Contents
The NAA Branding Style Guide has
NAA logo
2
been produced by the Communications,
Marketing, Partnerships and Events team.
Updated October 2023
NAA primary logo
3
NAA Inline logo
4
Incorrect logo usage
5
Government logo
6
Corporate font
7
Colour palette
8
Logo application
• Standard print collateral
9-12
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
engagement brand
13
• NAA Member brand
14
Contact us
15
Corporate font
Helvetica Neue is the NAA house font and is used in all collateral.
Helvetica Neue Bold
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+
Helvetica Neue Roman
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+
Helvetica Neue Light
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+
Arial is to be used when Helvetica is not available including on digital platforms.
Arial Bold
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+
Arial Regular
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1234567890!@#$%^&*()_+
7
Colour palette
CMYK 312 CP
The blue is predominantly used as our
corporate colour. However, the use of
PMS
306 CP
any of these colours can be applied to
collateral produced for the NAA.
RGB
0/168/215
CMYK 368 CP
PMS
7489 CP
RGB
101/179/46
CMYK 7662 CP
PMS
258 CP
RGB
130/60/138
CMYK 151 CP
PMS
715 CP
RGB
239/125/0
CMYK 186 CP
PMS
7620 CP
RGB
215/9/38
8
Contact us
The NAA Brand Style Guide has been produced by
the Communications, Marketing, Partnerships and
Events team to ensure the NAA brand is consistently
and professionally applied to communicate the brand
of National Archives of Australia and to support brand
recognition.
When engaging an external company for any design
work please make sure the design team is aware of the
project and provide proofs for approval before finalising
the project.
Contact the design team if you require advice on how to
apply the NAA brand or logo.
Email
xxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
15
Contents
Document information and approval ............................................................................................ 4 About this guide .......................................................................................................................... 6
Who is this guide for? ......................................................................................................................... 6
When should I use this guide? ............................................................................................................ 6
What dictionary should I use? ............................................................................................................ 6
Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................. 7
e.g. and i.e. .......................................................................................................................................... 7
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples ................................................................................ 7
Referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples ................................................................ 7
Cultural sensitivities ............................................................................................................................ 8
Sensitive information in records ..................................................................................................... 8
Cultural sensitivity warnings ........................................................................................................... 8
Engagement and consultation ............................................................................................................ 8
Acknowledgement of Country Our state and territory offices are located on the land of the
following Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: .................................................................... 9
Australian Capital Territory Office: Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples .............................................. 9
Acronyms .................................................................................................................................... 9 Capitalisation ............................................................................................................................. 10 Dates and times ......................................................................................................................... 11
Dates ................................................................................................................................................. 11
Times ................................................................................................................................................. 11
Decades ............................................................................................................................................. 11
Centuries ........................................................................................................................................... 12
Spans of years ................................................................................................................................... 12
Government terms ..................................................................................................................... 13
‘Government’ .................................................................................................................................... 13
‘Commonwealth’ ............................................................................................................................... 14
Ministers ........................................................................................................................................... 14
Prime ministers and treasurers ......................................................................................................... 15
Lists ........................................................................................................................................... 15
Bul et points ...................................................................................................................................... 15
National Archives–specific terms and content ............................................................................. 16
Referring to the National Archives ................................................................................................... 16
Job titles ............................................................................................................................................ 17
Branches and sections ...................................................................................................................... 17
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State and territory offices ................................................................................................................. 18
Exhibitions ......................................................................................................................................... 18
Exhibition titles ............................................................................................................................. 18
Referring to exhibitions ................................................................................................................ 19
Panel headings .............................................................................................................................. 19
Captions ........................................................................................................................................ 19
Numbers and measurements ..................................................................................................... 22
Numerals or words? .......................................................................................................................... 22
Large numbers .................................................................................................................................. 22
Percentages ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Ordinal numbers ............................................................................................................................... 23
Photographs and works of art .................................................................................................... 23
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture ............................................................... 24
Images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples .............................................................. 24
Images containing cultural content .............................................................................................. 24
Copyright ........................................................................................................................................... 24
Photographs from the National Archives’ collection ........................................................................ 24
Photographs from other collections ................................................................................................. 25
Naming people in a photograph ....................................................................................................... 26
Plain language ........................................................................................................................... 26 Punctuation ............................................................................................................................... 26
Apostrophes ...................................................................................................................................... 26
Dashes ............................................................................................................................................... 27
Ellipses ............................................................................................................................................... 27
Hyphens ............................................................................................................................................ 27
Quotation marks ............................................................................................................................... 28
Referencing ............................................................................................................................... 29
Use the author–date system ............................................................................................................. 29
Newspaper article, no author ........................................................................................................... 29
Approximate date of publication ...................................................................................................... 30
Collection material ............................................................................................................................ 30
Material from the National Archives’ collection ........................................................................... 30
Material from other collections .................................................................................................... 31
Footnotes ...................................................................................................................................... 31
Titles: print and online publications ............................................................................................ 32
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Books, reports and plans .................................................................................................................. 32
Chapters ............................................................................................................................................ 32
Conferences ...................................................................................................................................... 32
Policies .............................................................................................................................................. 33
Projects ............................................................................................................................................. 33
Magazines, journals and newspapers ............................................................................................... 33
Legislation ......................................................................................................................................... 34
Standards .......................................................................................................................................... 34
Websites ........................................................................................................................................... 34
Word list (preferred spel ing, capitalisation and hyphenation) .................................................... 36 Plain language resources ............................................................................................................ 39
What is plain language? .................................................................................................................... 39
Plain language for specialised audiences .......................................................................................... 39
How people read ............................................................................................................................... 39
Plain language guidelines .................................................................................................................. 39
Glossary..................................................................................................................................... 40 Keyboard shortcuts .................................................................................................................... 41
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Document information and approval
Owner
TBC
Version date
19 October 2021
Status
Draft for review
Next review date
Document approval
Role
Name
Date
Author
Digital Publishing Taskforce s 47F(1)
August 2021
s 47F(1)
Reviewers
Director, Public Programs s 47F(1)
September
2021
Director, Reference and Description Services s 47F(1)
Director, National Network Coordination s 47F(1)
Director, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Engagement s 47F(1)
Assistant Director, Learning and Visitor Experience
s 47F(1)
Assistant Director, Curatorial Services (s 47F(1)
s 47F(1) )
Invited to review but did not comment:
Director, Government Information Policy s 47F(1)
s 47F(1)
Director, Government Records Assurance
s 47F(1)
Approved by
Louise Doyle, ADG Access and Public Engagement
November
2021
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Document history
Version
Date
Version author
Description
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About this guide
National Archives of Australia follows the writing and editing conventions set out in the Australian
Government
Style manual. The
Style manual is for everyone who writes, edits or approves Australian
Government content. Use it as your primary reference for creating clear, consistent writing.
