The American Institute of Physics (AIP) Style Manual virtually *mandates* "metric" units, which can be interpreted to include cgs units. The AIP consists of most American scientific societies as members. My edition of the AIP manual is many years old. Later editions may specify SI, I'm not sure. That's worth a Web search. Bill, Bill, or Jim, do you know?
---- Original message ---- >Date: Mon, 16 Jun 2008 22:55:43 -0700 >From: "Bill Potts" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Subject: [USMA:41144] RE: Associated Press Style Guide is working against us. >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> > > Not quite true, Brian. > > AP style is followed by AP correspondents and some > (or most, perhaps) newspapers and magazines (by > default, especially where AP is the source of the > story). However, most books adhere to the Chicago > Manual of Style. > > Of course, AP style can be superimposed on Chicago > Style, with AP Style taking precedence where there > is a conflict. Not many book publishers (almost > none, in fact, as far as I know) indulge in such > superimposition. When I edit a manuscript, I use > Chicago Style. > > The AP Stylebook is not solely about style. Its full > title is The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing > on Media Law. > > There are other styles for other purposes, and they > include APA (American Psychological Association) > Style and MLA (Modern Language Association) Style. > Their use is mainly in the academic environment > (term papers, theses, dissertations, etc.). Some > publishers (e.g., McGraw-Hill) have their own style > books. > > The AP Style appears to be the only one to have > anything restrictive to say about the use of SI > units. > > Bill > > ------------------------------------------------ > > Bill Potts > Roseville, CA > http://metric1.org [SI Navigator] > > ------------------------------------------------ > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 21:27 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Cc: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:41141] RE: Associated Press Style > Guide is working against us. > Everyone has. Well, anyone who does publishing > for a living. Certainly, it's time for the AP to > change their guides. > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: [USMA:41140] RE: Associated Press Style > Guide is working > against us. > From: "Carleton MacDonald" > <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Mon, June 16, 2008 9:20 pm > To: "U.S. Metric Association" > <[email protected]> > > Who made the AP the dictator of writing style? > > Carleton > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf > Of Michael Palumbo > Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 18:20 > To: U.S. Metric Association > Subject: [USMA:41135] Associated Press Style > Guide is working against us. > > I met a nice young lady over the weekend who is > a reporter for the > Burlington County Times in southern New Jersey. > She informed me, during > the course of our discussion, that she must > write in English/Customary > units, as metric is not allowed by the AP style > guides. > > I asked if she could send me some text of it, > here's what I just > received from her. > > "Hey Mike, > > This is from the 2007 AP stylebook, you have to > be a member to search > the online version: > > For U.S. members, use metric terms only in > situations where they are > universally accepted forms of measurement (16 mm > film) or where the > metric distance is an important number in > itself: "He vowed to walk 100 > kilometers (62 miles) in a week." > > Seems even if reporters wanted to write in > metric, they couldn't, or > their editors would have to change it to get it > run by the AP. > > Ideas? > > -Mike
