Project:AIC Style Guide

Updated: March 2026

Purpose

This document will serve as the consolidated AIC style guide for all publications and post-prints including JAIC, Postprints, Newsletters, E-Publications, and Wiki. The goals are to ensure consistency across all AIC publications, clarify citation styles for authors, and foster greater engagement with these publications.

Introduction

What is a Style Guide?

Style guides include a wide range of rules and guidelines for works in their respective fields, from citations and grammar and language use to the font and size of headings in a work. Generally, style manuals include everything a writer needs to know in order to make their work look and read just like every other work written in that style — the look of the page, the way other authors are referenced in the body of the work, and even the tone of the writing. (from: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/avoiding_plagiarism/guide_overview%20.html)

Who should use this Style Guide?

Anyone who is writing for an AIC and FAIC publication should rely on the style guides listed here. Readers can also use the style guide to understand why and how documents are shaped. This helps create a common language for our publications, which are authored by many people with varied expertise.

What is an Authority?

An authority is an agreed upon resource that we use to answer questions about style, grammar, and definitions. We selected one style guide (Chicago Manual of Style) and Webster’s dictionaries to base our guides on, adding information that may apply only to our industry.

Statement about Chicago Style: AIC’s publications use the Chicago Manual of Style (currently 17th edition) as the basis for our communications. In places where our industry has specific terms or unique spellings or usage, please see the Grammar and Technical Terms section.

AIC Publications and Platforms

AIC print and web publications each have slightly different style requirements, which recognize differences in audience, formality, technology and platform. All AIC publications utilize the Chicago Manual of Style and the JAIC Style Guide as the basis for grammar questions, references and citations. Taylor and Francis (JAIC’s publisher) also has a useful guide.

These pages outline the various style guidelines and note exceptions where relevant

[To be written: This should be a general style guide, with exceptions listed above?]

This document does not include blog posts, Specialty Group and Network newsletters. See the Volunteer Leadership Handbook and AIC Communications Guide for more information about publications that are not covered in this document.

While we refer to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMS), some of our platforms have their own styles that may be more or less formal and may not require references, for example. See the list below and each section will contain a summary and brief list of deviations from CMS for each.

• AIC Style overall
• Postprints
  • Different SG styles for Postprints
• Annual Meeting Abstracts
• Journal of the American Institute for Conservation (JAIC)
  • JAIC Research and Treatment articles
  • JAIC Book reviews
  • JAIC Essays
  • JAIC Short Contributions
• AIC News Style
  • Committee Reports/articles
  • Lead articles
  • New Materials Research, and Resources
  • Network/SG columns
  • Obituaries
• Wiki Style
• Website Style
• STASHc/STiCH
  • Article format

Publication Management & Oversight

Publication	Content Oversight	Primary Contact
JAIC	JAIC Editorial Committee	Carmina Lamare-Bertrand
AIC News	AIC News Editor	Lisa Goldberg
Postprints	Specialty Group or General Session Publications Chair	See volunteer leadership list
Wiki	AIC e-Editor	Rachael Arenstein
Website	AIC Staff	info@culturalheritage.org
STASHc	AIC e-Editor	Rachael Arenstein
STiCH	FAIC	Sarah Nunberg

Article Structure & Components

Publications including JAIC articles, AIC News lead article and research-based articles, postprint articles, and books and book chapters follow publication specific formats and include components such as word count limits, images, captions, and tables.