This
writing and editing guide, sets out the National Archives’ preferred style:
• where the
Style manual indicates that there is more than one acceptable style
• for National Archives – specific terms and content.
Where appropriate, it includes links to the relevant section in the
Style manual.
This guide sets out writing and editing style only; it is not a guide to visual design. Preferred fonts,
colours and logos for National Archives’ publications are outlined in our
Branding strategy and
Branding style guide.
Who is this guide for?
This guide is for anyone who writes or edits for National Archives, including staff, contractors and
volunteers.
If you are outsourcing writing or editing, make sure you supply this guide to the person doing the
work so they know what style to fol ow.
When should I use this guide?
Fol ow the conventions set out in this guide for all written content, whether for an internal or
external audience.
Use it when writing or editing:
• strategies, reports, plans and policies
• website and Infonet content
• educational resources and training materials
• exhibition text
• marketing material and media releases
• newsletters, magazines, books and research guides
• essays and papers.
The conventions set out in this guide apply to both print and digital (web) content, unless otherwise
stated.
What dictionary should I use?
Use the Macquarie Dictionary online to check spelling, capitalisation and hyphenation.
The log in details for National Archives’ staff are:
Username: naa
Password: Dictionary1
What if I have questions or need help?
Contact the Digital Publishing Taskforce if you:
• have questions about National Archives style
• need writing or editing help or training
• have suggestions for improving this guide.
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Abbreviations
Style manual – abbreviations
e.g. and i.e.
Everyday words are more user friendly than Latin abbreviations. Rather than using Latin
abbreviations, write the English words out in full.
Example: e.g.
We hold some key records that document Australia’s history. For example, we have records about
immigration, military service and transport.
not
We hold some key records that document Australia’s history e.g. we have records about
immigration, military service and transport.
Example: i.e.
The plan will help us achieve our vision – that is, to be a world leading archive in this digital age.
not
The plan will help us achieve our vision i.e. to be a world leading archive in this digital age.
If you must use these abbreviations (for example, if space is an issue), punctuate them with ful
stops.
Example
We hold some key records that document Australia’s e.g. records about immigration, military service
and transport.
Example
The plan will help us achieve our vision i.e. to be a world leading archive in this digital age.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Style manual – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Referring to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
There is a wide range of nations, cultures and languages across mainland Australia and throughout
the Torres Strait. Respectful language:
• recognises diversity
• depends on what different communities find appropriate.
Wherever possible, use specific terms, like the name of a community, before using broader terms
such as ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’.
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If you need to refer to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples more generally, the preferred
term is ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’.
If space is an issue, you may also use:
• First Australians
• First Nations Australians.
Avoid shorthand terms like ‘Aborigines' or ‘Islanders’ or acronyms like ‘ATSI’ as they can be
considered discriminatory or offensive.
Avoid the term ‘Indigenous Australians’. While the term is in common use, many Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples may not be comfortable with it.
Cultural sensitivities
Sensitive information in records
Some National Archives records contain information that is culturally sensitive. Sensitive information
may be found in digital and paper records, photos, audio, film, objects and maps.
The National Archives’
Subject guidelines: Indigenous cultural sensitivities (R717972019) can help
you identify potentially sensitive information.
Cultural sensitivity warnings
Warnings are important to demonstrate respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and
cultures, and to acknowledge any cultural sensitivities.
You should include a warning where your publication, exhibition or web content includes:
• references to deceased people
• references to secret/sacred or culturally restricted information
• offensive terms in records or in their descriptions.
Approved wording for cultural sensitivity warnings at the National Archives is in the
Use of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sensitivity warnings guidelines (R587182020).
Engagement and consultation
Style manual – authoritative guidance lives with the relevant community or individual
Engagement and consultation are essential when writing about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples, history and culture.
Proper engagement will help ensure your content:
• reflects the preferences, knowledge and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Islander
peoples
• is accurate
• treats secret/sacred material and culturally sensitive content appropriately.
Guidelines for engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including when and how
to engage, are contained in the National Archives’
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement
tools (R410692021).
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Acknowledgement of Country
Our state and territory offices are located on the land of the following Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples:
Australian Capital Territory Office: Ngunnawal and Ngambri peoples
• New South Wales Office: Darug and Eora peoples
• Northern Territory Office: Larrakia people
• Queensland Office: Turrbal and Yugara peoples
• South Australia Office: Kaurna people
• Tasmania Office: muwinina people [note that palawa kani, the language of the Tasmanian
people, does not use capitals]
• Victoria Office: Wurundjeri people.
• Western Australia Office: Whadjuk Noongar people.
Words in language
Do not italicise names or words from First Nations languages. They are Australian languages, not
foreign languages.
Acronyms
Style manual – acronyms and initialisms
Acronyms are terms that comprise initial letters and you can pronounce as a word – for example,
GAIN.
