INTRODUCTION

Brookes style closely follows the sixth edition of Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) regarding editorial and reference style guidelines. In addition, Brookes sometimes uses the 16th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS). Section and page information for APA and CMS style rules are provided for each topic, when applicable, along with any Brookes’ house style exceptions.

Brookes uses the American Heritage Dictionary 5th ed. https://ahdictionary.com/ for spelling, but not for punctuation. Brookes uses the 28th edition of Stedman’s Medical Dictionary for spelling of medical terms.

ABBREVIATIONS (APA, 6th ed. 4.22–4.30, p. 106–111)

Exceptions

• Spell out the term when it is first cited in the book or in each chapter followed by its abbreviation in parentheses. The abbreviation is then used throughout the rest of the book or chapter. This does not apply to terms first cited in a heading. Headings do not contain abbreviations. If a term that typically has an abbreviation or acronym only appears once in a book or a chapter, the abbreviation or acronym should not be listed.
• In the front matter, spell out the term followed by its abbreviation in each new section.

• Books written by a single author have abbreviations spelled out at their first occurrence in the text.

• Edited/contributed books have abbreviations spelled out at the first occurrence in each chapter.

• The abbreviation for versus, “vs.”, is used within parenthetical text only.

• Abbreviations of laws should come directly after the words they are abbreviating, such as Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 1990, not Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA).
• Punctuate D.C. (as in Washington, D.C.) as DC in references and as D.C. in text.

ALPHABETIZATION: (CMS, 16th ed., 16.60, p. 832)

Brookes style follows the word-by-word system.

Exceptions

Numbers: For public laws, PL numbers are sorted numerically.

Concurrent reference citations: Alphabetize within the text as well as in the entries in a reference list.

COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Verbs with Collective Nouns (www.apastyle.org, 3.19 Supplemental Material)

Exceptions

Brookes always treats the noun staff as plural.

CONTRACTIONS

In general, contractions should be avoided except in extremely informal text (e.g., case studies, vignettes, dialogues), per author preference, and (of course) in quoted text. In addition, even in informal text, spelled-out forms should be used if contractions are awkward.

CREDITING SOURCES

Credit Lines

Credit lines may differ in format because some publishers require specific wording, but when specific wording is not required, Brookes style should be followed.

Generally, it is only necessary to indicate the source of an extract by author in the text prior to or at the end of the extract and to provide the year and page number(s) at the end of the extract per APA guidelines. If a publisher requires a specific credit line for an extract, put the necessary information on the copyright page of the front matter, on a special credits page for the book (if there are other such credit lines), or as a footnote on the page where the extract appears. The copyright page is the preferred place for this type of credit.

Examples:

Brookes’ style
Permission to reprint the following material is gratefully acknowledged:

Page 8: Quotation from Wilensky, H.L., & Lebauxx, C.N. (1958). Industrial society and social welfare (pp. 67–68). New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation; reprinted by permission.

Or,

Publisher specific
The excerpt on page 32 is from OWEN by Kevin Henkes. Copyright © 1993 by Kevin Henkes. Used by permission of HarperCollins Publishers.

Reprinted or Adapted Tables or Figures

For tables or figures that are reprinted from another source with no changes or that retain 50% or more of the original material, a credit line should appear as the first table note or in parentheses as the last sentence of the figure legend. When typeset, the first line of each table note will be preceded by an em space. In a figure legend credit, because of the parentheses, the year, issue number (if any), and edition/page number should be in brackets. The following credit lines are examples of standard APA, 6e-style credit lines for a table and a figure, respectively.

From Reichle, J.E., & Yoder, D.E. (1979). Assessment and early stimulation of communication in the severely and profoundly retarded. In R.L. York & E. Edgar (Eds.), Teaching the severely handicapped (Vol. 4, p. 10). Columbus, OH: Special Press; reprinted by permission.

Public Domain

Figure 12.1. The motor development of the blind child is delayed. (From Orelove, F.P., & Sobsey, D. [1995]. Educating children with multiple disabilities [4th ed., p. 123]. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.; adapted by permission.)

If an item in the public domain is reprinted or adapted with less than 50% changed, then the item is handled the same as the reprint/adapt credit line but with no “reprinted/adapted by permission” at the end:

*Note: Follow specific rightsholder instructions, if part of the permission contract.

