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eiawritingstyleguide.pdf
EIA Writing Style Guide
EIA Writing Style Guide December 2020
U.S. Energy Information Administration Office of Stakeholder Outreach and Communications
This publication is available on InsideEIA and at www.eia.gov/eiawritingstyleguide.pdf
U.S. government publications are not subject to copyright protection, but you should acknowledge EIA as the source if you use or reproduce this content.
Acknowledgment The Office of Stakeholder Outreach and Communications extends our deep gratitude to the EIA Writing Style Guide Working Group for their hard work and collaboration on this project. The success of this revised guide would not have been possible without their professional and thoughtful input.
EIA Writing Style Guide Working Group Jeff Barron
Owen Comstock Ali Coyle
Mickey Francis Matt French
Tim Hess Sara Hoff
Slade Johnson April Lee
Bill McNary Kristen Tsai
Senior Editor Christinne Govereau
Editors Heather McDaniel
Julia Torres
Contents Introduction to the EIA Writing Style Guide
Chapter 1: Writing Clearly
Chapter 2: Neutrality
Chapter 3: Common Grammatical Errors
Chapter 4: Word Usage
Chapter 5: Capitalization
Chapter 6: Numbers
Chapter 7: Punctuation
Chapter 8: Abbreviations and Units
Chapter 9: Lists and Bullets
Chapter 10: Formatting Reports, Tables, and Graphs
Appendix A: Scientific Writing at EIA
Introduction to the EIA Writing Style Guide This style guide is an update of the edition released in April 2015.
I
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Purpose We created the EIA Writing Style Guide to help EIA writers produce consistent, accurate, and readable content. The style guide provides guidance on style issues—including capitalization, punctuation, word usage, and tone—most relevant to EIA writing. The Style Guide primarily applies to all EIA external communications; however, this guidance is also useful for ensuring more consistent and effective internal communications. For example, presentations and documents that are shared within EIA and across other DOE program offices should follow EIA style.
Language is constantly evolving, and to keep in step with best communication practices, we have to reconsider our style choices from time to time. This update to EIA style was a collaborative effort between the EIA editors and a group of EIA writers. We invited this working group to join us in considering EIA style because we wanted style decisions to make sense in the energy context.
Guidelines versus hard-and-fast rules The EIA Writing Style Guide is not a book of hard-and-fast grammar rules; it is guidance on clear communication and EIA-specific style choices.
Unlike grammar, which follows universal rules, style choices include topics such as how and when to write out numbers, when to use the serial comma, or when to use ending punctuation for bullets.
Following uniform style preferences enhances credibility and shows users that EIA has high- quality standards for both our words and our numbers.
Establishing EIA style Our goal was to find balance—between consistency and flexibility and between a conversational tone and industry language. To achieve this balance, we formed a working group of subject matter experts who are also writers and reviewers. We worked together to identify six guiding principles for this style guide. When making style decisions, we asked ourselves:
Is this guidance… Does this guidance… Essential Match energy industry language Needlessly restrictive Improve clarity Concise and clear Promote a modern, conversational tone
Resources We used three resources to inform our decisions:
• The Chicago Manual of Style • The Gregg Reference Manual, 11th Edition • Merriam-Webster dictionary
This style guide attempts to cover most of the questions that commonly arise in EIA writing. However, this guide is not intended to be a comprehensive writing or grammar manual. If you encounter questions that this guide does not answer, consult the source material above or contact the Office of Stakeholder Outreach and Communications.
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Changes to EIA style We added content that answers questions from EIA staff and covers some new style choices. We also eliminated guidance that did not meet the guiding principles the working group set for this project. In addition, we added more EIA-specific examples to show how our guidance applies to EIA writing. The 10 most significant changes to the style guide are:
1. You don’t need to spell out certain common acronyms. 2. The modified word usage list allows EIA writers greater flexibility. 3. You should add an s to make an acronym plural, for example, HGLs and LEDs. 4. Appendix A includes guidance on scientific writing at EIA. 5. A new chapter on formatting reports, graphs, and tables provides basic guidelines for
these visual aids. 6. An updated list of units of measurement makes finding what you need a breeze. 7. The capitalization chapter has new guidance on how to write about census divisions
and geological formations. 8. We updated guidance on how to write about U.S. and international currency. 9. You should always use a colon before a bulleted or numbered list. 10. We changed the format for source notations when we create data visualizations based
on third-party data.
Writing Clearly 1
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Writing clearly is a bit of an art form. Some of the decisions writers make are intuitive, not guided by a grammar rule. The Federal Plain Language Guidelines lay out the principles that define the writing style of Plain Language, but like our writing style guide, the guidelines can’t possibly cover every situation. We address some common writing issues at EIA that compromise clarity. You will find most of this guidance in the federal guidelines, but some are style choices EIA has adopted in the spirit of ensuring our writing is clear and simply written.
EIA style is not only clear, but it also reflects the modern language of today’s energy industry. Although we prefer a more conversational style, the tone should be at a suitable level of formality for a federal agency.
1. Consider your audience • Anticipate and answer your readers’ questions.
• Identify your largest audience before you begin writing. Think about what they may already know and what they will want to know about your topic.
• Write to your primary audience when writing for an audience with varying degrees of expertise, and provide background information through hyperlinks or short parenthetical descriptions to accommodate the part of your audience with less expertise. While planning and drafting your content, consider:
– Their level of technical expertise – Their depth of interest – The tasks they will perform with the information you provide
• The 2019 EIA website customer survey showed that 18% of our customers are first-time visitors, 25% do not live in the United States, and 44% identify themselves as not in the energy industry. Each year, this survey produces similar results.
2. Put the Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) • Start with your main message so your readers can quickly get the most important
information and then decide if they want to read more.
• Organize your content so the information appears in order of importance, from the highest level to supporting details.
• Present the familiar content first and move to new concepts later in the sentence or paragraph structure.
3. Use short sentences • Aim for a maximum of 15 to 20 words. Short sentences are easier to read.
• Consider breaking a long sentence into two shorter sentences.
• Eliminate unnecessary words.
4. Use short paragraphs • Avoid long paragraphs or large blocks of text. Long paragraphs are difficult for readers
to scan.
• Try to write paragraphs of four or five sentences or about 75–100 words. Paragraphs as short as one sentence are fine.
• Use bullets for a list with more than three items.
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5. Choose active over passive voice • Use active voice most of the time.
• In active-voice sentences, the subject performs the action of the verb.
• In passive-voice sentences, the target of the action takes the subject position. Passive-voice sentences often leave out the person or group responsible for the action (also known as cut passive).
Examples Active voice: The agency proposed new regulations. Active voice: EIA projects that oil production will increase.
Passive voice: New regulations were proposed. Passive voice: Oil production is projected to increase.
• Use passive voice sparingly. You can use passive voice occasionally for specific purposes:
– When the object of the action is your emphasis. You may also want to use this style in headlines.
Examples Emissions guidelines were issued by the California Air Resources Board in 1990. New Conservation Guidelines Are Adopted by the Legislature
– When the person or entity taking the action is unimportant or unknown.
Example Stringent emissions guidelines were issued in 1990.
6. Use parallel structure • Sentences should be parallel.
Examples Parallel: Natural gas was transported via pipelines and tankers. Not parallel: Natural gas was transported via pipelines and tanker deliveries.
• Phrases and terms should be parallel.
Examples Parallel: Natural gas imports and crude oil imports Not parallel: Natural gas imports and imports of crude oil
• Verb tense should be parallel unless you want to indicate a clear shift in timing.
Examples Parallel: Smaller coal mines have had greater difficulty competing in the current market and have been the first to close.
Clear shift in timing: FERC adopted the regulations in 2010, and they will be up for review in 2020.
• Bullets, numbered lists, or lists in a sentence must start with the same kind of word (noun, verb, adjective, etc.), and all must be either phrases or complete sentences.
Examples Parallel: The project director is a strong leader, a skillful politician, and an effective manager. Not parallel: The project director is a strong leader, a skillful politician, and he manages effectively.
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Parallel lists: • Educating the public • Conducted a survey • Informing the media • Computed the results • Updating decision makers • Prepared a report
7. Avoid jargon • Choose nontechnical terms as much as possible. EIA’s content is accessible to a wide
range of readers, from experts on your topic to novices.
• Explain the term simply if you must use jargon or technical language.
• Provide an example or an analogy.
• Define terms you think a nonstatistical, nonscientific reader might not understand. You can provide definitions by adding:
– Explanatory words either in the sentence or in parentheses – A note at the bottom of a graph – A footnote or endnote – A link to the EIA Glossary, additional EIA material, or outside source
• Link the term, phrase, or report name itself rather than writing click here.
Example The full Short-Term Energy Outlook is available on EIA.gov.
8. Be consistent Good writing is built on patterns, so be consistent within your content. For example, don’t call it gasoline in some instances and motor gasoline or gas in others.
• Consistent terminology
• Consistent grammatical structure
• Consistent parallel structure for headings and lists
9. Make your writing reader friendly When faced with a choice, always err on the side of clarity.
• Don’t omit words in a proper noun to make the term shorter.
– Include all the words in a noun to be clear.
Examples Clear: Central America and South America Unclear: Central and South America
Clear: North Dakota and South Dakota Unclear: North and South Dakota
• Don’t use parenthetical plurals in text or in labels and headings, such as entity(ies), agency(ies), or form(s).
– Use the plural form when the possibility of one or more exists. In text, subject-verb agreement becomes a problem when you use a parenthetical plural. In labels, the parentheses are not reader friendly. Readers will understand the implied singular.
Examples S-V agree: Reporting forms are due on the first of every month. S-V problem: Reporting form(s) [is/are] due on the first of every month. Reader friendly: Oil wells drilled in 2020 Clunky: Oil well(s) drilled in 2020
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• Don’t use and/or. Pick one or the other.
– Use either and or or for greater clarity. Most of the time you mean either or or and but not both. Choose the one that best fits the context. If you need both words, add or both.
Examples Less clear: Power plants in the United States most commonly use coal and/or natural gas as fuel. More clear: Power plants in the United States most commonly use coal or natural gas as a fuel. Power plants in the United States most commonly use coal and natural gas as a fuel. Power plants in the United States most commonly use coal or natural gas, or both, as a fuel.