Initialisms are terms that comprise initial letters and you pronounce as letters, not a word – for
example, RkS.
If there’s a chance your users won’t know the meaning of an acronym or initialism, define it at first
mention. Write the term in full first and follow with the acronym or initialism in parentheses. Use
the shortened form rather than the ful term for later mentions.
Example
The Government Agencies Information Network (GAIN Australia) supports agency information and
records managers. GAIN Australia provides professional development and networking opportunities.
If you are only using the term once on your web page or in your publication, you do not need to
include the acronym or initialism.
Example
The Protective Security Policy Framework is the Australian Government's protective security policy.
It is designed to help government agencies protect their people, information and assets, both in
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Australia and overseas. It sets out government protective security policy and supports entities to
effectively implement the policy across the fol owing outcomes:
• security governance
• information security
• personnel security
• physical security.
not
The Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF) is the Australian Government's protective security
policy. It is designed to help government agencies protect their people, information and assets, both
in Australia and overseas. It sets out government protective security policy and supports entities to
effectively implement the policy across the fol owing outcomes:
• security governance
• information security
• personnel security
• physical security.
Capitalisation
Style manual – punctuation and capitalisation
Too many capitals make text harder to read. Follow the principles of minimal capitalisation – that is,
write with the minimum amount of capitalisation required to make the context understood.
Example
The Advisory Council met on Thursday. The council accepted the minutes of the previous meeting.
not
The Advisory Council met on Thursday. The Council accepted the minutes of the previous meeting.
Example
Review your records authorities periodically
not
Review your Records Authorities periodically.
Example
He is the section director.
not
He is the section Director.
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Example
We welcome the findings of the
Functional and efficiency review of the National Archives of
Australia.
not
We welcome the findings of the
Functional and Efficiency Review of the National Archives of
Australia.
Dates and times
Style manual – dates and time
Dates
Use minimal punctuation (no commas) for dates.
Example
Sunday 14 May 2011
Times
Use ‘am’ and ‘pm’ in lower case, with a space after the number. Use a colon between hours and
minutes.
Example
9 am
from 9:30 am to 5 pm
Do not include the colon or zeros when referring to a time on the hour.
Example
from 9:30 am to 5 pm
not
from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Decades
Use numerals for decades. Do not use an apostrophe.
Example
It was built in the 1920s. [
not 1920’s or nineteen twenties]
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In less formal writing, you can use expressions such as ‘the seventies’.
Example
He was in his fifties when he took up photography. [
not 50s]
Example
Her outfit is an eighties throwback. [
not 80s]
Centuries
Use numerals for centuries.
Example
19th century [
not nineteenth century]
Spans of years
Do not use en dashes for spans of years. Write the years out in full.
Example
The committee met monthly from 2015 to 2019.
There are two exceptions to this general rule:
• when writing about financial years
• when including information in parentheses, such as terms of office and years of birth and
death.
For these, use an en dash without any spaces on either side.
Example: financial years
the 2020–21 financial year
Example: term of office
For a date span describing a term of office, include as many digits in the second number as are
needed for clarity.
Sir John See, Mayor of Randwick (1880–81) [not 1880–1]
Sir John See, Colonial Secretary of New South Wales (1899–1904)
Example: birth and death dates
For birth and death dates, always use four digits on each side of the span.
Stella Miles Franklin (1879–1954)
Sir Henry Parkes (1815–1896)
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Government terms
Style manual – government terms
‘Government’
Use an initial capital for the word ‘government’ if it is part of a formal name. Use lower case
everywhere else, including for generic and plural references.
Example: formal name
The Victorian Government announced a strict lockdown during COVID-19.
Example: not a formal name
The Whitlam government established the agency in 1973.
Example: generic reference
Road maintenance is a local government responsibility.
Example: generic reference
The government has agreed to the recommendations made by the Tune Review.
Example: plural
The Australian and New Zealand governments came to an agreement.
Use ‘Australian Government’ (not ‘the Government’, ‘federal Government’ or ‘Commonwealth
Government’) when talking about the current national government of Australia.
Example
The Australian Government has set itself the goal of being among the world’s top 3 e-governments
by 2025.
If required for clarity, use ‘Australian Government’ before a departmental name.
Example
the Australian Government Department of Immigration
not
the Commonwealth Department of Immigration
In a historical context – for example, when referring to a previous government in an exhibition or
historical biography – it may be appropriate to use the terms ‘federal government’ or
‘Commonwealth government’. Use a lower-case g for government in this case.
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Example
The
Transport Workers Act 1928 allowed the Commonwealth government, by regulation, to
effectively control who worked on the docks.
‘Commonwealth’
Use ‘Commonwealth’ to refer to the body politic established by the Constitution.
Example
Section 51 empowers the parliament to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the
Commonwealth.
The Australian Constitution created new federal institutions (legislative, judicial and executive) to
administer power over the body politic.
Use ‘Commonwealth’ when referring col ectively to these institutions and the records created by
them.
Example
The
Archives Act 1983 governs access to Commonwealth archival records, including Cabinet records,
records of governors-general and some High Court records.
Ministers
Style manual – government terms new
Use initial capitals for the official titles of ministers.
Example
The Minister for Education announced the new policy today.
Use lower case for:
• generic references
• plurals
• former ministers.
Example: generic reference
Education groups met with the minister to present their views.
Example: plural
Several ministers attended the event.
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Example: former minister
She was minister for finance from 2005 to 2007.
Prime ministers and treasurers
Style manual – members of Australian parliaments and councils
Capitalise the titles of the current holders of the positions of:
• Prime Minister
• Treasurer.
Example
The Prime Minister announced the new initiative this morning.
Use lower case for:
• former prime ministers and treasurers
• more than one prime minister or treasurer.
Example: former prime minister
Australia’s first female prime minister was Julia Gillard. She took office in 2010.
Example: plural
Terms of office vary for prime ministers around the world.