Reprinted Chapters

Authors are responsible for obtaining permission to reprint a chapter or journal article as an entire chapter of a Brookes book. Permission would also be required for use of portions (more than 5%) of a chapter or an article. The credit line for such a reprint should appear as the first unnumbered footnote on the opening page of the chapter under a .5-pt., 5-pica rule:

Portions of this chapter are from York-Barr, J., Rainforth, B., & Locke, P. (1996). Developing instructional applications. In F.P. Orelove & D. Sobsey (Eds.), Educating children with multiple disabilities: A transdisciplinary approach (3rd ed., pp. 119–160). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.; reprinted by permission.

(See Footnotes for the order to use for multiple footnotes on the opening page of a chapter.)

If one specific section of a chapter in a Brookes book is reprinted from a chapter or journal article, then the footnote appears instead as a numbered footnote on the first page of the section. The footnote number callout would appear at the end of the heading for that section.

Permission is not needed when a table or figure is adapted more than 50% from the original. In this case, just the original source is necessary:

Source lines

Source: Winton, McCollum, and Catlett (1997).

Figure 1.1. Work diagram. (Source: Winton, McCollum, & Catlett, 1997.)

References and Citations (APA 6th ed., 6.22–6.26, pp. 174–224)

Exceptions

References

Brookes books: When Brookes books are cited in a references list, the publisher name should be styled as “Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.” even though “Co.” is omitted from other publishers’ names per APA style.

Do not include the state in the publisher location when the publisher is a university and a state is part of the university’s name.

Citations in Lists

When an entire list is quoted from another source, the citation (i.e., author, year, and page numbers) appears at the end of the last item in the list, which should be coded as an extract list (e.g., extract numbered list, extract bulleted list). If the author and year have been cited in a previous sentence in the same paragraph and cannot be confused with another source, then only the page numbers appear at the end of the last item in the list.

When a list is adapted more than 50% or paraphrased, the in-text citation should appear within the sentence that introduces the list (so that the citation is not interpreted as being linked merely to the last list item), no page number should be given, and the list should be coded as a typical list, not as an extract list to be set in smaller type.

Legal Citations (APA, 6th ed., Appendix 7.1, p. 216)

Exceptions

Public Laws

At the first mention of a public law in the text, the PL number of a public law should be included in parentheses after the name of the PL. The PL number does not have periods in the abbreviation, and PL numbers are hyphenated. The index of a book with PL numbers should list the law as a main entry (including any abbreviation listed in the text and including the PL number). For instance,

ADA, see Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (PL 101-336)

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 (PL 101-336)

PL 101-336, see Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990

When using abbreviations for names of PLs, it is best to avoid truncating years, to avoid typesetting problems. That is, it is preferable to use IDEA 1997 or PL 105-17 (not IDEA ’97) as an abbreviation for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997 because an apostrophe with a space before it may inadvertently be typeset or presented in Microsoft Word backward (e.g., as IDEA ‘97 rather than as IDEA ’97).

Public Law (PL) numbers are the Congress and law numbers. The first Congress was elected in 1787, and each Congress is 2 years long. An easy way to verify the year and session of Congress of a PL is to divide the number of years since 1787 by 2. For example, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (PL 107-110) is the 110th Public Law enacted in the 107th session of Congress.

Public laws are codified in the United States Code. Reference entries for public laws should list the name of the public law, then Title 00, U.S.C. §§ 0000 et seq. The Latin abbreviation et seq. is short for et sequens, meaning “and following,” which is only partly true. Frequently, legislation gets scattered in various sections of the code; the section cited should be the first one where the main portion of the act is located in the code.

See the appendix for a list of commonly cited public laws and tips on searching for information about public laws.

Regulations

Federal agencies and departments of the executive branch adopt federal regulations to implement and enforce PLs. Federal regulations, as well as executive orders and other types of rulings, are published in the Federal Register, listed in a references list as 000 Fed. Reg. 00,000 (year), and are codified as the Code of Federal Regulations, listed in a references list as Title 000, C.F.R. §§ 0000–0000 (year). The Code of Federal Regulations is a permanent document that is constantly being revised and amended. If an author is not able to provide enough information about a federal regulation for a reference list entry (see APA, 6th ed., p. 223), the information may be found online at the National Archives and Records Administration’s searchable database of the C.F.R. (http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/cfr-table-search.html).

