on in The On Button). There are very few exceptions; consult Chicago if there is any question.

• Secrets of the Past: Nuclear Energy Applications in Art

• The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1982

• How to Write, Speak, and Think More Effectively

• Creating Energy Sources for the Future

• A Guidebook to Nuclear Reactors

• Handbook of Nuclear Safeguards Measurements Methods (See CMOS 8.159, CMOS 14.87 [capitalization of titles of cited works])

15. When referencing Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations in NRC documents (not in Federal Register notices), use the capitalization style in paragraph 14 above for titles of parts (most are in uppercase in the regulations themselves), and use sentence style capitalization for titles of sections (only the first letter is capitalized except in certain instances and the rest of the title is lower case). Enclose both the title of the part and title of the section in quotation marks.

• Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 52, Licenses, Certifications, and Approvals for Nuclear Power Plants, contains the relevant regulations. [if CFR has not yet been defined]

• The requirements in 10 CFR 50.91, Notice for public comment; State consultation, apply in this case. [if CFR has been defined]

• Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations 50.4, Written communications, should be consulted. [if CFR has not been defined and is not used again]

(See CMOS 8.159, CMOS 8.158 [sentence style punctuation])

16. Capitalize hyphenated words by the same rules you would use if the words were not hyphenated.

• Commissioner-elect Jones

• high-level waste

• A Study of Proposed High-Level Waste Repositories (See CMOS 8.161 [hyphenated compounds in a title])

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17. Do not capitalize the names of systems or programs at nuclear facilities. (Even if licensee documents capitalize common nouns, the NRC lowercases these terms.)

• residual heat removal system

• emergency core cooling system

• control room

• reactor building

• fire protection program 11

4 COMPOUND TERMS AND UNIT MODIFIERS A compound term can appear in one of three forms: (1) open (e.g., nuclear power plant, mill tailings site), (2) closed (e.g., rulemaking, runoff), and (3) hyphenated (e.g., full-scale simulation, fitness-for-duty program). Although there are rules to compounding terms, there are also many exceptions. Modern English is moving toward a general trend of closing compounds unless doing so causes confusion. For example, the modifier on-line is now online, and cyber security is now cybersecurity.

CMOS chapter 7 provides information on this topic. Chapter 6 of the GPO Style Manual presents general rules for compounding words. Chapter 7 of the GPO Style Manual contains 6,000 compound words in their correct open, closed, or hyphenated form. (Note: There may be some differences between Chicago and the GPO Style Manual.)

Compound terms that modify nouns are called unit modifiers. Those that precede nouns are typically hyphenated. Those that follow the nouns they modify are typically not hyphenated.

• an NRC-sponsored study (buta study sponsored by the NRC)

• defense-in-depth philosophy (butdue to defense in depth)

• handled on a case-by-case basis (buthandled case by case)

• in design-basis accidents (butthe design basis)

• a safety-related component (butthe component is safety related)

• onsite exposures (butexposures on site)

Use hyphens carefully with unit modifiers because their placement can cause misreading. For example, depending on the usage of the words, each of the following phrases or sentences is correct.

• a biological-waste management system

• a biological waste-management system Tables 1 and 2 provide detailed guidance on the use of hyphens with unit modifiers.

1. Hyphenate unit modifiers used as adjectives and adverbs that precede a noun. Some types and examples follow:

Table 1 Hyphenation of Unit Modifiers Type Example Modifier plus present participle far-reaching effects hard-working staff fear-producing accident thought-provoking analysis 13

Table 1 Hyphenation of Unit Modifiers (cont.)

Type Example Modifier plus past participle safety-related activities coal-fired plants performance-based incentives well-defined plan much-acclaimed study long-lived isotope Multiple-word modifier not-in-my-backyard attitude easy-to-read document loss-of-coolant accident boiling-water reactor pressurized-water reactor nozzle-to-pipe weld Suspended modifier (i.e., use of a unit industry- and agency-sponsored studies common to a series of unit modifiers) long- and short-term goals 8-, 9-, and 10-hour days pre- and post-accident (note that these would normally be closed, but when in a series with a suspended modifier, the hyphen would be used)

Unit modifiers in which one unit is PDR-available documents capitalized NRC-prepared report Unit modifiers that include numbers (see 18-inch-diameter pipe also section 5) six-person team two-shift operation the 33-meter distance (butthe 33 m distance

[no hyphen when a number is with an abbreviation])

Number + percent (noun and adjective 60 percent forms unhyphenated open except between a 5 percent raise ranges) a 10-20 percent increase A prefix before a proper noun, capitalized non-Federal abbreviation, or number anti-American pre-Jurassic pre-NRC regulatory agency post-2001 security measures A few adjective-noun unit modifiers high-level waste low-pressure injection light-water reactor non-light-water reactor safety-related component non-safety-related component (See CMOS 7.85, CMOS 7.89 [hyphenation guide], CMOS Q & A on the prefix non) 14

2. Do not hyphenate unit modifiers ending in -ly, as well as certain other modifiers. Some types and examples follow:

Table 2 Nonhyphenation of Certain Unit Modifiers Type Example Modifier ending in ly poorly managed plant effectively managed branch Foreign phrases used as unit modifiers ad hoc meeting ad hominem argument in vitro tissue culture in situ hybridization Three-word unit modifiers whose first two very well defined procedures words are adverbs unusually well maintained design basis Noun formed from a one-syllable verb and makeup adverb heatup cooldown startup shutdown (See CMOS 7.86)

3. There are certain words that have various usages with or without hyphens that are often misused:

• shutdown (noun) and shut down (verb)

• follow-up (adjective and noun) and follow up (verb)

• inservice (adjective (no longer use a hyphen)) (example: inservice inspector) and in service (example: the component is in service)

4. Close up most prefixes, but be aware of many exceptions. Use a hyphen to avoid mispronunciation or confusion. Some types and examples follow in table 3.

Table 3 Prefixes Type Example Prefixes multiplant prelicensing semiannual biweekly nondistinctive overpressure Use a hyphen before a proper noun, pre-Columbian artifacts capitalized abbreviation, or number pre-2001 security measures post-USSR 15

Table 3 Prefixes (cont.)

Type Example Use a hyphen with prefixes to avoid doubling anti-inflammatory a vowel or tripling a consonant, except after gull-like co, de, pre, and re. Also use a hyphen to coowner avoid mispronunciation or ambiguity. colocated deenergize re-creation vs. recreation multi-ply vs. multiply pre-position vs. preposition co-op un-ionized vs. unionized (See CMOS 7.81)

5. Close most cases of -wide and -making used as a suffix.

• agencywide (butNRC-wide because it is a proper noun)

• industrywide

• worldwide

• rulemaking

• policymaking

• governmentwide

• decision-making (See CMOS 7.89)

6. Usually, do not hyphenate chemical and physical terms except for chemical formulas.

• boric acid solution

• carbon monoxide gas

• equivalent uranium content

• hydrogen ion activity

• ground water (including as a modifier, as in ground water protection)

• Cr-Ni-Mo

• uranium-235 or U-235 (See CMOS 8.149, CMOS 7.89) 16

5 NUMBERS

1. Spell out numbers one through nine and use numerals for a single number of 10 or greater.

• Four reactor licensees reported seven events.

• The crew replaced four pipes, six valves, and nine gears in record time.

• There were 70 similar documents.

• NotThe crew replaced four (4) pipes, six (6) valves, and nine (9) gears in record time.

(See CMOS 9.3)

2. When two or more related numbers appear in a sentence and one of them is 10 or more, use a numeral for each number.

• The inspectors found fractured pipes in four plants: 6 in Fermi, 10 in Watts Bar, 2 in Monticello, and 4 in Susquehanna.

