Long Term Resource Monitoring Program

Program Report

95-P003

Guide for

Preparation of Reports

for the Upper Mississippi River System

Long Term Resource Monitoring Program

This PDF file may appear different from the printed report

because of slight variations incurred by electronic transmission.

The substance of the report remains unchanged.

March 1995
Guide for Preparation of Reports

for the Upper Mississippi River System

Long Term Resource Monitoring Program

by 

Terry D'Erchia

National Biological Service

Environmental Management Technical Center

Onalaska, Wisconsin 54650

and

Mi Ae H. F. Lipe

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse

March 1995
The Environmental Management Technical Center issues LTRMP Program Reports to provide

Long Term Resource Monitoring Program partners with programmatic documentation, procedures

manuals, training manuals, and geospatial applications.

National Biological Service

Environmental Management

Technical Center

CENTER DIRECTOR

Robert L. Delaney

SCIENCE ADVISOR

John W. Barko

INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY

SERVICES DIRECTOR

Norman W. Hildrum

REPORT EDITOR

Terry D'Erchia

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

use by the National Biological Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

The National Biological Service . . . gathering, analyzing,

and sharing the biological information necessary to support the wise

stewardship of the Nation's natural resources.

 Printed on recycled paper 
iii

Preface

The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) was authorized under the Water

Resources Development Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-662) as an element of the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers' Environmental Management Program. The LTRMP is being implemented by the

Environmental Management Technical Center, an office of the National Biological Service, in

cooperation with the five Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota,

Missouri, and Wisconsin, with guidance and Program responsibility provided by the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers. The UMRS encompasses the commercially navigable reaches of the Upper Mississippi

River, as well as the Illinois River and navigable portions of the Kaskaskia, Black, St. Croix, and

Minnesota Rivers.

The mission of the LTRMP is to provide decision makers with information to maintain the UMRS

as a sustainable large river ecosystem given its multiple-use character. The long-term goals of the

Program are to understand the system, determine resource trends and impacts, develop management

alternatives, manage information, and develop useful products.

This guide was prepared under Strategy 4.4.1, Develop an Information Sharing Process, Task

4.4.1.1, Develop, Edit, Publish, and Distribute Long Term Resource Monitoring Program

Information, as specified in Goal 4 of the LTRMP Operating Plan (USFWS 1992).

This report should be cited as:

D'Erchia, T., and M. H. F. Lipe. 1995. Guide for preparation of reports for the Upper Mississippi

River System Long Term Resource Monitoring Program. National Biological Service,

Environmental Management Technical Center, Onalaska, Wisconsin, March 1995. LTRMP 95-

P003. 9 pp. + Appendixes A-G
v

Contents

Page

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . iii

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Procedures for Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Draft Format Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Organization and Content of LTRMP Reports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Front Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Title Page ............................................................ 2

Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Main Text . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Back Matter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Tables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Figures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Appendixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Report Documentation Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Text Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Headings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Punctuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Commas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Semicolons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Parentheses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Brackets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Apostrophes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Quotation Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Hyphens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Names and Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Capitalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Geographical Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Scientific Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Trade Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Symbols and Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Temperature and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Weights and Measures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Prefixes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Statistical Symbols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Problem Words and Phrases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
vi

Affect and Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Historic and Historical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Its and It's . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

One Word or Two? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Principal and Principle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Unusual Plurals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Sexism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

For More Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Select Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Appendix A

Proofreading Marks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

Appendix B

Sample Title Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

Appendix C

Sample Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Appendix D

Reference Styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . D-1

Appendix E

Sample Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . E-1

Appendix F

Sample Figure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F-1

Appendix G

Suggested Style Guides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G-1
Guide for Preparation of Reports

for the Upper Mississippi River System

Long Term Resource Monitoring Program

By Terry D'Erchia and Mi Ae H. F. Lipe

Introduction

The purpose of this guide is to assist authors in

preparing reports for the Upper Mississippi River

System Long Term Resource Monitoring Program

(LTRMP). Four series of reports are produced for the

LTRMP: Technical, Special, Program, and Reprints.

Technical Reports have an EMTC staff member as the

first author. Reports authored by contract or field station

staff are published as LTRMP Special Reports.

Programmatic reports (Annual Work Plan, Operating

Plan), Annual Status Reports, Geospatial Applications,

User's Manuals, and Procedures Manuals are designated

as Program Reports. To provide LTRMP participants

with easy access to documentation of LTRMP-related

studies, reports previously published in other

professional outlets are reprinted in the LTRMP Reprint

series.