Court Cases (APA, 6th ed., p. 217)

The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Rule 10) explains how to abbreviate case names. Case names should be referred to and referenced as published; it is not important to have the complete case name or the real name of the person who was the plaintiff or defendant. In Brookes books, a case name may appear in the text as Timothy W. v. Rochester, New Hampshire, Board of Education.

DEGREES, DESIGNATIONS, AND AFFILIATIONS (CMS, 16th ed., 10.20 p. 494)

Exceptions

The following degrees, which sometimes appear in Brookes books, are not listed in CMS:

D.S.W., doctor of social work, and M.P.H., master of public health

Unlike CMS style, Brookes style includes periods in abbreviations for all degrees. The spelled-out forms should be treated as generic terms, not proper nouns (master of arts, not Master of Arts).

Per Brookes style, designations for certifications and licenses do not take periods in the abbreviated form. For example,

BCBA, Board Certified Behavior Analyst

CCC-A, Certificate of Clinical Competence–Audiology

CCC-SLP, Certificate of Clinical Competence–Speech-Language Pathology

LCSW, licensed clinical social worker

LPN, licensed practical nurse

OT, occupational therapist

OTR/L, occupational therapist, registered, licensed

RD, registered dietician

PT, physical therapist

FIGURE KEY

Certifications are avoided unless author wants to list them; if listed, they appear after the degrees (unless author prefers otherwise).

For a key, the note should begin with the word Key: in italics—for example,

A figure key is placed after the figure legend text (and its ending punctuation) as well as after any parenthetical credit or source line text, with all ending punctuation within parentheses—for example,

Key: EI, early intervention; ECSE, early childhood special education.

FIGURES VERSUS TABLES

Determine whether something is a figure or a table using the following guidelines.

Figures

A figure is a chart, graph, photograph, drawing, form, activity, or other depiction (e.g., a checklist, a flowchart). All figures should be easy to understand and their purpose readily apparent without having to consult the text.

Tables

A table is a collection of text, usually facts and figures. It usually is made up of statistical information relating to two or more variables arranged in columns and rows. It might also be a list of items (using bullets).

FOOTNOTES (APA, 6th ed., 2.12, p. 37)

Exceptions

Avoid footnotes in chapter text except when necessary to list grant information, acknowledge someone’s work on a contributed chapter, or include permission information (footnotes in tables, however, are acceptable; see Table Notes for more information). Notes that go into detail about, for example, a concept mentioned in the text should be worked into the text, or the production editor should decide whether that note is necessary. Some information that authors provide as footnotes can be placed on the copyright page or elsewhere in the front matter instead.

Typically, the glossary is the last item before the index (for ease of locating the glossary). Following are key points to remember about glossaries:

Footnotes that apply globally to a chapter are presented as unnumbered footnotes on the opening page of the chapter. Copyright permission footnotes that apply to the entire chapter are always first (e.g., if a chapter is reprinted from an article), followed by footnotes about grant information (if applicable), followed by any other footnotes that apply to the whole chapter, followed by any numbered footnotes on the first page of the chapter.

GLOSSARIES

• In the glossary, each term should be boldface and all lowercase unless it is a proper noun. The first word of each definition should begin with an uppercase letter.

• Each definition ends with a period even if not a full sentence.

• Each term and its definition should be the same part of speech.

• In main entries, all terms that are abbreviated in the book should appear followed by their abbreviations in parentheses.

• A cross-reference should be added to link each abbreviation to its main entry. (No cross-reference is used if it would appear immediately before or after the main entry.)

• Separate cross-references to multiple entries with a semicolon. The multiple items that are cross-referenced should be presented in alphabetical order. Example: tests See criterion-referenced tests; curriculum-referenced tests.

• Cross-references using see or see also as appropriate should be added for synonyms.

• Main entries with synonyms that do not have their own main entries should mention the synonyms using the phrase also called.

• For ease of reading, multipart definitions can be denoted using a numbered list that is run in with the text of the definition.

• Unlike indexes, extra space is not used between alphabet groups.

• See Alphabetization for information on alphabetizing entries.

• If reference citations appear in the glossary, the corresponding reference entries typically appear in a references list at the end of the glossary.

LISTS

Headings should be organized logically and should be consistent.

At least two subheadings should appear under each main heading. If an author has only one subheading under a main heading, the editor should consider whether that subheading is needed at all.