Lists
Style manual – lists
Bul et points
Bul et points can be made up of either sentence fragments or ful sentences.
Where bullet points are made up of sentence fragments, use:
• a lead-in phrase
• a lower-case letter at the start of each point
• a full stop at the end of the last point.
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Example
The Act applies to most records except:
• court records
• some records of parliament
• some records of governors-general.
Where bullet points are made up of ful sentences, use:
• a lead-in phrase
• a capital letter at the start of each point
• a ful stop at the end of each point.
Example
The
Information management standard for Australian Government is based on some key principles:
• Business information is systematically governed.
• Necessary business information is created.
• Business information is adequately described.
National Archives–specific terms and content
Referring to the National Archives
Use ‘National Archives of Australia’ or ‘National Archives’. Never use just ‘Archives’.
Example
If you are interested in your family history, the National Archives of Australia can help you find what
you need. The National Archives holds an extraordinary range of fascinating historical records.
Only use the abbreviation ‘NAA’ when:
• captioning images
• citing records or series
• referring to programs or publications which include ‘NAA’ as part of their official title e.g. the
NAA Magazine; the NAA Members Program.
Example: image caption
Lobbyists for the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.
NAA: A1200, L62232
Example: NAA is part of an official title
The National Archives is proud to launch the NAA Members Program.
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Include ‘the’ when the National Archives is the subject of the sentence.
Tip: try substituting 'National Archives’ with ‘museum’ or ‘organisation’.
Example
The National Archives has a long history.
not
National Archives has a long history.
Job titles
Style manual – capital letters in job titles
Do not capitalise job titles for generic or plural references to a position.
Example: generic reference
Let your director know if you would like to register for this workshop.
Example: plural
The National Archives has 4 assistant directors-general and several directors.
Use a comma between a person’s job title and their branch or section.
Example
Assistant Director-General, Access and Public Engagement
Branches and sections
Do not capitalise the words ‘branch’ or ‘section’.
Example: branch
The People and Culture branch is responsible for our professional development programs.
not
The People and Culture Branch is responsible for our professional development programs.
Example: section
Today we welcome a new member of staff in the Property and Security section.
not
Today we welcome a new member of staff in the Property and Security Section.
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State and territory offices
The National Archives’ offices are:
• National Office
• New South Wales Office
• Northern Territory Office
• Queensland Office
• South Australia Office
• Tasmania Office
• Victoria Office
• Western Australia Office.
Use the name of the state, not the city. Capitalise ‘Office’.
Example
A new display opened at the Victoria Office today. [
not Victoria office, Victorian Office or Melbourne
Office]
Some state and territory offices have more than one site. If necessary, differentiate between sites by
noting the suburb name.
Example
Our Victoria Office staff work at the research centre at North Melbourne and at the repository at
Burwood East.
Example
In Canberra, records are transported between the Peter Durack Building in Mitchell and East Block in
Parkes.
Exhibitions
Exhibition titles
Use sentence case when creating titles, including subtitles, for exhibitions.
Example Connections: archives, people, place
If an exhibition or building has an English and a name in the local language, use a vertical slash
between them (with a space either side of the slash).
Example Connections | Mura gadi
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Referring to exhibitions
When referring to exhibitions, use italics.
Example Connections: archives, people, place is a permanent exhibition.
Example Connections | Mura gadi
Use sentence case to refer to exhibitions, even if the name of the exhibition was originally in title
case.
Example
Out of this world: Australia in the space age is touring regional Australia.
Panel headings
Use sentence case for panel headings.
Example
Woomera: a ladder to the stars
Captions
Note: This is the style for image captions in exhibitions. Image captions in print publications and on
the web are set out slightly differently – see ‘Photographs and works of art’.
Photographs from the National Archives’ collection
Captions for photographs from the National Archives’ collection should include:
• a short, descriptive title of the image
• the date
• the series number and control symbol.
Use sentence case and put the title in bold. Separate the title and date with a space (not a comma,
as is used in non-exhibition image captions). Put the control symbol on a new line with no full stop:
Title Date
NAA: Series number, Control symbol
Example
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New flats at Woomera 1959
NAA: A1200, L33585
If space is an issue, rather than using two lines, you may run the caption on. In this case, put the title
in bold, separate the title and date with a space (not a comma), and place a full stop after the date.
Do not use a ful stop after the control symbol:
Title Date. NAA: Series number, Control symbol
Example
Gibber plains near Woomera 1960. NAA: A1200, L36399
Photographs from other collections or organisations
For photographs from other collections or organisations, include the name of the organisation:
Title Date
Organisation name
Example
Maybanke Wolstenholme (later Anderson), suffragette and signatory to the petition for equal
voting rights 1890
University of Sydney Archives
Include the registration number if there is one:
Title Date
Organisation, registration number
Example
Two dogs that were the mascots for unidentified units 1915–18
Australian War Memorial, COO599
Artistic works
For photographs that are artistic works, include the name of the creator. Whether or not the
photograph is an artistic work is a matter for your judgement and may depend on the nature of the
work, the context in which it appears, or the notoriety of the creator.
Title Date
Creator, Organisation
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Example
Senior Anangu traditional owners Reggie Uluru and Malya Teamay 2019
Alex Ellinghausen, Fairfax Photos
If a photograph is documentary, rather than artistic, including the creator’s name is optional:
Title Date
NAA: Series number, Control symbol
Example
Robert Hirschbolz, photographed at the time of his internment in Liverpool camp between 1914
and 1921
NAA: D3597, 1361
Courtesy lines
For objects borrowed from private collections or individuals, include a courtesy line:
Title Date
Courtesy Name of lender
Example
WRESAT launcher model 2017
Courtesy Peter Nikoloff [
not Courtesy of Peter Nikoloff]
Approximate dates
Everyday words are more user friendly than Latin abbreviations. Where dates are approximate, use
‘about’, rather than ‘circa’ or ‘c.’
