Style sheet (full)
The scope of this style sheet is limited to formatting and encoding. It does not include preferred terminology, which is in the DCRMR Editorial Guidelines
A quick reference is at Style sheet (quick reference).
Underlined text indicates hyperlinked text in DCRMR
Lorem ipsum text from lipsum.com.
Alternative rules are introduced by “Alternative rule”, formatted in bold and followed by a period. The period is not in bold.
DCRMR text:
Alternative rule. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Markdown:
**Alternative rule**. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit.
Capitalize element names.
DCRMR text: Nam gravida tellus nisl Note on edition statement, in condimentum tellus pulvinar lobortis.
Capitalize element names that have been pluralized or otherwise altered for clarity.
DCRMR text: Donec a pulvinar ante Statements of responsibility relating to title proper.
Generally, do not precede an element name with an indefinite article.
Generally, do not precede an element name with "the" unless it's followed by the word "element".
DCRMR text:
... transcribe as Element name ...
... in the Element name element ...
Use italics to emphasize text.
DCRMR text:
Curabitur dictum rhoncus nunc emphasized text porttitor purus dapibus vitae.
Markdown:
Curabitur dictum rhoncus nunc *emphasized text* porttitor purus dapibus vitae.
Prefer example text from the element only.
Examples are preceded by the bolded label "Example:"; the colon is bolded.
Wrap the element text in <CITE> tags; this lets us set the formatting via CSS.
If multiple elements are included in the example block, prefer to place each element on a separate line and label each element.
If multiple elements are included in the example block and they must be recorded as a single statement for clarity, use ISBD punctuation and, if applicable, add a super-element label (e.g., Publication statement). If using ISBD punctuation, add the following comment to the example:
(*Comment*: Example formatted with ISBD punctuation for clarity) List the elements in the expected order; for example, Title proper followed by Note on title -- NOT Note on title followed by title proper, even if you're in the Note on title element page.
Add two spaces at the end of each line; this creates the line break in GitHub Markdown.
Text that is not part of an element is enclosed in parentheses and preceded by an italicized label followed by a colon. The colon following the label is not italicized in, e.g., “Source of information reads:".
Do not italicize book titles in examples, including in parenthetical comments.
Markdown:
>**Example:**
><CITE>Example text</CITE>
>**Example:**
>Element1 name: <CITE>Element1 text</CITE>
>Element2 name: <CITE>Element2 text</CITE>
>>(*Source of information reads*: Aliquam in porttitor leo, sit amet tristique arcu)
>>(*Comment*: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut mollis)
Examples of examples from DCRMR, formatted in markdown:
>**Example**:
><CITE>Philadelphia printed, London reprinted</CITE>
>**Example**:
>Publication statement: <CITE>London : Printed for A. Millar, over-against Catharine-Street in the Strand, M,DCC,LI [1751]</CITE>
>>(*Source of information reads*: London: Printed for A. Millar, over-against Catharine-street in the Strand. M,DCC,LI)
>**Example**:
><CITE>The coast of the United States of North America : from New York to St. Augustine / drawn and regulated according the latest surveys and astronomical observations by Edmund Blunt ; D.R. Harrison, sc.</CITE>
>Note on statement of responsibility: <CITE>Engraver statement appears at head of title, on the top right corner of the sheet</CITE>
In examples, we will always capitalize the first letters of the following elements:
- Title proper
- Alternative title
- Parallel title proper
- Edition
- Place of publication, distribution, manufacture
- Name of publisher, distributor, manufacturer (except for "publisher not identified")
- Series title
- Parallel title of series
- All notes
We will not capitalize the first letters of the following elements (except for proper names):
- Other title information
- Parallel other title information
- Statement of responsibility (e.g., "by" instead of "By")
- Date of publication, distribution, manufacture
- Extent
- Dimensions
- Other physical details (300 $b)
- Other title information of series
- SoR related to series
- Series numbering
Terms are lowercase unless they begin a sentence.
Add two spaces after the term in markdown; this creates the line break.
