WTO Editorial Manual Version IV.0.1

Introduction

The contents of this newly updated WTO Editorial Manual are based on those presented in the WTO Editorial Manual produced in April 1997 which itself was based on the "Stenographic and Typing Section Secretarial Handbook" of December 1982. After an initial electronic version III this expanded version is defined as version IV.

To avoid confusion, updates will be reflected in the version number - for example version IV.0.1 would be a minor update and version IV.1 would be a major update - with each new version superseding all previous versions.

The formatting & fonts used in this document are deliberately different to those of the WTO documents described herein. Where examples are used to illustrate techniques and styles they have been formatted as they should appear in WTO documents and contained within separate boxes. 

Click in the left hand menu to expand the elements in each section.

Click at the top and bottom of each page for more details on how to use this site.

Click at the top and bottom of each page for more details on who to contact about this site.

Although this document has been assembled in such a way that it may easily be viewed online and printed for use off-line (preferably using IE5.5 or 6), it is important to be aware that additional information and revisions will be added whenever necessary. It is therefore strongly recommended that this document should be consulted on-line to be sure of obtaining only the most recent stylistic and technical recommendations.

Table of Contents

1.0 WTO Document Set-Up

1.1 Basic page set-up

The templates and macros associated with the WTO customized installation of Microsoft Word will automatically create documents with the following basic page set-up which can be visualized and where necessary modified via the page set up dialog :

1.1.1 Margins

Click on the Formatting tool bar or Menu: File > Page Setup - Margins Tab	Element	Rules
	Top:	1.27
	Bottom:	2.54
	Left:	2.54
	Right:	2.54
	Gutter:	0
	Header:	1.27
	Footer:	2.54
	Mirror margins:	No
	Apply to:	Whole document
	Default	See Below

1.1.2 Paper Size

Click on the Formatting tool bar or Menu: File > Page Setup - Paper Size Tab	Element	Value
	Paper size	A4
	Width	21
	Height	29.7
	Portrait	Normally
	Landscape	Sometimes *
	Apply to:	Whole document
	Default	See Below

1.1.3 Landscape

Whenever possible the Portrait format described should be used. On large tables it may sometimes be necessary to use a font size smaller than the standard 11pt (described below) starting with 10, 9, and 8pt to an absolute minimum of 7pt. If a table will still not fit into a page in portrait format it may be necessary to change the orientation to Landscape. This should be done using the appropriate macro at the point just before the table as follows:

Menu: WTO > Change to Landscape/Portrait

This macro will detect the current orientation of your page and ask you if it should change to the other format. After clicking "OK the screen may flicker for a couple of seconds while the macro does it's work after which you should find that you have inserted a single empty Landscape with a correctly formatted header page between two Portrait pages.

1.1.4 Paper Source

Click on the Formatting tool bar or Menu: File > Page Setup - Paper Source Tab	Element	Value
	First page:	Default
	Other pages:	Default
	Apply to:	Whole document
	Default	See Below

1.1.5 Layout

Click on the Formatting tool bar or Menu: File > Page Setup - Layout Tab	Element	Value
	Section start	Variable
	Different odd and even	Yes
	Different first page	Yes
	Vertical alignment	Top
	Line numbers	See next dialogue
	Default	See Below
	Add line numbering	Not used
	Start at	Not used
	From text	Not used
	Count by	Not used

1.1.6 Default settings

Click on the Formatting tool bar or Menu: File > Page Setup - Default Button	Element
	It should not be necessary to use this function because the macro should already have the correct default settings. If not contact your technical assistant.

1.2 Pagination

The running pagination created by the WTO templates produces automatic alternate even/odd numbering and document symbol as follows:

NB The exact contents of the odd and even headers depends on the template used.

Except for short texts on one page or short chapters, a new chapter will normally begin on a new page. Annexes will always begin on a new page.

Never separate a Title at the end of a page from the corresponding text on the next page. 

Never begin a page with the last word or two of a paragraph.

Whenever possible, the last line or two of a paragraph should not appear at the beginning of a page, especially if they are at the end of the document.