Example
General Post Office, Sydney about 1892
NAA: C4078, N7111
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Numbers and measurements
Style manual – numbers and measurements
Numerals or words?
Style manual – choosing numerals or words
Use words for zero and one, and numerals for everything else.
There are some exceptions:
• Use words, not numbers, when starting a sentence.
• Write
all numbers as numerals in tables and charts, for measurements, and for dates and
times.
• In media releases (which follow journalistic conventions), use words for numbers one to
nine, and numerals for everything else.
Example: number at the start of a sentence
Fifty-four children attended Preschool Storytime.
Large numbers
Style manual – commas
Use a comma to break up numbers of four or more digits.
Example
Over 1,200 people accessed our online resources this month.
Percentages
Style manual – percentages
Use % (rather than per cent). Do not put a space between the number and the percentage sign.
Example
Visitation to the Connections Gallery increased by 12%.
Avoid starting a sentence with a percentage. Reword the sentence if possible. If you can’t reword
the sentence, write the numbers and ‘per cent’ in words.
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Example
Eighty per cent of visitors rated the exhibition ‘Very good’ or ‘Excellent’.
or
The exhibition was rated ‘Very good’ or ‘Excellent’ by 80% of visitors.
Ordinal numbers
Style manual – ordinal numbers
Ordinal numbers show the order of something in a sequence (first, second, 11th, and so on).
Write ordinal numbers up to ‘ninth’ in words, and use numerals after that.
Example
It was the repository’s third emergency evacuation that year.
Example
The committee adopted the report’s 10th recommendation.
Do not use superscript for ordinals.
Example
The committee adopted the report’s 10th recommendation.
not
The committee adopted the report’s 10th recommendation.
Photographs and works of art
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Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and culture
Images of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
Be mindful of possible sensitivities around depicting and naming Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
peoples – see the Australian Government
Style manual for more information and guidance.
Images containing cultural content
When using images containing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural content, you may need
to seek clearance from relevant communities and individuals – see ‘Engagement and consultation’.
Copyright
Before reproducing a photograph or work of art, make sure you check its copyright status and any
attribution requirements. If in doubt, contact the National Archives’ Copyright Officer.
Photographs from the National Archives’ col ection
Always include a caption with photographs from the National Archives’ collection. The exception is
where you are using a photograph as a decorative banner on a web page – in this case, do not
include a caption.
Image captions should include:
• a short, descriptive title of the image, in roman (not italics)
• the date
• the series number and control symbol.
Separate the title and date with a comma, and place a full stop after the date. Do not use a full stop
after the control symbol:
Title, date. NAA: Series number, Control symbol
Example Space angels in orbit, 1969. NAA: A1200, L81933
Note: This is the style for image captions in print publications and on the web. Image captions in
exhibitions are set out slightly differently – see ‘Exhibitions’.
When titling images in captions, you do not need to use the title exactly as it appears in
RecordSearch. Rather, use the information in RecordSearch to create a descriptive title.
Use your discretion when deciding what information to include in a caption and how long to make it.
For example, you may decide to significantly shorten the title for a caption on a postcard or in a
magazine article. If the image caption is appearing in a book or exhibition, you may want to include
extra or different information.
You may also wish to modify an image caption where the original caption in RecordSearch includes
offensive or racist terminology. If unsure, seek advice from staff in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Engagement section.
Example
Title in RecordSearch:
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New flats at Woomera, the town that sprang from nowhere in the South Australian desert when the
British and Australian Governments started their joint guided missiles testing programme in 1947
Image caption (for a promotional postcard):
New flats at Woomera, 1959. NAA: A1200, L81933
If only showing part of the image – for example, where it has been cropped or deep etched – include
the word ‘detail’ in brackets.
Whether or not the image is a detail is a matter for your judgement. Something is usually considered
a ‘detail’ if a significant or substantial part of the original image has been removed or cropped out.
Example May Day march, Sydney, 1966 (detail). NAA: A9626, 150
If captioning an artistic work, include the creator of the image (if known).
Whether or not the captioned image is an artistic work is a matter for your judgement and may
depend on the nature of the work, the context in which it appears, or the reputation of the creator.
Example Bourke Street at night, Melbourne, 1959. Photographer: Clifford Bottomley. NAA: A1200, L30155
If a photograph is documentary, rather than artistic, including the creator’s name is optional.
Example Robert Hirschbolz, photographed at the time of his internment in Liverpool camp. NAA: D3597, 1361
Photographs from other collections
When using a photograph from another col ection, include the name of the institution (and the
registration number, if there is one):
Title, date. Organisation, Registration number
Example
Two dogs that were the mascots for unidentified units, 1915–18. Australian War Memorial, COO599
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Dashes
Style manual – dashes
Use a spaced en dash to set off non-essential information.
Example
War widow Freda Bennett Neill – better known as Anne Neil – became an ASIO agent in her fifties.
Ellipses
Style manual – ellipses
An ellipsis is a character of exactly 3 dots. It is used to show that words have been omitted – for
example, from a quote.
Include a space on each side of the ellipsis.
Do not include ellipses at the start or end of quoted material.
Example
In his famous speech, Whitlam declared: ‘The proclamation which you have just heard … was
countersigned “Malcolm Fraser” who will undoubtedly go down in Australian history from
Remembrance Day 1975 as Kerr’s cur.’
Hyphens
Style manual – hyphens
There are many rules about correctly using hyphens. If you are not sure whether or not a word is
hyphenated, check the
Macquarie dictionary online.
When joining a prefix to a phrase, use an en dash (rather than a hyphen) to join them. This shows
that the prefix applies to all the words in the phrase.
Example
pre–First World War policies [‘pre’ applies to the phrase ‘First World War’]
If the phrase is already hyphenated, use a hyphen to join the prefix to the phrase.