When creating the anchor for a term comprising multiple words, add a hyphen between the words.
Cross-referenced terms are formatted as links and preceded by "see" or "see also". "See" and "see also" are italicized, as are conjunctions in the cross-reference statement.
When there are multiple cross-references, cross-referenced terms are listed in alphabetical order.
If a term has multiple definitions, number them; do not format as list. In order to prevent markdown from auto-formatting it as a list, insert a "\" between the "1" and "." (i.e., "1\. First definition").
DCRMR text:
term
Definition of term. See also term 2.
term with multiple words
1. First definition of term. 2. Second definition of term. 3. Third definition of term. See also term 2 and term 3.
term
See term 2.
Markdown:
<a name="term">term</a>
Definition of term. *See also* [term 2](/DCRMR/glossary/#term-2).
<a name="term-with-multiple-words">term with multiple words</a>
1\. First definition of term. 2. Second definition of term. 3. Third definition of term. *See also* [term 2](/DCRMR/glossary/#term-2) *and* [term 3](/DCRMR/glossary/#term-3).
<a name="term">term</a>
*See* [term 2](/DCRMR/glossary/#term-2).
Do not add a space between the text to be hyperlinked (in square brackets) and the URL (in parenthesis).
Markdown:
[Text to be hyperlinked](URL)
External links are formatted so they open in a new tab; this is done by following the link with {:target="_blank"}
Links to elements or instrunctions RDA Toolkit are prefaced with "RDA Toolkit:".
DCRMR text:
Optionally, retain original capitalization and punctuation following RDA Toolkit: RDA Guidelines on basic transcription and consistently apply it throughout the resource description.
Markdown:
Optionally, retain original capitalization and punctuation following [RDA Toolkit: RDA Guidelines on basic transcription](https://access.rdatoolkit.org/Guidance/Index?externalId=en-US_ala-fd2213e6-ae72-3e6f-8f0a-be3fc0e8d728){:target="_blank"} and consistently apply it throughout the resource description.
Most internal links to other sections of DCRMR will be to other elements or instructions. Treat links to prefatory pages, introductory pages, or the appendices like elements in terms of capitalization and punctuation.
In-text references to other elements vary in form. Below are some general guidelines followed by examples from the DCRMR text.
Capitalize element names and hyperlink to element pages; do not precede element names with the RDA entity.
Place punctuation outside of the hyperlink.
DCRMR text:
Element name
Markdown:
[Element name](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name)
After instructing that information be recorded in another element, add a parenthetical see reference to the element instruction at the end of the sentence. A parenthetical see reference may be added at the instruction (X.X.X.X) or section (X.X.X) level; do not add a parenthetical see reference at the page (X.X) level.
DCRMR text:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet Element name consectetur adipiscing elit (see X.X.X.X).
Markdown:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet [Element name](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name) consectetur adipiscing elit (see [X.X.X.X](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name/#X.X.X.X)).
If making a parenthetical see reference to an element, include both the element name and the element instruction or start of the element instructions, separated by commas.
DCRMR text:
Suspendisse ac iaculis nisi (see Element name, X.X.X.X).
Markdown:
Suspendisse ac iaculis nisi (see [Element name, X.X.X.X](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name/#X.X.X.X)).
If making a parenthetical see reference to a section, include both the element name and the section citation, separated by a comma.
DCRMR text:
Lectus urna duis convallis convallis tellus id interdum velit (see Element name, X.X.X)>
Markdown:
Lectus urna duis convallis convallis tellus id interdum velit (see [Element name, X.X.X](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name/#X.X.X)).
If making an in-text see reference to an element, follow the element name by the element instruction in parentheses.
DCRMR text:
See Element name (X.X.X.X) quis ex nec arcu tempus tincidunt.
Markdown:
See [Element name](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name) ([X.X.X.X](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name/#X.X.X.X)) quis ex nec arcu tempus tincidunt.
