EPA/600/K-95/002

August 1995

Handbook for Preparing

Office of Research and Development

Reports

Third Edition

National Risk Management Research Laboratory

Office of Research and Development

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Cincinnati, OH 45268
ii

Notice

This document replaces the “Handbook for Preparing Office of Research and Development Reports,” EPA/600/9-83/006, revised October 1989. The Technology Transfer and Support Division (TTSD) has produced this Handbook to provide guidelines

that should be followed in preparing technical and scientific reports for the Office of

Research and Development (ORD). Mention of trade names or commercial products

does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Abstract

This Handbook is intended to assist authors and editors when preparing documents

that report the results and conclusions of ORD’s research, development, and demonstration programs.

The Handbook contains a listing of reference documents to be used in writing a report,

a discussion of copyright requirements, and notices that may be used in various types

of reports. The Handbook also discusses requirements for software, the general form

of the report, style guidelines, and restrictions of which writers must be aware.

Required items in reports are described: the cover, front matter, body of text, and back

matter and their individual parts. Also described are various types of documents:

research and project reports, project summaries, applications guides, proceedings,

journal articles, book chapters, published papers, environmental research briefs,

seminar announcements, and internal reports.

Several sample pages of a report are shown.

The appendices consist of the following:

• an expanded list of sources—style manuals, guides to naming and presenting

data, and texts on technical writing; and

• specifications for reports, project summaries, environmental research briefs,

and brochures.
iii

Contents

Notice ................................................................................................................................................ ii

Abstract ............................................................................................................................................. ii

Figures ............................................................................................................................................... v

Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 1

Purpose ................................................................................................................. 1

Applicability ......................................................................................................... 1

Exclusions ............................................................................................................ 1

Chapter 2 Source and Legal Information ..................................................................................... 2

Sources of Information ......................................................................................... 2

Legal Considerations ............................................................................................ 2

Copyright ...................................................................................................... 2

Confidential Information .............................................................................. 5

Notices .......................................................................................................... 5

Chapter 3 Guidelines .................................................................................................................... 7

Overview .............................................................................................................. 7

Requirements ........................................................................................................ 7

Desktop-Published Copy vs. Word-Processed Copy.................................... 7

Software ........................................................................................................ 7

Paste-Up ........................................................................................................ 7

Style ...................................................................................................................... 8

Page Numbering ............................................................................................ 8

Equations ....................................................................................................... 8

Footnotes ....................................................................................................... 8

Abbreviations ................................................................................................ 8

Metric Units of Measure ............................................................................... 8

Restrictions ........................................................................................................... 8

Foldouts and Divider Pages .......................................................................... 8

Errata and Addenda....................................................................................... 8

Paper Saving ................................................................................................. 8

Attribution ..................................................................................................... 8

Peer Review ......................................................................................................... 8
iv

Contents (continued)

Chapter 4 General Organization of Standard Reports ................................................................. 9

Cover .................................................................................................................... 9

Front Matter ......................................................................................................... 9

Title Page ...................................................................................................... 9

Notice ............................................................................................................ 9

Abstract ......................................................................................................... 9

Preface (Optional) ......................................................................................... 9

Foreword ....................................................................................................... 9

Contents ........................................................................................................ 9

Lists ............................................................................................................... 9

Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................... 9

Acknowledgments ....................................................................................... 10

Body of Report ................................................................................................... 10

Text ............................................................................................................. 10

Figures and Tables ...................................................................................... 10

References ................................................................................................... 11

Back Matter ........................................................................................................ 11

Appendices .................................................................................................. 11

Glossary ...................................................................................................... 11

Bibliography ................................................................................................ 11

Index ............................................................................................................ 11

Chapter 5 Types of Reports ....................................................................................................... 12

Research Reports ................................................................................................ 12

Presentation ................................................................................................. 12

Content ........................................................................................................ 12

Project Reports ................................................................................................... 12

Project Summaries ............................................................................................. 13

Applications Guides ........................................................................................... 13

Proceedings ........................................................................................................ 13

Journal Articles .................................................................................................. 13

Book Chapters and Published Papers ................................................................ 13

Environmental Research Briefs ......................................................................... 14

Seminar Announcements ................................................................................... 14

Internal Reports .................................................................................................. 14

Appendices ................................................................................................................................... 24

A Other Professional Sources............................................................................................... 24

B Specifications .................................................................................................................... 26
v

Figures

4-1. Sample cover. ........................................................................................................................ 15

4-2. Sample title page. .................................................................................................................. 16

4-3. Sample contents. ................................................................................................................... 17

4-4. Sample list. ............................................................................................................................ 18

4-5. Sample acronyms and abbreviations. .................................................................................... 19

4-6. Sample page of text. .............................................................................................................. 20

4-7. Samples of figure and table. ................................................................................................. 21

4-8. Sample references. ................................................................................................................ 22

4-9. Sample bibliography. ............................................................................................................ 23
1

Chapter One

Introduction

Purpose

This Handbook is addressed to those who prepare documents

for the Office of Research and Development (ORD) of the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). It contains guidance,

notices, and format specifications that will ensure consistently

high-quality documents and associated diskette copies at reasonable costs.

Applicability

These specifications and guidelines apply to the final documents and associated computer diskettes prepared as a result of

research sponsored or conducted by ORD. Such documents

include reports that

• result from in-house, interagency, grant, cooperative agreement, and contract research activities performed by or for

ORD;

• document the findings of research required to produce a

specific output; and

• are tailored to meet the needs of defined user groups.

Examples of reports include, but are not limited to, project

reports and summaries, research reports, conference proceedings, environmental research briefs, criteria documents, manuals, handbooks, user’s guides, seminar announcements, and

internal reports.

Exclusions

These specifications and guidelines do not apply to nontechnical reports and studies, administrative or fiscal reports, or

catalogs. If you are responsible for preparing such reports, ask

the project officer to contact the Office of Communication,

Education, and Media Relations, Washington, DC, for additional guidance and assistance.
2

tendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Ask for Stock Number 021-000-00120-1.)

Legal Considerations

The government may be subject to liability for misuse of the

literary or intellectual property (patents, trademarks, proprietary information) of others. Report writers and editors should

observe the guidelines given in this section.

Copyright 1

What Rights Copyright Gives

The Copyright Act gives the owner of a copyright the exclusive

right to reproduce the copyrighted work, to prepare derivative

works based on the copyrighted work, and to distribute copies

of the copyrighted work to the public. It is illegal for anyone to

violate any of the rights provided by the Act to the owner of the

copyright.

Who Can Claim Copyright

The copyright in a work of authorship immediately becomes the

property of the author who created it. In the case of works made

for hire, the employer and not the employee is considered the

author. The authors of a joint work are co-owners of the

copyright in the work.

Works That Are Not Protected

Several categories of material are not eligible for copyright

protection. These include, among others,

• Titles, names, short phrases, and slogans; familiar symbols

or designs; mere variations of typographic ornamentation,

lettering, or coloring; mere listings of ingredients or contents.

________________________________

1 This section, except for the part on EPA’s use of copyrighted materials, is

taken from Copyright Basics. The full citation is as follows:

Copyright Office. Circular 1: Copyright Basics. Washington, DC: Library of

Congress, 1992.

This chapter provides information that is generally applicable

to all ORD scientific and technical documents. It identifies

important reference documents and discusses copyright and

notices.

Sources of Information

You may find the following references useful as supplemental

sources in preparing ORD scientific and technical reports. You

may also want to use other guides from engineering and scientific societies and journals. A list of additional sources is given

in Appendix A.

Office of Communication, Education, and Media Relations. Publication Management: A Guide to Processes,

Standards and Style, EPA/175/K-93/011. Washington, DC:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1992. (This booklet

describes the regulations and standards governing the management and production of other than scientific or technical publications produced for EPA.)

Office of Communication, Education, and Media Relations.

Terms of Environment: Glossary, Abbreviations, and Acronyms, EPA/175/B-93/001. Washington, DC: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1993.

Office of Communication, Education, and Media Relations.

Developing Products for the Public: A Handbook for EPA

Communicators, EPA/176/B-91/001. Washington, DC: U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 1991. (This handbook describes the Agency’s process for developing a product intended

for a nontechnical audience.)

ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials). Standard

Practice for Use of the International System of Units (SI) (The

Modernized Metric System), PCN 03-543-093-34. Philadelphia, PA: ASTM, 1992. (ASTM, 1916 Race St., Philadelphia,

PA 19103-1187; 215-299-5585).

U.S. Government Printing Office. Government Printing Office

Style Manual. Washington, DC: USGPO, 1984. (This manual

contains editorial advice and the federal government’s recommended style for capitalization, punctuation, use of numerals,

hyphenation, etc. You may purchase a copy from the SuperinChapter Two

Source and Legal Information
3

righted material in another government publication does not

constitute permission for EPA to use the same material. The

absence of a copyright notice or the unpublished status of a

work does not establish that the work has not been copyrighted.