• The NRC received comments from 13 utilities, 18 public interest groups, 3 unions, 6 utility organizations, and 2 interested persons.

(See CMOS 9.7)

3. Spell out a number that begins a sentence, and spell out related numbers at the beginning of a sentence separated by no more than three words. Alternatively, revise the sentence to avoid beginning the sentence with a number. In the third example below, assume that the author has already defined Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations (10 CFR) Part 20, Standards for Protection against Radiation.

• Twenty families face possible evacuation.

• Seventy or, perhaps, eighty square miles were affected by the aftershock. (orThe aftershock affected 70 or 80 square miles. (butEight acres of the 12 square miles affected by the aftershock were within the site boundary.)

• As required by 10 CFR Part 20, radiation protection plans for certain facilities. (butdo not begin a sentence with 10 CFR Part 20 requires)

(See CMOS 9.5)

4. Use numerals to express a unit of measurement, including time or money. This usage does not affect other numerical expressions in a sentence.

• 8 years

• 6 cm diameter pipe

• 2 meters (See CMOS 9.7 [consistency], CMOS 9.16 [numerals with abbreviations and symbols])

5. In tables and illustrations, use numerals with abbreviations, symbols, decimals, and with quantities that mix whole numbers and fractions. In text, do not use symbols. Write out the abbreviation on first appearance in text and thereafter use the abbreviation.

17

Table 4 Tables and Figures Tables and Illustrations Text 3 km 3 kilometers 12 cm 12 centimeters 3-6

• 3 feet to 6 feet 12 ** 12 inches 8 x 12 8 inches by 12 inches**

1,500 psi 1,500 pounds per square inch 33% 33 percent 3 kg 3 kilograms 1.8 g 1.8 grams 11/2 r/min 11/2 revolutions per minute 100 °C 100 degrees Celsius***

• Note that the symbol is prime (Unicode character 2032), not the apostrophe.

• • Note that the symbol is double prime (Unicode character 2033), not the closing double quotation mark.

• • • Note that the symbol ° is the degree (Unicode character 00B0), not the ring above diacritic.

(See CMOS 9.15, CMOS 9.16 [abbreviations and symbols], CMOS 10.49 [miscellaneous technical abbreviations, CMOS 10.64 [periods with abbreviations of U.S. measure])

(Note: The NRC differs from Chicago and does not add a space between numeral and %.)

6. Spell out indefinite numerical expressions. Numbers preceded by about, nearly, around, and approximately are not considered indefinite.

• the early seventies (butnearly the 1970s)

• midforties (butaround 1945)

• seemingly a hundred and one reasons (buthe cited about 10 reasons)

• between two and three hundred (See CMOS 9.4 [hundreds, thousands])

7. An ordinal number expresses degree or sequence. Apply the general rules for numbers in this section to ordinal numbers.

• The accident rate for the fourth quarter suggested that the training had been effective.

• Surprisingly, the 19th and 20th years of plant operation produced the highest income.

• The Federal Register notice was published on March 27. (notMarch 27th)

(See CMOS 9.6) 18

8. When two numbers appear in sequence, use a numeral for one and spell out the other.

• The inspector examined twelve 12-inch-diameter pipes.

• The fold-out page consisted of eleven 2-inch columns of numerals.

9. Use numerals in all mathematical expressions.

• multiplied by 4

• a factor of 9

10. Spell out a fraction standing alone, a fraction followed by of a or of an, and a fraction approximation.

• three-fourths of a mile

• seven-eighths of an inch

• The water on three-fourths of the site was contaminated.

• The team leader has reviewed nearly three-fourths of the inspection report.

(See CMOS 9.14 [simple fraction], CMOS 9.15 [whole number plus fraction])

11. For a spelled-out fraction, use a hyphen between the numerator and denominator. However, omit the hyphen between the numerator and denominator when a hyphen already appears in either or both.

• three-fifths

• six thirty-fifths

• twenty-one thirty-fifths

• twenty-three thirtieths

• two one-thousandths (See CMOS 9.14)

12. Use numerals for a fraction in a unit modifier.

• 1/2-inch width

• 3/4-mile radius

13. Use numerals when combining whole numbers and fractions. Do not hyphenate.

• 21/2 times as large

• 11/2 inches wide (See CMOS 9.15, CMOS 12.45 [mathematics fractions in text])

14. Use numerals for all decimals.

• 0.5 mL

• 0.25 inch

• 1.5 yd (See CMOS 9.19) 19

15. Use a decimal point for monetary amounts that include cents, but not for even dollar amounts.

• 0.5 cent

• 75 cents

• $150.10

• $150 (See CMOS 9.20)

16. For quantities of less than one, use a zero before the decimal point unless the quantity could never reach one, such as the caliber of a gun. Use a zero after the decimal point if the zero is followed by other nonzero numbers or if it is a significant number. Do not use a decimal place followed by a zero after a whole number (unless required for precision).

• 0.5 part (but.44 caliber)

• 5.04

• 5.003 (but5)

• 45 (not45.0)

(See CMOS 9.19)

17. Use subscripts to indicate the base for a number system and the number of atoms of an element in a molecule.

• 258

• H2 (See CMOS 8.149, CMOS 12.36 [mathematical])

18. Use superscripts for exponents and to indicate the mass number of an isotope.

• 25

• 235 U (buturanium-235 in documents for general readership)

(See CMOS 12.36, CMOS 12.37 [complex mathematical])

19. Generally, do not use the calculator or computer printout abbreviation for an exponent in text or tables; instead, use the superscript. Use of computer printout abbreviations is acceptable for computer codes. If you must use the computer printout abbreviation, apply it throughout the document. Do not switch between the computer printout abbreviation and superscripts.

Note that negative exponents must use a nonbreaking hyphen (Ctrl+Shift+- or 0060).

• 83 (not8**3 or 8^3)

• 8x103 (not8E3)

• 8x10-3 (not8E-3)

(See CMOS 12.36, CMOS 6.121 [nonbreaking space])

20

20. Use commas every three places starting at the right to separate numbers over three digits (for numbers containing four or more digits).

• There were 5,000 comments on the proposed rule.

• There were 50,000 responses to the questionnaire.

• There were 3,000 responses to the first questionnaire and 15,000 to the second.

Table 5,000 50,000 1,000,000 (See CMOS 9.54)

21. To aid comprehension and for typographic appearance, spell out million or billion (tables and figures may use M and B, as in $12M).

• $12 million

• $1.25 billion

• $5 million to $10 million

• 4.2 billion years

• population of 2.8 million (See CMOS 9.8)

22. Use the percent symbol in tables, graphs, and figures. Otherwise, spell out percent in the text.

• The office had expended 80 percent of its budget by midyear.

• Of the 103 reactors, 75 percent had replaced at least one steam generator after 10 years.

• The price rose 12, 15, and 19 percent. (notThe price rose 12 percent, 15 percent, and 19 percent.)

(See CMOS 3.82, CMOS 9.18 [percentage in nontechnical text; % in scientific and statistical copy])

23. When writing about a range of numbers, give the full digits. Use an en dash to separate numbers in a range.

• pages 25-28 (notpages 25-8)

• pages 1260-1268 (notpages 1260-68, and notpages 1260-8)

• days 104-107 (notdays 104-7, and notdays 104-07)

• from fiscal years 2006-2007 (notfrom fiscal years 2006-07, and notfrom fiscal years 2006-7)

• January 2-9, 11, and 13-15 and March 5-9, 26, and 30, 2007

• March 6 to April 15, 1990 (notMarch 6, 1990, to April 15, 1990)

(See CMOS 6.75, CMOS 9.62, CMOS 9.61 [abbreviate/condense inclusive numbers])

21

6 PUNCTUATION See CMOS chapter 6 for a complete overview of punctuation rules.

1. Use a serial (or Oxford) comma after each member of a series of three or more words, letters, numerals, phrases, or clauses.