This should be taken care of by the "Widow/Orphan control" option in the style used to create the Titles, however, it is also sometimes necessary to use the Paragraph dialogue to force lines to stay together by adding "Keep with next" and "Keep lines together" as follows:

Menu: Format > Paragraph - Line and Page Breaks	Element	Value
	Widow/Orphan control	Yes
	Keep with next	Yes
	Keep lines together	Yes
	Page break before	No
	Suppress line numbers	No
	Don't hyphenate	No

If, despite using these techniques, a standard page cut leaves the document's last one or two lines to stand alone on a new page, it is preferable to extend the page end and have the entire paragraph on the same page. Likewise, paragraphs should be divided between the end of one page and the beginning of the next in such a way that at least two lines of text appear at either end.

1.3 The Normal font

Menu: Format > Style	Element	Value
	Font	Times New Roman
	Size	11 pt
	Language	English (UK)
	Char Scale	100%
	Justified	Yes
	Line Spacing	Single *
	Window/Orphan control	Yes
	Body text	Yes
	Tabs	1.27cm

* Certain templates allow different line spacing according to their specific requirements

The use of the other main WTO styles is described in more detail in the section on Formatting Text and Structuring Content

1.4 How to Create a Basic Document with the Standard WTO Header

This menu item opens the following dialogue box into which the required details should be added for automated transfer to the new document in the specified WTO format.

WTO Document - English Dialogue	Element	Value
	"Restricted" check-box	Box to be ticked according to the specification on the original document.
	Symbols	Multiple symbols up to a total of 6 can be added
	Original language	Box to be ticked according to the specification on the original document.
	Name of Committee, Group or Sub-Group*	All documents should mention the name of the body, i.e. Council, Committee, Working Party, Negotiating Group, etc., on behalf of which they are issued, except where there are more than two bodies involved.

By clicking "OK" the values entered into the above dialogue will be added to the document in the correct format e.g. names of WTO bodies will have initial capitals and bold face. The result will be a document that looks as follows (the pink text is only for the purposes of this demo):

Where necessary long committee titles should be split onto two lines, using the shift+return keystrokes as indicated by "¿" to keep the two lines in the same paragraph as suggested here:

*On one line if the document is issued jointly with the Committee on Anti-Dumping Practices and has a double symbol.

As detailed in the section on basic page set-up the template also sets up even/odd headers containing the document symbol and running pagination. Finally the template adds four blank lines after the standard masthead to allow you to start typing the first title of the document in the correct position. If you can not see the paragraph marks click the Show/hide ¶ button on the Standard tool bar.

You are now ready to add the content of your new document starting with the document title whether it be by typing the text directly and/or by adding the text from a previously prepared document or audio transcription. The next section explains the essential importance of Why, How and Where to use styles for both formatting the text and structuring the content of your document.

2.0 Using Word Styles to Structure Content and Format Text

2.1 What are styles and why should I use them ?

Microsoft Word styles including the base Normal style are a set of predefined rules that not only define the format of the text to which they are applied but, importantly, also allow us to add structural information that can then be used to produce and update elements such as tables of contents and figures. For this second structural reason, although it is possible to format some text manually, it is essential that the majority of the document formatting be carried out using the predefined WTO styles consistently. There are currently around 48 different predefined styles in the standard WTO template (full list available here). 

2.2 How to use styles in Microsoft Word

There are three main ways of applying Words predefined styles to text.

2.2.1 The Drop Down Style List

Click on the Formatting Tool bar to open the Style list & select the required style	Comment
	Element Value Order Word does not seem to present the styles in alphabetical order Format The style name is presented in the format that will be applied Full style list Available here

2.2.2 The Style Dialogue Box

Menu: Format > Style & select the required style	Comment
	This is the most information rich way of dealing with styles. However, it is also the most time consuming, complex and potentially problematic. As such, only a few of the elements are discussed here. Element Value Organizer TBD Modify Strongly discouraged. Call your technical assistant Full style list Available here

2.2.3 Keyboard Shortcuts

A small number of key styles, the correct use of which is essential for the structure and function of the document, can also be applied using keyboard shortcuts.

Attention: If you find that the four Title shortcuts do not work you may need to reinstall them on your PC with this.

Formatting applied in this way is only applied to a whole paragraph, so that if certain words within a paragraph have a specific format - italic or bold for example - they will be left unchanged .