When permission to use copyrighted material has been obtained and the material is used in an EPA document, the

copyrighted material should be identified by the following

statement:

Reprinted from (title of publication, year of first publication) by (name of author) with permission of (name

of copyright owner).

Many EPA documents are submitted to the National Technical

Information Service (NTIS) for distribution. NTIS requires that

copyright release letters accompany publications. The following is an example of a letter giving EPA and NTIS permission

to use copyrighted material:

Dear :

Permission is given to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and to the National Technical Information Service to reproduce and sell the document

identified below containing the following copyrighted

material: (Describe the material; include the title, page

number, number of the table(s) or figure(s), and any

other identifying information.) The following copyright acknowledgment will be included: “Reprinted

from (title of publication, year of first publication) by

(name of author) with permission of (name of copyright owner).”

EPA Document:

[Identification of the EPA Document]

The author should, within reason, follow any special acknowledgment wording requested by the copyright owner. Put such

wording on the acknowledgment page of the front matter.

The data rights provisions applicable to both assistance agreements and contracts limit the right of the recipient or contractor

to incorporate copyrighted materials in the product delivered to

EPA. Prior to inclusion of copyrighted material in a work

product delivered under an EPA assistance agreement or contract, the recipient or contractor must first

• Get the copyright owner’s written permission for the

government’s use of such material

• Complete all necessary paperwork and forward

permission with the report for processing.

• Pay any fees.

• Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts,

principles, discoveries, or devices, as distinguished from a

description, explanation, or illustration.

• Works consisting entirely of information that is common

property and containing no original authorship. Examples

are standard calendars, height and weight charts, tape

measures and rulers, and lists or tables taken from public

documents or other common sources.

Copyright Secured Automatically Upon Creation

Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created.

No publication or registration or other action in the Copyright

Office is required to secure copyright. Before 1978, copyright

was secured by the act of publication with notice of copyright.

Works in the public domain on January 1, 1978, remain in the

public domain under the current Act.

How Long Copyright Protection Endures

Works Originally Created on or after January 1, 1978

A work that was created on or after January 1, 1978, is

automatically protected from the moment of its creation and is

ordinarily given a term enduring for the author’s life plus 50

years after the author’s death. For works made for hire, and for

anonymous and pseudonymous works, the duration of copyright will ordinarily be 75 years from publication or 100 years

from creation, whichever is shorter.

EPA’s Use of Copyrighted Materials

Copyright Does Not Cover Government Works

• No U.S. copyright exists in work prepared by a U.S.

government employee.

• You must give a copy of such work to any who ask

for it or refer them to whoever is distributing it.

You Should Answer Assignment Requests with a Statement

from EPA’s Patent Counsel

• Answer requests for assignment of U.S. or worldwide copyright rights in works of EPA employees

with a letter that includes the following statement:

“This assignment cannot be executed because the

referenced work was authored by a United States

Government employee as part of that person’s official duties. In view of Section 105 of the Copyright

Act (17 U.S.C. §105) the work is not subject to U.S.

copyright protection.”

• Copyright protection for a specific foreign country

may be possible. Ask EPA’s Patent Counsel to

review the document.

Be Careful When Using Copyrighted Material

Copyrighted material may not be copied or displayed by EPA

or incorporated in EPA documents unless written permission of

the copyright owner has been obtained. Prior use of copy-
4

Copyright Notice

In addition to the copyright information that you put on

the acknowledgment page, include on the notice page

(page ii of the front matter) one of the three following

notices:

This document contains copyrighted material on

pages (list pages).

or

This document is copyrighted in its entirety by

the author.

or

This document is copyrighted in its entirety by

the author. In addition, it contains copyrighted

material from sources other than the author on

pages (list pages).

Assistance Agreement Recipients and Contractors Usually

Copyright Their Data

Works of assistance agreement recipients and contractors can

have copyright. In these instances, however, the government is

granted a license to all such data.

• Assistance agreement recipients, following the

Rights-in-Data and Copyright Clause in their

agreement (40 CFR Part 30 Appendix C), usually

can establish copyright without approval from EPA.

• Contractors follow the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Clause that is written into their contract:

– most research and development contracts permit

the contractor to establish copyright in scientific

and technical articles without approval from

EPA (FAR Clause 48 CFR Section 52.227-14,

Rights in Data—General)

– for other data produced under contract, the

contractor must get written consent from the

contracting officer before copyrighting data

(FAR Clauses 48 CFR Section 52.227-14,

Rights in Data—General and 48 CFR Section

52.227-17, Rights in Data—Special Works)

Announcement of Copyright

If assistance agreement recipients or contractors copyright their

work, they should use the copyright announcement so that the

project officer knows that permission is required if someone

outside the government wants to use the document. Although

use of the announcement is optional, it is highly recommended.

The announcement should contain the symbol , or the word

“Copyright,” or the abbreviation “Copr.,” and the year of first

publication of the work, and the name of the owner of copyright

in the work.

Example:  1995 John Doe

Put the copyright announcement on page ii of the front matter.

Fair Use Doctrine Is a Murky Field

“Fair use” doctrine limits a copyright owner’s absolute

ownership rights.

• Purposes for which a reasonable portion of a

copyrighted work can be used without permission:

– criticism

– comment

– news reporting

– teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use)

– scholarship

– research

When copyrighted works are being used in this way,

you should provide a citation as to source.

• Four factors used by courts in determining fair use:

– the purpose and character of the use

– the nature of the copyrighted work

– the amount and substantiality of the portion used

in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole

– the effect of the use upon the potential market

for or value of the copyrighted work (courts

consider this one the most important)

The weight courts assign to each factor varies with

the particular circumstances.

Two Instances of Fair Use for EPA Employees, Contractors,

and Assistance Agreement Recipients

• Making one copy of an article for personal use.

• Giving a contractor, assistance agreement recipient,

or EPA employee individual copies of articles in

connection with EPA-sponsored research.

Fair use is a vague doctrine and a potential trap for the

unwary. Ask your project officer to request from the EPA

Patent Counsel advice on a situation in which you are relying

on fair use and about which you are not sure.

Computer Software

Commercial computer software is almost always copyrighted.

• Obtain consent of the copyright owner before

copying software or using it in EPA work.

• You may find consent for limited use and copying in

the software license agreement.

• Putting a copyrighted work on a computer

network, the Internet, or a bulletin board without

written consent from the copyright owner could

subject the government to copyright infringement

liability.
5

Do You Have Questions?

If you have further copyright questions, ask your project officer

to contact the EPA Patent Counsel at 202-260-7510 (Mailcode

2379) in the Office of General Counsel or the Technology

Transfer and Support Division (TTSD) at 513-569-7371.

Confidential Information

You may not include in a document released to the public

information of a type that might be claimed as confidential by a

business unless the business has informed EPA that it does not

claim the information as confidential. If you have any questions, ask the Office of General Counsel.

Notices

Notices in this section pertain to draft and final documents and

trade names. If you do not know if the document you are

working on is a draft or the final version, check with the project

officer. Put the copyright notice (see page 4) and the announcement of copyright (see page 4) after the notices described in this

section. Put these notices on page ii of the front matter. In

addition to the notices given in this chapter, page 9 in chapter 4

contains two notices under “Abstracts,” and page 13 in chapter

5 contains one notice under “Proceedings.”

Notices for Draft Documents

1. Draft copies of ORD reports are sometimes distributed

outside the Agency for review. Mark the top of each

page “DRAFT.” Do not cite EPA documents at the draft

stage as references in reports prepared by or for ORD.

Put the following notice in all draft scientific and technical reports:

Notice

This document is a preliminary draft. It has not

been formally released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and should not at this

stage be construed to represent Agency policy. It

is being circulated for comments on its technical

merit and policy implications.

2. Final draft documents that may become part of a regulatory docket file but are not submitted for a formal public

comment period contain the following notice:

Notice

This report is an external draft for review purposes only and does not constitute Agency policy.

____________________________

2 Include appropriate wording, which for contracts is funded and managed and

for assistance agreements is usually partially funded and collaborated in. Also

include notice statement no. 8 for documents containing proprietary information.

Notices for Final Documents

3. If agreement is reached that a peer-reviewed draft of a

technical information product is appropriate for release

as an EPA publication, the following statement must be

used:

Notice 2

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

through its Office of Research and Development

(funded and managed or partially funded and

collaborated in) the research described here under (contract or assistance agreement number)

to (name). It has been subjected to the Agency‘s

peer and administrative review and has been

approved for publication as an EPA document.