Procedures for Review

Submit one hardcopy and a disk copy of your report

to the Environmental Management Technical Center

(EMTC) Project Leader. Technical and subject review

by EMTC staff and specialists outside the EMTC will

follow.

All LTRMP reports are reviewed by the Center

Director, the Science Advisor, the Information and

Technology Services Division Director, the Project

Leader, and the Report Editor.

All Program Reports which deal with programmatic

issues (e.g., Operating Plan, Annual Work Plan) are

reviewed by the Analysis Team prior to publication.

User's Manuals and Geospatial Applications are

reviewed externally at the Project Leader's discretion.

All Special Reports are reviewed externally at the

Project Leader's discretion.

All Technical Reports are reviewed by a minimum of

two external reviewers, as specified by the Project

Leader.

Your edited manuscript will be returned with

reviewer comments and instructions for revision.

Questions regarding these instructions should be

addressed to the Project Leader. The proofreading

marks used by EMTC technical editors are included as

Appendix A.

The final report is routed to the author, the Project

Leader, the Information and Technology Services

Division Director, the Science Advisor, and the Center

Director for publication approval and distribution

instructions.

Draft Format Conventions

If possible, use WordPerfect (5.0 or later).

Double-space entire document except tables. Italics are

preferred over underlining for scientific names, secondand fourth-order headings, and variables and lettered

constants in mathematics and statistics. Never use full

caps, except for acronyms. Avoid beginning a sentence

with an acronym, abbreviation, symbol, or number.

Graphics

If your text includes graphics created with software

other than WordPerfect, please provide the graphics files

(PostScript preferred) on a separate disk and indicate the

software used to create the graphics.

Authors are not required to convert graphics to

WordPerfect. Please submit a hardcopy of all graphics

and an electronic copy for the file. The hardcopy will be

the printer's copy. If graphics are on stand-alone pages,

they may be inserted in the text after first mention or

grouped at the end of the report, according to the author's

preference. If there are many graphics, we recommend

that they be grouped at the end of the report; it can be

distracting to page through several graphics before

returning to text. However, the author's preference is the

deciding factor for graphics placement.
2

Organization and Content

of LTRMP Reports

A report consists of three major sections: the front

matter, the main text, and the back matter. Each of these

major sections should be comprised of subsections in the

following order (some subsections will be unnecessary

in some reports):

Front Matter

Title Page

The title page (Appendix B) includes the report title

(length should be kept to a dozen words or less),

author(s), name and address of performing

organization(s), EMTC address, and date of publication.

Preface

The preface (Appendix C) is provided by the Project

Leader. The preface provides the authorization and

mission statements of the LTRMP and links your report

to the Program. A suggested citation for the report is

also given in the Preface.

Contents

The Contents section lists the exact headings and

page numbers of all front matter, all first-, second-, and

third-order headings in the text, and all back matter.

A list of tables and a list of figures, including the

number, the title as it appears in the report, and the page

number where the table or figure appears is included in

the Contents section.

Main Text

A one-paragraph abstract (up to 200 words) must be

provided by the author, as well as five key words or

phrases. The main text typically consists of the

following first-order headings: Introduction, Materials

and Methods, Results and Discussion, and

Recommendations. Other headings may be more 

suitable for your report. Appropriate subheadings

(second-, third-, and fourth-order headings) may be used.

Back Matter

Back matter includes the acknowledgments,

references, glossary, appendixes, and report

documentation page.

Tables and figures, if considered disruptive to the

flow of text, may be included as back matter, before the

appendixes (if any).

Acknowledgments (optional)

Acknowledge only those who directly contributed to

the project, research, or the manuscript's quality. Do not

acknowledge Information Transfer and Media Services

group members.

References

References should be listed in alphabetical order. Do

not number references.

List only published works actually cited in the text.

See Appendix D for reference format. Personal

communications and unpublished data should be cited

parenthetically in the text, noting initials, surname, and

affiliation (R. L. Delaney, National Biological Service,

Onalaska, Wisconsin, personal communication) but

should not be included in the references.

Citing sources in the text. Two formats are

acceptable:

Gritters (1992) found fish in the water. Fish have

been found in the water (Gritters 1992).

When using the latter style, do not place a comma

after the source's name; place the period after the

citation.

When there are two authors, cite both (Blodgett and

Spink 1994). When there are three or more authors, cite

only the first one listed plus et al. (Popp et al. 1993).
3

When citing multiple papers by the same author, list

them chronologically and use a comma to separate the

years (Theiling 1992, 1993, 1994).