Formal Structure & Components

Publication	Word limit	Images	Captions	Tables
JAIC	Flexible: 8,000-10,000 for Research Articles; 4,000-6,000 for Rapid Communications or Case Reports; 800-4,000 for Book Reviews	Allowed; except for Book Reviews	Required; except for Book Reviews	Allowed; except for Book Reviews
AIC News	Column dependent (see AIC News guideline document)	JPEG; 250 dpi; max of 1 image per 500 words.	Required	Allowed
Postprints	SG dependent	SG dependent	Required	Allowed
Wiki	None	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed
Website	None (but brevity is)	Allowed	Not supported	Allowed
STASHc	None	Allowed	Required	Allowed
STiCH	None	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed

• Most wiki articles do not use this structure in full, but some elements may be included in some wiki article templates.
• A JAIC Research Article will have all of these sections, but others might not; exceptions include JAIC review articles, ethics and standards discussions book reviews (see scope), extended abstracts in postprints.
• Specialty Group Postprints are organized using format and component structures designed by each group; front matter and other style issues are consistent for all groups. See: [To be completed]
• STASHc uses a specific article template; articles can be submitted via the online form or as a word document that follows template guidelines. The template can be found on the STASHc website.
• STiCH - [To be completed]

Authorship

• Taylor & Francis guide to authorship
• AIC’s Guide to Authorship for Annual Meeting Presentations & Posters (also in Spanish/Arabic)
• ORCiD: Authors can register themselves for an ORCiD - https://orcid.org: “ORCID, which stands for Open Researcher and Contributor ID, is a free, unique, persistent identifier (PID) for individuals to use as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities.” It’s similar to DOI but applies to the author, not the article.
• CRediT statement - Taylor & Francis Guide and JAIC Guide (Under Authorship)
• Use of AI in writing (link)

Author ORCID details

• Anyone can register for a free ORCID at https://orcid.org/
• “ORCID provides a persistent digital identifier (an ORCID iD) that you own and control, and that distinguishes you from every other researcher. You can connect your iD with your professional information — affiliations, grants, publications, peer review, and more. You can use your iD to share your information with other systems, ensuring you get recognition for all your contributions, saving you time and hassle, and reducing the risk of errors.”
• ORCIDs are especially helpful if you have a common name.
• Add this number to your articles.

Chart on Authorship

This chart shows which publications require specific information about authorship and disclosure of author resources. More information is available on the Taylor & Francis page on Defining authorship in your research paper

Publication	Acknowledgments	Disclosure statement	Funding	Contributor List	Author ORCID details	Author Biographies	CRediT
JAIC	Yes	Include	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
AIC News	Yes	no	Yes	Yes	No	No	Optional
Postprints	Yes	SG dependent	Include	Yes	Yes	Yes	Optional
Wiki	No	Depends on material	Include	Yes	No	Develop own author page	No
Website	Not allowed	Not allowed	Depends on material	Depends on material	Depends on material	No	No

Abstracts

This chart outlines which publications/platforms require abstracts

Publication	Abstract Length	Abstract Translation(s)	Keywords
JAIC	200 words max	French, Spanish, and Portuguese	Exactly 8 are required
AIC News	N/A	N/A	N/A
Postprints	SG dependent	SG dependent	SG dependent
Wiki	N/A	N/A	Category and Semantic Tags
Website	N/A
STASHc	The “Purpose” section of the article template functions as the abstract. Flexible length approx. 100 words	N/A	Encouraged
STiCH

Body

• JAIC Research Articles: JAIC author guidelines. Text should have: Introduction, Body (methods, research if applicable), Conclusion, although structure may vary depending on topic.
  • JAIC Research Article sections should have headers; JAIC prefers numbering in addition to headers
• AIC News: Insert AIC News column guidelines for column styles and word count limits.
• Postprints: See Best Practices documents (2012)
• Wiki: Wiki page content is often edited by a group, with a lead or coordinator managing edits.
• Website: Changes to the website are the purview of AIC/FAIC staff. Content can be provided or recommended by volunteers (related to group or committee information) or members. (Suggested changes can be submitted to staff liaisons or via contact form.
• STASHc: Link to Template on the website [TBD]
• STiCH: TBD

