The goal of a style guide is to create consistency. The AER is a single organization composed of hundreds of individuals, all of whom have their own communication styles and cultural backgrounds. But the documents produced by the AER should look, feel, and sound like they come from the same place. The style guide gives general guidance on how to write for our stakeholders and also provides specific instructions on things like capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.
The style guide is divided into the following main sections:
High-level guidance on how to write for our various stakeholders, including summaries of data gleaned from public opinion research
Detailed guidance on mechanical issues such as capitalization, punctuation, and number formatting
Tips and tricks on how to better use Microsoft Word and other software tools
Various useful lists for quick reference, including the word list, abbreviations, and concise word alternatives
In the Policies and Guidance section of Spark, there are a handful of other resources you should know about:
The foundation of AER style is the Chicago Manual of Style, which is used across North America in many disciplines. If the AER style guide doesn’t answer your question, go there next. AER staff can access the Chicago Manual of Style for free from any AER computer.
Questions regarding the visual identity of the AER (e.g., logo, colours, signage) are answered in the Visual Identity guide.
The Alberta Geological Survey also maintains the AGS Style Guide. If you have a style question related to geological writing, you may find the answer there.