When citing multiple papers by the same author in

the same year, differentiate among them by adding a

lowercase letter after the date (Conaway 1991a, 1991b,

1991c).

When citing more than one reference, list them

chronologically, separated by semicolons (Rogers 1991;

Langrehr 1992).

Glossary (optional)

Use a glossary to provide an easy reference for

acronyms and/or to explain technical terms.

Tables (optional)

Tables may be inserted in the text if desired. Number

all tables and mention them sequentially in the text. The

table title should appear above the table, in bold type.

Capitalize only the first word of the table title. Do not

use a period after the table title unless it is a complete

sentence. Each table should stand alone; provide a key

explaining all nonstandard symbols and abbreviations.

For portrait tables, the left, right, top, and bottom

margins should be 1 inch, the same as for text.

For landscape tables, left and right margins should be

1-1/2 inches; top and bottom margins should be 1 inch.

Labels for tables should be in boldface, and the first

letter of the first word should be capitalized. When

using numerals, use a comma to separate numbers

greater than 1,000. See Appendix E for sample table.

Figures (optional)

Figures may be inserted in the text if desired.

Number all figures and mention them sequentially in the

text. The figure caption should appear below the figure,

in bold type. Capitalize only the first word of the

caption and proper nouns or adjectives. Do not use a 

period after the figure caption unless it is a complete

sentence. Each figure should stand alone; provide a key

explaining all nonstandard symbols and abbreviations.

For portrait figures, the left, right, top, and bottom

margins should be 1 inch, the same as for text.

For landscape figures, left and right margins should

be 1-1/2 inches; top and bottom margins should be

1 inch.

Labels for figures should be in boldface, and the first

letter of the first word should be capitalized. When

using numerals, use a comma to separate numbers

greater than 1,000. See Appendix F for sample figure.

Appendixes (optional)

Appendixes are designated by capital letters

(Appendix A, Appendix B). Tables and/or figures

within appendixes are designated with the appendix

letter and a hyphen preceding the number (Table A-1,

Table A-2; Figure A-1, Figure A-2). Appendix page

numbers follow the same format (A-1, A-2, B-1, B-2).

Report Documentation Page (Abstract)

All LTRMP reports are registered with the National

Technical Information Service (NTIS). Your abstract

(200 words or less) and five key words will appear on

the NTIS documentation form.

Text Conventions

Headings

Each section of your report should be preceded by a

heading. Leave two blank lines before first-, second-,

and third-order headings. Use the following heading

styles (after Opler 1991). The Information Transfer and

Media Services group will convert your text to these

fonts and styles.

First-Order Heading

(Initial Caps, Centered, Bold)
4

Second-Order Heading

(Initial Caps, Centered, Italics)

Third-Order Heading

(Initial Caps, Flush Left, Bold)

Fourth-order heading. (Upper- and lower-case,

tabbed in three spaces, italics) Punctuate with a period

and continue text.

Punctuation

The following is not meant to be a comprehensive

guide to punctuation; some of the more common

problems, examples, solutions, and exceptions for

writers are listed here. For more complete information,

please refer to The Chicago Manual of Style (1993) or

other style guides as appropriate (see Appendix G for a

listing of useful style guides).

Periods

Vertical series lists. In an enumerated vertical

series list, do not use periods if the series items are not

complete sentences:

The principal functions of the District Water

Control Centers are as follows:

1. Hydrologic data collection

2. Inter- and intra-agency data exchange

3. Water control decision making and project

regulation for authorized purposes

But do use periods if the series items are individual,

complete sentences:

The following processing steps were taken to

make the photo-interpreted data compatible with

the Landsat data:

1. The Landsat data were subset to create

ERDAS files which covered the same areas as

the high-resolution data.

2. The Landsat data were then converted to a

GRID format file using the ARC command

ERDASGRID.

3. The boundary coordinate values of the

Landsat GRID file were used during 

rasterization of the photo-interpreted data to

ensure that the two files have the same pixel

size.

If the listing contains a combination of fragments and

complete sentences, use a period after each item.

With units of measure. Periods are not used after

abbreviated units of measure (ft, yr, mi).

They are used after some Latin abbreviations (e.g.,

i.e., ibid.).

And they are used after abbreviated Latin genus

names (P. nigromaculatus for Pomoxis

nigromaculatus).

Commas

In addresses. Use commas to set off individual

elements in addresses:

The Upper Mississippi River System includes the

Mississippi River upstream of the mouth of the

Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois, to Minneapolis,

Minnesota.