2.3 Where to use the predefined WTO styles

Clearly this depends on the nature and content of the original document. By way of example we will use the basic document with standard WTO masthead described above.

2.3.1 Document Titles and the Title Styles

When a document title is very long and must be spread over two or more lines, if the text makes it possible (do not separate Article/25, for example), it should be set up in lines of decreasing length, using the shift+return keystrokes (as indicated by "¿" when the show paragraph marks "¶ "view is on) to keep the two lines in the same paragraph thus:

The reader should be able to identify the subject matter of the document immediately. It is therefore very important that the various elements of the title block follow a certain pattern and are given in the order indicated below:

(a)  The name of the body on behalf of which the document is issued e.g. General Council, Committee, Working Party, etc., to be completed in the macro window, appears in the upper left-hand corner, just below the masthead (except, for instance, schedules of commitments and documents in the L/ series).

(b) The main title defines the document subject

 Titles such as "Communication from" are considered secondary.

2.3.2 Title 2

The secondary title gives a particular aspect or the nature of the document:

2.3.3 Title 3 and Country Titles

Any other remarks or details should not appear in the title block, but be given in the introduction or the text of the document. If the document has an introductory paragraph (communication) this should appear after the title (3 returns) and be separated from the text by a centred 15-space line, with two returns before and three after. If the text is a page long or longer, it should start on a new page (see Pagination section for more detail). The standard introductory paragraph for a communication should read as follows:

The exact titles of missions should always be taken from the WTO Directory. Other examples:

- the Permanent Delegation of the European Communities
- the Vice-Minister of Trade of ...
- the Permanent Mission of ... to the United Nations in New York.

No centred 15-space line should appear at the end of a text indicating, for example, "The text of the resolution is reproduced as an Annex to this document". The annex should then start on the following page.

2.4 Chapters, Sections and the Heading Styles

The Heading styles described above are without doubt the most important styles for structuring of the document given that they can be used to both to create a logical numbering of the document chapters and sections as well as to build & update automatic tables of contents. The heading style differ from the Title styles in a number of ways: 

• Heading styles set up outline numbering so that correctly used headings will automatically be numbered in consecutive order. 

• Heading styles include a definition of the style that should appear in the subsequent paragraph so that, for example, hitting enter at the end of a paragraph formatted with "Heading 1" will automatically create a new paragraph formatted with style "Heading 2". This is not always useful because it is often necessary to add intermediate paragraphs with some other style between headings. Heading styles can therefore also be applied using any of the above techniques, the simplest being the keyboard shortcuts.

• Heading styles include a spacing of 12pt after the end of each paragraph thus avoiding the need for a double paragraph return.

2.5 Paragraphs Numbering and Indentation

Paragraphs should be formatted using the style "Body Text" described above which like the heading styles directs automatic paragraph numbering, indenting and paragraph spacing. Subparagraphs numbered with (a), (b), etc. and further indenting should be formatted using the style "Body Text 2" followed by further subpargraphs numbered with (i), (ii), etc. which should in turn be formated using the style "Body Text 3" as follows:

No more than two or three levels of indentation should be used, as indicated below:

Please note that as for all styles the standard tabulations set by the styles should not be changed.

2.6 Table of Contents

Assuming a correct and consistent use of the styles described in this section the tables of content pages can be generated automatically once the document is finished and should be updated automatically if any changes are made subsequently.

2.7 Summary showing keyboard shortcuts

Additional information on how to verify & correct the use of styles is available in the next section.

2.8 Columns

Columns should always be set up as columns, i.e. not by using tabs or worse the spacebar. If they are not of equal length, the first or left column should be the longer one. For example:

2.9 How to Verify and Correct the Use of Styles

In order to verify that styles have been applied correctly it is first necessary to change the standard Word view from "Page layout":

to the normal "Normal" view :

Next you need to add some width to the style area which is usually set at 0cm by default

In "Style area width:" enter 2.5 cm & click "OK".

On your left in the "Style area" you should now see the name of each style used.

This show style area procedure has been incorporated into a simple macro available via the lsdd_t tool bar.