Example
mid-20th-century furniture [‘mid’ applies to the hyphenated phrase 20th-century furniture]
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Quotation marks
Style manual – quotation marks
Use single (not double) quote marks.
Only use double quote marks for a quote within a quote.
Use curly quote marks ( ‘ ) rather than straight quote marks ( ' ).
To get curly quote marks in Word:
• File
• Options
• Proofing
• AutoCorrect Options
• AutoFormat As You Type
• under ‘Replace as you type’, check the “Straight quotes” with “smart quotes” box.
Example: quotation
‘My mother was way ahead of her time,’ Hawke said.
Example: quote within a quote
‘My mother referred to herself as a “kitchen commando” – a pretty accurate description!’ laughed
Kwong.
When quoting a fragment, place the punctuation mark outside the closing quotation mark. When
quoting a ful sentence, place the punctuation mark inside the closing quotation mark.
Example: fragment
She cal ed him ‘a bloody great fool’.
Example: full sentence
He stated: ‘Here I stand; I can do no other.’
Format long quotes (more than 30 words) as block quotes (indented, smaller font, not italics, no
quote marks).
Example
Hawke said of his mother:
She was way ahead of her time. She was a woman’s liberationist. I remember Dad had a
church out in the country in South Australia, Yorke Peninsula, and … Mum used to berate
the farmers, real y knock their ears off because they would save money to send their kids
to col ege in Adelaide, the sons, not their daughters.
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Referencing
Use the author–date system
Style manual – author–date
Use the author–date (Harvard) system of citation.
The author–date system is:
• the accepted referencing style for government reports
• more accessible than the documentary–note system, as there are no superscript numbers or
symbols
• useful when you have many sources to cite.
Note the source in brackets in the text, then list it in ful in a reference list at the end of the
document or chapter.
The
Style manual includes examples of how to cite a range of print and online materials using the
Harvard system, including:
• books
• journal articles
• websites
• reports
• social media posts.
The
Style manual does not currently provide guidance about how to cite:
• newspaper articles with no author
• books with an approximate date of publication
• spans of page numbers, including in newspapers
• collection material.
Examples of the National Archives’ preferred style for these cases are provided below.
Newspaper article, no author
Where a newspaper article has no author listed, for the in-text reference use a small number of
words from the start of the title in place of the author's name:
(‘Abbreviated article title’ Date:Page number)
Use your judgement about how many words to include, depending on where it makes sense to break
the title.
Example
In a radio broadcast, Menzies spoke about his modest upbringing and emphasised that he was not
‘born to the purple’ (‘Ministry’s policy’ 1939:9).
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Cite the article title in full in the reference list, and include the full date of publication:
‘Article title’ (Date of publication)
Newspaper Title, page number.
Example ‘Ministry’s policy. Broadcast by Mr Menzies’ (27 April 1939)
The Sydney Morning Herald, p 9.
Approximate date of publication
For an approximate date of publication in a citation, use c. This is an exception to the usual
preference for not using Latin abbreviations.
Example
In-text reference:
The photocopy machine changed workplaces beyond recognition (Batterham c. 2008).
Reference list:
Batterham I (c. 2008)
The office copying revolution: history, identification and preservation, National
Archives of Australia, Canberra.
Spans of page numbers
For spans of page numbers in citations, use an en dash without any spaces on either side. Only
include as many digits in the second number as are needed for clarity.
Example
‘Ministry’s policy. Broadcast by Mr Menzies’ (27 April 1939)
The Sydney Morning Herald, pp 110–11.
[
not pp 110–1 or pp 110–111]
Waters WJ (1969) ‘The opposition and the “powers” referendum, 1944’,
Politics, 4(1):99–107.
Col ection material
Material from the National Archives’ collection
When citing material from the National Archives’ collection, for the in-text reference, in brackets
write ‘NAA:’ followed by the series number and control symbol:
(NAA: Series number, control symbol)
Example
Menzies struck up a friendly relationship with John F Kennedy, who promised to ‘definitely’ visit
Australia (NAA: M2576, 20).
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Include the ful details of the item in a reference list at the end of the document or chapter:
Title, date, NAA: Series number, Control symbol
Example
Beale to Menzies, Australian Embassy, Washington, regarding discussion with President Kennedy, 25
April 1963, NAA: M2576, 20.
Offensive or racist terminology in RecordSearch
In support of
Our way: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander protocols (R580772021) the National
Archives is undertaking ongoing work to address offensive or racist terminology used in
RecordSearch.
If you encounter material with an offensive or racist title or description in RecordSearch and are
unsure how to cite it, talk to staff from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement section.
In some instances, it may be necessary to reproduce offensive terminology when citing material
from the National Archives’ collection -- for example, a Commonwealth agency title such as Board
for the Protection of Aborigines.
Material from other collections
For the in-text reference, in brackets write the author’s name and the date of the material:
(Author name Date)
Example
Menzies’s relationship with his father was strained. Menzies described his father as ‘very intense’
and ‘serious’ (Dawes 1951–52).
In a reference list at the end of the document or chapter, include the ful details of the item,
including the name of the organisation or institution:
Author name Initials (date of material) Name of item, item details, organisation.
Example
Dawes A (1951–52) Interview with Robert Menzies, Papers of Frances McNicoll, MS 9246, Series 7,
Box 12, File 1, National Library of Australia.
Footnotes
Avoid using reference markers and footnotes.
They can be inaccessible to:
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• people who have low vision
• people who use screen readers to access content
• users of mobile phones.
Titles: print and online publications
Books, reports and plans
Use sentence case for the titles of books, reports and plans, even if the original version used title
case, and whether or not they are published by the National Archives.
Example: book
The Whitlam years
Example: plan
Corporate plan 2018–19 to 2021–22
When referring to books, reports and plans, use italics.
Example: book
The Whitlam years consolidates essays by historians Ian Hancock and Kellie Abbott.