• Don’t use with to link ideas or sentences.
– Use a coordinating conjunction or other appropriate descriptive word to join ideas or sentences. Use with to show someone or something is accompanied by or in possession of.
Examples Concise: Oil production rose in the third quarter and reached a record high. Less concise: Oil production rose in the third quarter, with levels reaching a record high.
• Don’t string together more than three modifiers with a noun because the noun can easily get lost.
– Use modifiers sparingly to avoid confusing your reader.
Examples Clear: Annual totals for electric power generated from natural gas Unclear: Annual natural gas-fired electric power generation totals
• Don’t use false subjects.
– Sentences that begin with this, that, it, or there followed by a form of to be can confuse readers because readers have to look for the subject in the previous sentence.
– False subjects: This is There is There was It is That is There are There were It was
Examples Clear: This change is because of the new law. Unclear: This is because of the new law.
Clear: The increase in demand is a result of the weather. Unclear: It is a result of the weather.
Clear: Oil prices are rising because demand is up and supplies are low. This low supply is the result of pipeline constraints and decreased imports. Unclear: Oil prices are rising because demand is up and supplies are low. This is the result of pipeline constraints and decreased imports. (This what? This could refer back to rising prices, increased demand, or low supplies.)
10. Make your writing conversational The formality of your writing depends on both content and audience.
• Use the pronoun we instead of EIA once you establish that EIA is the actor.
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Examples Informal: We project oil production to increase. Formal: EIA projects oil production to increase.
• Use contractions.
Examples Informal: The January STEO forecasts that oil production won’t increase next year. Formal: The January STEO forecasts that oil production will not increase next year.
• Use must for requirements.
Examples Informal: In the AEO2020 Reference case, all coal-fired power plants with heat rate improvement options must begin these projects or retire by 2025. Formal: In the AEO2020 Reference case, all coal-fired power plants with heat rate improvement options are mandated to begin these projects or retire by 2025.
• Use the simplest word (see examples in Sections 11, 12, and 13).
• Avoid colloquial words or expressions to avoid the risk of making your writing too informal.
Examples Informal: Natural gas has the upper hand in fueling power plants Formal: Natural gas surpasses coal as the prominent fuel source for power plants
Informal: OPEC kicks the can on production cuts this year Formal: OPEC delays a decision on production cuts this year
11. Use strong verbs instead of noun phrases Eliminating unnecessary words makes your writing stronger and your sentences shorter. This list provides some examples of how to simplify a noun phrase.
Don’t use this Use this Afford an opportunity Allow Come to an agreement on Agree Demonstrate a preference for Prefer Give approval for Approve In violation of Violate Is able to Can Make a choice Choose Make a decision Decide Present a summary of Summarize Perform an analysis Analyze
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13. Use hyperlinks to provide background information • Use links to provide related content such as glossaries, tables, reports, and graphics.
• Use links sparingly throughout a report. Too many links makes the text hard to read.
Examples In 2020, EIA expects the United States to export about 20% of the petroleum produced domestically. Table 4, U.S. energy consumption, provides usage data by state. You can find more information in the March 2020 Short-Term Energy Outlook.
• Stand-alone links are menu links or links at the beginning or end of a section, such as the Learn more links added to Energy Explained articles.
Example
• Hyperlink enough of the text to be clear about what the link is going to.
Examples Clear: Diablo Canyon Unit 2 was taken offline on April 27. Clear: The company presented the Integrated Performance Plan in response to the flooding. Unclear: The company presented the Integrated Performance Plan in response to the flooding. Unclear: Diablo Canyon Unit 2 was taken offline on April 27.
• Never use click here or click here or see here as a link. Don’t write text that mentions the link itself.
• Don’t underline links.
• The wording of a link to a publication should match the title of the publication.
Don’t use this Use this New record Record Originally began Began Completely destroyed Destroyed Final completion Complete Reason is because Because Close proximity Close Continue to remain Continue or remain Throughout the entire Throughout
12. Avoid redundancies Don’t weigh your writing down with unnecessary modifiers. This list provides some examples of modifiers we don’t need.
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Bureaucratic or wordy Simple and specific accordingly so aforementioned as mentioned additionally also, in addition as to whether whether at the present time, at this point in time
now
at the time that when burgeoning growing, increasing by means of with, in, by capability ability, can cease stop commence start, begin comprise consists of compose makes up consequently so currently now due to the fact that because during the course of during endeavor to try to equally as equally equivalent equal facilitate help finalize finish for the most part mostly for the purpose of for, to furthermore also, in addition identical same in accordance with by, following, under incentivizing promoting, encouraging including, but not limited to including indices indexes initial first initiate start in order to to in spite of the fact that/of although, despite in the event that if in the month of January in January
14. Avoid bureaucratic language Use simple and specific words—not bureaucratic, clichéd, or wordy expressions. This list provides some examples of how your word choice makes your writing more conversational.
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regarding about, of, on retain keep since the time when since subsequent (to) next/after sufficient enough sunset end terminate end, stop the question as to whether whether therefore so the reason why is that because the table is a list of the table shows thus so time frame time or period time period time or period underutilized underused until such time as until upon on usage of use of used for fuel purposes used for fuel utilize use (except with refinery, pipeline,
or power plant capacity) whether or not whether with regard to about with the exception of except would appear that appears
in the near future soon in the vicinity of near it is felt that (omit) kind of rather leverage use, take advantage of limited number few, some magnitude size mandate require myriad many no later than by, for numerous many on a monthly/weekly/annual basis monthly/weekly/annually on or before December 2 by December 2 on the basis of based on on the part of by optimum best preeminent primary, major
Neutrality 2
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EIA’s responsibility is to provide independent, policy-neutral information. We don’t advocate or support policies, industries, fuels, or trends.
Sometimes our writing may seem repetitive. Using different words to vary the text may seem like a good idea, but often the new verbs or adverbs have subtle or not-so-subtle connotations, either positive or negative.
1. Use policy-neutral words Examples Neutral: prices fell Not neutral: prices plummeted
Neutral: production decreased, production dropped Not neutral: production was slashed
Neutral: Hydraulic fracturing requires large amounts of water. Not neutral: Hydraulic fracturing requires huge amounts of water.
Neutral: Natural gas production reversed its downward trend. Not neutral: Natural gas production finally reversed its downward trend.
2. Avoid these phrases Use descriptive language where appropriate, but avoid these words and phrases. A 50% increase may seem to be surging or skyrocketing, but let readers form their own opinions.
Examples
Appropriate action Burgeoning Effective policy Enormous Huge
Jumped Massive Obvious solution Rebound Skyrocketed
Slashed Soared Surging Tiny
3. Watch for these common situations that may test policy neutrality • Rising or falling prices
– To a consumer, rising prices are usually negative, and falling prices are usually positive. An energy producer may have the opposite perspective. EIA reports the trends with neutral words to avoid seeming like we are on one side or the other.
• Instead of writing oil dependence, write use of foreign oil
– The term oil dependence inevitably leads to discussions about energy independence. Instead of dependence, use terms such as use of foreign oil or imported oil as a share of U.S. oil consumption.
• Environmental impacts of energy production and consumption
– EIA can discuss impacts and list what they are, but we should not use judgmental or advocacy words.
• Policies that support or do not support a fuel technology
– Avoid appearing like a cheering section for a tool or technology. Just state the facts.
Common Grammatical Errors 3
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1. Which and that • Which and that are not interchangeable.
• Which is a pronoun that introduces nonessential information. Use a comma before a which clause.
• That is a pronoun used to introduce essential information. Don’t use a comma before a that clause.
Examples Power plants that burn fossil fuels emit pollutants. (Specifically, the plants that burn fossil fuels.) Power plants, which are one source of electric power, may emit pollutants (In general, power plants are one source of electric power.)
• In many cases, you don’t need to include that. Omit that where it doesn’t introduce a dependent clause that modifies a clause or noun. The primary thing to remember is if the sentence makes sense without that, leave it out.
Example EIA forecasts [that] the price of a barrel of oil will go down in 2021.
2. Possessives • When writing about a country or state, don’t make the country or state an adjective
(modifier) when it creates clarity issues.
Examples Do this: Colombia’s oil production (sounds like the country) Not this: Columbian oil production (sounds like a type of oil)
• When writing a singular noun that ends in s, use apostrophe s (‘s).
Examples Kansas’s legislature Your boss’s approval Natural gas’s share
• When writing a plural noun that ends in s, use only an apostrophe.
Example Renewables’ share
• Place names ending in a plural noun that ends in s only require an apostrophe.
Example The United States’ policy (states is a plural noun that ends in s)
3. Pronouns Countries, companies, or ships
• Use it when referring to companies, countries, or ships.
Examples Mexico imports most of its natural gas. The Long Range ship is used globally because of its ability to access most large ports.
Singular they Use they as a plural pronoun, never singular. Chicago offers several ways to make your writing gender neutral to avoid the awkward construction of he or she.
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• Omit the pronoun.
Examples Not this: The analyst will update the records once all power plants have transferred their monthly data to her. This: The analyst will update the records once all power plants have transferred their monthly data.
• Repeat the noun.
Examples Not this: An EIA writer should be policy neutral to maintain his or her credibility. This: An EIA writer should be policy neutral to maintain credibility as an EIA writer.
• Use a plural antecedent.
Examples Not this: An EIA writer should be policy neutral to maintain his or her credibility. This: EIA writers should be policy neutral to maintain their credibility.
• Use an article instead of a personal pronoun.
Examples Not this: An EIA writer should always double check his or her data. This: An EIA writer should always double check the data.
• Use the relative pronoun who (works best when it replaces a personal pronoun that follows if).
Examples Not this: Employers presume that if an applicant can’t write well, he won’t be a good employee. This: Employers presume that an applicant who can’t write well won’t be a good employee.
• Use the imperative mood.
Examples Not this: An EIA writer must ensure the data he or she uses are accurate. This: Ensure the data in EIA writing are accurate.
Singular Plural Both Each Both All Every Few None Either Many Any Neither Others Some One Several More Another Most Much Who, which, that
Indefinite pronouns Indefinite pronouns can be singular, plural, or both, depending on context.
