Writing style guide for the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai

Introduction

The purpose of this style guide is to ensure consistency across all written materials being produced for the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai (DOC).

Last updated: September 2024

It includes information ranging from punctuation and grammar tips through to technical guidance on scientific names, place names and referencing styles. An alphabetical list of words and phrases commonly used by DOC is also provided.

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It’s important that everything we produce is written clearly and in an inclusive way so that everyone can understand what we’re saying and to meet our obligations under the Plain Language Act 2022.

This section provides some tips on how to do this well.

Write clearly and use simple language

Be considerate of your reader:

Don’t use five words if one will do.
Write in complete sentences, with a maximum of about 25 words per sentence.
Use familiar, everyday words, not jargon or buzz words.
Use the active voice wherever possible – for example, ‘the team investigated X’, not ‘X was investigated by the team’.
Use personal pronouns such as ‘we’ and ‘you’, except in formal text such as reports (but also see Take care when using our).
Avoid using complex constructions, such as double negatives (not unlikely) and dense strings of nouns or nouns and modifiers. Simple sentences are clearer.
Be careful with titles and table names – for example, instead of saying ‘Post-implementation assessment request’, try ‘We’d like your feedback’.

Use gender-inclusive language

Avoid using gender-specific terms. For example, use ‘police officer’ rather than ‘policeman’, ‘workforce’ rather than ‘workmen’, ‘artificial’ rather than ‘manmade’, ‘staff the phones’ rather than ‘man the phones’.

To avoid using a gendered pronoun (he/she), you can:

use a gender-free pronoun (for example, you or they)
leave the pronoun out altogether.

Further information about using inclusive language for Rainbow communities can be found in the Public Service Commission’s Rainbow inclusive language guide.

Write with one voice for ‘one DOC’

It’s important that we present ourselves as ‘one DOC’ when writing for an external audience.

To achieve this, make sure that the tone, messaging and voice are consistent, even where multiple people have been involved in the writing process.

Also, try to avoid referencing different teams and units within DOC where possible, as many of our readers won’t distinguish between these.

Take care when using ‘our’

Substituting ‘the Department of Conservation’ with ‘our’ makes our materials more inviting, more engaging and easier to read. So as long as it’s clear who ‘our’ is referring to, we encourage you to use it (for example, our staff, our policies).

However, we need to be careful about doing this in relation to things that aren’t owned by DOC, else there’s a risk that readers will think we’re saying DOC owns a particular asset.

Therefore, in general, it’s best to avoid saying things like:

our native species
our forests
our country.

Avoid using ‘please’

In general, we try to avoid adding ‘please’ to our instructions, partly to simplify the text and partly to make it clear where things are a requirement rather than a request.

For example, rather than saying:

Please stay on the track

we’d say:

Stay on the track

Of course, there will always be exceptions where ‘please’ is more appropriate, but as a general rule, avoid using it.

Additional resources

Additional guidance on writing for the web can be found in the New Zealand Government Web Standards.

Use te reo Māori where possible

At DOC, we promote the use of te reo Māori wherever possible. Since Māori is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s official languages, it should not be italicised when used alongside other roman text.

Define less familiar terms

It’s important that our materials are accessible to the intended audience, so less familiar terms should always be defined.

Some Māori words and phrases are so widely known that they can generally be used without definition for New Zealand audiences. Examples of these include:

aroha
hangi
hapū
hui
iwi
karakia
koha
mahi
marae
nau mai, haere mai
tangi
taonga
waka
whānau.

Remember though that a lot of the materials we produce, particularly signage, will also be read by international visitors who are unfamiliar with te reo Māori.

Providing a lot of definitions can make the text difficult to read. Therefore, where possible, it’s a good idea to clarify the meaning by simply providing additional information. For example:

A rāhui on fishing has been put in place in Hawke's Bay due to the considerable impact Cyclone Gabrielle has had on the region's waterways. This restriction will allow the spawning grounds of a number of native fish species, including whitebait, to recover.

If you need to define Māori terms in the text, place the definition in brackets to give more prominence to te reo. For example:

Whānau, hapū and iwi have strong connections with their whenua (land), awa (rivers) and moana (sea) and as kaitiaki (guardians) have a strong interest in the management and wellbeing of the natural world.

When a lot of terms need to be defined, consider including a glossary instead.

Include macrons where appropriate

We include tohutō (macrons) to mark long vowels in Māori words, where appropriate. There can be regional differences in spelling and macron use that may be appropriate to use in regional materials (for example, mount/mountain is usually maunga, but mounga is used in the Taranaki region).

The online Māori Dictionary Te Aka is a useful starting point for finding out which words should contain macrons.