In a series. Use a comma before the conjunction

connecting the last two elements in a series of three or

more:

Each structure has a unique set of hydrologic,

legal, engineering, and administrative conditions

which impose constraints on river regulation.

Semicolons

In a series. A semicolon may be used to separate

items in a series if commas exist within these items or if

other punctuation is present that might otherwise make

the use of commas confusing.

The discharges range, control point location, and

water level for the three ranges are as follows: 0

to 91,000 cfs, Dam 15 headwater, river mile 483.0,

elevation 561.0 ft; 91,000 to 97,000 cfs, Dam 14

tailwater, river mile 493.2, elevation 564.8 ft;

97,000 to 131,000 cfs, Dam 15 headwater, river

mile 483.0, elevation 560.5 ft; and 131,000 to

138,000 cfs, Dam 14 tailwater, river mile 493.2,

elevation 566.7 ft.
5

Parentheses

Reference citations. Use parentheses to enclose

citations of references, tables, and figures in text:

Young fish extensively use aquatic macrophytes in

swamps (Paller 1987), lakes (Conrow et al. 1990),

and rivers (Scott and Nielsen 1989).

Freshwater drum were incompletely sampled at

stations in Pools 8 and 14 during 1989 (Fig. 9);

therefore, the size range of larvae used in

estimation of length-based growth and mortality

was restricted to reduce the error associated with

this bias (Table 5).

In numbering items in lists. Use parentheses in

pairs when numbering items in lists within running text:

These procedures include (1) mosaicking,

(2) projection, and (3) atmospheric correction.

The process of assigning map coordinates to a

digital image is accomplished in three steps:

(1) locating ground control points, (2) computing

the transformation matrix, and (3) creating an

output image file in the new coordinate system.

Punctuation with parentheses. Place punctuation

outside the parentheses if the enclosed material is not the

entire sentence itself:

Samples were collected every 3 weeks from late

May through mid-August (five sampling dates).

When the tailwater at Lock and Dam 8 is at 623 ft

(corresponding to a river discharge of 30,000 cfs),

there are approximately 97,000 cfs days or

962,000 acre-feet of water in the pool.

Complete, stand-alone sentences may be styled as

follows:

The backwater elevations shown in Figure 4 are

water surface elevations for the main channel.

(Water surface elevations in off-channel areas can

be different than in the adjacent main channel.)

The backwater elevations shown in Figure 4 are

water surface elevations for the main channel 

(water surface elevations in off-channel areas can

be different than in the adjacent main channel).

Brackets

Used within parentheses, brackets show secondary

parenthetical information:

(Along with inflow to Pool 9, the stage at the

control point [primary or secondary] must be

considered by the regulating engineer.)

Apostrophes

The possessive of a plural noun ending in s is

indicated by adding an apostrophe alone: the systems'

hydraulic characteristics.

The possessive of closely linked proper names is

indicated by adding an apostrophe and s to the last name

only: Einsten and Planck's law.

According to The Chicago Manual of Style (1993),

when forming the possessive of a name that ends with a

z sound, treat it as a plural: Williams', Hopkins',

Dickens'. However, the possessive of a name ending in

an s sound is treated as a singular: Harris's, Thomas's,

Travis's.

Quotation Marks

With quoted matter. Quotation marks are used to

set off direct quotes not by the author, both spoken and

written. Note that the period goes inside the end

quotation marks in the following sentence:

As noted in para. 21, subpara. c of this manual,

even in single-purpose projects, operations "must

be tuned to produce the benefits for

environmental and social power."

A question mark goes outside the end quotation mark

if it is not part of the quote. Colons and semicolons

always go outside the quotation marks.

Using double and single quotation marks.

Double quotation marks enclose primary quotations and

single quotation marks enclose quoted matter within a

quotation:
6

Wilcox noted in Engineering Manual 1110-2-3600,

"even in single-purpose projects, operations ‘must

be tuned to produce the benefits for

environmental and social power’."

Hyphens

With a unit modifier. Use a hyphen between a

number and its unit of measure when it is used as a unit

modifier: 15-g sample, 24-h period, 15-mm larvae.

With ly adverb endings. Do not use a hyphen after

an adverb ending in ly: newly sown plot, previously

known factors, carefully managed area. 

With a unit modifier longer than two words. Use

a hyphen with multiple-word unit modifiers: easy-tolearn software, up-to-date tracking experiment.

With a unit modifier with a proper name. Do not

use a hyphen in a unit modifier if one of the elements is

a proper name: Bayesian maximum likelihood

classifier, Melvin Price Locks and Dam tainter gates.