Example: plan
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our
Corporate plan 2020–21 to 2023–24 will not be available until
30 November 2020.
Chapters
Use sentence case for chapter titles.
Example
3. Diaries and notebooks
When referring to chapters in publications, use single quote marks.
Example
‘Diaries and notebooks’ is the third chapter in
Keeping family treasures.
Conferences
Use title case for the names of conferences.
Example
Designing the Archives
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When referring to conferences, use roman (not italics).
Example
The team attended the Designing the Archives conference in 2019.
Policies
Use sentence case for the titles of policies, including subtitles.
Example
Digital continuity 2020 policy
When referring to policies, use italics. Only italicise the word ‘policy’ if it is part of the official title of
the policy. Check the title page of the policy document.
Example
The
Building trust in the public record: managing information and data for government and
community policy aims to improve how Australian Government agencies create, collect, manage and
use information assets. [‘policy’ is not part of the official title]
Example
The
Digital continuity 2020 policy supports the Australian Government’s digital transformation
agenda. [‘policy’ is part of the official title]
Projects
Use title case for the names of projects.
Example
the Integrated Archival Management System Project
When referring to projects, use roman (not italics).
Example
The team is developing a schedule for the Business Continuity Policy and Framework Project.
Magazines, journals and newspapers
Use title case for the titles of magazines, journals and newspapers.
Example
NAA Magazine
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When referring to magazines, journals and newspapers, use italics.
Example: magazine
Get your copy of
NAA Magazine today.
Example: journal
Archives and Manuscripts is the Australian Society of Archivists’ scholarly journal.
Example: newspaper
We have early copies of
The Sydney Morning Herald.
Legislation
Style manual – Acts of parliament
When first mentioning a piece of legislation, use the ful title, including the date. Use title case and
italics.
For subsequent mentions, you can use a short version of the title. Use title case and roman (not
italics).
Example
The
Archives Act 1983 governs access to Commonwealth archival records. Under the Archives Act,
you can access most Commonwealth records in the open access period. The Act does not apply to
court records.
Standards
When referring to standards, use sentence case and italics.
Example
ISO 15489 Records management was the first global standard for records management.
Websites
When writing for the web, use sentence case and roman (not italics) to refer to the title of a website.
Hyperlink to the website.
Example
The Destination: Australia website features thousands of photographs of people arriving and living in
Australia.
When writing for print, use sentence case and italics to refer to the title of a website.
Example
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The
Australia’s prime ministers website has been updated.
When writing for print, do not include www in the URL.
Example
You can find more information on the National Archives’ website: naa.gov.au.
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Word list (preferred spel ing, capitalisation and hyphenation)
ABCD
EFGH
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
ecommerce [no hyphen]
[note the capitals]
enquiry [unless used in relation to government
adviser [
not advisor]
inquiries or the Australian Curriculum – for
these, use ‘inquiry]
the
Archives Act 1983; the Archives Act
Federation [capital f]
Archives Store [National Office; caps]
First World War; Second World War [
not World
The Archives Way
War I, World War I or WWI, WWI ]
atrium [National Office; lower-case]
Functional and efficiency review of the National
Archives of Australia (Tune Review)
Attorney-General's Department
Gallery Three [National Office temporary
audiovisual
exhibitions gallery]
the Bringing Them Home name index
Building trust in the public record: managing
information and data for government and
community; the
Building trust in the public
record policy [
not the
Building trust policy]
Australian Labor Party [
not Labour]
cafe [no accent]
Cafe Constitution [no accent, caps]
central hall [National Office; lower case]
Check-up PLUS
Connections | Mura gadi
Connections
Gallery [caps, no italics]
Constitution [when referring to the Australian
Constitution, use a capital c]
constitutional [lower-case c]
cyber safety [two words]
cybersecurity [one word]
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Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
[note the ‘the’]
decision-making; decision-maker [hyphenated]
Director-General [hyphenated]
Assistant Director-General [hyphenated]
IJKL
MNOP
Infonet
NAA Members Program [capitals, no
apostrophe,
not Programme]
information desk [National Office; lower case,
not reception desk]
Members Lounge [capitals, no apostrophe]
inquiry [only when used in relation to
member [of the NAA Members Program, lower-
government inquiries or the Australian
case m]
Curriculum – otherwise, use enquiry]
multimedia [one word]
International Council on Archives [
not of]
parents room [no apostrophe]
Liberal–National Coalition [use en dash,
capitalise coalition]
Peter Durack Building [
not NAPF]
Policymaking; policymaker [one word; not
hyphenated]
prewar; postwar [one word]
program [
not programme]
Protect the Past, Defend the Future Program
Public Record Office Victoria (PROV) [
not
Records;
not of Victoria]
QRST
UVWOYZ
recordkeeping
White Australia policy [lower-case p]
RecordSearch
Voices Gallery [caps, no italics]
records authority; agency-specific records
Voices | Dhuniai
authorities; general records authorities (GRAs)
wi-fi [hyphenated, lower-case]
Research Centre; research centres
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re-use
State Library Victoria [
not of Victoria]
security desk [National Office]
state and territory offices [lower case]
Strategy 2030: a transformed and trusted
National Archives [abbreviate to:
Strategy 2030]
the
Tandanya–Adelaide declaration
toilets [
not restrooms]
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Plain language resources
What is plain language?
Plain language isn’t just about using plain words. Learn what plain language is (and isn’t).
What is plain language?
Plain language for specialised audiences
Get some useful insights into how to write for specialised audiences.
Plain language is for everyone, even experts
Writing digital copy for domain experts
How people read
Understand how people read and digest written material so you can write in a more user-friendly
way.
How people read
Sentence length: why 25 words is our limit
Capital letters: less is more
Plain language guidelines
Get some tips for making your writing more readable. Learn how to better understand your
audience, organise your material and make complex material easier to understand.