2.9.1 Exceptions and Problems

Unfortunately it is also possible that a paragraph formatted with a style may also have unwanted manual formatting that cannot be detected either in the Style are or by a direct visually examination. In this case the  correct formatting can be reapplied using the WTO Normal Numbering function as as follows:

Examples of badly formatted Word documents are available for you to practice with here: Example 1 & Example 2

2.9.2 Resolution of Non Standard Style Formatting

For Headings and Body text you can simply reapply the style via the keyboard shortcut described in the previous section.

For other styles select the required style from the drop down menu & be sure to select "Reapply the formatting of the style to the selection?" before clicking "OK":

3.0 WTO Editorial Rules

3.1 Punctuation and Spacing

Punctuation marks should be printed in the same style of type as the word, letter, character or symbol preceding them.

While there may be punctuation within titles and subtitles in documents, there should be no punctuation after titles. Within a title, a dash is preferred to a colon.

After a full stop or a question mark two spaces are necessary before beginning the next sentence. Two spaces are to be left after a colon or semicolon. No space is to be left between any punctuation mark and the preceding word.

When several subparagraphs follow an introductory phrase, they should end by a comma or semicolon even if there is a full stop in the middle of the subparagraph. The final subparagraph should end by a full stop unless the sentence returns to the margin and continues after the last subparagraph. Do not use capital letters to begin subparagraphs separated by commas or semicolons. However, if the subparagraphs end with a full stop, each subsequent subparagraph begins with a capital letter.

No punctuation should follow items in a list set up as a column, such as countries, divisions or departments, or, for example:

Items in any listing, enumeration or other subdivision following a colon should start on a new line and be indented.

A comma is not placed before "and" at the end of a sequence of items unless one of the items contains another "and", unless it is necessary for clarity, e.g.: 

3.2 Quotations and Omissions within a Quotation

Double quotation marks are used for quotations, and a quotation within a quotation is indicated by single quotation marks (‘...’). No quotation marks will be used in documents reproducing statements in full.

Quotation marks must precede each paragraph of a direct quotation and close at the end of the last paragraph only.

Quotation marks at the end of a sentence will appear after the full stop only when the entire sentence is within quotation marks. If a quotation is followed by a comma, the latter will appear after the quotation marks unless the comma is part of the quotation.

Triple dots ( ... ) are used to indicate where material in a quotation has been omitted, as follows:

3.3 Document Footnotes

Footnotes references should be inserted directly after full stops and colons if at the end of a sentence and after the closing quotation marks for a quoted citation, otherwise before any other punctuation as follows:

by using the Footnote function in Word as follows:

Menu: Insert > Footnote	Element	Value
	Footnote	Yes
	Endnote	Not used in WTO douments
	Autonumber	Yes
	Custom mark	Not used in WTO documents
	Symbol	Not used in WTO documents
	Options	See next
Menu: Insert > Footnote - Options button
	Place at	Bottom of page
	Number format	1, 2, 3,
	Start at	Usually 1 but may be changed if working on a part of a larger document
	Numbering	Continuous

This will direct automatic consecutive numbering in the correct format throughout the document both for the footnote references in the text & the footnotes themselves. 

When writing the footnote itself, no space is to be left between the footnote number and the text. The footnote always ends with a full stop.

Footnotes should not appear at the end of the text, i.e. there should be no endnotes.

The consecutive numbering of footnotes should continue throughout annexes.

Asterisks should be avoided within a text, and not be used for footnotes, except if there is only one, or in tables (see Chapter II, section 7). Exception: When a Corrigendum or Revision is issued only in one language there should be an asterisk after the document symbol (G/SCM/2/Rev.1*) with the corresponding note at the bottom of the page (*English only) to indicate this. There should be no full stop after "English only".

3.4 Underlining and Bold Type

Underlining should only be used in the predefined style "Title2"

The use of bold type should normally be avoided in documents, except where special attention is required for a word or sequence of words. 

Other exceptions include:

• The document symbol and number, as well as the name of the organ to which the document refers appear in bold automatically when creating a document with the documents macro

• documents containing questions and replies, where bold type helps to distinguish between the two, questions may be in bold and replies in normal type

• Notifications in which the information to be notified appears in bold, and the material submitted in normal type.