4. EPA encourages independent publication of research

results in refereed journals at any time. Submit one copy

of the article to the project officer when it is sent for

publication. Following publication, submit three reprints

of the article to the project officer. The article must

include the following statement:

Notice 2

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

through its Office of Research and Development

(funded and managed or partially funded and

collaborated in) the research described here under (contract or assistance agreement number)

to (name). It has not been subjected to Agency

review and therefore does not necessarily reflect

the views of the Agency, and no official endorsement should be inferred.

5. Final documents for internal use by the requesting program office contain the following notice:

This document is intended for internal Agency

use only.

6. For research products that have been peer-reviewed and

approved by the Agency but will be published elsewhere

(e.g., in book chapters), include the following statement:

Notice 2

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

through its Office of Research and Development

(funded and managed or partially funded and

collaborated in) the research described here under (contract or assistance agreement number)

to (name). It has been subjected to Agency review and approved for publication.
6

7. For proceedings that include both EPA and nonEPA authors, use the following notice:

Notice

The views expressed in these Proceedings are

those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Scientists in EPA's Office of Research and Development have prepared the EPA sections, and

those sections have been reviewed in accordance

with EPA's peer and administrative review policies and approved for presentation and publication.

Disclaimer for Trade and Manufacturer’s Names

8. In addition to other notices that you put on page ii, if

your document contains any information unique to a

company, laboratory, or individual, you should put a

disclaimer statement similar to the following:

Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for use.

Capitalize trade and manufacturers’ names in a report.

Before clearing the report for publication, notify the

project officer and approving official of the use of trade

and manufacturers’ names.
7

Chapter Three

Guidelines

Levels of Headings

Font: Same as text.

Case: Initial Caps

Subhead 1: Flush left, bold

Subhead 2: Flush left, bold, italics

Subhead 3: Flush left, normal

Subhead 4: Flush left, italics, same line as text

Layout—One column: image area 6.5" x 8.75"

Spacing: Single

Software

If the contract requires you to produce a report in desktoppublished format, follow the guidelines presented in Appendix

B, pages 26 through 33. You may produce graphics using a

program such as Freehand®, Illustrator®, or Canvas®. Send the

hard copy of the report and diskettes (3 1/2-in. or SyQuest) to

TTSD. TTSD plans to store all documents on diskette, so you

are requested to send diskettes with every document.

If you prepare a report that TTSD will desktop publish, furnish

a paper copy and diskettes of the document prepared in

WordPerfect® (which is the “Agency standard”), PageMaker®,

or Microsoft® Word.1 WordPerfect® has been identified as .

You may submit a 3 1/2-in. diskette for smaller projects or a

SyQuest diskette for larger projects. Graphics should be submitted as (1) a high resolution (600 dpi or higher) or high

quality original paper copy or (2) a TIFF or EPS file and the

original paper copy. Label all diskettes containing text and

graphics with the application name and version of the program

used and the system on which it was done. If you use a program

or file other than what is suggested, ask your project officer to

contact TTSD at 513-569-7292 (text) or 513-569-7558 (graphics) before you begin to make sure it can be converted.

Paste-Up

Use a product such as “DryTac Adhesives” for mounting all

copy, tables, charts, figures, photos, etc. Do not use scotch tape,

glue, or staples to mount camera-ready art or copy. Tape, glue,

or staples create a distortion on the camera-ready material that

will show up on the printer’s negatives and plates.

___________________

1 TTSD sends documents to NTIS on disk. NTIS requires that the format be the

current version of WordPerfect.

Overview

This chapter identifies the guidelines you should follow when

preparing ORD scientific and technical reports and information

products for publication. It is not intended to replace methods

for handling abbreviations, units of measure, references, and

other text annotations that are recommended practice within the

many scientific and technical disciplines in the research community. A common sense, consistent approach will usually

produce a readable and accurate document.

Requirements

Desktop-Published Copy vs. Word-Processed Copy

The contract may require you to provide final output of cameraready copy in one of two ways: copy produced from desktoppublishing software or from word processing software. Either

way is suitable for sending a document to printing or to NTIS.

• Outputs from desktop-publishing software, such as

PageMaker®, give your document a more professional

appearance. Often, because type is smaller, spacing is

closer, and multiple columns are used, desktop-published copy requires fewer pages than output from word

processing software; therefore, desktop-published copy

is less expensive to print. All specifications in Appendix

B and all figures in this document describe desktoppublished copy.

• Outputs from word processing software, such as

WordPerfect® or Microsoft® Word, are sometimes quicker

and less expensive for writers to produce. Layout specifications for outputs from word processing software are

as follows:

Paper Size—8.5" x 11"

Margins

Top, left side, right side: all 1"

Bottom: 1.25"

Font—Twelve point sans serif (e.g., Univers)
8

Style

Page Numbering

Number the front matter consecutively with lower case roman

numerals. Count the title page as page i but do not put the

number on the page. Number pages in the body of the report

and back matter consecutively with arabic numerals. Start the

first page of the body of the report on a right-hand page and

number it 1; thereafter, begin each new chapter or section on

the next available page. Allow no blank pages.

Equations

Define mathematical symbols at their first use. When mathematical formulas and equations are numerous, furnish a separate listing of symbols used.

Treat short, simple, and unnumbered equations as part of the

text. When possible, type simple fractions on one line using a

diagonal line and parentheses to avoid ambiguity:

[1/(a + b)] not [1/a + b or 1

a b + ].

If an equation requires special symbols, positioning, or brackets, display the equation on a line by itself, centered on the

width of the page, with spacing above and below.

Break equations before an operational sign (e.g., +, -, =, x).

Align a group of separate but related equations by their equal

signs and indent or center the group as a whole. Number

equations consecutively, using the chapter number or appendix

letter as a prefix and starting equations in each chapter or

appendix with 1 (e.g., 1-5 is the fifth equation in Chapter 1; B1 is the first equation in Appendix B). Place these numbers

flush right in parentheses as shown below:

SCA

CE

We

=

− − 



 

 2 1  100 (6-3)

Other instructions concerning mathematical and chemical equations are in the Government Printing Office Style Manual and in

other style manuals, such as those issued by the American

Chemical Society (1155 Sixteenth St., NW, Washington, DC

20036) or the American Society of Civil Engineers (345 East

47th St., New York, NY 10017).

Footnotes

Keep footnotes to a minimum; incorporate all brief and relevant

explanatory comments in the copy. Indicate footnotes in the

text by superscript numerals and number consecutively beginning with 1 throughout each chapter. This is more practical than

numbering footnotes beginning with 1 on each page, which

often requires correcting numbers when text changes.

Abbreviations

Use abbreviations from standard dictionaries, in the Government Printing Office Style Manual, and in EPA’s glossary

(EPA/175/B-93/001). Technical abbreviations may be found in

the appropriate reference documents for the subject area involved.

Metric Units of Measure

Use metric measurements, unless otherwise justified by the

project officer; express equivalent units parenthetically, if desired. If you use other than metric measures, state the reason for

such use in a footnote at the first nonmetric measure, and

include a conversion table in the report.

Restrictions

Foldouts and Divider Pages

Do not use divider pages—those that merely serve to separate

the report into parts—or foldouts. The cost of foldouts can

usually be saved with planning: reduce wide tables, have tables

fall on successive pages, separate maps into several parts, etc.

Errata and Addenda

You may choose to handle errata and addenda in one of two

ways:

1 If a report already printed and listed with NTIS has changes

and you want to include an errata sheet with the remaining

copies of the document, send TTSD the errata sheet and a

memo telling TTSD to send the errata sheet to NTIS with

instructions that NTIS include it with future copies of the

document to be distributed. In the memo, include the EPA

number, the NTIS accession number, and the title of the

document.

2 If a report already printed and listed with NTIS has changes

and you want to produce a revised document, put the same

EPA number, but use a new issuance date on the revised

document (e.g., Revised August 1995). For additional information and procedures for processing and distributing

modifications to existing reports, ask your project officer

to call TTSD.

Paper Saving

Because of the costs of paper, shipping, mailing, and printing,

consider appropriate paper-saving techniques. Combine tables

and figures with text on one page and reduce and crop figures

and photographs to a smaller size consistent with clarity and a

professional appearance.

Attribution

Sources of information need to be attributed, even when obtained from another government agency and free of copyright

restrictions; otherwise readers assume the materials originated

with EPA.

Peer Review

The Joint Committee on Printing of the United States Congress

requires that federal agencies have initial publication rights.

Only after peer and administrative review can EPA decide

whether to publish a report or waive its initial publication

rights.
9

Chapter Four

General Organization of Standard Reports

This report covers a period from (date) to (date)

and work was completed as of (date).

