Do You Confuse Stakeholders With Inconsistent Style?

（日本語ブログ：読み手のステークホルダーを混乱させないライティングスタイルの一貫性とは？ | One World Link）

What words do you capitalize in titles? Are you consistent in writing dates ranges and numbers? Do you use PhD or Ph.D.? On-site or onsite?

These small but significant questions can be easily solved by using a style guide.
In English writing, few professionals pick up their pen—or keyboard—without first choosing a style guide. Why? Because style guides are the backbone of consistent, polished communication.

For corporations, the stakes are even higher. Inconsistent communication can confuse stakeholders, tarnish your brand, and undermine your credibility. Without a style guide, many Japanese writers or editors may rely on outdated rules they vaguely remember from school—rules that may no longer apply in professional writing. This can lead to inconsistencies, inefficiencies, and miscommunication.

When it comes to translations, ensuring your service provider understands and follows your company’s style guide is just as critical. A well-implemented style guide ensures that every piece of communication—whether internal or external—reflects your brand’s standards and professionalism.

Stop guessing and elevate your communication. Choose the right style guide today!

What Are Style Guides?

Style guides are sets of rules and recommendations that standardize writing and formatting across documents. They ensure consistency and professionalism by stipulating rules on grammar, punctuation, tone, format, and citation styles. Different industries rely on specific style guides to meet their unique communication needs.

For example, journalists use the AP Style for concise reporting, while academics may rely on the Chicago Manual of Style or APA guidelines for detailed citations and formatting. Style guides allow writers to create clear and uniform content that resonates with their target audience.

Here’s a look at the top five most common English style guides and what makes each one unique.

Common Style Guides: An Overview

AP Stylebook (Associated Press)
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/subject_specific_writing/journalism_and_journalistic_writing/ap_style.html

• Field: Journalism, media, and public relations.
• Purpose: Offers concise and neutral writing guidelines, perfect for news and media content.
• Key Features:
  • Headlines use title case.
  • Avoids the Oxford comma (e.g., “red, white and blue”).
  • Numbers 1-9 are spelled out.

Chicago Manual of Style
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/chicago_manual_17th_edition/cmos_formatting_and_style_guide/chicago_manual_of_style_17th_edition.html

• Field: Academia, publishing, and book writing.
• Purpose: A comprehensive guide for authors, editors, and publishers, covering everything from citations to manuscript formatting.
• Key Features:
  • Two citation systems: notes and bibliography (for humanities) and author-date (for sciences).
  • Emphasizes the Oxford comma.
  • Detailed rules for bibliographies, indexes, and manuscript preparation.

MLA Handbook (Modern Language Association)
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_style_introduction.html

• Field: Humanities and liberal arts.
• Purpose: Provides citation and formatting rules for scholarly writing in literature and arts.
• Key Features:
  • In-text citations paired with a works cited page.
  • Emphasizes simplicity and readability.
  • Clear guidelines for quoting and paraphrasing.

APA Style (American Psychological Association)
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html

• Field: Social sciences, psychology, education, and healthcare.
• Purpose: Standardizes citations and formatting for research-heavy disciplines.
• Key Features:
  • Author-date citation style (e.g., Smith, 2020).
  • Rules for headings, abstracts, and tables/figures.
  • Focuses on precision and scientific clarity.

---

Quick Comparison

• AP: Fast and clear, used for news.
• CMS: Detailed and professional, used for books and essays.
• MLA: Focused on citations, used in humanities.
• APA: Data-heavy and research-focused, used in sciences.

---

Title Case in Different Style Guides

Style Guide	What to Capitalize	Exceptions	Example Sentence
AP Style	– First and last words – Major words – all words of four letters or more – “to” in infinitives – Second part of hyphenated major words	– Do not capitalize articles (a, an, the, etc.), conjunctions (and, but, or, etc.), or prepositions shorter than four letters (in, on, by, etc.), unless they are the first or last word.	Annual Report Highlights Growth Over Key Markets
Chicago Manual	– First and last words. – Major words – Some conjunctions – Prepositions with five or more letters	– Do not capitalize articles, conjunctions, or prepositions shorter than five letters, unless they are the first or last word.	Annual Report Highlights Growth over Key Markets
MLA Style	– First and last words – Major words – Subordinating conjunctions	– Do not capitalize articles, coordinating conjunctions, or prepositions (regardless of length), unless they are the first or last word.	Annual Report Highlights Growth over Key Markets
APA Style	– First and last words – Major words – all words of four letters or more – Second part of hyphenated major words	– Same as AP Style	Annual Report Highlights Growth Over Key Markets

*Major words include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs

For more on capitalization rules, visit Title Case Converter https://titlecaseconverter.com/rules/.

Other Differences

AP – We invited three professors, two Ph.D. students and one research assistant to the seminar.
Chicago Manual / MLA – We invited three professors, two PhD students, and one research assistant to the seminar.
APA – We invited three professors, two Ph.D. students, and one research assistant to the seminar.

So, What Style Guide Does OWL Recommend?

In professional writing, consistency and clarity are key. That’s why OWL chooses the AP Style. AP Style is a great choice for IR communication because it keeps things clear, concise, and professional, which is exactly what investors and stakeholders need. The straightforward nature of this style makes complex financial data easier to digest, which is key when presenting quarterly earnings or big updates. AP Style also focuses on accessibility, ensuring your message is accessible to a broad audience, from seasoned analysts to everyday shareholders.

Choosing the Right Style Guide

Ready to sharpen your writing? Consider your industry, your audience, and the type of content you produce. Whether crafting a news article, research paper, or technical manual, using the right style guide ensures your content is professional, consistent, and tailored to your audience. Evaluate the flexibility and relevance of a guide to your organization’s goals, and ensure everyone on your team is familiar with its rules to maintain a unified approach.

The Owl Purdue website (https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/index.html) is an excellent resource for quick tips and detailed explanations on APA, MLA, CMOS, and more. See the official style guidebooks for the most accurate and detailed information.

• AP Stylebook: https://www.apstylebook.com/
• Chicago Manual of Style (CMS): https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/
• MLA Handbook: https://mla.org/Publications/MLA-Handbook
• APA Publication Manual: https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition

If you want to create your own corporate style guide, Mail Chimp provides an open-source customizable!
https://styleguide.mailchimp.com

Or see this article on some of the best style guides available (with free templates to create your own!)
https://www.canva.com/learn/50-meticulous-style-guides-every-startup-see-launching/

Notes

Be careful when relying on autocorrect or AI tools like Grammarly, as these tools may suggest edits that conflict with your chosen style guide. These tools are helpful for general writing but may not align with the specific rules your company follows. To maintain consistency and professionalism, it’s essential to understand and adhere to the guidelines of your selected style guide.

This blog is not an exhaustive comparison of all style guides. Instead, it provides a general introduction to style guides and their purpose. While many guides share similarities, each has its own distinct and detailed set of rules. For more specifics, refer to the guidebooks themselves.

---