3.5 Italicization

Apart from the text in Title3 (described above) names of publications or titles of articles in a publication are italicized. For example:

Words to be italicized in decisions or instruments:

(a) The name of the body making the decision or entering into the agreement:

(b)  The word or words at the beginning of each paragraph of the preamble expressive of the mood or the action, past or present, of the body:

(c) The operative verb or phrase at the beginning of each paragraph of the operative part of the instrument. Only the opening operative verb is italicized; if a second operative verb occurs in a paragraph it should not be italicized:

Italics are also to be used for non-English words other than those generally considered to be adopted into the language. See also the Prescribed spelling, Hyphenation and italicization of words found in WTO documents.

Expressions to be Italicized

Expressions not to be Italicized

3.6 Capitalization

Consistency and economy should be observed in the use of capitals.

(a) Capitalization of certain words

(b) Capitalization of titles

The first title of documents is in block capitals. Subsequent titles are in initial capitals except for articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, or, for, nor), prepositions, and the "to" in infinitives.

(c) Capitalization of compound words

When a compound word appears in a context in which words are normally capitalized, for example in a document title capitalize the first element:

Capitalize the second element if:

Do not capitalize the second element if the elements are normally compounded or the second element is a particle modifying the first:

However, if the first element is capitalized only because it appears at the beginning of a sentence, the second element should not necessarily be capitalized in accordance with the rules set forth above:

(d) Divided Paragraphs

Whenever paragraphs are subdivided in (a), (b), or (i), (ii), etc., and end with commas or semi-colons, only the first one starts with a capital letter and all the others begin with a small letter, even if there is a full stop in the middle of a subparagraph. However, if the subparagraphs end with a full stop, each subsequent paragraph begins with a capital letter.

(e) Official Titles of Organs or Officials, Direct Reference

Initial capitals should be used for the official titles of persons, councils, commissions, Secretariat units and organizations, and for the official titles of existing treaties and international conventions:

(f) Official Titles, General Reference

Initial capitals should not be used in general references to the holders of official titles or to bodies which, in individual references, would take initial capitals:

NB Initial capitals should not be used in references to posts which have not yet been created. Compare:

(h) The following applies to abbreviations (see also Abbreviations section next)

- initial capitals will be used for:

- no initial capitals will be used for:

3.7 Abbreviations

The expressions "i.e.", "e.g", and "etc." are acceptable in descriptive writing and may be unavoidable in texts which are the result of extensive negotiation, but should not normally be used in the drafting of treaty texts.

(a)  No. is used when followed by a figure; e.g. No. 5, Nos. 5 and 6.

(b)  In texts, percentages should be expressed either in full, i.e. five per cent (not "percent") or in figures, i.e. 5%, not a mixture of the two, i.e. 5 per cent. In tables, only figures should be used.

(c)  Names of countries are not normally abbreviated, but shortened forms may be used (United States, United Kingdom; US and UK in tables). In the list of signatures included in the signature copy of a treaty formal names must appear in full. See also section 15 (c).

(d) Currency units used should correspond to those in the International Monetary Fund International Financial Statistics. (See here for list of currencies)

(e) In the following expressions, full stops are maintained:

(f)  As a general rule names of organs, international organizations or other public and private institutions must be given in full and in the correct form the first time they are mentioned. However, to avoid excessive repetition, long titles should thereafter be shortened (the Council, the Committee) or acronyms used (IMF, ILO, UNCTAD) provided that no possible ambiguity exists, as may be the case with WTO = World Trade Organization and World Tourism Organization. When acronyms are used, they are not separated by full stops.

(g)  In legal or very formal texts, a title that recurs should be written out in full the first time it appears and should be followed by the phrase "(hereinafter referred to as [abbreviation])"; thereafter the abbreviation or acronym can be used:

(h)  The following are some of the abbreviations and acronyms currently used in the WTO:

 (i)  The following short titles have been agreed in the WTO:

(j)  See also abbreviations used in tables

3.8 Number Formatting

Numbers written out in words

(a)  Whole numbers (ordinal or cardinal) from one to ten inclusive except in tables, or referring to weights and measures: e.g. 3 million tons, 5 km., three months, five years, eighth-largest.

(b)  Fractions: e.g. a majority of two thirds, a two-thirds majority.

(c)  Numerical adjectives referring to States or persons: e.g. The Group of Seven.

(d)  Numbers that form the first word of a sentence, with the exception of years (1992).