Examples of in-text element references from DCRMR:
If an edition statement is a grammatically inseparable part of the Title proper, Other title information, Statement of responsibility, or any other transcribed element, then transcribe as part of the element to which it is integrated or linked and do not repeat it as an edition statement.
If the leaves are numbered on one side but printed on both sides, record this fact in a Note on extent of manifestation (see 5.201.3.2).
Record the date of each volume in a note if considered important. Such a note is particularly useful when the order of manufacture does not correspond to the order of the volume numeration (see Note on manufacture statement, 4.226.8.9).
For guidelines converting I or V to lowercase, or i, j, u, or v to uppercase, see Letterforms I, V, i, j, u, and V (0.5.23.1).
Use see references for information recorded in another element and for reciprocal references.
Use see also references for situations in which a given instruction is complemented by a similar or related instruction
Introduce lists with a colon.
Do not use any punctuation at the end of the list item.
Capitalize the the first word of each list item if they are elements; do not capitalize the first word of each list time if they are from controlled vocabularies or vocabulary encoding schemes.
Markdown:
Etiam non ipsum vel erat:
* Element 1
* Element 2
* Element 3
Aenean gravida dolor urna:
* controlled term 1
* controlled term 2
* controlled term 3
Introduce lists with a colon.
Do not use any punctuation at the end of the list item.
Capitalize the the first word of each list item if they are elements; do not capitalize the first word of each list time if they are from controlled vocabularies or vocabulary encoding schemes.
Alphabetized lists preferred. However, numbered lists are sometimes appropriate to the text or necessitated by the display.
When creating sub-lists, always check the display in deployment and adjust as necessary. (For example, an ordered list subordinate to an unordered list point may have to be coded as alphabetical or numeric, depending on what the display does.)
Markdown:
Etiam non ipsum vel erat:
a) Instruction 1
b) Instruction 2
c) Instruction 3
Optional rules and instructions are introduced by “Optionally”, formatted in italics and followed by a comma and then the text of the rule. The comma is not italicized.
DCRMR text:
Optionally, phasellus porttitor libero consectetur faucibus dapibus. Integer in elit.
Markdown:
*Optionally*, phasellus porttitor libero consectetur faucibus dapibus. Integer in elit.
Optionally omitted rules and instructions are introduced by "Optional omission", formatted in italics and followed by a colon and then the text of the rule. The colon is not italicized.
DCRMR text:
Optional omission: phasellus porttitor libero consectetur faucibus dapibus. Integer in elit.
Markdown:
*Optional omission*: phasellus porttitor libero consectetur faucibus dapibus. Integer in elit.
Related elements are in the RDA Definition and Scope (X.X.2) section of an element page. It is anticipated that they will be the second thing in this section and given the number X.X.2.2.
Related elements are listed as a bulleted (unordered) list.
Each element name is linked to the element page and followed by a brief explanation or definition.
DCRMR text:
Related element. See:
- Element name, brief definition or explanation
- Element name, brief definition or explanation
- Element name, brief definition or explanation
Markdown:
**Related element**. See:
* [Element name](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name), brief definition or explanation
* [Element name](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name), brief definition or explanation
* [Element name](/DCRMR/chapter-name/Element-name), brief definition or explanation
Conditional statements: prefer to present conditional statements (if x and y then z) and similar types of constructions (if ... or ... then; or ... or; etc.) in paragraph format instead of using line breaks.
When specifying values to record in an element within the text, use quotation marks to indicate the value. For example:
DCRMR text:
If a manifestation is known to have multiple applied materials but not all can be readily identified, record "mixed materials".
Prefer "appendices" to "appendixes."
Book titles: in the text, italicize book titles unless it is a link; for example, Gaskill's A new introduction to bibliography BUT Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books). In examples, do not italicize book titles.
Exceptions: preface the exception with "Exception:" and begin the text with a capital letter. Note that the colon is outside of the italicized text.
*Exception*: Donec egestas condimentum velit
Created: 2020-09-08 by alt
Latest update: 2023-01-22 by alt (small clarifications for in-text links; explicit comment re: indefinite articles and element names; see vs. see also references)