• footnotes, references, and bibliographies

• between A, B, or C

• neither in 1999, 2001, nor 2007

• in the morning, in the afternoon, but not in the evening

• The section leader wrote the proposal, the branch chief reviewed it, and the division director signed it.

(See CMOS 6.19)

2. Change the usual commas in a series to semicolons if multiple commas occur within the elements of the series. However, use a comma rather than a semicolon if the major item groups are separated by numbers (e.g., (1)).

• After assessing a situation, the NRC may order a licensee to continue, curtail, or expand operations; ensure compliance with security and safeguards programs; and maintain associated notes, documents, and records of these emergency actions.

• After assessing a situation, the NRC may order a licensee to (1) continue, curtail, or expand operations, (2) ensure compliance with security and safeguards programs, and (3) maintain associated notes, documents, and records of these emergency actions.

(See CMOS 6.60)

3. Use a comma with an introductory dependent clause. A dependent clause is generally introduced by a subordinating conjunction such as if, because, when, or until.

• If we receive the requested information in a timely manner, we will meet our schedule.

(See CMOS 6.24)

4. Use a comma after an introductory adverbial phrase if a misreading is likely; otherwise, a comma is generally optional. But do not use a comma to set off an adverbial phrase that introduces an inverted sentence. Shorter adverbial phrases are less likely to warrant a comma than longer ones.

• After struggling with the problem, he decided to consult experts.

• Before moving on to my next location, I would like to meet with you.

• Round the corner came the inspector.

• In 1946 Congress created the Atomic Energy Commission. (orIn 1946, Congress created the Atomic Energy Commission.)

(See CMOS 6.31, CMOS 6.33 [introductory phrases])

23

5. Use a comma before an independent clause quoted as dialogue or from text and introduced with said, replied, wrote, and similar words.

• He said, The tube has been welded.

• The inspector noted, The licensee has addressed all outstanding issues.

(See CMOS 6.40)

6. Use a comma or commas to set off a title when it could be considered nonessential (nonrestrictive). Otherwise, omit the comma or commas.

• In a white paper, Approaches to Enhancing Safety, staff members outline their position.

• The white paper Approaches to Enhancing Safety outlines the staffs position.

(See CMOS 6.41)

7. Use a comma before and after an appositive (an explanatory equivalent) of another word or phrase if it is nonrestrictivethat is, if it can be omitted without obscuring the identity of the noun to which it refers. If the word or phrase is restrictivethat is, it provides (or may provide) essential information about the noun (or nouns) to which it refersno commas should appear.

• Nishi Mackin, president of TRCO, met with the Chairman.

• The American National Standards Institute has published a more recent standard, ANSI Z39.18-187, Scientific and Technical Reports: Organization, Preparation, and Production.

(See CMOS 6.28)

8. Use a comma before and after the year when written in the order of month, day, and year.

• The March 27, 1988, memorandum responded to the questions. (orThe memorandum, dated March 27, 1988, responded to the questions.)

• On March 27, 1988, he attended the conference.

(See CMOS 5.83)

9. Do not use a comma in a two-element date or a three-element date written in the order of day, month, and year.

• March 27

• March 2021 (notMarch, 2021)

• 27 March 2021 (military usage)

10. Only use 1st, 2nd, 25th when placing the day before the month (the 1st of January; the 25th of August) (notJanuary 1st or August 25th)

(See CMOS 6.38)

11. Use a comma before and after the State or country when citing the city and State or city and country in the text.

• The meeting is in Chicago, Illinois, on April 4, 2008, at 3 p.m.

• A conference in Paris, France, would cost more than one in Paris, Texas.

24

• Do not use a comma between the State and the ZIP code in an address.

• Bethesda, MD 20014 (See CMOS 6.39)

12. Omit the comma before and after II, III, IV, etc., in a name. Commas are not required before and after Jr., Sr., Inc., and Ltd. (Some individuals or companies choose to include the comma, and the NRC can follow their style at its discretion.)

• John Francis Kipp III (butKing, Martin Luther, Jr., when name is inverted and when inverted in indexing)

• The staff will meet with Chem-Nuclear Systems, Inc., on September 5, 1988.

• We know that Time Inc. produced the book.

• Ganesh Gritz Jr. chaired the meeting. (butGanesh Gritz, Jr., chaired the meeting would also be acceptable)

(See CMOS 6.43 [Jr., Sr.], CMOS 6.44 [Inc., Ltd.], CMOS 16.41 [inverted name; indexes])

13. Use a comma between qualifying words if the word and could replace the comma.

• An old, degraded generator tube (butan old generator tube)

(See CMOS 6.36)

14. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction when it joins two independent clauses (complete sentences). The comma is optional when the independent clauses are very short.

• The agency received the application in October 2007, but the staff did not approve the terms until January 2009.

• I plan to arrive at the site on Tuesday, and I am scheduled to begin the inspection on Wednesday.

• Close your eyes and make a wish.

(See CMOS 6.22)

15. Use a comma to set off nonrestrictive words, phrases, or clauses that could be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence.

• The final rule, which was published on December 13, became effective on January 12.

• Members of the public, including those from the eastern districts, attended the hearing.

(See CMOS 6.25 [dependent clause], CMOS 6.27 [that, which], CMOS 6.29 [descriptive phrase])

16. Use a comma after however, including at the beginning of a sentence, unless however is used conditionally. Consider using but to begin a sentence instead of however, which is more effectively used within a sentence to emphasize the word or phrase that precedes it.

For purposes of flow, not of grammar, many highly accomplished writers shun the sentence-starting however as a contrasting word. Yet the word is fine in that position in the sense in whatever way (not followed by a comma).

• However that may be, we have now made our decision.

• Soon, however, they attended the training.

• However, the documents were declared timely.

25

• Today, however, he continues to smoke.

• But I would still like to discuss the topic.

• However much he spoke, he never seemed to get to the point.

(See CMOS 6.49)

17. Use a semicolon to separate closely related or contrasting statements. Use one space after a semicolon.

• He agrees; I do not.

18. Use a semicolon before a conjunctive adverb (e.g., then, however, thus, hence, indeed, accordingly, besides, and therefore) joining independent clauses.

• I attended the meeting; however, I had to leave before it ended.

• He had doubts about the public hearing; indeed, it was pure chaos.

(See CMOS 6.57)

19. Use a period at the end of a sentence. Between sentences, use a single space.

(See CMOS 6.12, CMOS 2.9 [single-space after period between sentences])

20. Use a period after items in a list if each item is a complete sentence.

• She must return on Friday. The following is her itinerary:

1. Monday, she flies to New York.

2. Tuesday, she chairs the conference.

3. Wednesday, she conducts a hearing.

4. Thursday, she addresses the council.

(See CMOS 6.130 [vertical list])

21. Use a colon after a complete clause to introduce a list, whether or not the list is within a sentence. Use one space after a colon before text.

• Greg Emes was responsible for the following:

1. basic research

2. confirmatory research

3. written results

• The judges consider three factors: taste, texture, and aesthetic appeal.

(See CMOS 6.61, CMOS 2.9 [spacing], CMOS 6.7 [one space after colon])

22. Use a colon after a formal salutation.

Dear Senator McCain:

23. Use a colon to introduce a quotation in block form (a long quotation).

(See CMOS 13.10) 26

24. Do not put quotation marks at the beginning or end of long quotations in block form.

Indentation is enough to indicate that long passages are quotes. Indent both the right and left margins 0.5 inch from the preceding text. Normally use block indent for quoted text over five lines.