The following links may also be useful:

Māori Macron Restoration Service as a useful starting point when you need to check a lot of words.
LINZ Gazetteer to check macron use in Māori place names.
Directory of Iwi and Māori organisations to find out basic information about iwi, hapū and marae.

Additional notes

Plurals in Māori do not end in ‘s’ – for example, one tūī, many tūī, tūī are beautiful birds (not tūīs).
Māori terms do not take the possessive form – for example, birds of Aotearoa (not Aotearoa’s birds).
Avoid putting ‘the’ alongside ‘Te’ unless the te reo text is modified by additional words in English – for example:

The implementation plan for Te Mana o Te Taiao / the Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy was launched on 20 April 2022.

Or:

The Te Mana o Te Taiao / Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy implementation plan was launched on 20 April 2022.

But not:

The implementation plan for the Te Mana o Te Taiao / Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy was launched on 20 April 2022.

The ‘Te’ in ‘Te Tiriti o Waitangi’ is always capitalised, including when abbreviated to ‘Te Tiriti’.

Use official names wherever possible

Under the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) Act 2008, we are legally obliged to use official place names in our publications. Be aware that Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) settlements (for example, Ngāi Tahu and Te Arawa Lakes settlements) have resulted in dual English/Māori place names and place names with macrons. Resources are available to help find these names:

A full list of legal place names can be found in the LINZ Gazetteer.
Additional guidance on original Māori place names in the South Island can be found in the Ngāi Tahu Atlas, Kā Huru Manu.

The full official place name should be used on first mention wherever possible. However, it is acceptable to abbreviate the name or use an alternative name in all subsequent references to that place.

Acknowledge dual names

Always present dual names on first mention. However, where these are particularly long, it is acceptable to use only the English or Māori name on subsequent mentions. Where a place is better known by an alternative name locally, it is also acceptable to use that name as long as the official name is also provided in the first instance – for example, Manokīwai (Lake Monowai).

Treat unofficial names as official names

We treat unofficial names that are recorded by LINZ but have not yet been through an assessment process as the official names. However, there is more flexibility to use alternative local names in these instances. If LINZ gives more than one option or does not list a particular name, you will need to make a judgement as to which name is most appropriate to use.

Additional notes

Words such as ‘valley’ and ‘stream’ are lower case unless they are part of an official name.
Like many other government departments, we use ‘Aotearoa New Zealand’ in our materials where appropriate to promote the use of te reo.
Where space is limited:
- Great Barrier Island (Aotea Island) can be abbreviated to Great Barrier Island / Aotea
- Westland National Park/Tai Poutini National Park can be abbreviated to Westland Tai Poutini National Park.

Use the best-known name

Many species have ‘common’ names by which they’re known by the general public. There’s no single right way to refer to a species by its common name but, in general, it’s best to use the most widely known name.

If both the English and Māori names are relatively well known, it’s a good idea to present both on first mention and then use the most commonly used name thereafter. Where possible, present the Māori name first to promote the use of te reo and separate the two names with a solidus to give them equal weighting. For example:

pīwakawaka/fantail – both names are commonly used, so use either or continue to use both
tūī – the alternate English name (parson bird) is little used now, so don’t include this, even in the first instance
Hector’s dolphin – the Māori name (tutumairekurai) isn’t widely known, so only refer to this if it’s appropriate for the audience.

Where there is no common name, the scientific name needs to be used (see Include scientific names where appropriate to avoid confusion).

A list of some of the English and Māori plant and animal names that are commonly encountered at DOC is provided in Appendix 2

Note: While we try to be consistent across all DOC materials (for example, reports, brochures, website, signs), the most important thing is to ensure that names are used consistently within each.

English naming conventions

Common names aren’t capitalised unless they include a proper noun – for example, Buller’s mollymawk, Hector’s dolphin.
Where a scientific name is being used as a common name, it should not be capitalised or italicised – for example, coprosmas, hebes, lindavia.
Some Māori names apply to several species (for example, pekapeka applies to all bats), so if you need to distinguish the species, also include the English name.

Māori naming conventions

Plurals in Māori don’t end in ‘s’ – for example, one tūī, many tūī, tūī are beautiful birds.
There is no possessive in Māori – for example, it’s Māui dolphin, not Māui’s dolphin.
Ensure that you use macrons correctly – a tūī is a bird, while tui means to be arm-in-arm or a string on which things can be threaded.

Useful links

New Zealand Birds Online
New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
Biota of New Zealand
New Zealand Threat Classification System database
Te Aka Māori Dictionary
Ngāi Tahu taonga species list
New Zealand Legislation website (for other species lists resulting from Treaty settlements)

Include scientific names where appropriate to avoid confusion

Every living thing that has been formally described will have been given a scientific (Latin) name. Unlike common names, which can be the same across multiple species, each scientific name is unique to a particular species and also shows its relationship to other species. Furthermore, scientific names are recognised globally, whereas common names can vary between regions.

