BlogPreliminary NBMG Publication Style Guidelines for Authors
NBMG accepts manuscripts for publication from both in-house geologists and outside authors. An author should provide to the NBMG editor or cartographic staff a manuscript and/or map with all pertinent figures and tables referred to in the text. The author should check carefully for correct and consistent use of technical terminology, grammar, spelling, and other style related issues as described in the UGS manual listed below.
Preferred Style Guidelines
In general, NBMG will use the same style guidelines used by the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) and easily accessed in their online Guide for the Preparation of Reports for the Utah Geological Survey (third edition),Utah Geological Survey, 2008. We will follow this document with respect to matters regarding formatting of documents, headings, punctuation, and citation format, with some exceptions. Click here for a list of NBMG exceptions to UGS style.
The Utah manual will be the primary source of style guidelines; if you cannot find the information that you need in UGS, refer to the USGS Suggestions to Authors, seventh edition (STA), referenced below. These are guidelines and not absolute requirements; there is some room for flexibility in style as long as there is internal consistency within the manuscript.
We thank the Utah Geological Survey for generously allowing us to use their style manual with modifications and exceptions for Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology publications.
Additional Resources
USGS Suggestions to Authors, seventh edition (STA) U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. If you cannot find the information that you need in the UGS guide, please refer to this reference. Click here for a list of NBMG exceptions to STA.
Geologic Names Lexicon “GEOLEX.” This is an online database provided by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, Association of American State Geologists, and U.S. Geological Survey. It contains a listing of all formal lithostratigraphic unit names in the United States as they are used in publications. The names of formal lithostratigraphic units are capitalized; the names of informal units are not. When in doubt, authors should consult this resource. Click here for a summary of NBMG exceptions to GEOLEX.
Formal Lithostratigraphic Units Occurring in Nevada. As a convenience to authors of NBMG publications, all of the formal lithostratigraphic units recognized in Nevada have been excerpted from the GEOLEX database and are listed alphabetically.
Divisions of Geologic Time—Major Chronostratigraphic and Geochronologic Units by U.S. Geological Survey, updated version released July 10, 2010.
Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). This database lists the formal geographic names currently accepted by NBMG.
STATEMAP. For authors submitting geologic map products funded under the USGS STATEMAP proposal, please see applicable guidelines in section D on page two STATEMAP (USGS).
Glossary of Geology (fifth edition)American Geological Institute, 2005. You can access an online version through the DeLaMare Library which also has a wide variety of other geology-related information.
Geological Society of America online style guide for authors of publications provides clear examples of citation formats. This information is provided only for the use of authors preparing publications for outside journals, as NBMG does not strictly follow the GSA format. Click here for a summary of NBMG exceptions to the GSA style guide.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.You may also access this dictionary through UNR’s Knowledge Center website
Chicago Manual of Style Online (16th edition) (CMOS). You may also access CMOS through UNR’s Knowledge Center website
EndNote Web. This is a tool that can be used to collect, organize, format, and share reference citations. You can select specific references and export them in the format of your choice, including one that is similar to the UGS format preferred by NBMG.
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