• Use a singular verb when each and every come before two or more subjects joined by and.
Examples Every solar and wind facility has an annual operating budget. Each solar and wind facility submits a monthly report.
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• Use a plural verb when each follows a plural subject.
Example Coal and natural gas generation each have increased.
• For pronouns that can be either singular or plural, use a verb tense to match the noun that the pronoun references.
Examples All of the analysis is complete. All of the reports are submitted.
• Use a singular verb to compare two singular subjects through either...or or neither...nor.
Examples Neither my officemate nor I was planning to attend the conference. Either my officemate or my boss was the last person to leave.
• Use a plural verb to compare plural subjects through either…or or neither…nor.
Example Neither the team leaders nor the team members agree with the data.
• Use a verb tense that matches the nearest subject when subjects are singular and plural.
Examples Neither the team leader nor the team members agree with the data. Neither the team members nor the team leader agrees with the data.
4. Subject-verb agreement in tricky situations Collective and mass
• Collective and mass nouns represent a group or collection of people or things. Collective nouns are countable and mass nouns are non-countable.
• When a collective noun acts as a unit, use a singular verb. When a collective noun acts separately, use a plural verb.
Examples EIA staff is presenting the IEO2020 at a press conference this afternoon. EIA staff are responsible for their own time and attendance records.
• A mass noun is non-countable because it is either abstract or refers to an aggregate of people or things taken as an indeterminate whole, for example, luggage.
– The primary difference between mass nouns and collective nouns is that mass nouns almost never take indefinite articles and typically do not have plural forms.
Example The data show increasing evidence (mass noun) that production will slow later this year.
• Base your plural or singular verb on the subject of the sentence and not on any intervening clauses.
Examples The rig count for oil wells is at a record high. Regional prices for gasoline in the Midwest are at a record high.
Word Usage 4
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Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example about/around/ approximately/roughly (used with numbers)
approximately: nearly accurate or exact.
About does not convey the closeness to accuracy that approximately does.
Use about/around when estimating.
Use approximately when rounding.
about/around: near to, close to.
roughly: lack gentleness or refinement.
Roughly is too informal for EIA writing.
Account for/make up/ compose/comprise
account for: to form a part of something.
Comprise is too formal for EIA writing.
Example Natural gas accounts for [comprises] 50% of fossil fuel consumption.
make up: to form by fitting together or assembling.
Compose is too formal for EIA writing.
Example OPEC’s membership is made up [composed] of 12 countries.
affect/effect affect: to influence.
Example The hurricane affected five states.
effect: a result (as a noun); to bring about, to accomplish (as a verb).
Example The effects of the hurricane included widespread power outages and flooding.
although/though/while although: in spite of the fact that, even though.
Though is too formal for EIA writing.
Use although when you want to emphasize a contrast.
Example Although many of these dams have hydroelectric generators, only a small number were built only for hydropower generation.
while: at the same time.
While when you mean although is less clear and less reader friendly.
Use while to signal that you are talking about time.
Example Between 2005 and 2017, total U.S. electricity generation increased by almost 4% while related CO2 emissions fell by 27%.
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Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example alternate/alternative alternate: to change back and
forth; every other one in a series.
Example The power plant alternates between using renewable sources of generation and natural gas.
alternative: a choice between different options.
Example EIA considered three alternative methods for collecting data.
because/as because: cause and effect; for that reason.
Example Oil production is decreasing because crude oil storage levels are at an all-time high.
as: indicates events are occurring at the same time.
Example Oil production has decreased as storage levels have risen.
because/since because: cause and effect; for that reason.
Use because when writing about a reason.
Example Oil production is decreasing because crude oil storage levels are at an all-time high.
since: from a certain time.
Since can indicate a range in time and a cause and effect, so use since when writing about time to eliminate confusion.
Example Oil production has been decreasing since the first half of 2020.
because (of)/due to because: for that reason (why something happened— the cause).
Generally, because is followed by a subject and verb.
Example Production increased [why?] because exploration increased.
because of/due to: as a result of (the resulting action— the effect). Generally, due to follows a form of the verb to be (is, are, was, were) and is followed by a noun or noun phrase. Due to and because of are interchangeable.
Example Increased production was [the result of] due to increased exploration.
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Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example between/among between: connecting or
comparing two objects.
Example A strong relationship exists between GDP growth rates and growth in oil consumption in non-OECD countries.
among: in or into the midst of; connecting or comparing more than two objects.
Example Illinois is the third-largest net electricity exporter among the states.
big/large/top big: often countable (more colloquial/common) but can also refer to something serious.
Big is generally too informal for EIA writing when large works as a substitute.
Examples Big changes, big news, big challenges
large: related to objects that are quantifiable or their physical size.
Large price increase, largest nuclear reactor, largest decrease
top: The highest point or level.
Examples Top producer, top 10 producers, top exporter
compare to/compare with compare to: to note similarities between things.
Example EIA compared the forecast growth in natural gas consumption in 2015 to the growth seen in 2015. (The growth is similar.)
compare with: to note both similarities and differences between things.
Example Compared with 2015, growth in natural gas consumption in 2025 will be significant. (The growth is different.)
comprise/compose
These words are not commonly used, and EIA preference is to use simpler, more conversational words.
comprise: to contain or consist of; the whole comprises the sum of its parts.
Something is never comprised of something else. The whole comes before the parts.
Examples OPEC’s membership consists of/is made up of [comprises] 12 countries.
OPEC has 12 member countries. (You can also change the word.)
composed of: to make up; to form by putting together. The part comes before the whole.
Example Twelve countries make up [compose] OPEC membership.
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Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example different from/ different than
Different from: requires a noun or pronoun to follow.
Example My ideas are different from your ideas [pronoun + noun].
Different than: requires a clause to follow.
Example My ideas are different than what they were 10 years ago [clause].
economic/economical economic: refers to economics.
Example Economic factors affect market volatility.
economical: thrifty; refers to the careful, efficient, and prudent use of resources.
Example Renewable energy is becoming more economical because related capital costs are decreasing.
historic/historical historic: famous; important in history.
Example In 2014, Burlington, Vermont, marked a historic moment: Burlington was the first city in the United States to run 100% on renewable energy.
historical: of, belonging to, or referring to history.
Example This table shows the weekly volumes of natural gas in storage along with historical comparisons.
impact/affect impact: an effect, used only as a noun.
Don’t use impact as a verb. Use affect or influence.
Example Florida felt the full impact of the hurricane.
affect: to produce an effect on.
Example Warmer-than-normal weather affected the price of natural gas.
Like/such as like: similar to.
Example Like natural gas, coal in the Southwest Power Pool is cycled to accommodate wind power.
such as: for example.
Example Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, contributed about 5% of total U.S. transportation sector energy use.
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Commonly misused words Definition and example Definition and example majority of/most of majority of: only refers to a
(countable) number of things or people.
Example The majority of individual commercial buildings have their own heating and cooling systems.
most of: when writing about a noncountable amount.
Example Most crude oil is refined into petroleum products used for transportation.
previous/prior previous: an event occurring before the one being referenced.
Prior as a modifier is too formal for EIA writing. Use previous or last.
Examples Less formal: In our previous report, we forecast renewable generation to grow.
Formal: In our prior report, we forecast renewable generation to grow.
prior to: a time occurring before the one being referenced.
Example Prior to 2010, coal-fired electric generation was more prevalent than natural gas-fired generation.
proved/proven (reserves) proved reserves: Term used in EIA reports referring to reserves of energy sources.
proven reserves: term referring to reserves of energy sources, but not EIA style.
upon/on upon: more formal term for on.
on: less formal than upon.
If the word on works in the sentence, use on.
Capitalization 5
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A the administration (the Kennedy administration) the Arctic (when referring to the region) autumn
B bachelor's degree
C central time Central America central (states) census region, census division Congress congressional committee or report the continental United States
D U.S. Department of Energy
E earth (except when referred to as the proper name) east (compass point) the East Coast the East Eastern Hemisphere eastern time eastern United States email email list (Listserv is a protected trademark that EIA may not use) ENERGY STAR the equator euro ExxonMobil (one word)
F fall federal federal government federal law federal report Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico Federal Register Notice Federal Reserve Board Federal Trade Commission Forrestal Building
G governor gross domestic product Gulf Coast Gulf of Mexico
H homepage
I internet intranet investment tax credit
L Lower 48 states
M master’s degree mid-Atlantic Middle Atlantic Middle East the Midwest midwestern states Mountain time
N the nation New England New York Harbor the North north (compass point) northeastern states the Northeast North Sea North Sea Brent Northern California Northern Hemisphere northern New Mexico NYMEX futures
O Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
1. Capitalizing (or not) words and terms frequently used at EIA
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P the Pacific Northwest Pacific time the Persian Gulf production tax credit
R renewable fuel standard (unless it’s a specific state or federal Renewable Fuel Standard program) renewable portfolio standard Rocky Mountains
S south (compass point) the South the Southeast the Southwest Southern California southern United States Southern Hemisphere spring state state energy policy summer
T the territories
W web page webcast webinar website west (compass point) Western Hemisphere western the West Coast the West winter
2. Capitalizing EIA organization names and titles Capitalize names of specific offices and teams. Do not capitalize organization names in generic, nonspecific references.
Examples Office of Stakeholder Outreach and Communications Petroleum Marketing Statistics Team Joe Smith, Content Operations Team Leader Jane Smith, Assistant Administrator, Office of Energy Statistics
Each week, you must meet with your office director. EIA has many team leaders.
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3. Capitalizing geographic locations Basins and plays
• Capitalize basin when it is part of a proper noun (such as the formal name of the basin). Use lowercase letters when referring to a basin in general.
Examples Permian Basin production activities are located in both Texas and New Mexico. The most prolific area for oil and associated gas production in this basin is the northeast section.
• Play is always lowercase, even when part of a formal name.
Example This document outlines updated maps for the Utica shale play of the Appalachian Basin.
Census divisions and regions
• Capitalize census when part of a proper noun, such as the formal name for a division or region. Use lowercase when referring to a census region or census division in general.