Section 1.2 of NUREG-0544, Revision 5, points out how abbreviations can make their way into everyday speech:

The need to type quickly when instant messaging or communicating on the Internet also introduced many new abbreviations that have spilled out into everyday language. For example, lol started out as a way to write laugh out loud in electronic communications, but now some people will say lol in speech instead of actually laughing. New abbreviations can crop up very quickly and enter everyday speech.

(See CMOS 13.10, CMOS 13.31 [quotation marks in block quotations])

25. Integrate short quotations within the sentence. If there are several quotations of varying length close together, avoiding block indentation may make reading easier.

(See CMOS 13.9)

26. When a quotation forms a syntactical part of the surrounding sentence, no comma or other mark of punctuation is needed to introduce it, though punctuation may be required for other reasons.

• The supervisor said she was very glad the tube has been welded.

• She said that she would prefer not to comment.

(See CMOS 13.15, CMOS 6.40, CMOS 5.200)

27. To determine whether to capitalize the first letter of material quoted in midsentence, consider its syntactical relation to the rest of the sentence. If the quotation is integral, one may lowercase the first letter, regardless of its case in the original. If the quotation has a more remote syntactical relation to the rest of the sentence, the initial letter is typically capitalized.

• The head of the agency directed staff to continue working remotely until further notice.

• His motto All hands on deck should be taken seriously.

(See CMOS 13.19)

28. Use an em dash to mark an abrupt change in thought. There are no spaces between the em dash and the text on either side.

• Provide several publicationsin addition to your resumeto highlight your qualifications.

(See CMOS 6.75, CMOS 6.85) 27

29. Use em dashes to replace commas around an interrupting element with heavy internal punctuation.

• The groupengineers, managers, and administratorstoured the facility.

(See CMOS 6.85, CMOS 6.88, CMOS 6.87, CMOS 6.75 [hyphens and dashes compared])

30. Use hyphens for NRC documents that use abbreviations, numbers, or both.

• NUREG-0544

• SRM-SECY-20-0032

• COMSECY-14-0015

31. Use an en dash to indicate ranges of numbers, letters, or periods of time. (In Microsoft Word, the keyboard shortcut is Ctrl+Minus sign. Using the toolbar, insert an en dash by clicking on Insert, choosing Symbol, clicking on the More Symbols tab, and choosing the en dash.)

• For several years (2003-2006), the company has downsized its staff.

• The planned September-December trip never happened.

• From January 21-March 5, 2008, the licensee closed the plant for substantial repairs.

(See CMOS 6.78)

32. Use parentheses to show explanatory or statistical information (important matter not intended to be part of the main statement and not a grammatical element of the sentence).

Punctuate a sentence with parentheses the same as a sentence without parentheses. Do not precede an opening parenthesis with a comma.

• The inspector visited three of the four regions (I, III, and IV).

• Before leaving the site (late Friday afternoon), he submitted his report.

• The high-level waste regulation (10 CFR Part 60) establishes the requirements for site characterization of a geologic repository. (The U.S. Department of Energy will be the only applicant to use the part.)

(See CMOS 6.95, CMOS 6.97, CMOS 6.98, CMOS 3.55 [in table titles])

33. Use brackets within parentheses or parentheses within parentheses to nest information.

Brackets are mainly used to add information that is not from the original writer; it does not form a part of the text around it. Also, use brackets to indicate words you have inserted into a direct quotation.

• Please review the applicable international standard (Nuclear Power Standard 6.5

[NP-STD-6.5]).

• Some time last night [the] idea came to me, said Mr. Pai.

• He has not reached the annual whole-body limit for workers (50 millisieverts [mSv]).

(See CMOS 6.97, CMOS 6.99, CMOS 13.7, CMOS 6.101) 28

34. Place a period or comma inside the closing quotation mark.

• He said, The project is due today.

• The center is offering three courses today: MS Outlook, Reactor Core Concepts, and Web Design 3.

• Training ends early today, the instructor said.

(See CMOS 6.9)

35. Place a question mark, exclamation point, colon, or semicolon outside the closing quotation mark (unless it is part of the quoted material).

• We hired the most qualified environmental policy analyst from the Presidential Management Fellows Program; we did not realize he lacked motivation.

• Have you seen my copy of NUREG-1379, NRC Editorial Style Guide?

• butI recommend you read the article Nuclear Energy: A Way to A Greener Future?

(See CMOS 6.10 [colons, semicolons], CMOS 6.70 [question mark], CMOS 6.74

[exclamation point])

36. Use italics for emphasis, including first usage of key terms. When adding emphasis in quoted text, include [italics added] or [emphasis added] directly after the italicized material.

• The bill was not paid.

• The two chief tactics of this group, obstructionism and misinformation, require careful analysis.

(See CMOS 7.50, CMOS 7.56 [key terms], CMOS 13.62 [italics added])

37. The slash signifies alternatives (and, or, or both) but is often ambiguous. Use slashes in tables and graphs for brevity; otherwise, avoid using slashes, especially if you really mean either and or or but not both. Avoid writing and/or. The slash is also used for alternative spellings or names. Occasionally a slash can include the sense of and while still conveying a sense of alternatives. In most cases, a hyphen is the better choice for and (e.g., inside-outside facility).

• Notify your supervisor if you will be late or absent. (notNotify your supervisor if you will be late and/or absent. notNotify your supervisor if you will be late/absent.)

• The center serves clients who are elderly, disabled, or both. (notThe center serves clients who are elderly/disabled.)

(See CMOS 6.106, CMOS 6.113 [slashes and line breaks])

38. Use a slash to join multiple-word unit modifiers. Add a nonbreaking space before the slash and a space after the slash when one or more of the terms is a compound term. For single word modifiers, no space is needed.

• A joint U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission / U.S. Department of Energy initiative

• a joint NRC/DOE initiative (See CMOS 6.106) 29

39. Use a slash to indicate per for quantities.

• 60 km/h

• 11 pills/day (See CMOS 6.109)

40. Use italics for foreign words and phrases that are not well known to English speakers. Do not italicize commonly used foreign words, including scholarly Latin. Do not italicize foreign proper nouns.

• Belgique cest chic was his personal motto.

• An earthquake hit the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant in Niigata Prefecture.

• She did not seem sorry about eating all the foie gras.

• Schadenfreude means taking joy in the misfortune of others.

• ibid., et al., e.g., i.e., in vitro, in vivo, ibid, de facto

41. Italicize the titles of freestanding works and use quotation marks around the titles of subsections of freestanding works.

(See CMOS 8.2)

42. To show possession, add an apostrophe and an s for most singular nouns. For plural nouns (except irregular plurals, like men, that do not end in s), add an apostrophe only.

• Camerons policy

• Phylliss plant (alsoher plant)

• U.S. Congresss history

• Dr. Seusss hat

• The many plants operations (See CMOS 6.116, CMOS 7.20 [plural], CMOS 5.20 [genitive case], CMOS 7.16

[possessive form of most nouns], CMOS 7.18 [possessive of words ending in s])

43. Use lists to organize text. For short lists, run the list into the text (unless you are writing codified text or the text requires prominence). Completely enclose numbers or letters in parentheses. Use a colon only if the list is preceded by a complete clause.

• He had three resolutions: (1) to learn French, (2) to pass the French proficiency exam, and (3) to find a job in Brussels, Belgium.

• The NRC considers (1) safety, (2) security, and (3) the environment.