Publication	Photographic images	Figures (graphs, diagrams and illustrations)	Tables	Lists	Captions
JAIC	Allowed(10 - 20 Images)	Allowed	Allowed; Must be formatted as text not as an image file	Allowed	All images, figures and tables require a caption to describe the content. References and credits should be included in the caption.
AIC News	Allowed; Number dependent on column	Allowed;Number dependent on column	Allowed;Number dependent on column	At discretion of editor and production staff	All images, figures and tables require a caption to describe the content. References and credits should be included in the caption.
Postprints	Discretion of SG	Discretion of SG	Discretion of SG	Discretion of SG	See Best Practices (2012) document
Wiki	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	References and credit lines should be included in the caption as needed. Format caption using wiki code.
Website	Allowed, per staff	Depends on content requirements, per staff, requires metadata and/or alt text	Allowed, must be formatted within the web page, not an image	Allowed, must be text to be formatted within the web page, per staff	Must be supplied for image submissions but may not be included on the page
STASHc	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	Allowed	All images, figures and tables require a caption to describe the content. References and credits should be included in the caption. Images will be included at the discretion of the editors.
STiCH

Captions

All figures, tables, photographic images, and illustrations should include a caption to describe the contents of the image/chart. Include references and credits within the caption.

Accessibility

For all electronic publications (i.e. AIC website, AIC wiki, STASHc, STiCH) all figures, photographic images, and illustrations must include alt text to describe the contents of the image, including any text and findings, for use by screen readers and other assistive devices. The alt text should not repeat the information included in the captions. This applies to anything presented in an image file. “A decorative image” or “stock image of people” can be used, but images that contribute to the understanding of the material should be described more fully. To find resources on accessibility, visit https://www.section508.gov/. For the AIC wiki - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Accessibility/Alternative_text_for_images

Wiki Content Guidelines pages

OSG - https://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Objects_Wiki_Content_Guides
WAG - https://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Wooden_Artifacts_Wiki_Content_Guides
Health & Safety - https://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Health_%26_Safety:_Guide_Template

Article Endmatter Section in order of placement

Below is JAIC’s guide which lists all possible endmatter materials. This can be adapted for other publications.

Sources of materials

Include manufacturers or distributors of equipment that is specific to your research/results. Also specify the model or other details of materials and equipment that are key to reproducing the technique, method, or results.

• Include equipment (microscope, slides, etc.) and materials (chemicals, fabrics, adhesive, surfactant, brand, batch number, formula) if they are not commonly produced, interchanged, or available
• Include manufacturer and contact details
• Example:

Acetic acid, Acetone, Chalk, Ethanol, Primal AC-33, Powder pigment, Sodium hydroxide (pellets), White spirit – D40

Blick Art

Mostowa 28 Street, 87–100 Toruń, Poland

Source: https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2021.1907673

Jerome 431-X Mercury sensor

Field Environmental Instructions, Inc.

301 Brushton Ave, Suite A, Pittsburgh, PA 15221 USA

Tel: 1-800-393-4009 https://www.fieldenvironmental.com/equipment-rentals/air-rentals/air-quality/gas-mercury-helium-hydrogen-analyzers/jerome-431-x-mercury-vapor-analyzer.html

Source: https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2022.2097810

Chart on Usage of Sources of Materials

Publication	Equipment	Manufacturer and Contact info
JAIC	Include, see above	Include, see above
AIC News	If necessary, include in box	If necessary, include in box
Postprints	Allowed - Depends on SG	Allowed - Depends on SG
Wiki	Include as needed, see above	Include as needed, see above
Website	Not allowed	Not allowed

Notes/endnotes

JAIC allows a maximum of 3 (not to be confused with reference lists)

• The number of endnotes allotted per article is limited because most information should be kept within the text of the article so the reader can easily get the information without having to move back and forth. Use of intext/inline references is encouraged.
• Most information should be captured in the text, reference section, or acknowledgements.