If an introductory statement sets off a list within the text, use a colon at the end of this introductory statement if it is a complete sentence. If the components of the list complete the sentence, omit any punctuation at the end of the introductory statement. Only use a capital letter after a colon if the phrase following the colon is a complete sentence. Use semicolons with commas to separate each list entry only if there are commas embedded in the list items. For instance,

Three ingredients are necessary for playing in the mud: 1) a location consisting primarily of dirt, 2) rain or water, and 3) you.

The three ingredients necessary for playing in the mud are 1) a location primarily consisting of dirt, 2) rain or water, and 3) you.

Before you go on a long trip, you must first 1) wash all laundry; 2) wash, dry, and put away dishes; 3) set the automatic light switch; and 4) unplug appliances.

Displayed Lists

In displayed lists, each item should begin with an uppercase letter, unless the list is included in a direct quote. Only end each item with a period if the item (not combined with the introductory phrase) is a complete sentence. If the items are not complete sentences, do not place commas after each item and do not use and before the final item. When possible, list items should be consistent (all are or are not complete sentences), unless edits to do so would be extremely awkward.

• Bulleted When the introductory phrase before a list is part of a sentence that will be finished in each listed item, or if the listed items do not belong in chronological or step-by-step order, the items are often bulleted.

• Numbered or Lettered Numbered or lettered lists are used when the introductory text emphasizes the number of items or when items are listed in order of importance or occurrence. It is also a good idea to use numbers or letters with list items that will be referred to later in the text. In general, lists using Arabic numerals are preferred; lettered lists typically are used in nested lists.

NUMBERS, EQUATIONS, AND STATISTICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SYMBOLS

Exceptions

Numbers (APA, 6th ed., 4.31–4.38, pp. 111–114)

Telephone numbers should use hyphens rather than parentheses.

Equations (APA, 6th ed., 4.47 –4.49, pp. 123–124) and statistical and mathematical symbols (APA, 6th ed., 4.411 –4.46, pp. 116–123)

Exceptions

When fractions appear in numeral form (instead of word form), they should appear in manuscript as typed numerals (rather than as special character fraction symbols): 2 1/2, not 2½. In manuscript, a space should appear before the fraction so that the typesetter will be able to distinguish the whole number from the fraction.

See the section called Hyphens and Dashes within Punctuation for hyphenation guidelines for spelled-out forms of fractions. See the section called Symbols, Signs, and Special Characters for more information on noting math symbols for the typesetter.

PARAPHRASING (APA, 6th ed., 1.10, pp. 15–16)

PREPOSITION OF

Sometimes prepositions are used redundantly or colloquially: circle around, from hence, request for, out of (when direction is meant). The preposition of, in particular, is questionable depending on its usage. The out of fault usually appears in this manner: Mr. Smith slipped out of the side door of his official residence. This sentence makes it sound as if Mr. Smith had been in the door—not the doorway—and that he emerged from it. Make it out the side door. The phrase out of is not, of course, incorrect per se; out of a job and out of charity are examples of proper usage. Regarding the phrase off of, as in She borrowed $5 off of me or The doctor took the patients off of barbiturates, either change off of to from (first sentence) or delete of (second sentence). All of is preferred when it precedes a noun with an article (e.g., All of the horses got out of the corral; You don’t have the attend all of the events), but when an article is not present, of is not necessary (e.g., Will all guests report to the auditorium?).

PUNCTUATION

Comma

• Before and after Inc.

• Before and after D.C. when the city name Washington, D.C., appears in regular text.

Do not use a comma before the subordinating conjunction so that, which means in order to and which is not the same as the coordinating conjunction so (e.g., He turned off his pager so that it would not beep during the concert).

Ellipsis Points (APA, 6th ed., 6.08, pp. 172–173)

Exceptions

• Marketing and book cover copy

• Marketing and book cover copy

Hyphens and Dashes (APA, 6th ed., 4.13, p. 97 and Table 4.1, p. 98)

Exceptions

Exceptions

• Use a hyphen to connect two adjectives that precede a noun and that act as a unit modifier (e.g., three-way switch), except when a term is very commonly used (e.g., income tax evasion) or when the adjectives contain a proper noun (e.g., Ohio River valley, African American studies).