Scientific names should be included in all science and technical publications to avoid any possible confusion about which species is being referred to. Your discretion can be used for more general writing, based on the target audience and the number of species being referred to.

If you’re including scientific names, it’s important that you follow these general rules (note: tokoeka has been used as an example):

Higher taxonomic ranks are capitalised and roman. This includes the:
- domain (for example, Eukaryote)
- kingdom (for example, Animalia)
- phylum (for example, Chordata)
- class (for example, Aves)
- order (for example, Casuariiformes)
- family (for example, Apterygidae).
The genus is italicised and capitalised (for example, Apteryx).
The species is italicised and lower case (for example, australis).
The subspecies and/or variety (plants only) is also italicised and lower case(for example, lawryi).
The cultivar (plants only) is in roman and single inverted commas.
Descriptors or tag names that aren’t part of the formal recognised name are in roman and double inverted commas (for example, “Haast”).

Several terms are commonly abbreviated (none of which are italicised), including:

species – sp. (singular), spp. (plural) (note that these are used where the species is unknown or when referring to a group of species from the same genus)
subspecies – subsp. (singular), subspp. (plural) (the inclusion of this abbreviation before a subspecies name is optional)
variety – var.
forma – f.
affinis – aff.

It’s also acceptable to abbreviate the genus to the first letter followed by a full stop (for example,A. australis), as well as the genus and species where a subspecies is present (for example. A. a. lawryi). However, these should always be written in full on first mention and shouldn’t be abbreviated if another genus/species is presented that begins with the same letter (for example, Apteryx australis and Alectoris chukar).

Be very careful when using varietal, cultivar and informal names, as their inappropriate use can result in a nomen nudum – an invalid published name that creates confusion and has to be dealt with by a subsequent author. If unsure, consult a taxonomist.

Apostrophes

Apostrophes are used to denote:

possession (for example, the cat’s pyjamas)
contractions (for example, don’t, it’s).

Additional notes

Take care when showing the possession for a plural term – for example, for the pyjamas of more than one cat, you would write ‘the cats’ pyjamas’ but for the pyjamas of several people, it would be ‘the people’s pyjamas’.
It’s = it is, whereas its is the possessive (for example Its purpose is to …).
Don’t use apostrophes where they aren’t needed, especially with plurals (for example, CDs not CD’s, 1900s not 1900’s).

Colons and semicolons

Colons and semicolons have different uses:

Colons introduce ideas that follow on from the preceding statement or lists – for example:

The trap caught the following species: possums, rats, mice and stoats.

However, note that where a list runs on from the sentence, there is no need to include a colon – for example:

The trap caught several species, including possums, rats, mice and stoats.

Semicolons separate:
- clauses within a sentence – for example:

The trap caught several species; these included possums, rats, mice and stoats.

Note: don’t use a semicolon between clauses separated by the words ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘for’, ‘yet’ or ‘so’.

- items in complex lists to help the reader recognise discrete pieces of information – for example:

Pests introduced to New Zealand include brushtail possums, which are native to Australia; rats brought on ships from Europe, Australia and the Pacific; and stoats, which were introduced to control rabbit populations.

Note: We generally avoid using semicolons in less formal writing and on the DOC website, instead using a spaced en dash or creating shorter sentences to enhance readability.

Commas

Commas insert pauses in sentences to make them easy to read and give the correct meaning. There is a trend to use fewer commas than in the past to aid on-screen readability, but there are instances where they are essential.

Always use commas:

to enclose words that create a pause in the sentence – for example:

The rain, however, came later in the day.

after introductory clauses – for example:

In spite of the cold winter, there is growing concern about global warming.

to separate non-essential clauses (those which can be removed without changing the meaning of the sentence) from the rest of the sentence – for example:

The rose gardens, which frequently suffer from flooding, will be moved to a site with better drainage.

We tend not to use the Oxford (serial) comma at DOC to minimise punctuation and follow British English conventions. However, it should be used if:

it makes the sentence clearer or more understandable
you’re writing a complex list that includes an ‘and’ or an ‘or’ in one of its components – for example:

This includes mice, rats, and mustelids like ferrets and stoats.

Exclamation marks

Exclamation marks can be useful for highlighting instructions, adding emotion or emphasising key points. However, always use them sparingly!

We tend to avoid using exclamation marks on the DOC website to enhance readability.

We also don’t use them on DOC signs, where they function specifically as a warning symbol.