Example:
The Cooperstown Graduate Programs consisted of the Museum Studies and the American Folk Culture Programs from inception in 1964 through 1970 when Art Conservation joined as the third program. The programs were affiliated with the New York State Historical Association and with the SUNY College at Oneonta which awarded Masters level degrees to graduates of the Programs. In 1983 the Conservation Program was brought under the aegis of SUNY Buffalo State, leaving the Cooperstown Graduate Program group administratively. In 1987 the conservation program was physically transferred to the Buffalo campus. The American Folk Culture Program closed in 1979 and the Museum Studies Program continues to this day.
Source: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01971360.2023.2237785Since the visual inspection was made by the author where only the front was visible, a 3D model of the Di Carlo statue has been made available online.

(https://www.europeana.eu/et/item/281/PM_ABR_ 3D_0009). Source: https://doi.org/10.1080/01971360.2023.2219935

Chart on Usage of Endnotes and Footnotes

Publication	Endnotes	Footnotes
JAIC	3 allowed	Not allowed
AIC News	Not allowed	Discouraged
Postprints	Allowed - Depends on SG	Allowed - Depends on SG
Wiki	Use Mediawiki reference coding	Not supported
Website	Not allowed	Not allowed

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements provide appropriate recognition to all contributors

• See authorship statements and articles
• Include people and institutions that supported the work but did not materially contribute to the text, research, or imagery (those should be co-authors).
• This may include mentors, people or organizations that provided space or materials, colleagues who encouraged your work, draft readers, etc.

Disclosure statement

• List any possible conflicts of interest, such as funding that may have influenced the subject, materials used, methods, etc.
• “A conflict of interest can also be known as ‘competing interest.’ A conflict of interest can occur when you, or your employer, or sponsor have a financial, commercial, legal, or professional relationship with other organizations, or with the people working with them, that could influence your research.” T&F
• List possible personal conflicts or cultural conflicts that may have impacted your research, if not included in the text of the article.
• Example: A pigment company donated materials for your research.

Funding

• List grants, granting agencies/organizations, and/or grant numbers if applicable.

Notes on contributors (author biographies)

• Keep short at 1-2 paragraphs.
• Include current role/title, organization, degrees, and past experience.
• Include contact details.

References

• See the references section; AIC uses the Chicago Manual of Style as the basis for references. See the section on Citations, References, Bibliography and Further Reading for additional information.

Further reading

• Include material that was not cited directly in the article but could help inform the reader about the topic generally or if there are deep dives that could be sparked by your work.
• Provide this list styled in the same format as the reference section.

Appendices

• Included in the print article but at the end, past the references section.
• This can be templates, tables, formula, etc., that are too lengthy to place in the running text or body but will be of use to the reader.

Supplemental Information

• Posted online for the journal; it’s not included in the article but can be linked.
• Citations for supplemental data should appear as a footnote on the first page
• Supplemental information can be:
  • Datasets
  • Video and audio, including video figures (example) (example)
  • Infographics and 3D models
  • Handbooks, guides, templates
  • More

Data availability statement

"A data availability statement (also sometimes called a ‘data access statement’) tells the reader where the research data associated with a paper is available, and under what conditions the data can be accessed. They also include links (where applicable) to the data set. (Taylor and Francis website, link below)." This statement provides readers with a way to access entire datasets when they are too large to be included in a published work.

https://authorservices.taylorandfrancis.com/data-sharing/share-your-data/data-availability-statements/

Chart on References, Further Reading, Supplemental Information

Publication	References	Further Reading	Appendices	Supplemental Information	Data Availability
JAIC	Yes	Optional	Optional	Optional	Make datasets public if possible
AIC News	Discouraged	Encouraged	No	Use box format	Use box format
Postprints	Yes	Optional	Optional	Optional	Make datasets public if possible
Wiki	Yes	Yes	No (separate pages)	Yes (optional)	Possible to include or refer to datasets
Website	No	No	No	No	No

Style (Grammar / Technical Terms)

This section of AIC's style guide includes all style conventions that authors will use to guide word use and grammar. Please refer to the Style (Grammar / Technical Terms) resource to guide your use of:

• capitalization
• hyphenation
• spelling
• italics
• specific technical terms

Citations, References, Bibliography and Further Reading

Why Cite?