(See CMOS 6.127 [general list principles], CMOS 6.128 [run-in vs. vertical lists])

44. For longer lists, set the list vertically. Precede the list with a complete sentence, followed by a colon. If it is not possible to use a complete sentence, use an em dash instead of a colon.

Use numbers for sequential list items or list items you will refer to later by number. Use bullets for random list items.

30

45. If the list items are not complete sentences, begin with a lowercase letter (unless a proper noun) and do not use punctuation at the end. Always use parallel sentence construction for lists.

The working group is making progress with the following goals:

• searching for a director with government experience

• reorganizing top management into three primary areas

• bidding out contracts on printing

• redrafting the mission statement for emphasis on public accountability (See CMOS 6.130, CMOS 6.131 [vertical lists punctuated as sentence])

31

7 COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND WRITING This section provides information related to computer technology terms and writing.

1. If you are writing a document for a nontechnical audience (such as a document for public comment), aim for a grade 9 to 12 reading level. Microsoft Word can automatically check the reading level of your document with a formula that uses the average number of syllables per word and the average number of words per sentence.

• Go to File and click Options and then Proofing. Then choose the Spelling and Grammar tab. Check the Check grammar with spelling box. Check the Show readability statistics box. Click OK.

• Run a normal spell check. At the end, you will see a measurement of your documents readability.

2. Capitalize basic alphabet keys, all the named keys (e.g., Ctrl, Shift, Alt), and menu items (e.g., File, Save, Print). The font should be bold for names of buttons, icons, lists, menus, and tabs; commands on menus, toolbars, and ribbons; dialog box options and titles; etc.

• To run a spell check, go to Review; then choose Spelling & Grammar.

• A keyboard shortcut for copying text is Ctrl+C.

• A keyboard shortcut for pasting is Ctrl+V.

(See CMOS 7.77, Microsoft Writing Style Guide)

3. Lowercase technology-related words unless they are trademarked or otherwise constitute the proper name of an organization. For information on how to compound technology-related words, see section 4, Compound Terms and Unit Modifiers.

• internet

• intranet

• web-related issues (adjective form is still hyphenated)

• webcasting

• web broadcasting

• web page

• website

• blog

• Wi-Fi (See CMOS 7.80, CMOS 14.205 [websites, blogs, and social media defined])

4. Spelling conventions for technology-related words continue to evolve. Below are currently accepted spellings of some commonly used terms. For guidance on capitalizing technology-related words, see section 3, Capitalization.

• cyberattack

• cybersecure

• cybersecurity

• cyberskills 33

• cyberspace

• cyber professionals

• cyber threat

• database

• email

• online (See CMOS chapter 7 [compounds])

5. Normally capitalize the names of all computer codes (specific applications, programs, or apps); capitalization can usually reflect the usage displayed by the software or the device itself. Capitalize the names of computer languages and software consistent with their trade names. If the code is an acronym, spell out the full name the first time it appears in a document.

• code: MESORAD, CPLUME, MELCORE

• language: Python, Perl, Fortran

• software: Adobe Acrobat Professional, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

(See CMOS 7.76, CMOS 8.155, Microsoft Writing Style Guide)

6. Generally, do not display URLs except for documents that are likely to be printed (correspondence, etc.) and normally add a URL as a footnote. For documents normally viewed online, link the URL to the document you are referencing (the readers can open the hyperlink if desired). Break URLs in printed works after a colon or double slash; before or after an equals sign or an ampersand; or before a single slash, a period, or any other punctuation or symbol. Break URLs that contain hyphens before the hyphen. Include https://

(or https:// as appropriate) before the URL.

(See CMOS 7.46) 34

8 INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE Words have the ability to bring people together, but they can also create distance or miscommunication. Recognizing this potential, inclusive language uses expressions and terms that are likely to be perceived either as neutral or welcoming by everyone, regardless of sex, gender, race, color, religion, or age. You can use the writing tips and resources below to help people from diverse backgrounds feel more welcomeand thus more willing to listen to and receive your messageand to foster precise, high-quality work.

This guidance reflects current understanding and may be updated as the field evolves.

1. Tips for Making Writing More Inclusive

• Use clear, direct language instead of colloquial terms.

• Use language preferred by the group or individual, when possible.

• When in doubt, use general, more inclusive language (see table 1 below for examples).

• Use they, them, and their as singular pronouns, or reword a passage to avoid using gendered personal pronouns (e.g., he, she, his, hers). They, them, and their are inclusive of all people and help writers avoid making assumptions about gender.

Merriam-Webster notes that they has been in consistent use as a singular pronoun since the late 1300s.

• For salutations, instead of presuming Mr. or Ms., address the letter by using the persons full name (Dear Rebecca George or Dear Michael Mortgasen).

• Avoid terms that contribute to stigmas around disabilities: blind spot, tone deaf, crazy, crippled, paralyzed.

• When referring to a persons race or ethnicity, use adjectives, not nouns (e.g., a Hispanic person).

• Use adjectival forms (e.g., older adults) or nouns with descriptive phrases (e.g., individuals living in poverty) rather than labels (the elderly, the poor).

Table 5 Inclusive Language Suggested Alternatives Instead of Consider husband or wife spouse or partner mother or father parent elderly older person, older adult, or senior blacklist or whitelist blocklist/denylist/refused or passlist/allowlist/permitted master or slave (e.g., in reference to primary/main/leader or computer hard drives) secondary/replica/follower Manmade caused by humans, artificial, or manufactured 35

Table 5 Inclusive Language Suggested Alternatives (cont.)

Instead of Consider guys people, everyone, folks, all crippled, paralyzed frozen by, stopped by, completely stuck tone deaf inappropriate, offensive, oblivious blind spot area of weakness, lack of knowledge, understanding gap

2. Inclusive Language Resources

• SBCR Initiative on Gender Neutral Language In 2021, the NRC Office of Small Business and Civil Rights launched a writing initiative to become gender neutral in its correspondence and presentations. Gender identity is internal to the individual. Using gender-neutral language is more inclusive to and understanding of nonbinary individuals and avoids making assumptions about a persons gender.

• National Institute of Standards and Technology Guide

• General Services Administration Guide

• American Psychological Associations General Principles for Reducing Bias 36

9 PLAIN LANGUAGE The Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN) was conceived by the National Partnership for Reinventing Government. The goal was to create a Government that works better, costs less, and gets results. For more in-depth guidance on using plain language, see the following resources:

• Plain Writing at the NRC

• Federal Plain Language Guidelines, Revision 1, May 2011

• NRC Writing Class

• Plainlanguage.gov Simple language is easier to read and is often more accurate. Give the correct level of detail that your audience needs. Do not inundate a nontechnical reader with technical details. For documents meant for public comment, aim for a high school reading level. To check reading level in Microsoft Word, use the readability statistics function.

Rules for Writing in Plain Language

1. Follow these general tips:

• Use reader-oriented writing. Write for your audience.

• Keep it conversational. When possible, write as you would speak.

• Make your document visually appealing. Present your text in a way that highlights the main points.

2. Use the active voice.

The active voice tells who is supposed to do what. It is explicit and direct, assigning a clear agent to an action.

• ActiveThe licensee installed a new steam generator.

• PassiveA new steam generator was installed.

• ActiveThe staff held a conference call with the BWR Owners Group.

• PassiveA conference call was held with the BWR Owners Group.

The passive voice may be appropriate when it doesnt matter who is doing the action:

• Acceptable PassiveTaking photographs is forbidden in this secure area.

• ActiveMalcolm A. McDuffy, Chief, Division of Security, forbids the taking of photographs in this secure area.