Preface (Optional)

The author’s own statement about the work is called a preface.

A preface may include such information as the reasons for

undertaking the work, the research method (if it might bear on

the reader’s understanding of the text), or the limitations within

which the subject was studied.

Foreword

The foreword is often of a scope similar to that of the author’s

preface but is provided by the sponsoring laboratory.

Contents

Begin the contents on a right-hand, odd-numbered page. Include preliminary pages (front matter), main headings of the

document, appendices, and the pages on which they appear.

You may use dotted leaders to aid readability of the contents. If

you use subheads, indent and subordinate them. Avoid extra

spacing between major sections when it would cause contents

to have a short overrun onto the following page. Figure 4-3 on

page 17 shows a sample contents page.

Lists

Include a list of figures (figures, maps, charts, plates, illustrations) and a list of tables only if considered helpful or essential.

For each figure or table, give its number, the caption as it

appears in the report, and the page number. Avoid extra spacing

when it would cause a list to have a short overrun onto the

following page. If lists of figures and tables are short, combine

on one page or combine with contents page. See Figure 4-4 on

page 18 for a sample list.

Acronyms and Abbreviations

Assemble and define acronyms, symbols, and abbreviations if

doing so will aid the reader. Abbreviations or symbols for the

less common or specialized terms should also be given in

parentheses following their first use in the text. Thereafter, use

only the abbreviation or symbol. Consider using two columns

Cover

Cover specifications are given on page 27 of Appendix B. An

example of a cover is given in Figure 4-1 on page 15. You may

wish to use the space below the subtitle for an illustration

instead of the chevron shown. For questions about covers, ask

your project officer to call TTSD at 513-569-7558.

Front Matter

Title Page

Center everything on the title page using initial caps only (e.g.,

Handbook, not HANDBOOK). See Figure 4-2 on page 16 for a

sample title page and information on each item.

Notice

Put a peer-review notice, a disclaimer statement if needed, and

a copyright notice on page ii of the front matter of a report.

Copyright notices are discussed on page 4. Peer-review and

disclaimer notices are discussed on pages 5 and 6.

Abstract

Two types of abstracts are used in EPA documents:

• The indicative (descriptive) abstract tells readers what the

report is about. Use it to introduce a project summary.

• An informative abstract reports the hypothesis, methods,

results, and conclusions of research detailed in the text.

Limit the abstract to 200 words.

In extramural reports, include the following information as part

of the abstract in a prominent location:

This report was submitted in fulfillment of (grant

or contract number) by (contractor or grantee)

under the (partial) sponsorship of the United

States Environmental Protection Agency. This

report covers a period from (date) to (date), and

work was completed as of (date).

On in-house project reports, include the following information

as part of the abstract in a prominent location:
10

insignificant details. Eliminate unnecessary border frames. As

far as practical, place callouts in a figure horizontally, unboxed,

and near the item identified. To ensure easy readability, maintain high contrast.

Number figures consecutively, using the chapter number or

appendix letter as a prefix and starting figures in each chapter or

appendix with 1 (e.g., 1-5 is the fifth figure in Chapter 1; B-1 is

the first figure in Appendix B).

Put a caption under each figure flush left following the figure

number. Capitalize only the first letter of the first word and any

proper nouns or chemical or mathematical symbols, and close

with a period.

If photographs are required, submit glossy black and white

photo prints with good contrast. Satin finish prints conflict with

the screens used by the printer when preparing the finished

plates and cause shadowing and variations in the texture. Size

and crop photographs to fit within the margins.

Do not use footnotes in a figure; make this material part of the

caption or text.

A sample figure is shown in Figure 4-7 on page 21.

Tables

Organize tables as simply as possible for easy reading. Make

the format of tables consistent throughout the publication. If the

tables require stacking more than two rows of headings (vertically) and several columns (horizontally) the table is probably

too complicated for the reader; split it into two or more tables,

reorganize, or eliminate some of the data. Center columns

under headings, and align on decimal. Leave space between

horizontal entries, and do not use vertical lines. Computer

printout sheets must show clear contrast between black and

white and must not contain any gray or broken type.

Number tables consecutively, using the chapter number or

appendix letter as a prefix and starting tables in each chapter or

appendix with 1 (e.g., 1-5 is the fifth table in Chapter 1; B-1 is

the first table in Appendix B). Place a caption flush left above

each table after the table number. Capitalize the first letter of

each word except articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions. Do not use a closing period.

When a long table is continued on two or more pages, repeat the

table number and “Continued,” but not the table caption, on all

the following pages (e.g., Table 3-6. Continued). Repeat the

column headings with rules on each page.

Footnotes in tables are an efficient way to present peripheral

information. Use superscript, lowercase letters, starting from

the top of the table and proceeding from left to right. For a table

that includes mathematical or chemical equations, use symbols

instead of letters for footnotes because of the risk of mistaking

when the list exceeds one page. A sample list of acronyms and

abbreviations is shown in Figure 4-5 on page 19.

Acknowledgments

Limit acknowledgments to peer reviewers and organizations

that aided in a major way.

Body of Report

Text

Start each chapter with a dropped heading. Do not include any

blank pages. Often, Chapter 1 is an introduction, but if your

report is short, it may not require a separate introduction. Figure

4-6 on page 20 is a sample page of text.

Figures and Tables

Reference all figures and tables in the text. Put figures and

tables as close as possible to their mention in the text (but not

before they are mentioned). When a report contains only a few

pages of text and many figures or tables, place the figures or

tables in numerical sequence after the text. Spell out the words

“Figure” and “Table” in the text and captions. Put captions in

boldface type. Do not put a box around figures or tables. (The

“boxes” around figures in this document represent the edges of

the page. They are there to give you an idea of how examples

would appear on a page.) Do not use foldouts.

If you find it necessary to place figures or tables in a horizontal

or landscape orientation on the page, center them on the page so

that the top is to the left margin and the bottom to the right

margin.

Figures

Treat figures consistently throughout the document, and use

them only if they relate directly to the subject matter and are

necessary to explain the text.

Make sure that line weights and shading are consistent throughout the report. Use white paper and black ink. Do not use light

copies or blueprints for camera-ready art or copy. These do not

reproduce well when photographed for printing. Do not use

small details, such as tiny circles, that will fill in or bleed during

printing.

Reduce figures too big to fit within the margins given in

the specifications in Appendix B. (Need help with reductions? Ask your project officer to call TTSD at 513-569-7558.)

Make lines heavy enough to remain legible after you reduce

them.

If you do not want a visible grid, do not use grid paper for

graphs. Instead, use “tic” marks along the edges of the graph at

the major divisions of the graph. If you want a visible grid,

make sure that the grid background is red. Blue and green grids

do not photograph well.

Make callouts within the figure clearly legible. Do not submit

hand lettered graphics. Crop or mask photographs to eliminate
11

letters for exponents in the equation. Use symbols in the following order:

* (asterisk or star)

† (dagger)

‡ (double dagger)

§ (section mark)

# (number sign).

The Chicago Manual of Style, chapter 12, may be helpful for

preparing tables.

See Figure 4-7 on page 21 for a sample table.

References

In the text, reference the following kinds of material:

• The source of a significant and original statement.

• The source of information not sufficiently familiar so that

most readers would know it or be able to find it readily.

• The sources of controversial matter and opposing views.

Present references in an accurate, uniform manner at the end of

each chapter or together as the last chapter of your document.

Cite references using either the number system (putting numbers in superscript or parentheses) or the “author-year” system

(e.g., Blinksworth 1987). Use a style consistent with that of any

scientific or technical journal or society. Include all essential

elements of a reference: author(s) (or organization), title, source,

identifying numbers, publisher, place of publication, date, pages.

Since personal communications are not usually available to the

public, there is little point in using them in a list of references;

if they are used, however, include them in parentheses within

the text; for example, “(Cavanagh, Jeanne. Letter to author,

1990.)” In citing personal communications, obtain permission

from the person to be quoted.

Figure 4-8 on page 22 shows a sample reference page.

Back Matter

Appendices

Appendices contain supplementary, illustrative material, original data, and quoted matter too long for incorporation in the

body of the report or generally relevant but not immediately

essential to an understanding of the subject.

Start all appendices on the next available page. (If the report

ends on page 47, start appendices on page 48.) Treat each

appendix title as a dropped chapter head.

Divide the appendices into Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.,

depending on the kinds and amounts of material used. These

divisions should not be arbitrary. A close relationship must

exist among materials compiled within any given appendix.

List all appendices in “Contents.”

Glossary

If a glossary is included, list technical terms or those that might

not be readily known. Need for a glossary depends on the

intended audience for the report.

Bibliography

Bibliographic entries provide supplementary sources for information on the subject of the document. Present this literature,

which has not been cited in the text, in a manner consistent with

the references. See Figure 4-9 on page 23 for a sample bibliography page.