“It is essential to give proper attribution to sources quoted or otherwise used in your work. Using a source without giving credit to the author is plagiarism. In addition to appropriate citation of resources that you use in your research, you should also be mindful of any copyright restrictions that might affect how you can use the materials in your work.”

If you are quoting or referring to another author, publication, presentation, or conversation in your writing/presentation, you need to give credit to that person’s contribution. This can take the form of a formal reference and citation, whether in-text or in a references section, based on the publication or platform you are using. This also includes any images, tables, and figures - not just words.

What is a Reference?

Any reference or citation will include specific parts, including author(s), date of publication, title, publisher, and other information that allows a reader to find the source. A formal reference or citation includes the following:

• Author(s) - any authors who contributed to a work. See CRediT statement section

Publication Date - the date recorded for the release of a work in a journal or by a publishing house. When citing websites, the date of access is often used.

• Title - the official title of a work. For journals, book chapters, and other compiled works, the style will include both the title of the individual work and the title of the larger body. See examples at:

Publisher - the company that produced a work will be included as a “publisher.”

• URL - the location of the file, resources, or publication on the internet. The link should be active at the time of publication. If the resource is a webpage, then an access date must be included to indicate when the information was accessed, in case content changes after publication.
• DOI numbers - A DOI is a permanent internet-based address for a given publication or article. The number must be assigned through a registrar, then the organization that hosts the articles and works must keep the URL updated with that registrar if the URLs change. JAIC articles have DOIs assigned and maintained by Taylor & Francis.

When Do You Apply a Reference?

Anytime author(s) quote or refer, or use ideas attributed to another author, publication, presentation, or conversation,they need to give credit to that person’s contribution.

Where Do You Apply a Reference?

References can be applied inline/intext or at the end, in a variety of formats:

• Inline/In-text citations - acknowledge the source of the information, generally (Author, date) used in text in a parenthetical format following a quote or paraphrase.
• Endnotes - generally not accepted in AIC publications; however when used, a maximum of three are allowed and they appear in the order in which they are listed. Footnotes are not accepted in AIC publications.
• References - a list of sources directly cited in a work, listed in alphabetical order at the end of a work if manually created. On the AIC wiki, use of the citation coding autogenerates a References section in order of appearance.
• Bibliography - is a list of all the sources consulted, alphabetical by author. It can include sources that are not directly cited in the work. Bibliographic lists can be annotated.
• Further reading - lists additional sources not cited in the article or page. This list can help the reader further engage in the topic.

How Do You Apply a Reference?

References are applied in several ways, depending on where they are added to the text:

For intext/inline references:
Documentation: Author-Date System, where “[i]nstead of note numbers and notes, this system uses parenthetical references in the text that correspond directly to a list of sources at the end of the work.” https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/book/ed18/part3/ch13/psec002.html

For Endnotes, Reference lists, Bibliographies, and Further Reading
Reference Style Guides and Examples:

• Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed., http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/
• See also Purdue Online Writing Lab (free access), Chicago Manual of Style 17th Edition - Purdue OWL, University of Pennsylvania (free access) Style Guides and Citation Manuals,

Taylor & Francis Guide for References, https://files.taylorandfrancis.com/tf_ChicagoAD.pdf

Chart on Use of References

Publication	References required	Reference Style	Application
JAIC	Required	See style guide	Inline/intext and Reference list
AIC News	Not required	See style guide	Encouraged:Inline/intext, Further Reading list Discouraged: Endnotes, References
Postprints	Depends on group	See style guide	Inline/intext and Reference list
Wiki	Not required	Adapted	Not required; author(s) preference
Website	No	No	None

Examples of Reference Formats

Examples of how References are formatted for a variety of publications including Archives, Books, Journals, Podcasts, Websites, Blogs, Online Communities, etc. are available on the Project:AIC Style Guide (Citations, References, Bibliography and Further Reading) page.