Examples Census 2020 the census West Census Region the census division
Census Regions and Divisions West Census Region Pacific Census Division Mountain Census Division Midwest Census Region West North Central Census Division East North Central Census Division Northeast Census Region Middle Atlantic Census Division New England Census Division South Census Region South Atlantic Census Division East South Central Census Division West South Central Census Division
Numbers 6
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1. Numbers or numerals • Write out numbers from one through nine.
– Exceptions: When the numbers refer to percentages (2%), time of day (4:00 p.m.), or units of measurement (3 inches, 9 miles, 1 MW, 5 Bcf/d), always use numerals.
Examples The five renewable energy sources used most often are biomass, hydropower, geothermal, wind, and solar. The report is due in four months.
• Use numerals for numbers 10 and higher.
Example In this report, the U.S. Energy Information Administration presents 10 major energy trends.
• The same rule applies to ordinal numbers (a number indicating rank).
Example As of January 2015, Louisiana ranked 15th in nuclear capacity.
• Use numerals for each number when two or more numbers in the same category appear in a sentence and one of them is 10 or higher.
– For numbers in different categories, treat each number independently of the other numbers. In other words, write out numbers lower than 10.
– The same rule applies to ordinal numbers.
Examples We conducted evaluations of 8 of the 16 geothermal sites. The data cover 20 states and five regions. China ranked 5th and India ranked 12th in global coal production.
• Write out any number that begins a sentence or rearrange your sentence.
Examples Twenty-two people came to the meeting. Thirty-one municipalities have proposed commercial nuclear power plants. Fifteen years later, production at the mine had increased. Production at the mine had increased 15 years later.
• Don’t use superscript letters with ordinal numbers.
Example 20th, not 20th
• Use a numeral for any number that represents a value of a variable in an equation.
Example x = a + b, where a may equal 1 or 5.
• Use numerals (not words) until 1 million.
• Use numerals to refer to a span of years.
– Omit the first two digits of the second number if the two years are in the same century. – If you use punctuation instead of text, use an en dash, not a hyphen. – Don’t mix text with punctuation. Use one or the other.
Examples The model year 2005–07 standards 2000–2040 (2000 is the end of the 20th century, so use all four digits.)
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FY 2000–FY 2016 FY 2017–20 between 1998 and 2016 from January 2010 through December 2015
• Use all four digits when referencing a specific year; don’t omit the first two digits.
Example New investment in clean energy sources increased in 2008.
• Write out a shortened form the first time you abbreviate a timeframe, and then be consistent throughout your document.
Examples fourth quarter of 2019 (4Q19) first half of 2020 (1H20) fiscal year 2020 (FY 2020)
2. Numbers or numerals for fractions • Write out simple fractions and use hyphens.
Examples Three-fourths of the congressional members voted for the bill. The law passed by a two-thirds majority.
• Use numerals for mixed fractions.
Example The 7½-inch pipeline crosses two states.
• Don’t use th for fractions or dates.
Example The survey is due on March 15.
• Write out the word one rather than use a.
Example Crude oil production levels so far this year are one-quarter of last year’s total.
• Use numerals in fractions that are followed by a unit of measurement.
Example The coal beds are at least 1/3 miles apart.
• Use a percentage rather than a fraction for less common fractions to make it easier on your reader. For example, use a percentage rather than writing 1/8 of the population.
3. The % sign • Express percentages in numerals, and always use the % sign. Don’t add a space between
the symbol and the numeral.
Examples In 2015, production rose by 3%. The oil price shocks result in a 25% rise in gasoline prices.
• No hyphen between the % sign and the noun when the percentage acts as an adjective.
Example The price shock resulted in a 75% increase at the pump.
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4. Ranges of numbers and adjacent numbers • When writing a range, include the unit of measurement or % sign with both values. If a
budget increase is written as $3-$4 million dollars, it could mean $3 to $4 million or $3 million to $4 million. State the units with each number to eliminate ambiguity.
Examples Consumption rose 2% to 4% across four regions. The temperature ranged from 32°C to 40°C.
• When two numbers for two different things are next to each other, spell out the first number unless the second number would make a significantly shorter word.
Examples The utility built ten 5-kW reactors. The pipeline was built in fifteen 10-mile stretches. The building used 500 sixty-watt bulbs in FY 2020.
5. Negative numbers and the minus sign • When writing negative numbers, always use the minus sign (or hyphen).
Example The temperature was -4°F.
• When writing about monetary decreases, put the minus sign before the dollar sign.
Example -$1.17
• When writing a calculation, spell out the word minus rather than using the minus sign.
Example The total was 30 minus 27.
6. Hyphens with numbers • Use a hyphen when the number is a descriptor and a modifier.
Examples 24-inch ruler 10-minute delay 275-page book 3-to-1 ratio 18-year-old power plant over a 12-month period five-year plan three-week period
• Use a hyphen between the elements of a fraction.
Examples two-thirds three-fourths
7. Numbers with currency • Write out the word cents when writing about cents only. The ¢ symbol is okay for charts
and tables.
Example The price of gasoline went up 15 cents per gallon last week.
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• Use the dollar sign instead of writing the word dollars for U.S. currency.
Example The average coal-fired power plant costs $850 million to build.
• If adjusting for inflation, use 2012 dollars or 2012$, not $2012.
Examples The price of gasoline was adjusted for inflation using 2012$. The price of gasoline was adjusted for inflation using 2012 dollars.
• When writing about international topics, specify the currency for monetary values. If you use the abbreviation, spell out the currency type the first time you use it, then use the abbreviation. You can also use the symbol or write out the currency type each time.
Example Japan estimates it will cost Japanese yen (JPY) 5 trillion to decommission the reactor. Japan estimates it will cost 5 trillion yen to decommission the reactor. Japan estimates it will cost ¥5 trillion to decommission the reactor.
• If you use the dollar sign, use the abbreviation (minus the d for dollar) to indicate the currency.
Example The average cost to build a natural gas-fired plant in the United States declined by US $10 million last year.
• If you use a currency symbol other than the dollar sign, (for example, the yen or the euro), omit the abbreviation for the currency type. You may also write out the currency type instead of using the symbol for currencies other than dollars.
Symbol Spelled out No Symbol US $5 million U.S. dollar (USD) 5 million AU $5 million Australian dollar (AUD) 5 million CA $5 million Canadian dollar (CAD) 5 million ¥5 million Japanese yen (JPY) 5 million 5 million yen €5 million Euro (EUR) 5 million 5 million euro
• Some examples of the most-used currencies in the world are listed below. The International Organization for Standardization has a complete list of currency names and abbreviations on its website, ISO4217.
Country Currency name Abbreviation Australia Australian dollar AUD Canada Canadian dollar CAD China Yuan renminbi CNY European Union (plus former colonies) Euro EUR Japan Yen JPY New Zealand New Zealand dollar NZD The Russian Federation Ruble RUB South Korea (Republic of Korea) Won KRW Taiwan New Taiwan dollar TWD United Kingdom Pound sterling GBP United States (plus territories) U.S. dollar USD
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8. Large numbers • To make large numbers (beginning with million) easier to read, mix numerals and written-
out units.
Examples In December 2007, the United States exported more than 1.5 million barrels per day of crude oil. The population is 3 billion people.
9. Time • Use numerals for exact times that are followed by a.m. or p.m., and use periods in the
abbreviation. In tables, you can leave off the minutes if you are marking only the hours.
Examples CAISO’s solar power output typically increases to about 9.1 gigawatts (GW) between 10:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Pacific time. 9 p.m. (for tables only)
• Write out the words noon and midnight.
Examples The market will run from 9:00 a.m. through noon. Electricity use dropped rapidly following the hurricane’s landfall at about midnight on August 2.
10. Decimals and significant digits • Use a zero before a decimal point if there is no value in the first place to the left of the
decimal.
Example The price fell by 0.2%.
• Use the same level of significant digits in a comparison or section.
Example Consumption rose by 2.0% in February and by 3.2% in March.
11. Changes in values • Be careful when writing that a value increased in terms of fold. If something goes from 1
to 4, that’s a four-fold increase but a 300% increase. These calculations are not easy for readers to understand.
Examples Clear If something goes from 1 to 4, that’s a four-fold increase but a 300% increase. Possibly confusing Construction increased four-fold between 2015 and 2016.
• Distinguish between percentage change and percentage point change.
Example Retiring utilization dropped by 2 percentage points, from 48% to 50%.
• If you state a change in physical units and then restate the same change as a percentage, you must use commas or parentheses to show you are restating the same change.
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Examples Production fell by 6 million b/d, or 10%, in 2014. Oil prices rose from $80 per barrel to $100 per barrel, or 25%, between 2007 and 2008. Oil prices rose from $80 per barrel to $100 per barrel (25%) between 2007 and 2008.
12. Verb tenses with numbers or groups • Use a plural verb with a number, and use a singular verb with the number.
Examples A small number of ULCC vessels are currently in use. A number of recently completed infrastructure projects will increase Marcellus and Utica takeaway capacity. The number of oil rigs is growing. The number of oil-producing wells in the United States increased from 729,000 wells in 2000 to a high of about 1.3 million wells in 2014.
• Use a plural verb with fractional expressions when a plural noun follows of or is implied. Use a singular verb if a singular noun follows of or is implied.
Examples Plural noun/plural verb A majority of commercial customers have signed up with competitive suppliers. The rest of the non-OECD countries account for another 19% of the increase. In the Midwest region, 50% of generators use natural gas. Less than 20% of all power plants are coal-fired plants.
Singular noun/singular verb In the United States, 30% of natural gas production occurs in Texas. More than 50% of electricity is fueled by natural gas. One-half of the world’s crude oil supply is moved by tankers on maritime shipping routes. A substantial portion of Congo’s power generation comes from hydropower.
13. Writing about numbers Percent versus percentage
• Use percent with a number (20%). Because EIA uses the % symbol, you will rarely use the word percent. Use the word percentage as the general noun or adjective.
Examples Offshore wells produced nearly 16% of U.S. crude oil. To calculate T&D losses as a percentage, divide estimated losses by the result of total disposition minus direct use. The percentage change is calculated before rounding.
Less than versus fewer than
• Use less to refer to mass nouns (things you can’t count individually) and fewer to refer to count nouns (things you can count individually).
• Use less than for periods of time, distance, amounts of money, quantities, and percentages.