With a self-compound. Hyphenate all self- compounds: self-consistent, self-discharge.

Suspended hyphens. A suspended hyphen is used

when a noun has two or more unit modifiers that are all

linked by the same element: 10-, 20-, and 30-mm thick.

Names and Terms

Capitalization

Federal. Federal should be capitalized when

referring specifically to the U.S. Government and if used

as a part of a proper name or as a proper adjective:

Federal Government, Federal levees, Federal

employee.

Global Positioning System. This term is a proper

noun when it refers to the U.S. Government's

constellation of satellites; it is then known as the Global

Positioning System (GPS).

Plural proper nouns. Capitalize the plural form of

a common noun which is capitalized as part of a proper

noun:

Transect measurements were used to determine

spatial dye dispersion in Lower Peterson and

Schmoker's Lakes.

Directional names. Directional names (east,

eastern, west, western, north, northern, south, southern)

are capitalized if they are part of a definite region or

locality: West Coast, Middle East, Western

Hemisphere.

But they are not capitalized if they are merely

describing or indicating a geographic region: The west

side of the pool is bordered by Allamakee County,

Iowa.

The same is true for upper and lower; capitalize when

they are part of the area's proper name but not when they

refer to a general area:

Dye concentrations dropped dramatically in the upper

end of Lower Peterson Lake.

Geographical Names

United States. When United States is used as an

adjective, abbreviate it with periods:

This project was funded by the U.S. Government.

When United States is used as a noun, spell it out:

This project was conducted in the United States.

Scientific Names

Capitalization. Common names of plants and

animals are lowercased except when they include proper

names, such as Mississippi silvery minnow.

Italicization. Genus and species names are italicized,

both in lists and in running text: larval Lepomis spp.,

Pomoxis nigromaculatus.

Abbreviation. After its first use, a genus name may

be abbreviated:
7

We combined larval Lepomis spp. (primarily L.

macrochirus).

Trade Names

When it is necessary to use trade names, include the

manufacturer, city, and state in parentheses after first

mention.

Commonly used trade names:

General Oceanics flow meter (General Oceanics, Inc.,

Miami, FL)

Hach Model 16800 portable turbidmeter (Hach

Company, Loveland, CO)

Hydrolab Model 4041 (Hydrolab Corporation, Austin,

TX)

LI-1000 DataLogger (LI-COR, Inc., Lincoln, NE)

LI-190SA quantum sensor (LI-COR, Inc., Lincoln, NE)

LI-192SA underwater quantum sensor (LI-COR, Inc.,

Lincoln, NE)

Lowrance Depth Meter (Lowrance Electronics, Tulsa,

OK)

Magellan Global Positioning System (Magellan Systems

Corporation, Monrovia, CA)

Marsh-McBirney Model 210D current meter (MarshMcBirney, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD)

Ponar Grab Dredge (Wildlife Supply Company,

Saginaw, MI)

YSI model 57 dissolved oxygen meter (Yellow Springs

Instrument Company, Inc., Yellow Springs, OH)

Numbers

The following guidelines for numeral usage are based

on the USGPO Style Manual (1984).

Spell out one-digit numbers except where used with

units of measure (six boats; 6 mm). Use numerals for

numbers of two or more digits (4.5; 250). Spell out

numbers that begin sentences.

Use numerals with standard units of measure (5 mm,

10 km), time (5 h, 12 yr, 5 min), dates (June 1956; June

23, 1963), money ($3.50, 75 cents, $5 million), page

designations (page 568, page 6), decimals (0.25 cm, 3.6

g), percentage (25%, 12 percentage points), clock time

(9 o'clock), mathematical expressions (a factor of 3, 25

divided by 5), proportions (ratio of 1 to 5, 1:10 scale), 

abbreviations that are not units of measure (Vol. 1, Ch.

1), and age (7 years old, the 7-year-old, at age 2).

• Leave a space between the numeral and the unit

of measure.

• Spell out units that follow a spelled-out number.

• Place a zero before the decimal point for fractions

smaller than one (0.25).

• Use a comma with numerals larger than three

digits (1,000; 736,000).

• Use the number 1 key for one; do not use the

letter l key.

Symbols and Abbreviations

Temperature and Time

When using the degree mark, bump to capital letters,

not against figures (e.g., 20 °C). Spell out month and

week. Abbreviate a.m. and p.m. using lower-case letters

separated by periods.

hour h

minute min

year yr

Dates

Date format. Include commas after the day and year

in a sentence if the date is month-day-year sequence. Do

not abbreviate month names.

