First published in 1966 by the Commonwealth Government Printing Office, the Style Manual has long provided guidance and recommendations for, in its words, “anyone faced with the task of preparing material for publication”. ...................... The current update, a digital offering against the sixth edition’s glossy paperback, was produced by the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA). ...................... How good are quiet Australians! ScoMo's language legacy Gary Nunn Read more What are the changes? Much of the new content in the online Style Manual covers the obvious technological changes to governmental content since the halcyon days of its last edition: containing new (or expanded, or reworked) sections on blogging, video production, search engine optimisation, and social media management. There are changes to some referencing systems, including the citation of legal texts. ...................... Advertisement Terminological developments also include revised sections on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander terminology, the inclusion of non-binary courtesy title Mx, more terms to refer to the elderly, and discussion of umbrella terms for gender and sexual orientation. Somewhat cryptically, the Style Manual notes that government agencies “use both LGBTI and LGBTIQ+”. ...................... One notable departure from the sixth edition concerns punctuation: a spaced en dash has replaced the sixth edition’s unspaced em dash for additional, amplifying, or parenthetical material. “Crazy talk… You can pry em dashes—yes, these ones—out of my cold, dead hands,” one social media user wrote. “FINALLY, vindication of years of excessive en dash use,” wrote another. ...................... Perhaps the most contentious change concerns guidance on when to use numbers and when to use numerals. Prior editions advised using words for numbers up to 100 (for general texts) or up to nine (for statistical texts). This updated edition changes tack, recommending numerals for “2 and above” in most content. ...................... The entry’s release notes say the change reflects accessibility considerations for contemporary digital content, but not everyone was happy about it. Author Anna Spargo-Ryan called the shift “out of control”, later adding “it hurts my feelings”.
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