Identify people from back to front and left to right , except where the composition of the photo demands another method , such as ‘ clockwise from top left ’. Always use full names .
Don ’ t forget the photographer ’ s credit , if they are known .
Avoid stating what is obvious from looking at the photo . Instead , include a quote from one of the people pictured , or include information in the caption that adds value for the reader .
Announcing the new facility at Parramatta were ( from left ) President and Vice- Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs , NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian , Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Barney Glover , and Charter Hall Managing Director and Group CEO David Harrison . Photo : Sally Tsoutas
Pictured are President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Ian Jacobs , Premier G . Berejiklian and others at the launch .
Cardinal points
In general references , use sentence case for cardinal points : The campuses are located in Sydney ’ s eastern suburbs .
There are shops in the North-West corner of the campus .
Use uppercase initial letters for proper nouns : Far North Queensland , the South Coast
Foreign words
Italicise unfamiliar foreign words and less commonly used Latin terms : She specialised in the art of ikebana , Japanese flower arranging .
The school ’ s motto was per aspera ad astra .
There is no need to italicise foreign words that are in common use , such as ‘ ad hoc ’, ‘ in situ ’ and ‘ cafe ’.
If a foreign word is likely to cause confusion , use a plain English word instead . For example , ‘ at first glance ’ is clearer than ‘ prima facie ’. But always consider the context – some legal documents may intentionally use Latin terms .
Italics
Titles of works
Italicise the titles of books , films , works of art , magazines , newspapers , plays , poems , songs , exhibitions , reports , and radio and television programs :
The Economist published news of our breakthrough research .
A chapter within a book or an article within a magazine or newspaper should take single quotation marks :
Last week , The Sydney Morning Herald published a controversial article entitled ‘ The case against civilisation ’.
The names of publishers , social media sites and other websites do not need to be italicised , nor do the names of ships .
Italicise research papers and reports that are published as independent publications .
Use single quotation marks , not italics , for research papers and reports that are published within a journal or other periodical .
Court cases
Italicise party names in court cases : Mabo v The State of Queensland ( 1988 )
Koowarta v Bjelke-Petersen ( 1982 ) 153 CLR 168
Emphasis
You can use italics to add emphasis to words , but only do this in small quantities .
Lists
Bulleted lists are a great way to present points clearly . They are also ideal for web content because they ’ re easy for the eye to scan .
Writing Style Guide | Formatting 28 | Back to contents