Ever struggled with how to best structure your writing? Here are some style guides that may be useful. Some are free online tools; some are available to purchase online.

(Dear readers, this list was updated in April 2014, June 2015, August 2017.)

Online content

• The MailChimp online content style guide

Journalists and freelance writers

• The BBC style guide.
• This is a guide for journalists, but it details many of the general rules of spelling, punctuation and grammar. It also covers accuracy, fairness and impartiality
• The Guardian has a detailed style guide on its website.
• The Economist style guide is online here.
• The Daily Telegraph style guide is online here.
• The Chicago Manual of Style is online as a subscription service.
• The Associated Press Stylebook (2013) is a well known American tool for journalists and can be purchased here.

Technical writers

• Read Me First, an IT style guide from Sun: it’s been online for a while now and not all pages are online but it’s a great online resource if you don’t have ready access to a style guide.
• NASA has 100 pages online about grammar, punctuation, and capitalisation.
• The IBM style guide is a reasonable price.
• Microsoft’s Manual of Style (4th Edition, 2012).

Legal writing

• Here is the New Zealand Law Foundation’s guide.

Academic writing

• The APA style guide is often used. Waikato University has key APA guidelines on its site.

Business writing

• From writing consultancy The Write Group (for NZ$46): The Write Style Guide for New Zealanders.
• The Gregg Reference Manual is well known in the United States and can be purchased here.

Scientific writing

• The Mayfield Handbook of Technical and Scientific Writing is an online searchable tool.

Plain English

• The classic Elements of Style by William Strunk

Website specific

• Govt.nz: The style guide for the NZ government website.
• Wikipedia: The Manual of Style documents Wikipedia’s house style.