Index

An index lists in alphabetical sequence names, titles, and subjects appearing in the text. The value of any nonfiction book is

enhanced by a well-prepared index. You can find instructions

on indexing in most style books. Two of note are the CBE Style

Manual, Council of Biology Editors, (available from Council

of Biology Editors, Inc., 11 South LaSalle St., Suite 1400,

Chicago, IL 60603; telephone 312-201-0101, fax 312-201-

0214) and The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago

Press, Chicago, IL 60637; fourteenth edition (ISBN 0-226-

10389-7) published in 1993.
12

Weight the text of a research report in favor of explanatory

copy, and do not include large volumes of backup and unedited

data, repeatedly used figures of government or other organizational forms, or verbatim reprints from or transcripts of other

printed information sources (e.g., the Federal Register). These

inclusions would detract from the classic format of the book,

run up the cost excessively, and are more appropriately referenced as secondary sources than printed. Footnote or reference

all background materials where appropriate to enable the reader

to locate them in the library, through NTIS, or through the

appropriate information databases.

The effective use of appropriate referencing and footnoting

techniques is absolutely necessary to increase the credibility of

the document and fulfill the purpose of the presentation. Careful documentation shows that a research project has been

thoroughly investigated. Referencing systems vary among scientific disciplines. Whatever system you use, be consistent and

make each reference complete.

Project Reports

Most EPA research is documented and made available to the

research community in a project report. Project reports are

required when (1) neither a journal article nor an EPA research

report is produced or (2) the journal article or EPA research

report published is incomplete in terms of fully documenting

the project or would require additional background data to

survive rigorous scientific challenge. NTIS is the major distributor of project reports. Therefore, when preparing project

reports, in addition to following “Report Specifications” found

in Appendix B, use the following NTIS guidelines for all

camera copy:

• Submit original camera copy on 8.5" x 11" white paper

with black ink.

• Ensure that all computer printouts are highly legible originals.

• Number and account for all pages.

• Send the size you want reproduced; NTIS makes no reductions.

• If your report includes only one photo, clip the photo to the

camera copy. If your report includes two or more photos,

number the photos on the back and put a corresponding

Research Reports

The research report is a book-length presentation of the best of

EPA/ORD’s research findings. These reports are normally the

most authoritative results of a research project on a critical area

of interest in which the Agency is involved.

Presentation

Present research reports in classic textbook style—clear, concise prose. Follow “Report Specifications” in Appendix B.

Content

A research report will fit into one of two broad categories:

investigative or expository.

In a standard investigative report, results and conclusions, the

evidence to support them, and the interpretation of that evidence are the most important inclusions. The background of the

project and the methods used should support the results and

recommendations. Structure the body of an investigative report

as follows:

1. Introduction

2. Conclusions

3. Recommendations

4. Methods and materials

5. Results and discussion

6. References

In the introduction, focus on the hypothesis or problem that the

study tests. Place the conclusions and recommendations before

other matter in the body of an investigative report because this

allows the reader ready access to the full scope of the project.

Methods, results, and discussion may be interwoven or addressed separately, as logic dictates.

An expository report sheds additional light on a topic or an area

of high interest about which information is lacking. It is more

informal and discursive in nature than an investigative report in

the sense that its structure is not bound by the scientific method.

Its organization is therefore looser than that of the investigative

report; however, where possible, use the same format elements

as the investigative report.

Chapter Five

Types of Reports
13

number in the place in the text where you want the photo to

go.

Project Summaries

The project summary is a condensed version of the project

report. The length is usually two to eight pages of desktoppublished copy (up to 21 double-spaced, draft word-processed

pages). The project summary announces to the scientific and

technical community the availability of the project report from

NTIS. It is similar to a short journal article and contains enough

information for the readers to determine if they are sufficiently

interested in the project to purchase the complete report from

NTIS. Therefore, the summary should present a concise synopsis of the key findings of the research project.

In the final draft of the summary, put principal findings, conclusions, tables, and figures that summarize significant results. In

order of appearance, include the following:

• Title, identical to the title of the project report it summarizes. In the case of one project summary describing several closely related project reports, the title should be as

closely linked as possible to the project report titles.

• Abstract—200 words

• Introduction

• Procedure

• Results and discussion

• Conclusions and recommendations

Use as few figures and tables as possible. If orientation of a

photograph is questionable, indicate top of photograph on back

side with soft-tip marker. Organize tables for maximum clarity

and ease of interpretation. Use captions for all tables and

figures and reference them in the text.

Even though a complete list of references is included in the

project report, do not use references in a project summary

unless you feel their inclusion is essential to the presentation.

To prepare your document, follow “Project Summary Specifications” in Appendix B.

When the project summary final is completed, give the diskette

copy and the camera copy or word-processed copy to the

project officer.

Applications Guides

When many people need to apply a technology or method and

when the only available information on the topic is dispersed

over many sources, applications guides are cost-effective information products. They give directions to solve an environmental problem. In preparing them, use straightforward and precise

language. To ensure that concepts or procedures are clear, use

tabular material and graphic illustration as needed.

Three types of application guides are described:

• A manual is a comprehensive description of a new technology meant to solve an environmental problem. It guides the

user through the creation, construction, and maintenance of

a technology or technique.

• A handbook is a collection of information, statistics, data,

and techniques that are accurate and relevant to a particular

subject area.

• A user’s guide explains and describes, step by step, how to

employ an ORD-developed procedure, piece of equipment,

model, or program.

Limit the contents of the work to that information required to

inform the reader. Eliminate unnecessary details, appendices,

and pages to reduce primary and secondary reproduction costs

and to expedite review, approval, printing, and distribution.

Proceedings

A proceedings report is usually derived from the presentation of

a paper and from the questions, answers, and general discussion

at conference sessions.

If the paper has resulted from an EPA-funded project, include

the following in a prominent location:

This paper has been reviewed in accordance

with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s

peer and administrative review policies and approved for presentation and publication.

To prepare a proceedings report, follow “Report Specifications” in Appendix B

Journal Articles

ORD encourages the publication of research results in the open

scientific literature. In academia, government, and the private

sector, the independent peer review achieved through the journal article publication process enhances scientific credibility

and contributes to the establishment of scientific excellence.

Each journal has its own style and requirements that must be

observed when articles are prepared and submitted.

Book Chapters and Published Papers

Publication of research as a chapter in a volume addressing an

area of environmental protection usually offers an author space

not available in a journal article for the inclusion of additional

data or information. Chapters also are used frequently to provide a review of the state of knowledge in a scientific or

technical area of environmental importance.

Published papers or articles allow researchers to communicate

at the peer level and attain visibility and credibility for EPA. A
14

paper is the written text of a presentation delivered before a

scientific peer group. It becomes a published paper subject to

EPA/ORD peer review if it will appear as one of the following:

• a preprint (a handout given before proceedings starts)

• a paper in another organization’s proceedings

• an article in a non-peer-reviewed journal or book

published outside of the Agency.

The book editor or the organization sponsoring the proceedings

may provide instructions for chapter or paper preparation. If

not, the section on “Report Specifications” in Appendix B

provides useful instructions.

Environmental Research Briefs

The environmental research brief is a published product designed to keep the research and technical community abreast of

current research status based on information resulting from

EPA activities. To prepare your document, follow “Environmental Research Brief Specifications” in Appendix B.

Keep briefs as short as possible, four to eight pages of desktoppublished copy (8-21 double-spaced, draft word-processed

pages). Include tables and figures only if essential to the clarification of the text. Include only those references that focus on

the topic of the brief.

Seminar Announcements

Brochures announcing a seminar are usually printed in landscape (horizontal) orientation on one of two paper sizes:

• 8.5- by 11-in., folded twice to provide three panels, or

• 8.5- by 14-in., folded three times to provide four

panels.

Their preparation is described under “Brochures” in Appendix

B.

Internal Reports

The internal report provides research information in response to

a request from an EPA office. Format and layout may vary

greatly—from a memo, to a set of aerial photographs, to a

typical project report—depending on the request and urgency

of the need.
15

United States Office of Research and EPA/600/R-93/011

Environmental Protection Development October 1993

Agency Washington DC 20460

Radon Reduction

Techniques for Existing

Detached Houses

Technical Guidance

Figure 4-1. Sample cover.
16

EPA Report Number

Month and Year of Publication

Report number

supplied by TTSD

Put title in

24-point, bold type

When a public or private

organization originates the

report in cooperation with EPA,

put that information several

spaces below the project

officer’s name and address:

This study was

conducted

in cooperation with

 U.S. Department of

Agriculture

When an in-house study was

performed for another

governmental agency, add that

information:

Prepared for

Department of Defense

Washington, DC 20305

▼

▼

Place publisher’s full name,

city, state,

and zip code here.

