A style guide, or style manual, is a set of standards for the writing and design of documents, either for general use or for a specific publication, organization or field. The implementation of a style guide provides uniformity in style and formatting within a document and across multiple documents. A set of standards for a specific organization is often known as an "in-house style". Style guides are common for general and specialized use, for the general reading and writing audience, and for students and scholars of medicine, journalism, law, and various academic disciplines.
International
Several basic style guides for technical and scientific communication have been defined by international standards organizations. These are often used as elements of and refined in more specialized style guides that are specific to a subject, region, or organization. Some examples are:
EN 15038, Annex D – European Standard for Translation Services (withdrawn)
In the United Kingdom, major publications, academic institutions and companies have their own style guides, otherwise they would normally rely on New Hart's Rules available in the New Oxford Style Manual.
Acorn Technical Publications Style Guide, by Acorn Computers. Provides editorial guidelines for text in RISC OS instructional publications, technical documentation, and reference information.[13]
RISC OS Style Guide[14] by RISC OS Open Limited. Provides design guidelines, help and dialogue box phrasing examples for the software user interface.
United States
In the United States, most journalistic forms of mass communication rely on styles provided in the Associated Press Stylebook(AP Stylebook). Corporate publications typically follow either the AP Stylebook or the equally respected Chicago Manual of Style, with in-house modifications or exceptions to the chosen style guide.
A classic grammar style guide is Strunk & White's Elements of Style.
For general writing
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right, by Bill Bryson
The Conscious Style Guide: A Flexible Approach to Language That Includes, Respects, and Empowers, by Karen Yin — provides "style guidance on compassionate, mindful, empowering, respectful, and inclusive language," particularly with regards to marginalized communities[15]
Handbook of Technical Writing, by Gerald J. Alred, Charles T. Brusaw, and Walter E. Oliu
The Little Style Guide to Great Christian Writing and Publishing, by Leonard G. Goss and Carolyn Stanford Goss — provides a distinctively religious examination of style and language for writers and editors in religion, philosophy of religion, and theology
Apple Style Guide, published online by Apple Inc.[25] — provides editorial guidelines for text in Apple instructional publications, technical documentation, reference information, training programs, and the software user interface
GNOME Developer Documentation Style Guidelines, published online by GNOME[27]
Google Developer Documentation Style Guide, published online by Google[28] — provides a set of editorial guidelines for anyone writing developer documentation for Google-related projects
The IBM Style Guide: Conventions for Writers and Editors, by Francis DeRespinis, Peter Hayward, Jana Jenkins, Amy Laird, Leslie McDonald, and Eric Radzinski for IBM Press[29]
Developing Quality Technical Information: A Handbook for Writers and Editors, by Michelle Carey, Moira McFadden Lanyi, Deirdre Longo, Eric Radzinski, Shannon Rouiller and Elizabeth Wilde for IBM Press[30]
Mailchimp Content Style Guide, published online by Mailchimp[31]
^Cunningham, Helen; Greene, Brenda (2013). The Business Style Handbook: An A-to-Z Guide for Effective Writing on the Job (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. ISBN9780071800105.