3. Write in short sentences and short paragraphs.

Express only one idea in each sentence. Short sentences are better for conveying complex information. They break the information up into smaller, easy-to-process units. If your sentence is more than 20 words long, try to break it into two or more separate sentences if 37

possible. The more technical the topic, the shorter the sentences should be to aid in reader comprehension. (See The Elements of Plain Language.)

• Long: Associated with amending 10 CFR 50.44, a conference call was held with the BWR Owners Group (BWROG) with the purpose of exploring possible coordination between the staffs activities and related efforts currently being pursued by the BWROG.

• Short: The NRC staff and the BWR Owners Group held a conference call to discuss coordinating their activities related to the NRCs amendment of 10 CFR 50.44.

Short paragraphs break up material into easily understood segments and are visually more appealing. They also allow you to insert more informative headings in your material.

Use as few words as possible. Simple language is often more accurate. (See Simple Words and Phrases from Plainlanguage.gov).

4. Avoid legalisms. Even if you are writing a legal document, use simple, everyday words.

Avoid the following vague legalistic terms:

• aforementioned

• hereby

• herein

• hereinafter

• therein

5. Avoid confusion by observing the following.

• Use consistent terms throughout the document.

o If you start with Reactor Oversight Process, do not switch to reactor oversight program.

o If you begin by calling it an assessment, do not switch to evaluation, analysis, or study.

• Unbundle strings of five or more nouns.

o Writeprocedures to protect the quality of surface water (notsurface water quality protection procedures) o Writethe threshold value at which the primary coolant must be sampled (not primary coolant sampling requirement threshold value)

• Make sure pronouns have clear antecedents. In the following example, it could refer to safety margin, measure, or design.

o VagueSafety margin is a measure of the conservatism employed in a design to ensure that it will work.

o ClearSafety margin is a measure of the conservatism employed in a design to ensure that the design will work.

• Avoid technical terms that only a specialist would understand unless you are writing for a purely technical audience. If you must use the technical term, add a few words to explain the meaning.

o TechnicalThe printing specialist is reviewing the bluelines.

38

o Plain LanguageThe printing specialist is reviewing a proof of the publication that is printed in blue ink.

o Plain Language with ExplanationThe printing specialist is reviewing a proof of the publication known as the bluelines because it is printed in blue ink.

6. Use the pronouns I, we, and you to speak directly to the reader. Especially in correspondence, this establishes an informal tone. More formal third-person usage is often used in formal writing, such as in technical reports. The same approach should be used consistently throughout the document.

• I am responding to your letter of April 2, 2000, about the use of potassium iodide to reduce the uptake of radioiodine in the event of a nuclear accident.

• Avoid using the royal we (the use of a plural pronoun when a singular pronoun should be used).

7. Use bullets, lists, tables, and graphics for visual variety. Shorter lines and more white space on a page give the readers eye a rest from dense blocks of text. A list is easier to read than running text. Use numerical lists if the items have an order of importance or if your introduction to the list identifies a specific number of items, as in this example.

• The management of mining and milling residues, such as tailings and waste rock, is also outside the scope of this publication. However, the publication covers the decommissioning of facilities and equipment for surface industrial extraction associated with mining and milling. Fuel cycle facilities pose the following four types of potential hazards:

(1) criticality (2) chemical hazards (3) radiological hazards (4) fires and explosions 39

10 WORD USAGE The following pairs of words are frequently misused or confused. (See CMOS 5.250 [good usage v. common usage])

accept/except To accept is to receive, agree to, or consider proper, right, or true. As a verb, to except means leave out or exclude; as a preposition, it means excluding.

• You must accept the responsibility that goes with the appointment.

• We agreed on everything except the schedule.

adapt/adopt To adapt is to adjust or make suitable. To adopt is to accept or make ones own.

• He will adapt to the motion of the sea in a few days.

• I will adopt your agenda for the meeting.

advice/advise Advice is a noun and advise is a verb.

• My advice is to sign the contract immediately.

• I advise you to sign the contract immediately.

affect/effect Effect is often misused for the verb affect, which means to have an effect on or to influence. To effect is to bring about.

• The decisions of the public utility commission affect all State utilities.

• These policy changes had a good effect on staff morale.

alternate/alternative An alternate is a substitute, an alternative is a choice between two or more possibilities. As an adjective, alternate means by turns or every other.

• He appointed Arthur as the alternate.

• The inspector had no alternative to shutting down the plant.

among/between Use between for two persons or things; use among for three or more. Among indicates undefined or collective relationships. Between indicates one-to-one relationships or for more than two objects, if multiple on-to-one relationships are understood from context (e.g., trade between members of the European Union).

• This discussion is between you and me.

• The three technicians discussed the test results among themselves.

41

assure/ensure To assure is to set a persons mind to rest and is used to address people. To ensure is to make certain.

• I assure you that the documents will arrive on schedule!

• Adhering to this maintenance schedule will ensure proper operation of the system.

due to/because of Due to is an adjectival prepositional phrase. Because of is an adverbial prepositional phrase.

Only use due to to modify a noun or after a form of the verb to be.

• The delay was due to an automobile accident.

• Because of the delay, the schedule was changed.

farther/further Use farther for geographical distance and further in more abstract senses.

• He moved 2 kilometers (km) farther down the road. His first office was only 1 km away.

• She must study further to achieve mastery of the subject.

fewer/less Use fewer for countable quantities; use less for qualities or quantities that cannot be counted individually. Also use less for time and money.

• Fewer people attend the meeting each year.

• Less activity than predicted was visible around Jupiters moon.

principal/principle As a noun, principal is a person of high authority or an initial deposit of money. As an adjective, principal means first (in importance or degree). A principle is a basic truth, rule, or standard.

• The principal speaker was the Director of NRR.

• We follow the NRC Principles of Good Regulation.

prior to/before Prior is an adjective. Do not use prior to as a preposition. Use before or until.

• The agreement signed today replaces the prior agreement.

• The report arrived before the letter.

must/may/may not/should/shall/will In regulations, must indicates a requirement, may an option, and may not a prohibition. In guidance such as regulatory guides, should is often used for recommendations. In keeping with Plainlanguage.gov guidelines, do not use shall in place of must and do not use will in place of must or may.

• The licensee must check the operation of reusable collection systems each month.

• The program plan must describe the licensees procedures.

42

• The licensee may submit the report by email.

• A licensee may not administer that dose to humans.

• The licensee should carry out these drills before the actual test.

that/which Use the relative pronoun that to begin restrictive clausesclauses that provide information that is essential to understanding the intended meaning of the sentence. Do not use commas to set off restrictive clauses from the rest of the sentence. Nonrestrictive clausesclauses that can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence or obscuring the identity of the noun to which they referare usually introduced by which and are set off from the rest of the sentence by commas.

• Training on a simulator ensures a degree of competence that cannot be learned otherwise.

• She walked to the warehouse, which is a mile away, to pick up the reports.

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11 FOOTNOTES AND CREDIT LINES Use footnotes to supply explanatory material or information that would interrupt the flow of ideas in the text. Use table or figure notes to clarify or elaborate on the data in the table or figure.

1. Place a footnote on the same page or under the same column as its reference.

• The Advisory Committee on the Medical Uses of Isotopes (ACMUI) advises the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on policy and technical issues that arise in the regulation of the medical uses of radioactive material in diagnosis and therapy.1 1

The ACMUI membership includes health care professionals from various disciplines.

(See CMOS 2.22)

2. Place a footnote reference (i.e., normally a superscript number) applicable only to information in parentheses or brackets inside the closing parenthesis or bracket.

• The position closed April 4, 2009, without a suitable applicant chosen. (Six engineers applied.1)

(See CMOS 14.26)

3. Place a footnote reference outside all punctuation except the dash, and do not use a space between the punctuation and the footnote reference.

