Most questions of style are arbitrary. There is rarely an objectively right or wrong answer. What this style guide does is describe AER style. The goal is to be as consistent as we can across the various documents we publish.
This style guide is not designed to be exhaustive. If a question is not answered here, the first thing to do is check the Chicago Manual of Style. You can also reach out to the editing team anytime. We’re happy to help.
Note that this guide does not go into the basics of English grammar, though it will touch on certain issues that come up frequently in AER writing. For a comprehensive look at English grammar rules, see section 5 of the Chicago Manual of Style.
This chapter is extensive and is divided into various sections. A search function is available to help you find things quickly.