Construction and subsequent operation of Lock

and Dam 9 was authorized by Congress on July 3,

1930, as part of the Mississippi River 9-Foot

Channel Project.

Temperatures were substantially lower in the

northern bays than in the main body of Third

Lake on September 6 and 20, 1991.

If the sequence is month-year, then no internal

punctuation is used:

During ice formation from late October through

November 1991, temperatures in Third Lake

fluctuated.

Spell out to when the word from precedes the first of

two related figures or expressions.
8

Spell out and when the word between precedes the

first of two related figures or expressions.

Weights and Measures

Commonly used units are abbreviated below.

Singular and plural are the same.

acre (spell out)

acre-foot (spell out)

centimeter cm

cubic feet per second cfs

foot ft

gallon gal

gram g

hectare (spell out)

inch (spell out)

kilogram kg

kilometer km

kilowatt kW

liter L

meter m

mile mi

milliliter mL

ounce oz

pound lb

quart qt

ton (spell out)

watt W

yard yd

Prefixes

centi c

deci d

kilo k

mega M

micro :

milli m

Statistical Symbols (CBE 1983)

total number of individuals or variates n, N

arithmetic mean of the sample 6x mean of the population μ

standard deviation of the sample SD

standard deviation of the population F

sample variance s

2

variance of the population F2

coefficient of variation C.V.

standard error of mean of sample SE

statistical datum derived in Student's t test t

statistical datum derived in the chi-square test x2

probability of wrongfully rejecting the null

 hypothesis (level of significance) P

regression coefficient of population $

coefficient of correlation, sample r

coefficient of multiple correlation R

variance ratio F

Problem Words and Phrases

Affect and Effect

One affects others and feels the effects of something.

Affect is always a verb (except for one use as a noun in

psychology). Its synonyms include, among others:

sway, influence, impress, stir, and move. Effect is most

often a noun. Its synonyms include consequence and

result. As a verb, effect means to bring about.

Historic and Historical

Historic refers to something that is resolved,

influential, or history-making (the historic space walk).

Historical means concerned with or contained in history

(the historical data on water quality).

Its and It's

Its is the possessive of it; it's is a contraction of it is.

One Word or Two?

chi-square login

database logon

dataset offline

decision maker online

download riprap

floodplain riverbank

groundtruth threeridge

hoop net watermilfoil

land cover wing dam

land use workstation

LI-COR Datalogger wildcelery
9

Principal and Principle

Principle is only a noun (the principles of ecosystem

management). Principal is an adjective and a noun, but

is primarily used as an adjective (the principal species

collected; the school principal).

Unusual Plurals (USGPO 1988)

addendum addenda

analysis analyses

appendix appendixes

memorandum memorandums

symposium symposia

Use a small s to designate the plural form of

acronyms; no apostrophe is needed: HREPs

Sexism

Do not use man as a generic term. Instead, use

people, someone, anyone, human being, person (Miller

and Swift 1988). Mankind is easily replaced with

humankind or humans. Where manned is commonly

used as a verb, use staffed (the site will be staffed by four

biologists) or operated (the boat was operated by three

DNR staff members). Manpower = staff ("They do not

have enough staff."). Replace man-hour with workhour. Man made = manufactured, constructed, synthetic,

artificial (the artificial lake). Chairman is best replaced

by chair.

For More Information

Contact one of the EMTC Report Editors (608/783-

7550, extensions 65, 68, or 69) regarding editorial

questions or problems not covered here. Call extension

66 if you have WordPerfect questions.

References

CBE Style Manual Committee. 1983. CBE Style

Manual: A guide for authors, editors, and publishers

in the biological sciences. Fifth edition, revised and

expanded. Council of Biology Editors, Inc.,

Bethesda, Maryland. 324 pp.

Miller, C., and K. Swift. 1988. The handbook of

nonsexist writing. Second edition. Harper and Row,

New York. 174 pp.

Opler, P. A. 1991. Research and development series:

Guide for contributors. U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, Office of Information Transfer, Fort Collins,

Colorado. 8 pp.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). 1992.

Operating Plan for the Upper Mississippi River

System Long Term Resource Monitoring Program.

Environmental Management Technical Center,

Onalaska, Wisconsin, Revised September 1993.

EMTC 91-P002. 179 pp. (NTIS #PB94-160199)

U.S. Government Printing Office (USGPO). 1984.

United States Government Printing Office style

manual. Washington, D.C. 479 pp.