• The trip from the site to the airport**about 60 mileswas slow and tiring.

(See CMOS 14.26)

4. Separate a footnote reference from the word preceding it by a thin space unless it is preceded by a punctuation mark (e.g., a period, comma, quotation mark).

• The NRC* regulates this nuclear waste, and its container bears a classification label.

5. Separate footnote references occurring together by a comma and thin space.

• This topic was discussed in the previous three meetings.1, 2, 3

6. Place footnotes to a table or figure, which are handled independently from footnotes to text, immediately under the table or figure. If a figure has both a legend and footnotes, the legend is usually placed below or to the side of the table or figure.

(See CMOS 3.76, CMOS 3.7 [captions, legends, keys, and labels])

7. Use a symbol or letter rather than a number for a table or figure note reference if a number could be confused with the content of the table or figure.

(See CMOS 3.79) 45

8. In a table, place a table note reference to the right of a column of text or symbols and to the left of a column of figures.

9. Place a credit or source line for a table or figure, which identifies where the data were obtained, directly under and flush left with the last note. For a figure or table without notes, place the source line directly under and flush left with the title. Source lines do not end in periods.

Figure 4.3 Chernobyl Data Evaluation of Power vs. Time During Core Destruction Phase (Sheron, 1986)

Source: Soviet analysis provided in figure 4 of USSR, 1986 (See CMOS 4.102) 46

12 REFERENCES AND CITATIONS

1. Purpose A reference gives credit to an author for the information used in a document and directs the reader to the source of the information. NRC authors must provide enough information in each reference citation to enable the reader to obtain the referenced document from a location accessible to the public. Reference lists only include documents cited in the main text (appendices may have their own reference lists as they should be able to stand alone).

Any related references that are not cited in the text could be included in a bibliography.

2. Availability Include sources that are publicly available in a list of references. Do not include, for example, private communications, predecisional documents, technical notes, or minutes of a meeting. Avoid using a classified document, safeguards information, controlled unclassified information, or proprietary document as a reference unless it is the only source of the information cited. If you must use such a document as a reference, state the following, as appropriate, after its citation in the list of references: (classified report, not publicly available) or (proprietary information, not publicly available).

The author of a document is responsible for ensuring that each reference is accurate and that each document referenced is publicly available, unless otherwise indicated.

The NRC publishes an availability notice on the inside front cover of its NUREG reports.

This notice directs the reader to sources for obtaining publicly available NRC documents and most codes and standards referenced in NRC reports.

The availability statements cover appropriate sources for most references that would be included in NRC documents other than NUREG-series reports.

3. Placement For most documents, place the list of references in a separate section immediately after the text.

If there are too few references to call for a list, consider using footnotes as opposed to placing reference citations in parentheses directly in the text.

4. Legal Citations Statutory material and court decisions are usually cited in the text or footnotes to a document rather than in a list of references. For detailed guidance on citing legal materials, consult with the NRCs Office of the General Counsel Legal Research Center or The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, which is available from the Legal Research Center and most public libraries.

47

5. Listing and Identifying References

• Most reference lists include the following information in the order shown for each document cited, with the components separated by commas:

- AuthorList the authoring individual (last name first), agency, corporation, or association.

- TitleItalicize the title of a book and enclose the title of a journal article or the chapter of a book in quotation marks. Place the title of a journal article before the italicized name of a journal. Enclose the title of a technical report, a regulatory guide, and an industry code or standard in quotation marks.

- Volume, if needed, or report number

- Publisher and location

- Page number

- Date

6. Listing by Category of Documents For a NUREG-series report that has an availability notice on the inside front cover, identify the references in the text parenthetically or directly as part of a sentence, and list the references by category, alphabetically, and, as appropriate, sequentially by number. (See NUREG-0650, Revision 2, Preparing NUREG-Series Publications, for more information on NUREG guidance.)

Listing References

• Categorize the references by name of author or type of document (e.g., correspondence, codes and standards).

• Under the category for industry codes and standards, alphabetize the subcategories (e.g., ANS, IEEE) and then list the individual references sequentially by code or standard number. Place this category last in the list of references.

• For the first document listed in each category, give all the components of information for a reference except the publisher and location for documents covered by the availability notice, and for each subsequent document, give only its alphanumeric designator, title, and date, in that order.

• List the references alphabetically or, as appropriate, sequentially by number.

• List a single author or the first author, if more than one, by last name, first initial, middle initial, if available. List subsequent authors by first initial, middle initial, last name. For more than three authors, follow the first author by et al.

Identifying References in the Text

• Identify a reference in the text so that it is easy to findin parentheses by an alphanumeric designator or some other descriptive information, or directly in a sentence. Be consistent with the chosen approach within a given document.

- (NUREG-0800)

- (NRC Bulletin 89-11) 48

- (ML080180332) butdefine Agencywide Documents Access and Management System (ADAMS) Accession No. for the first reference.

- (5 U.S.C. §§ 553, 555)

Good cause exists under 5 U.S.C. § 553(d) to dispense with the usual 30-day delay in the effective date of the final rule.

This final rule does not contain information collection requirements and, therefore, is not subject to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.).

- (Smith, 1987)

- The evaluation (Smith and Jones, 1987) showed that

- The report by Smith and Jones (1987)

- Smith and Jones (1987) reported

• Identify a reference parenthetically in the text using Arabic numerals if the document is using a numbered reference list. You may abbreviate the word Reference as in (Ref. 1) or (Refs. 3-8). If part of the text itself, spell it out: Reference 1 describes the experiment.

• Identify a reference in the text in the same way in which it appears in the list of references. For example, (Smith, 1987) should appear in the list of references under Smiths name rather than under the number of Smiths report.

• Identify multiple documents written by one author first by date, and then alphabetically by lowercase letter: (Smith, 1987), (Smith, 1988a), (Smith, 1988b).

• Cite a particular page, chapter, figure, table, or equation in the text rather than in the list of references, if possible.

7. Listing Sequentially by Number For a document in which the references are numbered, give all the components of information for each reference (see item 5), and list the references in the same order that they appear in the text. Identify the references in the text parenthetically by number.

The NRC discourages the use of numbered references in long documents. A long document may have hundreds of references and any change in the text could require extensive renumbering of the references. NRC documents often must be prepared and published within a short turnaround time to coincide with licensing actions and are often changed as a result of multiple regulatory reviews. These conditions can result in last-minute renumbering of references. In a long document, use a more stable method of referencing such as (Author, Year). This guidance does not apply to correspondence.

Listing References

• List the references in the same order that the information referenced appears in the text (i.e., sequentially by number).

• Order the components of information appropriate to the references.

49

• List all authors by last name first, then first name, and then middle initial if available.

For documents with more than three authors, list the first author only, followed by et al.

8. Cross-References

• To cross-reference, direct the reader to another section of the same document by using an in-text citation. However, avoid vague, nonspecific cross-references such as see passages on high-level waste in this document or see above.

• Cite the cross-reference in the same form as the entry cross-referenced. For example, if section 3 is cross-referenced, write (see section 3) (not(see section III)).

9. Guidance That Is Periodically Revised For regulatory guides and other guidance that is revised periodically, generally do not give dates and revisions.

• If you want the reader to always reference the current revision, do not give a revision number, issue date, or ADAMS accession number.

• When referring to regulatory guides in safety evaluations and other licensing documents, be sure to identify the revision number(s) where it is important to the agencys decision to have the revision number listed (e.g., where the statements made are based on a specific version, or where a licensee used a specific version to support its application).

• For draft guides, give the alphanumeric task designator and the revision number for the proposed revision to avoid confusion among multiple proposed revisions.

