A style guide, or style manual, is a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization or field. The implementation of a style guide provides uniformity in style and formatting within a document and across multiple documents. A set of standards for a specific organization is often known as "house style". Style guides are common for general and specialized use, for the general reading and writing audience, and for students and scholars of various academic disciplines, medicine, journalism, the law, government, business, and industry.
International
Several basic style guides for technical and scientific communication have been defined by international standards organizations. These are often used as elements of and refined in more specialized style guides that are specific to a subject, region, or organization. Some examples are:
EN 15038, Annex DEuropean Standard for Translation Services (withdrawn) ISO 8Presentation of periodicals ISO 18Contents lists of periodicals ISO 31Quantities & units ISO 214Abstracts for publication & documentation ISO 215Presentation of contributions to periodicals and other serials ISO 690Bibliographic referencesContent, form & structure ISO 832Bibliographic referencesAbbreviations of typical words ISO 999Index of a publication ISO 1086Title leaves of a book ISO 2145Numbering of divisions & subdivisions in written documents ISO 5966Presentation of scientific & technical reports (withdrawn) ISO 6357Spine titles on books & other publications ISO 7144Presentation of theses & similar documents ISO 9241Ergonomics of Human System Interaction ISO 17100Translation Services-Requirements for Translation Services
Other style guides that cover international usage: The Cambridge Guide to English Usage, by Cambridge University Press The Global English Style Guide, by SAS Institute
Australia
General
Australian Government Style Manual by Digital Transformation Agency. 7th ed. Style Manual: For Authors, Editors and Printers by Snooks & Co for the Department of Finance and Administration. 6th ed. . The Australian Handbook for Writers and Editors by Margaret McKenzie. 4th ed. . The Cambridge Guide to Australian English Usage by Pam Peters of Macquarie University. 2nd ed. . The Complete Guide to English Usage for Australian Students by Margaret Ramsay. 6th ed. .
Law
Australian Guide to Legal Citation published by University of Melbourne Law School. 4th ed. .
Science
Australian manual of scientific style (AMOSS) by Biotext; illustrated by Biotext. 1st ed.
Canada
The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing: by Dundurn Press in co-operation with Public Works and the Government Services Canada Translation Bureau. .
Newspapers
CP Stylebook: Guide to newspaper style in Canada maintained by the Canadian Press. . The Globe and Mail Style Book: Originally created to help writers and editors at the Globe and Mail present clear, accurate and concise stories.
European Union
Council of Europe - English Style Guide, by the Council of Europe
English Style Guide ("A handbook for authors and translators in the European Commission" – executive branch of the European Union.) Interinstitutional Style Guide.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, major publications, academic institutions and companies have their own style guides, otherwise they would normally rely on New Hart's Rules available in the New Oxford Style Manual.
For general writing
The Complete Plain Words, by Sir Ernest Gowers. Copy-editing: The Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Authors and Publishers Judith Butcher. (2006 ed.) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage (2015 ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press, (hardcover). Based on Modern English Usage, by Henry Watson Fowler. The King's English, by Henry Watson Fowler and Francis George Fowler. New Oxford Style Manual (2016 ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press. It combines New Hart's Rules and The Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors, it is an authoritative handbook on how to prepare copy. Usage and Abusage, by Eric Partridge.
For legal documents
Oxford Standard for Citation of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA), by the University of Oxford Faculty of Law The Lawyer's Style Guide (2021 ed.) by Bloomsbury Publishing
For academic papers
MHRA Style Guide for the arts and humanities; published by the Modern Humanities Research Association The British Psychological Society Style Guide, published by The British Psychological Society