The much‐anticipated 16th edition of The Chicago Manual of Style, the editorial and publishing industry standard style guide for over a century, marks the first time that it has been simultaneously released in print and online editions, and the online site combines both the updated sixteenth and the earlier (2003) fifteenth edition of the manual. The new edition addresses the myriad changes in technology and in digital publishing that have occurred in the seven years since the previous edition appeared, and editors, publishers, scholars, and writers will benefit from the revisions. Like the previous editions, the manual offers a comprehensive checklist of American usage for grammar, punctuation, spelling, abbreviations, and terminology; documentation and bibliographic citation; and an overview of manuscript editing and publishing practices, law, and technology. But the inclusion of new information on copyright in the digital age as well as increased attention to digital publishing media and new citation recommendations will make this update an essential addition for any publishing industry professional, or academic library reference collection or e‐reference collection.
The first part of the guide on the publishing process contains the familiar step‐by‐step process for preparing manuscripts for publication, the Bible for editors and all those who oversee the operation of book or journal presses. The guidelines have been revised in places to deal with Web‐based publications and other electronic formats that have changed the publishing industry in the last decade. The section on permissions and the author's responsibilities is in line with current legal practice and offers a concise overview of the process for novice as well as veteran authors and publishers. There is increased attention to fair use and electronic rights. The second part on style and usage includes more information on bias‐free language, punctuation, and improved sections on hyphenation and other topics. This edition also features an introduction to Unicode, the international computing standard for letters and symbols. As in the past, the manual notes conventions and practices that are specific to American English, and points the reader to other guides such as The Oxford Manual of Style (Ritter, 2002) (RR 2003/428) for assistance with British English.
The third part on documentation provides an easier to use introduction and presentation of the manual's two main bibliographic citation systems: the notes and bibliography system used in the humanities and the author‐date system used especially in the sciences and social science fields. The editors have added examples for how to cite web publications such as blogs, web sites, full‐text articles in free and subscription databases, and other electronic formats. This edition recommends the use of URLs and DOIs for online article citation, placing the guide more in line with current practice recommended by the sixth edition of the American Psychological Association's style manual and others. The book also features an appendix with a detailed overview of the production process including new sections on electronic markup and the preparation of XML documents. The glossary of editing and printing terms and the bibliography are also useful tools.
The Chicago Manual of Style Online, which requires a separate individual, small group, or institutional purchase, is an alternative to the print edition that makes this valuable resource available in a searchable electronic format. The Website is a full subscription e‐book version of The Chicago Manual of Style, not simply an online companion site to supplement the print edition, and users do not have to purchase the print edition to get an access code for the site. Individuals can sign up for a free 30 day trial of the site, and the annual subscription prices for single users or small groups are less than the cover price of the book (institutions pay according to size). Users can consult both the fifteenth and the sixteenth editions online since many publishers will continue to use the older, superseded edition until the new one has been widely adopted. A simple radio button allows users to toggle between editions. The contents of the books along with the numbering system for each of the sections and paragraphs are faithfully reproduced to enable quick consultation. There is also a virtual table of contents and lists of figures and illustrations and an online index. Perhaps the most useful feature of the online version is the simple free‐text search box with which users can search for words and phrases, a boon for those who have struggled in the past with the manual's somewhat dense index. Users can bookmark specific sections and add their own annotations, and they can also create their own custom style sheets using a built‐in online document editor. Other features include tools for manuscript preparation developed by the book and journal divisions of the University of Chicago Press, a helpful Q&A section, and a discussion forum in which users can share ideas on topics ranging from copyediting to the business of publishing. The Chicago‐Style Citation Quick Guide will appeal to those seeking examples of how to cite sources in the two bibliographic styles.
The choice of print or online versions of the latest Chicago manual will be a decision facing many libraries. As the world of publishing continues to evolve in the digital age, the old warhorse of style manuals is also changing to keep up with the ever‐changing marketplace and academic community.