▼

For grant, contract, or interagency agreement,

give project officer(s) (without degrees or titles),

the first subdivision of their organization (e.g.,

division), and the laboratory or center name and

address.

▼

Title—Cap/Lower Case Centered

10 Words or Less

Optional Subtitle

by (or edited by)

Author(s)

Organization

City, State, and Zip Code

Number

Project Officer

Name

Division

Laboratory or Center

City, State, and Zip Code

Laboratory or Center

Office of Research and Development

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

City, State, and Zip Code

For grants or contracts, add

appropriate extramural number. ▼

For grant, contract, or interagency

agreement, list authors (without

degrees or titles) as they appear on

the Technical Report Data Form (EPA

Form 2220-1) and name and location

of their organization. For in-house

reports, list authors (without degrees

or titles), the first subdivision of their

organization (e.g., division), and the

laboratory or center name and

address.

▼

Put subtitle in

24-point, normal type. ▼

Figure 4-2. Sample title page.

▼
17

v

Contents

Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................... iii

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................. iv

Tables ................................................................................................................................................................... vii

Abbreviations and Symbols ................................................................................................................................ viii

Acknowledgment ................................................................................................................................................... ix

Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1

Chapter 2 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................... 2

Chapter 3 Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 3

Chapter 4 Methods and Materials .................................................................................................................. 4

Test Strains ................................................................................................................................ 5

Stock Solutions ....................................................................................................................... 10

Chapter 5 Experimental Procedures ............................................................................................................. 15

General Procedures ................................................................................................................. 15

Laboratory Application ........................................................................................................... 20

Field Application ..................................................................................................................... 25

Chapter 6 Results and Discussion ................................................................................................................ 30

Appendices

A Operational Data Summary .................................................................................................................. 33

B Cooperative Research Report ............................................................................................................... 40

Glossary ................................................................................................................................................................ 45

References ............................................................................................................................................................ 52

Bibliography ......................................................................................................................................................... 55

Figure 4-3. Sample contents.
18

vi

Figures

1-1. Generic strategy for selecting an air emissions control approach. ........................................................... 4

1-2. Removal efficiency vs. VOC loading for point source VOC controls. ................................................. 15

1-3. Relative cost-effectiveness for point source VOC controls. .................................................................. 16

2-1. Typical APCD operating costs in 1994 dollars. ..................................................................................... 17

2-2. Schematic diagram of canister-based granular activated carbon adsorption system. ............................ 37

2-3. Schematic diagram of continuously regenerated carbon adsorption system. ........................................ 38

2-4. Schematic diagram of carbon adsorption system with on-site batch regeneration. ............................... 38

3-1. Fuel cost/gain vs. concentration of carbon and incineration systems

at 50,000 scfm of solvent-laden air. ................................................................................................... 42

Figure 4-4. Sample list.
19

viii

Acronyms and Abbreviations

A/C Air-to-cloth (ratio)

acfh Actual cubic feet per hour

acfm Actual cubic feet per minute

acmh Actual cubic meters per hour

APA Air pathway analysis (or assessment)

APC Air pollution control

APCD Air pollution control device

ARAR Applicable or relevant and appropriate

requirements

BTEX Benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes

Btu British thermal units

BP Boiling point

CAAA Clean Air Act Amendments

CAS Carbon adsorption system

CE Control efficiency

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,

and Liability Act

Figure 4-5. Sample acronyms and abbreviations.
20

5

Chapter 2

Display Head

Subhead 1

With regard to a frequently mentioned limitation,

slowness, the reported coating removal rate for

manual CO2 pellet blasting ranges from 1.5 ft2/min

to 0.1 ft2/min, depending on the substrate being

stripped and the coating color (Ivey, 1990; Cundiff

and Matalis, 1990). The net average strip rate on an

F-16 aircraft was 0.189 ft2/min per minute of nozzle

time (0.13 ft2/min with worker effectiveness factored

in) (Ivey, 1990). The strip rate increased as the

nozzle was widened. The AlcladTM surfaces pulled

the net average down. The tested F-16 has 20%

AlcladTM surfaces; other U.S. Air Force aircraft have

up to 80% AlcladTM surfaces. Thus, strip rates will

slow considerably on equipment with a higher

percentage of AlcladTM surfaces.

Subhead 2

In fact, the process as tested cannot remove all the

coating from AlcladTM surfaces. The AlcladTM

surface left by CO2 pellet blasting must be removed

by another process to provide an adequate surface for

recoating.

Held at chest level, the blast nozzle and hose weigh

about 20 lb. When blasting underneath the aircraft,

another 10 lb of thrust is added. In tests, workers

traded off the duty to other workers every 15 min.

The newer automated systems are easier to work

with, strip faster, and are safer on sensitive materials

because the optimal pressure and impingement angle

can be maintained.

Subhead 3

Because of the simplicity of the equipment and the

decreased cleaning time, there is a savings in labor

costs when using ultrasonics. This savings along with

that from decreased solvent purchase and disposal

costs, offsets the capital cost of the equipment in a

short time. Although costs vary for specific equipment,

the cost for an ultrasonic cleaner console with a

25"x18"x15" chamber is approximately $10,000. A

rinse console and dryer console would add about

$4,000 each. Of course, smaller units can be obtained

and existing tanks often can be used if a transducer is

added.

The function of an inert atmosphere in the no-clean

process is to create a solder wave upon which no

permanent oxide film can form. The inert atmosphere

thus eliminates the need for flux to clean the surface of

the wave. There are two no-flux machine concepts on

the market: open and closed. The open-concept

machine, which employs flaps leading into a tunnel,

will not reach the desired oxygen rate of under 10 ppm

by continuous nitrogen flow alone. This system uses

formic acid to reduce the oxygen level. Although this

system has the advantage of mechanical simplicity,

formic acid is potentially hazardous, and therefore is

undesirable or, in some companies, prohibited. A

closed system can prevent oxidation without the use of

aggressive chemicals.

Figure 4 shows a typical configuration of the

automated washer. Not all users require the multitude

of compartments shown in the figure, and simpler

versions of this unit can be manufactured. The process

unit shown in the figure consists of a series of five

compartments through which the soiled metal parts are

transported. The parts are transported from one

compartment to the next by a helical screw conveyor.

The parts are sprayed successively with solutions from

five holding tanks (one for each compartment).

Figure 4-6. Sample page of text.
21

Figure 4-7. Samples of figure and table.

Table 5-1. Reported Operating Capacities for Selected Organic Compounds (Source: Marzone and Oakes, 1973.)

Compound Capacity a VOCs Carbon

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Acetone — 1,000 8

Benzene — 10 6

n-Butyl acetate — 150 8

n-Butyl alcohol — 100 8

Carbon tetrachloride 10 10 —

Cyclohexane — 300 6

Ethyl acetate — 400 8

Isopropyl alcohol 400 8 —

Methyl acetate — 200 7

Methyl alcohol — 200 7

Methylene chloride 500 10 —

Methyl ethyl ketone 200 8 —

Methyl isobutyl ketone 100 7 —

Perchloroethylene 100 20 —

Toluene — 200 7

Trichloroethylene 100 15 —

Trichlorotrifluoroethane 1,000 — —

Xylene — 100 10

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

a Adsorption capacities are based on 200 scfm of solvent-laden air at 100° F (per hour).

Figure C-1. Evolution of health and environmental issues.

(Scientific) Observations/Knowledge/Monitoring

Broader Recognition

Crystallizing Event Public Knowledge

Public Debate

Policy Developed

Public Debate

EFC

Focus

Public Action
22

Hunt, and J. D. Sellers. Life-Cycle Assessment:

Inventory Guidelines and Principles, EPA/600/

R-92/245. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency, 1993.

Presentation

5. Abele, H. A. “Toward implementation of

environmental policies.” Paper presented at the

Environmental Challenge of the 1990s,

International Conference on Pollution

Prevention: Clean Technologies and Clean

Products, Washington, DC, June 10-13, 1990.

Book Chapter

6. Cohen, J. M., and Hannah, S. A. “Coagulation

and flocculation.” In Water Quality and

Treatment, by American Water Works

Association, Inc., New York: McGraw-Hill

Book Co., 1971, 66-122.

Proceedings

7. Pauli, R. “Dry media paint stripping—eight

years later.” In Proceedings of the 1993 DOD/

Industry Advanced Coatings Removal

Conference, Phoenix, AZ, 1993.

References

42

Journal

1. Binkley, Dan, and Thomas C. Brown. Forest

practices as nonpoint sources of pollution in

North America. Water Resources Bulletin 29 (5):

729-740 (1993).