Select Bibliography

Burnett, R. 1990. Technical communication.

Wadsworth Publishing, Belmont, California.

Eschmeyer, P. H. 1990. Usage and style in fishery

manuscripts. Pages 1-25 in J. Hunter, editor.

Writing for fishery journals. American Fisheries

Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Rubens, P. 1992. Science and technical writing: A

manual of style. Henry Holt and Company, New

York. 513 pp.

Shaw, H. 1975. Dictionary of problem words and

expressions. McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York. 262 pp.

The Chicago Manual of Style. 1993. Fourteenth

edition. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago

and London. 921 pp.

The New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style

and Usage. 1994. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.,

New York. 838 pp.

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 1993. Guide for

preparation of Waterways Experiment Station

Technical Information Reports. Vicksburg,

Mississippi. 125 pp.
A-1

Appendix A

Proofreading Marks
B-1

Appendix B

Sample Title Page

Summary of Water Quality Characteristics

at Selected Sites in Navigation Pool 4

of the Mississippi River

January through December 1993

by 

Robert M. Burdis

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Mississippi Monitoring Station

1801 South Oak Street

Lake City, Minnesota 55041

Prepared for

National Biological Service

Environmental Management Technical Center

575 Lester Avenue

Onalaska, Wisconsin 54650

Project Leader: Dave Soballe

June 1994
B-2

Sample Reverse Side

The opinions and conclusions in LTRMP Special Reports are those of the author(s) and do not

necessarily reflect those of the National Biological Service, Environmental Management Technical

Center.

National Biological Service

Environmental Management

Technical Center

CENTER DIRECTOR

Robert L. Delaney

SCIENCE ADVISOR

John W. Barko

INFORMATION AND TECHNOLOGY

SERVICES DIRECTOR

Norman W. Hildrum

REPORT EDITOR

Madelon M. Wise

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

use by the National Biological Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

The National Biological Service . . . gathering, analyzing,

and sharing the biological information necessary to support the wise

stewardship of the Nation's natural resources.

 Printed on recycled paper 
C-1

Appendix C

Sample Preface

The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) was authorized under the Water

Resources Development Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-662) as an element of the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers' Environmental Management Program. The LTRMP is being implemented by the

Environmental Management Technical Center, an office of the National Biological Service, in

cooperation with the five Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota,

Missouri, and Wisconsin, with guidance and Program responsibility provided by the U.S. Army Corps

of Engineers. The UMRS encompasses the commercially navigable reaches of the Upper Mississippi

River, as well as the Illinois River and navigable portions of the Kaskaskia, Black, St. Croix, and

Minnesota Rivers.

The mission of the LTRMP is to provide decision makers with information to maintain the

UMRS as a sustainable large river ecosystem given its multiple-use character. The long-term goals

of the Program are to understand the system, determine resource trends and impacts, develop

management alternatives, manage information, and develop useful products.

The strategy to produce a low-resolution systemic spatial land cover/land use data base is

included in the LTRMP Operating Plan (USFWS 1992) as Strategy 2.2.4, Monitor and Evaluate

Aquatic and Terrestrial Vegetation. This report was developed with funding provided by the Long

Term Resource Monitoring Program.

Additional copies of this report may be obtained from the National Technical Information

Service, 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, Virginia 22161 (800/553-6847).

This report should be cited as:

Laustrup, M. S., and C. D. Lowenberg. 1994. Land cover/land use for the Upper Mississippi River

System derived from Landsat Thematic Mapper satellite data. National Biological Service,

Environmental Management Technical Center, Onalaska, Wisconsin, February 1994. LTRMP

94-T001. 103 pp.
D-1

Appendix D

Reference Styles

Journal Article

James, W. F., W. D. Taylor, and J. W. Barko. 1992. Production and vertical migration of Ceratium hirundinella in

relation to phosphorus availability in Eau Galle Reservoir, Wisconsin. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic

Sciences 49:694-700.

Gatto, L. W., and W. W. Doe III. 1987. Bank conditions and erosion along selected reservoirs. Environmental

Geology and Water Sciences 9(3):143-154.

Pages in Book or Proceedings

Adams, J. R. 1992. Sediment concentration changes caused by barge tows. Pages 677-682 in M. Jennings and N. G.

Bhowmik, editors. Proceedings of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Hydraulic Engineering Sessions at

Water Forum '92, Baltimore, Maryland, August 2-6, 1992.

Gutreuter, S. 1987. Considerations for estimation and interpretation of annual growth rates. Pages 115-126 in R. C.

