Most of the differences in style of printed
and electronic documents have to do with two qualities:
1. The needs of readers are different
in print and electronic media;
2. Electronic documents are most publishable
when they can be viewed easily with a variety of software.
These differences affect the use of white space and formatting commands. For example, the white space provided by margins is very helpful for the paper reader for several reasons. It provides the necessary blank space on the left side for binding; it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye, and it gives the reader space for annotations. On a monitor, it is more important to maximize the amount of text viewable in a single screen. Binding material is irrelevant, and the reader will make notes in another window or by inserting comments in the text. Finally, we want to keep formatting commands to a minimum since it is these commands that are most commonly lost when documents are moved from one software environment to another.
Fonts
Sans serif fonts (e.g., arial, helvetica,
and verdana) are clearer on screen than serif fonts. Selecting black typeface
on a white background also enhances clarity both on screen and on paper.
Page Layout
Begin with the default settings for margins,
tabs, and paper size in the word processing software. This makes it easy
for the electronic reader to select "normal" view with no margins showing
on the screen while at the same time formatting margins if the document
is printed on standard 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper.
Paragraph format
Single space the document with double-spacing
between paragraphs and sections. Double-spacing allows room for editing
in the paper document. On screen all this white space seems excessive,
requiring too much scrolling. The reader prefers to see more of the text
in a single view. However, double-spacing between paragraphs and sections
serves as a place finder on screen as well as on paper. It makes it easier
for the reader to glance away from the text and return again to the same
place.
Titles
Titles of documents should be centered
on screen and on the page. Do not use quotation marks and do not use bold,
underline, nor italics commands in the title unless the title is a direct
quote from another source or it includes the title of another work.
Headings and Subheadings
Justify headings and subheadings at the
left of the screen.
Citation and Documentation
Use MLA or APA-style parenthetical citations
to document sources cited in the text. In html documents you
may also create anchor tags (also referred to as Netscape "targets" or
FrontPage "bookmarks") from the parenthetical citation to the appropriate
entry in the list of works cited at the end of the document.
List of Works Cited and Consulted
A list of sources should be added at the
end of the document as a (hyperlinked) list of sources and additional readings
the reader may use for further research. Entries in this list should be
single-spaced, with double-spacing between entries. All lines are left-justified
with no hanging indents. The author(s) should be named on the first line.
The title of the work should begin on a separate line followed by the rest
of the information required by MLA or APA style manuals. When no author
is named, the title will begin the first line of the citation. Entries
are placed in alphabetical order by the first word in the entry--author's
last name or the first word of the title. Hyperlinked URLs should
be provided for internet sources.
Works Cited and Consulted
Gibaldi, Joseph.
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers (5th ed.). New York: Modern Language Association, 1999.
Hoffman, Eric and Carol Scheidenhelm.
An Introduction to Teaching Composition
in an Electronic Environment. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2000.
Jacobs, Ian.
"Web Style Sheets." Worldwide Web Consortium
(W3C) March 2000.
http://www.w3.org/Style/Welcome.html
(22
April 2000).
Modern Language Association.
"MLA Style." Mod. 22 March 2000. http://www.mla.org
(22 April 2000).
Walker, Janice and Todd Taylor.
The Columbia Guide to Online Style.
New York: Columbia University Press, 1998.