Federal plain language guidelines (These US guidelines focus on writing clear and effective legal
material, but are useful for any kind of government writing)
Readability guidelines (Evidence-based guidelines for more readable writing.)
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Glossary
En dash
Style manual – dashes
A mid-sized dash.
En dashes are longer than hyphens. This is an en dash:
– This is a hyphen: -
En dashes have different uses to hyphens.
Hyphens are used to join words or parts of words (for example: non-smoking).
En dashes are used for things like financial years (for example: 2019–20 budget) and to create a
pause in a sentence (for example: There was no time to plan – a shortcoming that would later cost
millions).
Minimal capitalisation
The principle of writing with the minimum amount of capitalisation required to make the context
understood.
Minimal punctuation
The principle of writing with the minimum amount of punctuation required to make the context
understood.
Roman
Roman font is font that is upright – that is, not italicised.
Sentence case
Apart from the first letter of the first word, words in the title are only capitalised if they would have
a capital in a normal sentence.
Example
A vision splendid: how the Griffins imagined Australia’s capital is a fascinating book.
Title case The first letters of all the words in a title, including the subtitle, are capitalised except for:
• articles (for example, ‘the’)
• conjunctions (for example, ‘and’)
• prepositions (for example, ‘in’, ‘on’).
Example
Archives and Manuscripts is the Australian Society of Archivists’ scholarly journal.
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Keyboard shortcuts
El ipsis
Ctrl + Alt = . (full stop)
En dash
Ctrl + – (minus sign on the numeric keyboard)
Roman
Roman font is font that is upright – that is, not italicised.
Vertical slash
Shift + \
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Contents
The NAA Video Production Guide has
Introduction 2
been produced by the Communications,
Marketing, Partnerships and Events team.
Technical standards
3
Updated November 2023
Social media
4
Style 5-6
Credits 7
Permissions 8
Introduction
Videos are an important medium for communication. Video works best when it is short, accessible and shows something people need
to know quickly.
At National Archives we use video to communicate with our staff and the public. Some uses are to:
• promote best practice in record keeping and archival practices.
• communicate strategic direction, policies or procedures to employees.
• promote the collection through interpretation and storytelling.
Videos produced for National Archives should be of the highest quality to properly represent the organisation and its identity. These
guidelines set a minimum production quality standard to ensure we provide our audiences with a highest quality viewer experience.
Further advice can be found
by visiting the Australian
Government Style Guide:
Video and audio | Style Manual
2
Technical standards
ASPECT RATIO
Recommended aspect ratio = 16:9
VIDEO FORMAT
Preferred file types to upload to YouTube: MPEG (.mp4)
RESOLUTION
High Definition (HD) video at either 1920x1080 or 1280x720
3
Social media
SOCIAL MEDIA CONSIDERATIONS
If you intend to produce and share a video on social media, consider how the video will be distributed and on which platform as this
will help guide the video’s aspect, duration and framing.
For all social media videos, consider the following:
• Keep your video short as possible with a clear structure that is easy to understand.
• Capture attention in the first few seconds with a creative hook and powerful visuals.
• Produce a video that is easy-to-consume by using simple edits and transitions.
• Incorporate subtitles as viewers multitask and watch videos without sound.
• Use an external microphone to clear, crisp, and consistent audio.
• Check if captions or other features will be overlayed on the video once published.
• End the video with a strong call-to-action that encourages viewers to do something.
4
Style
VISUAL STYLE
• Capture genuine expressions to convey authenticity, intimacy and relatability.
• Minimize ‘talking head’ shots; instead, use engaging B-roll that compliments the content.
• Use natural light and shallow depth of field to keep the focus on the subject and prevent backgrounds from being distracting.
DIGITAL ACCESSIBILITY
As government agency, National Archives is legally required to make all of our digital resources accessible.
Closed captioning, also known as subtitling, is an on-screen / visual transcription of the audio portion of the video. Many video
platforms, such as YouTube, offer automatic captioning, but this can often have errors, especially when the audio quality is low. It’s
important to check and edit automatic captioning, or have your video transcribed by a professional service.
Readability is important. To ensure people can easily read words you put on the screen, keep these factors in mind:
• Sizing – Many people consume video on mobile devices, so always test your videos on a smartphone.
• Contrast – Make sure there’s proper contrast between the text and its background. Use our Interactive Colour Palette, and don’t
overlay text on busy backgrounds.
5
Credits
WATERMARK
The only instance of watermark usage is for audiovisual material from the collection. This watermark is added when exported for use
from Media flex.
END CREDITS
End credits can be used to acknowledge others involved in the production of the video, including partners and sponsors.
It may be appropriate to use end credits for videos that include:
• Unlicensed music, images or graphics with permission of use at no charge, or that requires attribution.
• Sponsorship, funding or partnership acknowledgements.
*Note: End credits should appear after the main content is finished and before the closing slide.
CLOSING SLIDE AND ANIMATION
While the beginning of the video sets the tone, the ending should always feel like a friendly goodbye.
The closing slide should feature the widely recognisable NAA logo and fade in animation (provided).
Please avoid adjusting the style and length of the animation provided.
7
Permissions
PERMISSIONS
Anyone featured in a National Archives produced video, including interviewees and other individuals clearly visible, must complete a
media release form permitting National Archives of Australia’s use of their identity.
MEDIA ASSETS AVAILABLE
• Logos as static graphic formats (vector, jpg etc).
• Animated logos in various formats (alpha channel/colour background; inverse colour option; horizontal/vertical; duration; HD/4K
etc).
• Motion Graphics Templates (MOGRT)
• Animated brand elements – lower thirds, full screen graphics, logo animations
• Static graphics/text screen templates – Introduction screens; call to actions/end tags; full screen bullet points/slides
For information, media release forms
and media assets, please
email: xxxxxx@xxx.xxx.xx
Please allow 3 working days for a response.
8