• Use a hyphen in the first element of a compound phrase (e.g., 6- and 7-year-old children, part-and full-time work). Also use a hyphen in Public Law numbers (PL 94-142).

• “In general, a compound description only takes a hyphen when it that precedes a noun—for example, “middle-class families” versus “families in the middle class.”

• Use a hyphen with all expressions using self (e.g., self-determination). Always hyphenate x-ray. When used as a unit modifier, first grade should be hyphenated (e.g., first-grade student).

• Do not use a hyphen with adjectives that include the word care as the second word (e.g., child care provider, home care network) unless preceded by self, in which case follow the rule for hyphenating self-.

• Do not use a hyphen with -ly adverbs in compounds.

• Do not use a hyphen with comparative or superlative adjectives in compounds.

• Use an en dash for number and page ranges (e.g., 6–8 feet), including percentage ranges (e.g., 50%–70%).

• Use an en dash for noun pairs that modify another noun (e.g., parent–child interaction).

• Use an en dash when one part of a compound is an open compound or is hyphenated (e.g., elementary school–age, non–mental health professional, non–English-speaking student) an attached word relates to a multiple-word term (e.g., non–English-speaking student)

• Use an em dash instead of a comma to separate a phrase occurring within a sentence from the sentence itself to add emphasis to the phrase. An em dash also can be used to separate a phrase within a sentence when commas are used in that phrase. An em dash typically signifies an abrupt change in thought.

• Do not use an en dash to represent the word to in from….to or between…and constructions.

Example: There are four seasons—fall, winter, spring, and summer.

Example: The children—all of whom had blonde hair—were ready to go.

SPECIAL TERMINOLOGY (APA 6th ed., 3.12-3.16, pp. 73–77)

Exceptions

Disease and Syndrome Names

Brookes Publishing follows Stedman’s Medical Dictionary for spelling, hyphenation, and capitalization style of disease names. Disease names that are commonly mentioned in Brookes books and exceptions are in the Brookes word list.

• An individual with disabilities, not a disabled individual

Brookes style and Stedman’s usually call for no possessive when a disease is named after a person, with only proper nouns set as cap/lc: Down syndrome, not Down’s syndrome, Down Syndrome, or Down’s. Similarly, disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association) are styled in Brookes texts as lowercase unless they contain a proper noun: anorexia nervosa, not Anorexia Nervosa; bipolar disorder, not Bipolar Disorder. An exception to this style is made when the text is discussing a specific DSM diagnosis or the content of the DSM.

Person-First Terminology

• A person with an intellectual disability, not a retarded person
• A woman with autism, not an autistic woman
• An infant with cerebral palsy, not a cerebral palsied infant
• A typically developing child, not a nondisabled child

Describe the person, not the disability; refer to a person’s disability only when it is relevant. Avoid images designed to invoke pity or guilt, including the following:

Avoid portraying an individual with disabilities who has succeeded as superhuman. This implies that people with disabilities have no talents or unusual gifts. Avoid labeling people as groups such as the disabled, an arthritic, or a retardate.

Exceptions to using person-first terminology are the use of the words blind and deaf. The blind and Deaf communities find it acceptable to refer to someone as a blind person or a deaf person rather than a person with a visual or hearing impairment.

mental retardation protein), it is more appropriate to use the term mental retardation. In the United Kingdom, the term learning disabilities is sometimes used to refer to intellectual disabilities; however, in Brookes books, this usage of the term learning disabilities should be avoided to prevent confusion with learning-related problems that are referred to in the United States as learning disabilities.

The term developmental disabilities is a broader description. It includes intellectual disability but also covers disabilities that are apparent in childhood; severe; chronic; and physical, cognitive, or both.

Miscellaneous

When referring to people who use services, the following guidelines are helpful:

• A consumer is a person who buys goods or services, yet most people who use rehabilitative services do not purchase those services themselves. Still, when referring to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) boards and similar devices, people who use the devices are often referred to as consumers when individuals does not fit.

• Patient implies a medical setting and typically denotes a passive role in relation to a doctor or a nurse and usually is not employed outside of the context of that role. Instead, descriptions that fit the context are acceptable.

• Client implies a customer who purchases professional services and can be used as such.

• Member indicates that a person belongs to a particular group.

Brookes prefers the term caregiver over caretaker.

Terminology changes for language sensitivity should not be made to items in the reference list or to quoted text.