Examples A combined-cycle natural gas turbine plant requires significantly less space than coal- fired configurations. Even with fewer wells, U.S. oil production grew to 9.3 million b/d in 2017.
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Less than 10% of all plant operators failed to respond to the annual survey. Less than half of the region’s customers were without power. Less than 10 years ago, the United States had more coal-fired than natural gas-fired power plants.
• Expected and forecast are not interchangeable with projected. Use the following definitions to determine which is appropriate for your document. Be sure to use active voice and identify whether the projection or forecast is coming from EIA or another source.
– Expected or forecast (to be): Estimates of what is expected or forecast to happen, given historical trends, recent data, and specific assumptions.
Examples EIA forecast: Short-Term Energy Outlook According to the STEO, EIA forecasts that crude oil production will remain steady over the forecast period.
– Projected (to be): Generally, projections by EIA are not statements of what will happen but of what might happen, given the assumptions and methodologies used for any particular scenario. Examples EIA projections: Annual Energy Outlook, International Energy Outlook The AEO2020 projects crude oil prices will remain steady over the projection period.
• Provide context for numbers.
Examples In 2020, 10,000 coal plants retired. In 2020, 10,000 coal plants retired, which is 10% of all coal plants in the United States.
14. Mathematical equations A mathematical equation is either a sentence or a clause within a sentence. Mathematical symbols, however, are not plain English. Because sentences containing equations often include mathematical details, they may be longer and more complex than plain English sentences, and they may be formatted differently. Sentences with equations follow the same grammar, punctuation, and capitalization rules as sentences and clauses written in words.
Variable definitions may appear either before or after an equation. Each variable definition is itself an equation and should be punctuated either as a sentence or as an independent clause. Ending commas or semicolons are both correct.
Be sure to use a serif font such as Times New Roman that distinguishes between letters and numbers (for example, 1 and I) to avoid confusion. Use the Microsoft Word equation editor to guarantee clarity.
Example Let wj,t,l be the weight of component model j, based on historical data up to and including year t, in the calculation of l-step-ahead projections, where j = 1, … , k and l ≥ 2. For j = 1,2, … , k ‒ 1, let
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide41
Example The static regression model for the Mont Belvieu ethane price is
where
yt = annual average Mont Belvieu ethane price (cents per gallon in 2011 dollars) in year t; x1,t = ethane production (million barrels per day) in year t; x2,t = total chemical demand (value of domestic shipments, in billions of 2005 dollars) in year t; x3,t = annual average West Texas Intermediate crude oil price (2011 dollars per barrel) in year t; and εt = a normally distributed random error term.
Sometimes a large number of variable definitions (for example, definitions for all variable names used in a document) are compiled into a data dictionary, which is formatted as a list or a table. In these cases, the style rules for lists or tables apply.
For more information on numbers, see The Chicago Manual of Style, Chapter 9: Numbers.
The inverse transforms are defined by
Punctuation 7
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1. Commas Items in a list
• Use commas to separate three or more items in a list.
Example The pump price reflects the costs of refiners, marketers, distributors, and retail gas station owners.
• Use the serial comma between the last two items in a list. The serial comma helps add clarity.
Examples Two mines, North Antelope Rochelle and Black Thunder, produced 22% of total U.S. coal production in 2018. (two mines) Two mines, North Antelope Rochelle, and Black Thunder produced 22% of total U.S. coal production in 2018. (four mines)
Clear: Industrial consumption of natural gas, coal, biomass, and crude oil and petroleum products decreased last quarter. [clear that crude oil and petroleum products is one category] Unclear: Industrial consumption of natural gas, coal, biomass and crude oil and petroleum products decreased last quarter. [unclear if crude oil goes with biomass or petroleum products]
Introductory phrases
• Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, or clauses, particularly if they are long.
Example After drafting the regulations, the agency called for comments.
Parenthetical or supplemental information
• Use commas to set off information that is an example, explanation, or citation. Do not use a comma if the information is essential to the meaning of the sentence.
Examples EIA revised the data based on STEO. EIA forecasts production will increase this quarter, based on STEO.
Which and that phrases
• Use the word which when the text that follows provides more information but is not essential to the meaning of the sentence. Use the word that when the information that follows is essential to the meaning of the sentence.
• Use a comma before a clause that begins with which.
• Do not use a comma before that.
Examples Power plants that burn fossil fuels emit pollutants. Power plants, which are a source of electric power, may emit pollutants.
For more information on using which and that, see Chapter 4, Commonly Misused Words.
Conjunctions and two complete sentences
• Use a comma when two complete sentences (also called independent clauses) are joined by a coordinating conjunction: and, but, for, yet, so, nor, and or.
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Examples Comma needed to separate clauses: Bahrain is a minor producer of natural gas, and it consumes all of its natural gas output. Coal market fundamentals have changed, yet spot prices remain stable.
No comma needed to separate clauses: Bahrain is a minor producer of natural gas and consumes all of its natural gas output. Coal market fundamentals have changed even though spot prices remain stable.
Dates
• Use a comma after the year when the full date appears in the text.
Example Working natural gas in storage in the Lower 48 states as of October 31, 2017, totaled 3,784 Bcf.
• When the date acts as an adjective, try to rewrite to avoid the comma.
Example Clear: The attack in Saudi Arabia on September 14, 2019, on crude oil infrastructure led to a small gasoline price increase across the United States. Awkward: The September 14, 2019, attack in Saudi Arabia on crude oil infrastructure led to a small gasoline price increase across the United States.
Place names
• When writing about a city or town, set off the state, territory, country, etc., with commas.
Example The Rhine River connects the major refinery and petroleum trading centers of Antwerp, Belgium, with inland markets.
• When the place acts as an adjective, try to rewrite to avoid the comma.
Example Clear: Crude oil storage levels at Cushing, Oklahoma, reached 54.4 million barrels on March 13. Awkward: Cushing, Oklahoma, crude oil storage levels reached 54.4 million barrels on March 13.
2. Hyphen (-), En dash (–), and Em dash (—) • Hyphens (-) connect words for clarity. They are the shortest of the three dash lines.
Examples short-term forecasts combined-cycle plant shut-in capacity
• En dash (–) shows a range from (something) to (something else), usually numbers or dates. You should be able to substitute the word to or through for an en dash. An en dash is longer than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash.
Examples Consumption rose 2%–4%. Consumption rose between 2% and 4%. The projection period covers 2018–50. The projection period covers 2018 through 2050.
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• Em dash (—) is twice as wide as a hyphen and serves the same purpose as commas, colons, or parentheses. Em dashes are often used in pairs. Use an em dash to indicate a sudden break or abrupt change in thought or to emphasize an idea. Also consider using em dashes rather than parentheses to set off examples or specific items.
Examples EIA projects liquid fuel consumption to decline in 2016—a sharp reversal from previous projections. Three states—California, Texas, and New York—have high electricity prices.
• Do not leave blank spaces between hyphens or dashes and the surrounding text.
Example Most—but not all—attendees were from EIA
• Typing an en dash: You can insert it as a symbol in MS Word and MS Excel, you can press Ctrl+Minus, or you can type space+hyphen+space and MS Word will automatically convert the spaces and hyphen into an en dash.
• Typing an em dash: You can insert it as a symbol in MS Word and MS Excel, you can press Ctrl+Alt+Minus, or you can type two hyphens after a word and MS Word will automatically convert the two hyphens to an em dash.
3. Compound words and hyphens • Use a hyphen between words when they are combined to modify the word that follows
(adjectives). Do not hyphenate when these words stand alone.
Examples near-term contract in the near term long-term forecast in the long term combined-cycle plant The plant is combined cycle. high-volume wells The wells are high volume. five-year period a period of five years second-largest producer That producer is the second largest. three-year-old power plant The power plant is three years old.
• Don’t use a hyphen in compound words when the meaning is clear without the hyphen and the hyphen will not aid readability.
Examples bituminous coal industry child welfare plan civil rights case
• Capitalize both words in proper noun compounds.
Example Short-Term Energy Outlook
• Use a dangling hyphen when two or more words have a common element and this element is omitted in all but the last term.
Examples coal- and natural gas-fired generation (not natural-gas-fired generation) service- and technology-oriented business pro- and anti-competitive practices long- and short-term forecasts mid- to late 2000s
• Don’t use a hyphen between two modifiers that precede a noun when one is an adverb that
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide46
ends in -ly.
Examples rapidly growing economy frequently missed deadlines heavily skewed results competitively priced fuel
• Don’t use a hyphen in a non-English phrase.
Examples per capita consumption ad hoc reports
4. Common prefix patterns • Compounds formed with prefixes (pre, re, non, ex, anti, bi, co, mid, semi) are normally
closed, with some exceptions.
• A hyphen is used with the prefixes listed above if the second part of the word begins with a capital letter: non-American, non-OPEC, sub-Saharan, pro-United States, ex-Marine.
• With frequent use, open or hyphenated compounds tend to become closed (e-mail to email, on-line to online), so if you’re unsure, check a dictionary.
For more information on hyphens, check the Merriam-Webster dictionary.
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A aboveground utility Asia Pacific region air-condition (verb) air-conditioned (adjective) air conditioner (noun) air-conditioning (noun)
B baseload belowground lines bidirectional breakeven prices breakout (noun, adjective) byproduct
C coalbed (methane) combined heat and power combined-heat-and-power facility coproducer
D dataset day-ahead price decision makers decision-making degree days draw down (verb) drawdown (noun, adjective)
E email
F feedstocks first-half 2020 first half of 2020 freeze-offs
H homepage
I intraregional in-situ leach plants
L lifecycle light bulb low-sulfur diesel
M mid-1990s midday midsummer mid-June midcontinent midweek minemouth multipurpose multistage multiyear
N nonassociated noncombustible non-combustion noncovered noncrude oil non-energy nonfossil fuel nonfuel nonhighway nonhydrocarbon nonhydroelectric power nonliquid nonmanufacturing nonmetal non-OECD non-OPEC nonproducing nonprofit nonrenewable nonsalt nonscientific nonshale oil nonstatistical nonutility
P passenger-mile preexisting prerecession preregister presalt pretax
R re-export reopen run-up (noun)
5. Hyphen usage at EIA
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6. Colons • Colons introduce, list, or define something. A colon signals that what comes next is
directly related to the previous sentence. The word following the colon is normally lowercase.