10. Sample Reference Lists NUREG-0650 provides detailed information on reference lists in NRC documents.

50

13 CITING FEDERAL REGISTER INFORMATION The Office of the Federal Register (OFR) requires that rulemakings, petitions for rulemakings, and general notices submitted for publication in the Federal Register comply with its format requirements. Consult the OFR Document Drafting Handbook guidance on preparing and processing Federal Register notices. The OFR Document Drafting Handbook instructs authors to use the GPO Style Manual for punctuation, capitalization, and other style.

1. Resource Information General Notices The Office of the General Counsels Legal Research Center processes general notices.

Email your general Federal Register notices to Notice_Publish Resource for processing and preparation for digital signature. Consult the following links for additional information:

• Legal Research Center

• Legal Research Center Contacts

• Federal Register Notice Program Rulemaking Notices The Rulemaking Center of Expertise in the Division of Rulemaking, Environmental, and Financial Support in the Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards processes rulemaking notices. Email your rulemaking Federal Register notices to Rulemaking Resource for processing and preparation for digital signature. Consult the following links to additional information:

• The NRC Rulemaker

• Rulemaking Drafting Tools and Templates

• Rulemaking Action Statements and Templates

2. Citing the Federal Register Italicize Federal Register.

When citing a part of the Federal Register in text, use the following format: 54 FR 33168; August 11, 1989:

• The basis for the NRCs occupational chemical toxicity limits for uranium is given in an amendment to 10 CFR Part 20 (39 FR 13671; April 16, 1974) and is based on the threshold limit value.

• On August 28, 2007 (72 FR 49352), the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) published a final rule revising the provision.

51

3. Referencing 10 CFR in Non-Federal Register Documents To cite 10 CFR To cite a part of 10 CFR To cite a section of To cite a paragraph of 10 CFR 10 CFR If 10 CFR has not Title 10 of the Code Title 10 of the Code of Title 10 of the Code of Title 10 of the Code of yet been defined of Federal Federal Regulations (10 Federal Regulations Federal Regulations Regulations (10 CFR) CFR) Part 50, Part Title (10 CFR) Section 50.1, (10 CFR) 39.15(a)(1)

Section title If 10 CFR has been 10 CFR 10 CFR Part 50, Part 10 CFR 50.4, Section 10 CFR 39.15(a)(1) or defined previously Title title, but the part or section title has (Use title case for part or Paragraph 39.15(a)(1) not yet been given title.) (when the citation begins Section 50.34, a sentence)

Section title, of 10 CFR (when a citation begins a sentence)

(Use sentence case for section title.)

If 10 CFR and the N/A 10 CFR Part 50 10 CFR 50.4 10 CFR 39.15(a)(1)(iii)(H) title of part or section have been defined previously Plural section and N/A N/A sections 50.4 and 50.8 paragraphs 50.39.15(a)(1) paragraph of 10 CFR (capitalize and (2) of 10 CFR examples section if it begins a (capitalize paragraph sentence) when it begins a sentence) 52

14 TOOLS AND REFERENCES NRC Links Glossary of Terms Public Web Page https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/basic-ref/glossary.html NUREG/BR-0053, United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulations Handbook https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML052720461 NUREG-0544, Revision 5, Collection of Abbreviations https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML17004A106 NUREG-0650, Revision 2, Preparing NUREG-Series Publications https://adamswebsearch2.nrc.gov/webSearch2/main.jsp?AccessionNumber=ML041050294 NUREG-1350, Volume 33, Information Digest, 2021-2022 https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/nuregs/staff/sr1350/

PerfectIt Nuclepedia Page https://nuclepedia.usalearning.gov/index.php?title=PerfectIt Plain Language Pointers https://drupal.nrc.gov/sites/default/files/comm-plainlanguage.pdf Plain Writing at the NRC Public Web Page https://www.nrc.gov/public-involve/open/plain-writing.html The NRC Rulemaker Sharepoint Site https://usnrc.sharepoint.com/teams/NMSS-The-NRC-Rulemaker External Links Federal Plain Language Guidelines, March 2011, Revision 1, May 2011 https://www.plainlanguage.gov/media/FederalPLGuidelines.pdf GPO Style Manual 2016 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016/pdf/GPO-STYLEMANUAL-2016.pdf Microsoft Writing Style Guide https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/style-guide/welcome/

Office of the Federal Register Document Drafting Handbook https://www.archives.gov/federal-register/write/handbook/

53

External Links (cont.)

plainlanguage.gov https://www.plainlanguage.gov/guidelines/

The Chicago Manual of Style Online https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/home.html External Suggestions American Chemical Society, American Chemical Society Style Guide, 3rd Edition, Washington, DC, 2006 American National Standards Institute, Scientific and Technical ReportsOrganization, Preparation, and Production, ANSI 239.18-1987, New York, NY Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 8th Edition, Council of Science Editors and the University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois, and London, 2014 The Associated Press Stylebook, 55th Edition, 2020 Websters Third New International Dictionary 54

NRC FORM 335 U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION 1. REPORT NUMBER (12-2010) (Assigned by NRG, Add Vol., Supp., Rev.,

NRCMD 3.7 and Addendum Numbers, if any.)

BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA SHEET (See mstructons on the reverse)

NUREG-1379 Revision 3

2. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 3. DATE REPORT PUBLISHED MONTH YEAR NUREG-1379, NRC Editorial Style Guide, Revision 3 April 2022

4. FIN OR GRANT NUMBER

5. AUTHOR(S) 6. TYPE OF REPORT Jay Dougherty Technical

7. PERIOD COVERED (Inclusive Dates)

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION - NAME AND ADDRESS (If NRC, provide Division, Office or Region, U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and mailing address; if contractor, provide name and mailing address.)

Office of Administration U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission 11555 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD 20852

9. SPONSORING ORGANIZATION - NAME AND ADDRESS (lfNRC, type "Same as above", if contractor, provide NRC Division, Office or Region, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and mailing address.)

Same as above

10. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

11. ABSTRACT (200 words or less)

The "NRC Editorial Style Guide," Revision 3, provides writing and style guidance to all NRC staff. Revision 3 aligns with guidance from respected authorities and contemporary practice and provides a thoroughly modern reference that includes resources and tips on topics such as inclusive language and plain language, which directly support the NRCs commitment to openness, accessibility, and diversity. Revision 3 is now largely aligned with The Chicago Manual of Style Online (Chicago), available to all NRC staff through the Technical Library, and with the U.S. Government Publishing Office Style Manual (GPO). Revision 3 reflects modern standards of style and usage. It tailors its guidance to NRC authors and editors, succinctly addressing topics that frequently concern staff, and provides NRC-specific examples. The new revision also includes direct, topic-specific links to Chicago so that agency authors and editors may explore topics further.

12. KEY WORDS/DESCRIPTORS (List words or phrases that will assist researchers in locating the report.) 13. AVAILABILITY STATEMENT unlimited NRC Editorial Style Guide, NUREG-1379, writing, Federal plain language, grammar, 14. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION punctuation, Chicago Manual of Style, CMOS, U.S. Government Publishing Office Style (This Page)

Manual, GPO, GPO Style Manual, acronyms, initialisms, abbreviations, spelling, unclassified technology terms, technical writing, bibliographies, formatting, capitalization, space (This Report) between sentences, spacing, italicization, italics, Editing at the NRC, QTE, symbols, unclassified numbers, word usage, references, technology and writing, compound terms, unit 15. NUMBER OF PAGES modifiers

16. PRICE NRC FORM 335 (12-2010)

NUREG-1379 NRC Editorial Style Guide April 2022 Revision 3