2. Weihs, D., and R. D. Small. An approximate

model of atmospheric plumes produced by large

area fires. Atmospheric Environment 27A (1): 73-

82 (1993).

Report

3. Richter, B. C., and C. W. Kreitler. Identification

of sources of ground-water salinization using

geochemical techniques, EPA/600/2-91/064.

Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency, 1991.

4. Vigon, B. W., D. A. Tolle, B. W. Cornaby, H. C.

Latham, C. L. Harrison, T. L. Boguski, R. G.

Figure 4-8. Sample references.
23

Bibliography

Baker, R. W., I. Blume, V. Helm, A. Kahn, J. Maguire,

and N. Yoshioka. Membrane research in energy and

solvent recovery from industrial effluent streams.

DOE Report DE84016819. Idaho Falls, ID: DOEINEL, 1984.

Chandrasekharan, M. P., and R. Rajagopalan. A

multidimensional scaling algorithm for group layout

in cellular manufacturing. International Journal of

Production Economics 32 (1): 65-76 (1990).

Danielson, J. A., ed. Air pollution engineering manual.

Cincinnati, OH: National Center for Air Pollution

Control, U.S. Department of Health, Education and

Welfare, 1967.

Lenssen, N. A new energy path for the third world.

Technology Review 96: 43-51 (1993).

Marzone, R. R., and D. W. Oakes. Profitably recycling

solvents from process systems. Pollution Eng. 5

(10): 23-24 (1973).

Monrozier, L. J., P. Guez, A Chalamet, R. Bardin,

J. Martins, and J. P. Gaudet. Distribution of

microorganisms and fate of xenobiotic molecules in

unsaturated soil environments. The Science of the

Total Environment 136: 121-133 (1993).

Pedersen, T., and J. Curtis. Soil vapor extraction

technology: Reference handbook, EPA/540/2-91/003

(NTIS PB91168476). Cincinnati OH: U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency, 1991.

57

Figure 4-9. Sample bibliography.
24

Appendices

Appendix A

Other Professional Sources

Style Manuals

American Mathematical Society. AMS Author Handbook. Providence, RI: AMS, 1995. (Call 401-455-4000 to order)

American National Standards Institute, Inc. American National

Standards for Writing Abstracts. ANSI Z39.14-1979. New

York, NY: ANSI, 1979. (This book is under revision. To

order it or the next book, call 212-642-4900 or 212-764-

3274.)

—American National Standards for the Preparation of Scientific Papers for Written or Oral Presentation. ANSI Z39.16-

1979. New York, NY: ANSI, 1979.

American Society for Microbiology. ASM Style Manual for

Journals and Books. Washington, DC: ASM, 1991. (To

order this or the next book, call 202-737-3600.)

—Manual of Clinical Laboratory Immunology, 4th ed. Washington, DC: ASM, 1992.

The Chicago Manual of Style. 14th ed. Chicago, IL: University

of Chicago Press, 1993. (Most widely used style and printing manual for commercial publishers. Contains most numbers and variety of examples and explanations of layout and

format for content of publications, notes, bibliographies,

setup of illustrations, figures, tables, and mathematical equations. To order call 312-201-0101.)

Council of Biology Editors, Inc. Illustrating Science: Standards for Publication. Bethesda, MD: CBE, 1984. (The

address of CBE is 111 E. Wacker Dr. Suite 200, Chicago, IL

60601-4298. Phone: 312-201-0101.)

Council of Biology Editors. Scientific Styles and Format: The

CBE Style Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, 6th

ed. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press, 1994.

(General scientific style and guidelines for the plant sciences, microbiology, animal sciences, chemistry and biochemistry, and geography and geology.)

Dodd, J. S. The American Chemical Society Style Guide: A

Manual for Authors and Editors. Washington, DC: ACS,

1986. (Contains eleven references to handbooks on different

kinds of chemical nomenclature; excellent source of information on ethical guidelines for publishing and on journals

that publish about chemistry. Also includes information on

electronic databases maintained by ACS for public access to

the chemical literature.)

Garner, D., D. H. Smith, D. Cheney, and H. Sheehy. The

Complete Guide to Citing Government Information: A

Manual for Writers and Librarians. Bethesda, MD: Congressional Information Services, Inc., 1993. (Handbook used

primarily by libraries to catalog government documents. To

order call 301-654-1550.)

Hathwell. Style Manual . 4th ed. New York, NY: American

Institute of Physics, 1990. (To order call 301-209-3100 or 1-

800-809-2247.)

Michaelson, H. B. How To Write & Publish Engineering Papers and Reports. 4th ed. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1990.

(To order call 602-265-2651.)

Swanson, E. Mathematics into Type. Providence, RI: American

Mathematical Society, 1979. (To order call 401-455-4000.)

Guides to Nomenclature and Presentation of

Data

The Biochemical Society. Biochemical Nomenclature and Related Documents. London, UK: BS, 1978.
25

Buchanan, R. E., and N. E. Gibbons, eds. Bergey’s Manual of

Determinative Bacteriology. 9th ed. Baltimore, MD: Williams & Wilkins. 1993

Committee on Common Names of Insects. Common Names of

Insects and Related Organisms Approved by the Entomological Society of America. College Park, MD: Entomological Society of America, 1982.

Committee on Names of Fishes. A List of Common and Scientific Names of Fishes from the United States and Canada.

Bethesda, MD: American Fisheries Society, 1980.

Fasman, G. D., ed. Handbook of Biochemistry and Molecular

Biology. 3rd ed. Vol 2. Cleveland, OH: CRC, 1976.

IUPAC Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry. 2nd ed. London,

UK: Butterworths. 1971. (Distributor in the United States is

Crane, Russak, New York, NY. The ISBN number is 008-

021-999-3. A new edition is coming out.)

IUPAC Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry, Sections A, B, C,

D, E, F, and H. Elmsford, NY: Pergamon, 1979.

IUPAC. Manual of symbols and terminology for physicochemical quantities and units. Pure and Applied Chemistry

(1979) 51:1-41.

Jeffrey, C. Biological Nomenclature. 2nd ed. New York, NY:

Crane, Russak, 1977.

Lapage, S. P., P. H. A. Sneath, E. F. Lessel, V. B. D. Skerman,

H. P. R. Seeliger, W. A. Clark, eds. International Code of

Nomenclature of Bacteria. Bacteriological Code. Washington, DC: American Society for Microbiology.

UNISIST Working Group on Bibliographic Data Interchange.

UNISIST Guide to Standards for Information Handling.

Paris, France: UNESCO, 1980. (Guide to international

sources on preparation, production, editing, publication,

reproduction, and exchange of documents, bibliographic

data, document collections, and numerical data.)

Classic Texts on Writing in Technology and the

Sciences

Day, R. A. How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper. 4rd ed.

Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press, 1988. (Explanation of the IMRAD

style of scientific writing as well as how to efficiently

achieve it; written with excellent humorous examples. Handy

references to commonly misused words and abbreviations

in the appendices.)

Miller, C., and K. Smith. The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing

For Writers, Editors, and Speakers. 2nd ed. New York, NY:

HarperCollins, 1988. (Excellent lists of gender-neutral terms.)

Strunk, W., Jr., and E. B. White. Elements of Style. 3rd ed. New

York, NY: The Macmillan Co., 1979. (Classic text explaining plain style, the basis of most scientific writing.)

Weston, A. A Rulebook for Arguments. 2nd ed. Indianapolis,

IN: Hackett Publishing Co., 1992. (The ISBN number is

087-220-156-2.)
26

Appendix B

Specifications

Use These Specifications For These Reports Page

Report Research Report 27

Project Report

Proceedings

Project Summary Project Summary 29

Environmental Research Brief Environmental Research Brief 31

Brochure Seminar Announcement 33
27

Report Specifications

Measurements Are in Inches Unless Noted

Headings—Initial Caps

Margins—Left 0.625, Right 0.625, Top 0.875, Bottom 1

(Excluding Rule Header and Page Number)

Image Area—7.25 Wide X 10 Long

Cover 1—1 Column

Styles Font: Univers Size/Leading Position

or Helvetica in Points

Organizational Identification 9/10

United 0.25 from top of page, 2.375 from flush left

Office of 0.25 from top of page, 4.625 from flush left

Report No. 0.25 from top of page, 6.825 from flush left

Title 30/31 Bold 1 from top of page, 2.375 from flush left

Subtitle 30 0.75 between title and subtitle

2.375 from flush left

EPA Logo 30 1 from top of page, 0.425 from flush left

ORD Identifier (Chevron) 2 above bottom of page

Line Art/Photo Use available space as needed

EPA No. and Title on Spine 14/15 Bold EPA No. and title should not exceed 10

horizontally; if so, use periods to indicate that

there is more to the title

Title Page—1 Column

EPA Report No. and Date 10/11 l down from top of page,

0.75 from flush right, right justified

Title 24/25 Bold Centered, 2.625 from top of page

Subtitle 24/25 Centered; 0.75 between title and subtitle

The word “By” 10/11 Centered, 0.625 from subtitle

Authors (if applicable) 10/11 Centered, 0.5 from By

Contract No. (if applicable) 10/11 Centered, 0.625 from last line of author ID

P.O. Name and Affiliation 10/11 Centered, 0.625 from contract no.