Example The Utica play consists of two stacked geological units: the Utica formation and the Point Pleasant formation.
• You can use a colon to introduce a list if the introductory phrase is a complete sentence. Don’t use a colon if the introductory phrase is not a complete sentence.
Complete sentence Data are available in three reports: STEO, AEO, and IEO. Incomplete sentence Write sentences using commas, hyphens, and dashes. (No colon after the word using.)
7. Semicolons Semicolons signal that two clauses are related, but each clause could stand on its own as a sentence. The word following the semicolon is normally lowercase. You can use a semicolon to:
• Join two independent clauses to emphasize a close relationship between the two.
Example The report is on our website; you can download it.
• Join two independent clauses (sentences) with a transition word such as therefore or however.
Example The price of the car is high; however, it includes taxes.
• Separate the items in a series when the items already include commas. When using a semicolon to separate list items, place the list appears at the end of the sentence.
Example Our regional offices are in Miami, Florida; Chicago, Illinois; and Phoenix, Arizona.
S seat mile subhourly subsalt systemwide
T takeaway
U ultra-low sulfur diesel
V vehicle miles
W web page website wellhead
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8. Periods • Place periods outside of the end parentheses at the end of a sentence.
Example Twenty-one liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels departed the United States this week (eight from Sabine Pass; four from Freeport; three from Corpus Christi; and two each from Cove Point, Elba Island, and Cameron).
• If the parentheses contain a complete sentence, place the period inside the parentheses.
Example Most of the LNG vessels departed from Corpus Christi. (Only one departed from Sabine Pass.)
• Use only one space after the end punctuation (period or question mark, for example) between sentences.
9. Bracket sequence Use nested parentheses or brackets sparingly in inline text, except in mathematical equations.
Example in text (…[…]…) U.S. electricity generation increased 19% from 2019 levels (or 4.17.kWh [kilowatthours]).
Example in mathematical equation First level […(…)…] Second level {…[…(…)…]…}
Abbreviations and Units 8
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1. Format for abbreviations and acronyms • The first time you use an abbreviation or an acronym, spell it out and follow it with
the abbreviation in parentheses unless it’s on the list of commonly used acronyms and abbreviations at the end of this chapter.
• Italicize report names but not the abbreviation.
Examples The new Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) is now available. STEO provides short-term energy forecasts.
• Don’t include the abbreviation or acronym if you aren’t going to use it again later in the text, unless it is on the list of acronyms and abbreviations that stand alone at EIA (Item 10).
• If you haven’t used an acronym for several pages or you start a new chapter, spell out the acronym again.
• For more information on abbreviations, check:
– EIA’s list of energy-related abbreviations – The Chicago Manual of Style, Chapter 10: Abbreviations
2. EIA and DOE
Correct Incorrect EIA the EIA U.S. Energy Information Administration the U.S. EIA U.S. Department of Energy U.S. DOE DOE the U.S. DOE
3. United States • Spell out United States when you use it as a noun.
Examples Temperatures vary across the United States. The United States imports coal primarily from Columbia, Canada, and Indonesia.
• Use the abbreviation U.S. when it’s used as an adjective, such as when it precedes the name of a government organization or a domestic energy statistic.
Example U.S. temperatures vary widely.
• Always use periods in U.S.
Example U.S. oil production rose in 2015.
• Always spell out United States when it appears in a sentence or on a graph containing the names of other countries.
Example Mexico’s oil, United States’ coal, and Canada’s natural gas
4. Names of states and foreign countries • Spell out the state name when it stands alone or when it follows the name of a city in
running text.
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Example The earthquake happened near San Francisco, California.
• Do not use postal codes—except for Washington, DC, where the postal code is part of the city’s name—in text, tables, or graphics.
• Use postal codes in addresses and bibliographies.
5. The ampersand (&) Never use the ampersand sign in EIA writing unless it is part of a proper name (Oil & Gas Journal) or phrase (R&D).
7. i.e. and e.g. Spell out i.e. (that is, in other words, etc.) and e.g. (for example, such as, etc.) in EIA writing for improved readability.
8. Plural abbreviations • Add an s to form a plural abbreviation, unless it’s a unit of measurement.
Examples FAQs HGLs FTEs CFCs LDCs HDDs
• Treat acronyms as singular when used as an adjective.
Example HGL production
9. Months of the year • Spell out the months in text.
• Abbreviate the names of months followed by the day or day and year in footnotes, tables, and references where space is limited. See Chapter 10 for more information.
• In tables, omit periods and write all months as three-letter abbreviations. Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
10. Academic degrees Do not use periods in abbreviations of academic degrees.
Examples BA, BS, MA, MS, PhD
11. Abbreviations with units of measurement • Use words with words and abbreviations with abbreviations.
Example barrels per day or b/d, but not barrels/day
• Use the following abbreviations for timeframes in EIA writing:
– d=day – y=year – h=hour
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide53
A AC: alternating current AC/DC: alternating current/direct current
B b: barrel BOE: barrels of oil equivalent B: billion Bcf: billion cubic feet Btu: British thermal units
C c: cubic feet CO
2 e: carbon dioxide equivalent
°C: degrees Celsius
D DC: direct current DWT: deadweight tons (vessel capacity)
E E85: ethanol fuel 85% (applies to all ethanol blends)
F °F: degrees Fahrenheit
G gal: gallon GW: gigawatt GWe: gigawatt electric GWt: gigawatt thermal GWh: gigawatthour
K K: kelvin (temperature scale) kV: kilovolt kW: kilowatt kWh: kilowatthour
M M: thousand MM: million mpg: miles per gallon mt: metric ton MW: megawatt MWe: megawatt electric MWt: megawatt thermal MWh: megawatthours
P ppm: parts per million
Q quads: quadrillion British thermal units (quadrillion Btu)
R rpm: revolutions per minute
S st: short ton
T T: trillion TWh: terawatthours
Q quads: quadrillion British thermal units, or quadrillion Btu
V V: volt
W W: watt Wh: watthour
For metric or International System of Units (SI) not covered here, see standards and conventions on proper use and abbreviation. All unit abbreviations are assumed to be both singular and plural.
12. Abbreviations for units of measurement at EIA
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide54
12. Common acronyms and abbreviations at EIA
API: application programming interface API: American Petroleum Institute
CAFE: corporate average fuel economy CAIR: Clean Air Interstate Rule CAISO: California Independent System Operator CDD: cooling degree day CFL: compact fluorescent lighting CHP: combined heat and power CNG: compressed natural gas CO
2 : carbon dioxide
DC: District of Columbia
EIA: U.S. Energy Information Administration (never the EIA) EU: European Union
FY: fiscal year
GDP: gross domestic product GHG: greenhouse gas GOM: Federal Offshore Gulf of Mexico
HDD: heating degree day HGL: hydrocarbon gas liquids H.R: abbreviation for a bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives (for example, H.R. 1482)
ISO: Independent System Operator ITC: investment tax credit
LDV: light-duty vehicle LED: light-emitting diode LPG: liquefied petroleum gas LNG: liquefied natural gas
MY: model year
NGPL: natural gas plant liquids NGL: natural gas liquids N
2 O: nitrous oxide
NO x : nitrogen oxides (plural)
NYMEX: New York Mercantile Exchange
OECD: the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OPEC: the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
PADD: Petroleum Administration for Defense District PTC: production tax credit PV: solar photovoltaic
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide55
RBOB: reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygen blending RFS: renewable fuel standard RPS: renewable portfolio standard RTO: regional transmission organization
S.: abbreviation for a bill pending in the U.S. Senate (for example, S. 1482) SOx: sulfur oxides
UK: United Kingdom
VMT: vehicle miles traveled
WTI: West Texas Intermediate (crude oil)
13. Acronyms and abbreviations that stand alone at EIA Sometimes the acronym is more recognizable than the spelled out words. When that happens, you don’t need to spell out the acronym the first time you use it. The following list of acronyms don’t have to be spelled out in EIA writing. If you think your audience may need help understanding the acronym, provide a link to a glossary definition or some other resource.
AC/DC: alternating/direct currents
API: application programming interface API: American Petroleum Institute
°C: Celsius CO
2 : carbon dioxide
EIA: U.S. Energy Information Administration (never the EIA) EU: European Union
°F: Fahrenheit
GDP: gross domestic product
H.R: abbreviation for a bill pending in the U.S. House of Representatives (for example, H.R. 1482)
IRS: Internal Revenue Service
LED: Light-emitting diode
NYMEX: New York Mercantile Exchange
OECD: the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development OPEC: the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (includes non-OECD) OPEC+: OPEC plus several additional countries
PADD: Petroleum Administration for Defense Districts RBOB: reformulated gasoline blendstock for oxygen blending (unleaded gasoline futures is one way to spell out)
S.: abbreviation for a bill pending in the U.S. Senate (for example, S. 1482)
UK: United Kingdom
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide56
Lists and Bullets 9
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide58
Long paragraphs are difficult to read quickly. Bullets highlight your main points. To make it easier for readers to scan your content, use vertical lists rather than running text to present a series of related items or steps.
1. Types of list • Use a bulleted list when the order of the items is not important and when the list is not
about steps or procedures.
• Use numbered lists to indicate steps, sequence, or ranking.
2. Format for lists • Introduce the list with a statement that clearly explains the items in the list.
• Use a colon at the end of the introductory statement.
• Capitalize the first word of each bullet, even if the listed items are not sentences.
• Wrap lines of each bullet under each other, not under the bullet point itself.
Example The price consumers pay for heating oil can change for a variety of reasons:
• Seasonal demand • Fluctuations in crude oil prices • Competition in local markets
• Begin each item with the same type of word (noun, verb, infinitive, etc.), and use the same grammatical form for each item (word, phrase, or sentence).
Example To reduce natural gas bills, customers can do three things:
• Check appliances for efficient operation. • Obtain an energy audit. • Reduce thermostat settings.
• Listed items require no end punctuation unless they are complete sentences, and complete sentences must be followed by a period. Do not use a comma or a semicolon at the end of each list item.