Numbers for which figures are used

(a)  Numbers of 11 or more (except those listed above).

(b)  Figures designating weights, measures, distances, amounts, percentages, population figures, listings, etc. (2 cm., 5%, 3 million).

(c)  Numbers in tables.

(d)  Decimals are separated from other figures by a full stop, thousands or millions by a comma, for example: US$10,325.10 (in bilingual tables the original remains as is).

(e)  Sums of money, e.g. $A 50,000 (See here for list of currencies to make sure whether or not there is a space between currency and figure).

(f)  Time is indicated with the 12-hour clock and a.m. or p.m.: 3.30 p.m., 9 a.m. (not 9.00 a.m.).

(g)  Dates are written out in full in the sequence of day-month-year: 15 April 1994. References to a period between two dates, should be "... from 15 to 25 April" (not from or on 15-25 April), or "... on 15 and 16 April".

(h)  Statistical data where, for example, the unit is million, should be written US$2.5 million and not US$2 million 500,000. The same applies for thousands, i.e. 364,000 and not 364 thousand.

See also next section Hyphenation and Word Division Rules

3.9 Hyphenation and Word Division Rules

"There is a great variety in the use of the hyphen in English, especially between British and American styles, and there are few clearly defined rules on the subject." (in "The Concise Oxford Dictionary", seventh edition). Hyphenation and compounding should be in accordance with the latest edition of the Concise Oxford Dictionary, and the glossary at the end of this manual. See also directly below concerning hyphenation of compound words, and section 11 above concerning capitalization of compound words.

Hyphenation

(a)  Cardinal and ordinal numbers are hyphenated, such as twenty-five, twenty-fifth. When a cardinal number is combined with a unit of measurement it is hyphenated, except when referring to percentages. Concerning the decision whether to use words or figures for numbers in text, see section 13 above.

(b)  Compound expressions should be hyphenated when one component has a cardinal number and the other a noun or adjective, but only when the compound expression is adjectival. For instance, "ten-pound packages" are units of ten pounds each, and "ten pound packages" refers to ten units of one pound each (but in this case "ten one-pound packages" would be much clearer).

(c)  In compound expressions used adjectivally, do not hyphenate compounds of the type: adverb ending in -ly + participle or adjective.

Do hyphenate compounds of the type: adverb other than the -ly type + participle or adjective.

(d)  Fractions are hyphenated when they are used as adjectives (unless the numerator or denominator is itself hyphenated). Fractions are not hyphenated when they are used as nouns.

(e) A hyphen is used in compound titles, e.g. ex-President, President-designate, but not acting President.

(f) A hyphen is repeated where part of a compound expression is omitted:

Word division

The basic rule is to avoid dividing a word at the end of a line if possible. In any case the following principles should be observed:

Proper names, dates and figures should not be divided at the end of a line and should be connected with a Nonbreaking space as follows:

Menu: Insert > Symbol - Special Characters	Value	Keyboard Shortcut
	Nonbreaking Space	ctrl+shift+space
Nonbreaking spaces can be seen when the "Show all" ¶ symbols are marks are activated as follows

Avoid dividing the names of countries at the end of a line. Never divide them at the end of a page.

Hyphenated words should only be divided at the existing hyphen and never at the end of a page. It is preferable not to divide them at all, but to connect them with a Nonbreaking hyphen as follows:

Menu: Insert > Symbol - Special Characters	Value	Keyboard Shortcut
	Nonbreaking Hyphen	ctrl+_

3.10 Names, Terms and References

See also Abbreviations section.

(a)  The Uruguay Round is referred to formally as the Uruguay Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations. Initial capitals are used for "Multilateral Trade Negotiations" in this context but not generally, e.g. "participation in rounds of multilateral trade negotiations".

(b)  Names of countries corresponding to the latest United Nations terminology bulletin entitled "Names of countries and adjectives of nationality" are listed here. The bulletin is also available for consultation in the Reference Unit of the Translation and Documentation Division.

(c)  For many countries, the terminology bulletin mentioned above lists two names which may for convenience be referred to as the "long title" and the "short title". In most cases only the short titles will be used for all ordinary purposes, e.g. Hungary, and not Republic of Hungary (exception: Republic of Korea as against Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and of course Central African Republic, Dominican R