 (if applicable)

Organizational Identification 10/11 Centered, last line is 1.5 from bottom of page

Preliminary Pages—1 Column

Rule Header Times or Helv. 1 Centered, 0.5 from top of page

Display Heads Times or Helv. 14/15 Bold Centered, 1.75 from rule

Text Times or 10/11 Left 1.25, right 1.25

Helvetica First line of text 0.75 from last line of

 display head

Justified

Indent first line of paragraph 0.25
28

Report Specifications (continued)

Measurements Are in Inches Unless Noted

Text Pages

(2 Columns, Each 3.5; 0.25 Between Columns)

Styles Font Size/Leading Position

in Points

Rule Header 1 Centered, 0.5 from top of page

Page Number Times or Helvetica 10/11 Centered below columns

Display Heads Times or Helvetica 14/15 Bold Centered, 1.75 from rule

Subhead 1 Times or Helvetica 12/13 Bold Flush left

Subhead 2 Times or Helvetica 12/13 Bold, Italic Flush left

Subhead 3 Times or Helvetica 10/11 Bold Flush left

Subhead 4 Times or Helvetica 10/11 Bold Italic Flush left

Body Text Times or Helvetica 10/11 Justified, 0.375 from rule header to

0.5 above page number

Equations Helvetica 10/11 Centered or aligned by equal signs;

 (equation number in parens, flush right)

References Times or Helvetica 10/11 Hanging indent

First line: flush left

Other lines: indent 0.125

With Number

Number: flush left

Name: indent 0.25

Other lines: indent 0.25

Text Footnotes Times or Helvetica 7/8 Superscript number flush left

Other lines: indent 0.125 and justify

1.5-in. line above footnote

Figures and Tables

Figure Caption Helvetica 8/9 Bottom of illustration, flush left

(Figure No. Bold)

Figure Callouts Helvetica 8/9

Figure Notes and Credits Helvetica 8/9 Following caption

Table Caption Helvetica 8/9 Top of table, flush left

(Table No. Bold)

Table Helvetica 8/9 (One hairline rule below column

 heads and one at end of table)

Table Footnotes Helvetica 8/9 Below rule line at end of table

Table Notes and Credits Helvetica 8/9 Flush left, immediately below rule

at end of table (before footnotes)
29

Project Summary Specifications

Measurements Are in Inches Unless Noted

Page Size—8.5 x 11

Font—Helvetica

Headings—Initial Caps

Page Number—Centered

Page Dimensions

First Page Margins

Left 3 Right 0.5

Top 0.5 Bottom 1

Additional Page Margins

Left 0.5 Right 0.5

Top 1 Bottom 1

Columns (3-Column Layout)

Column Width 2.312

Between Columns 0.25

First Page No text in first column

Additional Pages Text in 3 columns

Organizational Identification

From From

Left Top

Edge Edge

United States 3.125 0.5

Environmental Protection

Agency 3.125 next line

Research and Development 3.125 1

Rule line above

“Research and Development” 3 0.875

Rule line below

“Research and Development” 3 0.0625

Laboratory Heading 5.625 0.5

Laboratory Location 5.625 next line

EPA Number and Date 5.625 1

Main Title

EPA Logo 1.625 1.375

Project Summary 3.125 1.375

Subtitle

Title 3.125 2

Authors 3.125 3.375

Text 3.125 4.375
30

Project Summary Specifications (continued)

Measurements Are in Inches Unless Noted

Size/Leading

Styles in Points Position

Rule Header 1 Top of second and subsequent

pages

Laboratory Heading 9/10 Flush left

Title 24/25 Bold Flush left

Subtitle 24/25 Flush left

Authors 10/11 Flush left

Abstract 9/10 Bold Justified, indent first line of

paragraph 1 em space

EPA Blurb 9/10 Bold, Italic Justified, indent first line of

paragraph 1 em space

Body Text 9/10 Justified, indent first line of

paragraph 1 em space

Subhead 1 11/12 Bold Flush left

Subhead 2 11/12 Bold, Italic Flush left

Subhead 3 11/12 Flush left

Subhead 4 11/12 Italic Flush left

Bullet Paragraph (•) 9/10 Bullet: Indent 0.125

Paragraph: Indent 0.25

Hyphen Indent (-) 9/10 Hyphen: Indent 0.25

Paragraph: Indent .375

Reference 9/10 Reference: flush left

Second line: Indent 0.25

Footnote 7/8 Superscript number flush left

Other lines: indent 0.125 and justify

1.5-in. rule above footnote

NTIS Box 9/10 Italic

Figure Head 8/9 Bold, Italic Flush left below figure

Figure Callouts 8/9 Italic

Table Head 8/9 Bold, Italic Flush left above table

Tables 8/9 Italic (including footnotes) One hairline rule below column

heads and at end of table

(above footnotes)

Equations 9/10 Flush left; (equation number in

parens, flush right)
31

Environmental Research Brief Specifications

Measurements Are in Inches Unless Noted

Page Size—8.5 x 11

Font—Helvetica

Headings—Initial Caps Except for Main Title, Which Is All Caps

Page Number—Centered

Page Dimensions

First Page Margins

Left 0.625 Right 0.625

Top 0.5 Bottom 2.25

Additional Page Margins

Left 0.625 Right 0.625

Top 0.5 Bottom 1

Columns (2-Column Layout)

Column Width 3.5

Between Columns 0.25

Organizational Identification

From From

Left Top

Edge Edge

Laboratory Heading 2.5 0.5

Research and Development 2.5 1

Rule line above

“Research and Development” 3 0.875

Rule line below

“Research and Development” 3 0.0625

Title EPA Logo 0.625 1.5

Environmental Research Brief 2.5 1.5

Rule line below

“Environmental Research Brief” 2.5 2.125

Subtitle Title Centered 2.75

on page

Authors Centered 3.5

on page

Text 0.625 3.825
32

Environmental Research Brief Specifications (continued)

Measurements Are in Inches Unless Noted

Styles Size/Leading Position

in Points

Rule Header 1 Top of second and subsequent

pages

Laboratory Heading 9/10 Flush left

Title 36/38 Bold Flush left, ALL CAPS

Subtitle 14/16 Centered

Authors 11/12 Centered

Body Text 9/10 Justified,

Subhead 1 11/12 Bold Flush left

Subhead 2 11/12 Bold, Italic Flush left

Subhead 3 11/12 Flush left

Subhead 4 11/12 Italic Flush left

Bullet Paragraph (•) 9/10 Bullet: Indent 0.125

Paragraph: Indent 0.25

Hyphen Indent (-) 9/10 Hyphen: Indent 0.25

Paragraph: Indent .375

Reference 9/10 Reference: flush left

Second line: Indent 0.25

Footnote 7/8 Superscript number flush left

Other lines: indent 0.125 and justify

1.5-in. line above footnote

Figure Head 8/9 Bold, Italic Flush left below figure

Figure Callouts 8/9 Italic

Table Head 8/9 Bold, Italic Flush left above table

Tables 8/9 Italic (including footnotes) One hairline rule below column

heads and at end of table

(above footnotes)

Equations 9/10 Flush left; (equation number in

parens, flush right)
33

Brochure Specifications

Measurements Are in Inches Unless Noted

Headings—Initial Caps

Page Dimensions—8.5 x 11 (3 Panels) or 8.5 x 14 (4 Panels)

Panel Margins—Left 0.25, Right 0.25, Top 0.75, Bottom 0.875

Column Width—Not to exceed 3

Font—Helvetica

Cover Panel

Styles Size/Leading Position

in Points

Organizational Identification 8/9

United 0.25 from top of panel, 1 from flush left

Office or Laboratory 1 from top of panel, 1 from flush left

First Rule 1 1.25 from top of panel, 1 from flush left

Technology Transfer 1.25 from top of panel, 1 from flush left

Second Rule 1 1.375 from top of panel, 1 from flush left

Title 18/19 Bold 1.625 from top of panel, 1 from flush left

2.375 from flush left

EPA Logo 18 1.625 from top of panel, 0.25 from flush left

ORD Identifier 2 above bottom of panel

Text Panels

Heading 10/11 Bold Flush left

Text 8/9