• When determining the order of the listed information, consider what order is most logical from a user’s point of view. For example, lists can be ordered chronologically, step- by-step, by ranking, by most requested, by most important, etc.
Example The top four requested reports on EIA.gov are:
1. On-Highway Retail Diesel Prices
2. Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update
3. Natural Gas Storage Report
4. Weekly Natural Gas Storage Report
3. Lists without bullets or numbers Provide a descriptive heading at the top of each list and don’t use a colon.
Example EIA Projections Annual Energy Outlook International Energy Outlook
Formatting Reports, Tables, and Graphs
10
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide60
EIA writers must provide full source information when they use content from other sources or references in EIA reports.
1. Sourcing nonoriginal work You must source all nonoriginal work. You can source your work with footnotes, notes, hyperlinks, or inline text references, depending on the type of product. In general, the source should include the author’s name, the publication name, the publication date, and page number. Provide a hyperlink if you have one. Be mindful when linking to subscription services that are not available to non-subscription holders.
If you are uncertain about whether or not to include footnotes or endnotes, talk to your supervisor. Be aware of any reuse restrictions on third-party data.
2. Understanding rights, permissions, copyright, and author’s responsibilities
• EIA has a detailed policy on using third-party data. The policy includes resources to help authors determine if information is protected by a copyright or license agreement and how to obtain permission or confirm that EIA has permission to use the material.
• Academic, journalistic, and government information that are not subject to copyright protections must be properly cited by EIA authors. Data from private vendors that EIA subscribes to and content found on the internet are often protected by copyright and require permission and citation under the terms of use agreement.
• Most websites have a Copyright Notice or Terms of Service link at the bottom of their homepage that defines republication rights. Always check the agency or company copyright policy. Authorizations are required for any copyrighted material, regardless of where you find it, including copyrighted information on publically accessible websites.
• When using third-party data to create data visualizations, differentiate your citation to reflect that EIA created the graph or map based on the third-party data source.
Example: Source: Graph by U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on data from IHS Markit.
3. Using footnotes to explain, comment, or cite in documents, tables, or graphics
Footnotes in documents
• Generate footnotes using the auto generator in MS Word in the EIA report template.
• Use superscript numbers.
• Use running footnotes throughout the document. Don’t restart the numbering at the end of a section. You should not reuse any footnote numbers within the document.
• Place footnote after the word or phrase it refers to or at the end of the sentence.
• Insert number with no space between the word or end punctuation and the number. If you have more than one footnote in a sentence, you can either insert each footnote next to the word or phrase it defines or insert all numbers after the period with commas separating the numbers (1, 2, 3).
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide61
Footnotes in tables and graphs
• Footnotes (as well as notes and sources) should be embedded in the image file so they print out as part of the graphic or table.
• Footnotes should appear beneath tables and graphs in Arial 9 point font.
• In data tables or visualizations, use letters to avoid confusion with the numbers in the table.
Lettered footnote example Summary of oil prices 2014–15
2014 2015 WTI crudea (per barrel) $92.64 $93.81
Gasolineb (per gallon) $3.59 $3.72 a West Texas Intermediate b Average pump price for regular gasoline
4. Avoiding ibid in footnotes and endnotes The term ibid (which in Latin means same as above, or in the same place) is sometimes used in footnotes, endnotes, and biographic references to save space. In EIA writing, refrain from using ibid. Use a shortened form of the reference instead.
5. Writing standards for tables • Use the EIA preset table formatting in MS Excel and in MS Word. You can find more
information on using the MS Excel and MS Word templates on InsideEIA.
• Numbered tables should start with Table 1.
• Don’t use above and below when referring to numbered tables. Write Table 1 or place the reference in parentheses.
Examples The data on household electricity consumption are in Table 1. Household electricity consumption increased in 2020 compared with the past 10 years (Table 1).
• Create a Table of Tables to follow the Table of Figures, if you have one, otherwise it should follow the Table of Contents.
• Read the footnote section in this chapter for footnote formatting guidance in tables.
The current values1 for the average building lifetime and gamma vary by building type.2
1 Table 2, Floorspace attrition parameters. 2 The commercial module performs attrition for 10 vintages of floorspace developed using
stock estimates from the 2012 Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey.
Write table and graph titles in sentence case and hyperlink the whole title
Place footnote after the word or phrase it refers to or at the end of the sentence.
Use superscript numbers for footnotes
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide62
Table 1. U.S. total energy statistics, fourth-quarter 2018
Total primary energy production 95.70 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) By fuel/energy source Share of totala
Natural gas 33% Petroleum (crude oil and natural gas plant liquids)
30%
Coal 16% Renewable 12% Nuclear 9%
Total energy consumptionb 101.25 quadrillion Btu By fuel/energy source Share of total
Petroleum 36% Natural gas 31% Coal 13% Renewable 11% Nuclear 8%
By end-use sector Share of total Industrial 32% Transportation 28% Residential 21% Commercial 18%
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Energy Explained, U.S. Total Energy Statistics a Sum of shares may not equal 100% because of independent rounding. b Includes primary energy consumption, retail electricity sales to the sector, and electrical system energy losses.
• Use the following conventions to label empty cells in a table: — (em dash) no data reported -- not applicable NA not available
• Use the following writing standards when creating your table:
– Add a period after table numbers. – Use sentence case (only the first letter in the first word is capitalized) for table titles – Write headings in sentence case. – Superscript table notes. – Spell out abbreviations. – Do not italicize the names of EIA web pages or dashboards.
Add period after table numbers.
Use sentence case for table titles.
Spell out abbreviations.
Write headings in sentence case.
Superscript table notes.
Do not italicize the names of EIA webpages and dashboards.
Add periods at the end of notes but not after sources.
A
C
E
B
D
GF
A
C
E
B
D
F
G
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide63
6. Writing standards for graphs • Use the EIA preset graph formatting and colors in MS Excel, which are preloaded on your
computer. You can find more information on using the MS Excel templates on InsideEIA.
• Use the symbols for dollar signs and percent signs with the value on the x-axis and y-axis.
• Numbered graphs should start with Figure 1.
• Don’t use above and below when referring to numbered graphs. Write Figure 1 or place the reference in parentheses.
Examples The data on household electricity consumption are in Figure 1. Household electricity consumption increased in 2020 compared with the past 10 years (Figure 1).
• You don’t need to list the same source more than once when you are using more than one item from that source.
• When using third-party data to create data visualizations, differentiate your citation to reflect that EIA created the graph or map based on the third-party data source. Example: Source: Graph by U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on data from IHS Markit.
• Create a Table of Figures to follow the Table of Contents.
• Abbreviations are okay in titles and labels as long as they are spelled out in a note at the bottom of the graph.
• Use the following writing standards when creating your graph or chart (see diagrams for detailed examples):
– Add a period after the figure number. – Make the title bold, sentence case (only the first letter of the first word is capitalized),
and left justified. – Use Arial 8-, 9-, or 10-pt font for notations and labels (legend), and consider matching
the color of the labels with the color of the graph lines or bars. – Date range for data in titles should include four-digit year, enclosed by parentheses. – Use all lowercase letters for the unit of measurement label on the y-axis. – Write the units on the X and Y axis in Arial 10-pt font. – Use all lowercase letters for the legend and x- and y-axis labels (except for proper nouns). – Include the EIA logo. – Do not use periods at the end of source notations. – Use a period at the end of notes, except when the note is not a complete sentence
(for example, spelling out an abbreviation). – Write out abbreviations, define them in the graph, or define them in a note. – Include the dollar sign and percent sign with the numeral on the y-axis. – Use commas in numerals with more than three digits (1,000 not 1000). – Spell out and instead of using the ampersand (&). – Use white lines between pie slices, and consider matching leader line colors to
corresponding slices. – Italicize publication titles. – Place source underneath the graph and embed in your image if possible to ensure
the source notation follows any visualizations that are reused from our website. Use Arial 9-pt font. Add any notes after the source. Do not use periods after the source. Hyperlink to reports when possible.
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide64
0 200 400 600 800
1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200
1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Weekly U.S. total oil and natural gas rig count (Jan 1988–May 2020) rigs
Mar 17, 2020 772 rigs
May 12, 2020 339 rigs
Source: Graph by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on data from Baker Hughes Company
Weekly U.S. total oil and natural gas rig count (Jan 1988–May 2020) rigs
Make the title bold, sentence case (first letter capitalized only), and left justified.
Make unit of measurement label lowercase and left justified in Arial 10-pt font.
Use commas in numerals with more than three digits (1,000 not 1000).
Use Arial 8-, 9-, or 10-pt font for notations and labels (legend). Use all lowercase letters except for proper nouns.
Use three-character abbreviation for months and the four-digit year, enclosed in parentheses and separated by en dash.
Place the EIA logo in the corner (prefer top-right, but bottom-right and bottom-left are acceptable).
Place source underneath the graph and embed in your image if possible to ensure the source notation follows any visualizations that are reused from our website. Add any notes after the source. Do not use periods after the source. Hyperlink to reports when possible.
A
A
C
C
E
E
B
B
D
D
F
G
G
F
2,200 2,000 1,800 1,600 1,400 1,200 1,000
800 600 400 200
0
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide65
$0
$1
$2
$3
$4
$5
$6
$7
$8
2010 2015 2020
Coal and natural gas fuel costs, heat rates, and electricity generation costs (2010–2020) fuel costs dollars per million British thermal units ($/MMBtu)
natural gas
coal
natural gas
coal
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
$60
2010 2015 2020
electricity generation costs dollars per megawatthour ($/MWh)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
2010 2015 2020
heat rates million British thermal units per megawatthour (MMBtu/MWh)
more efficient conversion
natural gas
coal
Coal and natural gas fuel costs, heat rates, and electricity generation cost (2010–2020)
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly
Make the title bold, sentence case (first letter capitalized only), and left justified.
Use all lowercase letters for the unit of measurement label on the y-axis. Panel series name is bold, lowercase, left justified (aligned with vertical axis labels).
Use the four-digit year, enclosed in parentheses and separated by en dash.
Place the EIA logo in the corner (prefer top-right, but bottom-right and bottom-left are acceptable).