Summerfelt and G. E. Hall, editors. Age and growth of fish. Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa.

Thesis

Rogers, S. 1987. The flora of Eau Claire County. M.S. Thesis, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. 120 pp.

Book

Eggers, S. D., and D. M. Reed. 1987. Wetland plants and plant communities of Minnesota and Wisconsin. U.S. Army

Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, St. Paul, Minnesota. 201 pp.

Green, R. H. 1979. Sampling design and statistical methods for environmental biologists. John Wiley and Sons, New

York. 257 pp.

Reports/Other Publications

Knox, J. C., P. J. Bartlein, K. K. Hirschboek, and R. J. Muckenhirn. 1975. Response of floods and sediment yields to

climatic variation and land use in the Upper Mississippi Valley. Institute for Environmental Studies, Report 52.

University of Wisconsin-Madison. 76 pp.

Mason, C., W. Grogg, and S. Wheeler. 1983. Shoreline erosion study: Pleasure Island, Texas. U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, Galveston, Texas. A138653.
D-2

Agency as Author

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 1992. Information management plan. Environmental Management Technical Center,

Onalaska, Wisconsin. EMTC 91-08. 39 pp.

Unpublished References

Pitlo, J., A. Van Vooren, and J. Rasmussen. 1995. Distribution and abundance of Upper Mississippi River fishes.

Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee, Fish Technical Section. 27 pp. (in press)

Tucker, J. K., D. W. Soergel, and J. B. Hatcher. Flood associated activities of some reptiles and amphibians at Carlyle

Lake, Fayette County, Illinois. Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science. (in press)

Other Media

Mississippi River Commission. 1895. Survey of the Mississippi River, 1:20,000-scale maps.

University of Minnesota, St. Anthony Falls Hydraulic Laboratory. 1961. Sedimentation due to waves and density flows.

One 339-foot reel, 10 minutes, Kodachrome, silent.

U.S. Geological Survey. 1974. Red Wing, Minnesota, 7-1/2-minute quadrangle map.
E-1

Appendix E

Sample Table

Table 1. Tree and sapling mortality rates in seven river reaches of the Upper Mississippi River System

River reach

Trees Saplings

Mortality (%) Sample size Mortality (%) Sample size

Pool 4 1.1 369 1.8 223

Pool 8 1.7 482 7.2 377

Pool 13 3.8 738 9.2 476

Pool 17 18.1 1,144 47.8 778

Pool 22 20.1 529 72.0 436

Pool 26 37.2 712 80.1 694

Open river 32.7 590 77.2 545
F-1

Appendix F

Sample Figure

Figure 2. Long Term Resource Monitoring Program study reaches: Pools 4, 8, 13, and 26 of the Mississippi

 River and La Grange Pool of the Illinois River 
G-1

Appendix G

Suggested Style Guides

CBE Style Manual Committee. 1983. CBE style manual: A guide for authors, editors, and publishers in the biological

sciences. Fifth edition, revised and expanded. Council of Biology Editors, Inc., Bethesda, Maryland. 324 pp.

Eschmeyer, P. H. 1990. Usage and style in fishery manuscripts. Pages 1-25 in J. Hunter, editor. Writing for fishery

journals. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, Maryland.

Miller, C., and K. Swift. 1988. The handbook of nonsexist writing. Second edition. Harper and Row, New York. 174

pp.

Rubens, P. 1992. Science and technical writing: A manual of style. Henry Holt and Company, New York. 513 pp.

Shaw, H. 1975. Dictionary of problem words and expressions. McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York. 262 pp.

Strunk, W., Jr., and E. B. White. 1979. The elements of style. Third edition. Macmillan Publishing Company, Inc.,

New York. 92 pp.

The Chicago Manual of Style. 1993. Fourteenth edition. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.

921 pp.

The New York Public Library Writer's Guide to Style and Usage. 1994. HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., New York.

838 pp.

U.S. Government Printing Office (USGPO). 1984. United States Government Printing Office style manual.

Washington, D.C. 479 pp.

Webster's New Geographical Dictionary. 1988. Merriam-Webster Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts. 1,376 pp.
The Long Term Resource Monitoring Program (LTRMP) for the Upper

Mississippi River System was authorized under the Water Resources

Development Act of 1986 as an element of the Environmental Management

Program. The mission of the LTRMP is to provide river managers with

information to maintain the Upper Mississippi River System as a sustainable

large river ecosystem given its multiple-use character. The LTRMP is a

cooperative effort by the National Biological Service, the U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers, and the States of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin.