CMS
Q. Are there any books that assist in Web content (APA style)? Answer »
Q. Somewhere I picked up the “fact” that the numbering system used in the Chicago Manual of Style was modeled after that of Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus. Is this “fact” a fact or have I slipped a cog? Is it mentioned in the CMOS? Answer »
Q. Dear CMOS Editors, I once had an editing professor tell me, “Read through your style guides a few times. You won’t remember every rule that’s in there, but hopefully when you see something peculiar, a bell will go off in your head and you can look it up.” Her advice has worked like a charm with the AP guide (a mere 400 pages). Problem is, CMOS is a pretty hefty manual to read through a few times start to finish! Can you SuperEditors offer a little advice on memorizing CMOS enough to get those little bells to go off in my head? Answer »
Q. Dear Staff, Is there a CD version of Chicago for sale? It would be wonderful to be able to use a search feature when looking up specific words of interest. I thank you for this wonderful book and for your time. Answer »
Q. Are there plans to update Turabian? My daughter’s school insists that the students adhere to it, despite the lack of information about citing online sources—which as you can imagine make up a good portion of the sources that junior high students want to cite. The teachers appear not to have heard of CMOS, and if I allow my daughter to use CMOS 15 instead of Turabian she may be penalized for “not following the rules.” Please don’t suggest another school. Answer »
Q. Our department’s editorial manual includes a list of cities in the United States and other countries that can be referred to in display type or running text without giving the state or country designation. This list has apparently been in use for many years, but none of our current staff can be sure of its source! Does CMOS include an authoritative list of these cities? Answer »
Q. Which manual of style is the oldest in the world? Is it The Chicago Manual of Style? I’m a Brazilian teacher, and I am doing a paper about style books. Answer »
Q. I have always regarded your publication with respect and awe. It seems almost sacrilegious to mention this, but I have found an error on p. 734 of the fourteenth edition, fourth printing. The information on indexes lists “Truman, Bess (Mrs. Harry S.)” as an example. Harry Truman had no middle name, and so the letter S has no period, since it does not represent anything longer than itself. Whenever his name is written, it is Harry S Truman. I imagine the same would apply even as an oblique reference describing his “better half.” Keep up the good work! Answer »
Q. While proofreading a colleague’s work today I referred to page 306, section 8.48 of the fourteenth edition of CMOS, which shows examples of abbreviations for divisions of the day. The example I intended to point out is the third one, “12:00 P.M. (midnight).” My colleague showed me her CMOS (same edition) and asked me to point out the example. In her copy, only the first of the five examples is the same as in my copy. The others are different. Other than the two sets of examples, we can find nothing that differentiates the two copies of the book; nor can we find any indication of which copy was printed more recently. Which version has the correct examples? Are there any other differences that we might encounter? Thanks in advance for your response. Answer »
Q. Does your manual include the standard format for business letters? That is, alignment on page, where date and address appear, spacing, signature line, etc. I’m having trouble locating the format that is used in the industry today. Thanks. Answer »
Q. Dear “My New Best Friend” (copyeditor): Is there a “Cliff Notes” version of the Chicago Manual of Style or any quick reference type of document with the general rules?? (I have the fourteenth edition.) I do appreciate your assistance. Long life to you as a copyeditor. P.S. I am doing a doctoral dissertation and would like to get the style correct in the beginning. Answer »