Use Arial 8-, 9-, or 10-pt font for notations and labels (legend) and color match to the graph. Include dollar sign or percent sign with the numerals, as appropriate. Use all lowercase letters except for proper nouns.
Include the dollar sign and percent sign with the numeral on the y-axis.
Place source underneath the graph and embed in your image if possible to ensure the source notation follows any visualizations that are reused from our website. Use Arial 9-pt font. Add any notes after the source. Do not use periods after the source. Hyperlink to reports when possible.
A
A
C
C
E
F
B
B
D
D
F
E
G
G
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide66
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
2009 2014 2019
Coal-fired power plants are retiring...
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
2009 2014 2019
capacity factor percentage
...and those that remain operating are
being used less...
0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2009 2014 2019
electricity generation billion megawatthours
...leading to even faster declines in coal-fired electricity generation.
Coal-fired generating capacity, capacity factors, and electricity generation (2009–2019) generating capacity gigawatts
Make the title bold, sentence case (first letter capitalized only), and left justified.
Use all lowercase letters for the unit of measurement label on the y-axis. Panel series name is bold, lowercase, left justified (aligned with vertical axis labels).
Place the EIA logo in the corner (prefer top-right, but bottom-right and bottom-left are acceptable).
Use Arial 8-, 9-, or 10-pt font for notations and labels (legend) and color match to the graph. Include dollar sign or percent sign with numerals, as appropriate. Use all lowercase letters except for proper nouns.
Use the four-digit year, enclosed in parentheses and separated by en dash.
Place source underneath the graph and embed in your image if possible to ensure the source notation follows any visualizations that are reused from our website. Use Arial 9-pt font. Add any notes after the source. Do not use periods after the source. Hyperlink to reports when possible.
A
A
C
C
E
E
B
B
D
D
F
F
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide67
0 2 4 6 8
10 12 14 16 18 20
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Planned U.S. electric generating capacity additions (2020) gigawatts (GW)
9.31 (22%)
0.73 (2%)
13.48 (32%)
18.46 (44%)
wind natural gas
other
solar PV
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory Note: solar PV=solar photovoltaic power
Planned U.S. electric generating capacity additions (2020) gigawatts (GW)
Make series name bold, first letter capitalized, left-aligned with vertical axis labels.
Use all lowercase letters for the unit of measurement label on the y-axis and place directly under series name.
Use the four-digit year in titles, enclosed in parentheses.
Use Arial 8-, 9-, or 10-pt font for notations and labels (legend) and color match to the graph. Include dollar sign or percent sign with the numerals, as appropriate.
Use white lines between pie slices. Use all lowercase letters except for proper nouns.
Write out abbreviations, define them in the graph, or define them in a note.
Place the EIA logo in the corner (prefer top-right, but bottom-right and bottom-left are acceptable).
Place source underneath the graph and embed in your image if possible to ensure the source notation follows any visualizations that are reused from our website. Use Arial 9-pt font. Add any notes after the source. Do not use periods after the source. Hyperlink to reports when possible.
A
A
C
C
E
E
B
B
D
D
F
F
G
G
H
H
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide68
7. Formatting sources for tables and visualizations Use the following format for source citations for tables, graphs, and other visualizations. If you have more than one item to list for a source, you don’t need to list the source twice. Use a semicolon to separate different sources in the same citation.
Examples U.S. Energy Information Administration, Petroleum Supply Monthly, Table 3, December 2016 Graph by the U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on Bentek data U.S. Energy Information Administration, Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey 2014, Tables 1.2 and 2.2, October 2017; Form EIA-3, Quarterly Survey of Industrial, Commercial & Institutional Coal Users
8. Capitalizing report titles and headings Report titles and first-level headings should be title case. All other headings should be in sentence case. The EIA report template uses this rule for capitalization.
Title case Capitalize the first letter of each major word in the title and first-level headings. The next section, Using title case for report titles and first-level headings, has some additional guidance.
Example Natural Gas Production Increased in 2015
Sentence case Only the first word of the title or heading is capitalized (and any names or proper nouns). Use sentence case for second-level headings and below and for titles of graphs and tables.
Example Natural gas production increased in 2015
9. Using title case for report titles and first-level headings • Do not capitalize the following unless they begin or end a title or heading:
– Articles (such as a, an, and the) – Conjunctions (such as and, or, nor, and but) – Prepositions less than four letters (such as for, of, and to)
• Always capitalize verbs, including is and are.
Examples Projected Summer Gasoline Prices Are Near Last Summer’s Level Average U.S. Gasoline Price for First Half of 2021 Reaches Record High
• Capitalize all first and last words in title-case titles and headings, even if the last word is a preposition.
Example The Signal Scientists Wait For
• Capitalize the second word in hyphenated words.
Examples Short-Term Energy Outlook Long-Term Forecast Shows Growth
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide69
10. Formatting for bibliography or works cited pages Follow guidance in Chicago Manual of Style for source formatting.
11. Formatting paragraphs Use one space after end punctuation. One space is accepted by many style guides and is the default in html.
12. Emphasizing content EIA prefers italics for emphasis in most cases. The following guidelines explain how to emphasize content with italics and bold fonts.
Italics
• Use italics to emphasize a word or phrase (rather than quotation marks) but rarely a whole sentence or paragraph.
• Use italics for report names, form titles, and surveys.
• Don’t italicize tools or dashboards.
• Italicize key terms on their first use. Do not use italics for subsequent uses.
Example Some cities are participating in the Clean Cities program. Other cities may participate in the Clean Cities program in the future.
• Use italics to set off a non-English word or phrase. If the foreign phrase appears frequently in the document, use italics only for the first use. If the phrase appears infrequently in the document, use italics for each use.
Example Prices rose as a force majeure on the El Paso Natural Gas pipeline was lifted near Tucson, Arizona, yesterday.
• Do not use italics for report acronyms.
Example Annual Energy Outlook 2020 (AEO2020)
Bold
• Use bold sparingly to emphasize subheadings or bullet introductions in text. Do not bold words within a sentence as a substitute for subheadings. The report template is programmed to place the correct emphasis at each heading level.
Example Spring. Prices increased from winter lows. Summer. Prices remained constant. Fall. Prices decreased after summer heat.
Underline and all-caps
• Never underline for emphasis.
• Never underline hyperlinks.
• Never use all capital letters for emphasis.
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide70
Appendix
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide72
Appendix A Scientific writing at EIA Scientific writing serves a purpose, so determining your purpose and your audience is the first step in developing your document. Before you start writing, ask yourself these questions:
• Who is the primary audience for this product? • What do you want your readers to learn? • What questions will your readers have? • What information do your readers need to understand your topic? • What is the scope of your topic? • What are the best sources to support your analysis?
Your next step is to consider the format of your document. A short TIE article may require more visualizations, less jargon, and shorter sentences, while a methodology report may require detailed math equations, some jargon, and in-depth explanations.
The five basic principles of scientific writing are accuracy, clarity, conciseness, coherence, and appropriateness; some elements of these principles overlap. As you consider these five factors, your purpose should always be your guiding principle. Does your document align with the needs of your reader and EIA? Although your explicit purpose may be to provide information, you should also keep a few other implicit purposes in mind:
• Establishing trust and credibility
– You are establishing a relationship with your reader. Your underlying goal is to establish trust between you and your readers, which you achieve through consistency and accuracy in your content, style, and organization. At EIA, we also establish trust and credibility with our readers by maintaining a policy-neutral position.
• Creating a permanent record
– Published writing is permanent and is a public record of EIA's thoughts and analysis.
• Helping your readers find what they are looking for
– Your readers are busy people, and stating the objective of your document up front will alert them as to whether or not the content is relevant to their purpose.
The five principles Accuracy Writers can think about accuracy (the careful development of facts) in four primary ways:
• Document accuracy
– Use the appropriate level of detail by establishing a clear problem statement and reader-centric outline.
• Stylistic accuracy
– Use accurate, precise words and sentence structure to express your meaning.
• Technical accuracy
– Analyze and use data to tell your story. – Use the correct technical/industry terms when appropriate, and be sure to define or
link to definitions if you think your audience may not understand them.
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide73
• Data accuracy EIA writers should be careful not to mislead readers into thinking that our data or projections are more accurate than they are. Readers need to know the limits of the data accuracy.
– Are you using the most relevant data? Choose the best data set to support your analysis.
– Are there any caveats to the data or inaccuracies you need to account for? Be sure to inform your audience about those issues.
– Are you providing the proper context to your data? Provide enough detail to inform your audience on the significance of the numbers.
– Are your data the most current and accurate numbers? Be sure to submit your document for a Quality Assurance Check.
Clarity Clarity is how easily your readers will understand your writing.
• Structural clarity
– Include an introduction with your purpose and scope. – Use descriptive titles and headings. – Use data visualizations such as graphs and tables.
Conciseness Discern what your readers need to know from you to achieve the purpose of your document. Don’t be tempted to include everything you know about a topic.
• Focus
– Narrow your scope to a manageable problem and response for the type and size of your document.
– Identify and eliminate any information that doesn’t directly relate to your topic.
• Visualizations
– Use graphs and tables to demonstrate relationships with fewer words.
• Brevity
– Cut unnecessary words, sentences, and sections. Coherence Coherence is how well your document flows and provides an easy path of progression for your readers.
• Stylistic and logical consistency
– Use introductions and transition sentences to link the different sections in your document.
– Organize and express ideas in a logical and consistent way.
• Titles and headings – Use clear titles and headings like road signs to direct your reader. Some readers won’t
want to read your whole document, and clear headings help them find what they are looking for faster.
• Paragraph structure
– Create strong topic sentences with relevant supporting sentences. – Be consistent in the strategies you use to analyze, compare/contrast, define,
describe, etc.
U.S. Energy Information Administration | Writing Style Guide74
Appropriateness If your document meets your goals for writing and the readers’ purpose for reading while meeting EIA’s mission, your document is appropriate.
• Appropriate for your audience
– Your readers’ level of technical knowledge drives the choices you make for word choice and level of detail/background.
• Appropriate for EIA
– Your document should meet the strategic goals that support EIA’s mission.
Source: Perelman, Leslie C., Edward Barrett, and James Paradis. Mayfield Handbook of Technical & Scientific Writing. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1997