Hyphens (-), en dashes (–) and em dashes (—)

Hyphens, en dashes and em dashes (also known as en and em rules) have different uses:

Hyphens are used in compound words, particularly when two words are being combined to create an adjective – for example, ‘an at-risk species’ but ‘the species is at risk’; ‘we attended a 3-day course’ but ‘the course ran for 3 days’.

Note: There should never be a hyphen between a number and an abbreviated unit (e.g. 3 km hike, not 3-km hike).

En dashes mean ‘to’ and should be used without spaces (e.g. 2020–2022, Wellington–Hamilton, September–December) unless they link groups of two or more words (e.g. New Plymouth – Maunganui Bluff).

Note: Where the word ‘from’ or ‘between’ is used, you should use ‘to’ or ‘and’, respectively, not an en dash (for example, ‘from 2020 to 2022’, ‘between 2020 and 2022’; not ‘from/between 2020–2022’).

En dashes are also used to link two separate clauses in a sentence in place of a semicolon or em dash (see below). In this instance, there should be a space before and after the en dash – for example:

Actions to address biodiversity loss need to involve everyone in the biodiversity system – whānau, hapū, iwi, Māori organisations, NGOs, central and local government, businesses, organisations, industry, and every individual.

Em dashes are sometimes used to link two separate clauses in a sentence in place of a semicolon. It’s no longer DOC style to use them as the lack of spaces is hard on the eye. Instead, use a spaced en dash or simply split the sentence in two.

To add an en dash use Ctrl + minus on the numeric keypad (Word) or Alt + hyphen (InDesign).

Solidus / forward slash

The solidus (or forward slash) is used to separate two terms of equal weighting. It can be used in place of ‘or’ (for example, and/or) or to separate te reo Māori and English names (for example, whio / blue duck).

Note: We don’t generally use a solidus to separate te reo Māori from its English translation, as the translation is of lesser weight so brackets are more appropriate.

Additional notes about spaces

Generally, no space is added either side of the solidus when it separates single words (for example, tuna/eel, mohua/yellowhead), while a space is added on each side where one or both terms consist of multiple words (for example, pekapeka / long-tailed bat, mangō taniwha / great white shark).

For consistency, we sometimes make exceptions to this rule where there is a list of species with a mixture of single words and multiple words, inserting a space either side of the solidus in all cases.

Note: The solidus does not have a space either side on the DOC website

Quotation marks

At DOC, we use single quotation marks:

around quoted text from another source
around terms being introduced for the first time that need defining or words that are being used in an unusual way – for example:

Orca are sometimes called the ‘wolves of the sea’.

to indicate a category – for example:

There were similar frequencies of ‘unsure’ and ‘no’ responses.

for quotes within direct speech (see below) – for example:

The hunter said, “I thought I saw a deer on the ridge, but my mate said ‘no, it was a goat’, so I didn’t shoot it”.

Use double quotation marks only for:

direct speech – for example:

The hunter said, “I thought I saw a deer on the ridge”.

quotes within quotes – for example:

According to Te Mana o te Taiao, Aotearoa New Zealand is ‘internationally recognised as a biodiversity “hotspot”’.

Additional notes

In general, the punctuation should sit outside the closing quotation mark if it relates to the rest of the sentence and inside the closing quotation mark if it relates to the quote, including when the quote runs to more than one sentence – for example:

According to Te Mana o te Taiao, ‘Biodiversity, or biological diversity, means the variability among living organisms from all sources’.

In Te Mana o te Taiao, tikanga is defined as ‘a custom, practice or correct protocol. It refers to the customary system of values and practices that have developed over time and are deeply embedded in the social context.’

Where the source of the quote directly follows, the punctuation should sit inside the closing quotation mark – for example:

“I trapped 20 mice in 1 night,” local ranger John Smith said.

Only quote short pieces as run-on text. If the quote is more than about 30 words long, it should be presented as a block quotation – offset text that is indented and at a font size 1 point smaller than the rest of the text, with no quotation marks – for example:

According to Te Mana o te Taiao – Aotearoa New Zealand Biodiversity Strategy:

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, means the variability among living organisms from all sources, including land, marine and freshwater ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are a part; this includes diversity within species (including genetic diversity) between species and of ecosystems (based on the definition of the Convention on Biological Diversity).

Always include a source either before or after a quote and, if possible, include a page or section number.
Where a quote ends with a question mark, do not add a full stop after the closing quotation mark to complete the sentence.

Spacing

Use only one space after all punctuation, including between sentences. Software recognises a full stop and automatically leaves a slightly larger space.

Alignment

In general, it’s easier to read left-aligned rather than centred text, so try to use this where possible. However, there may be occasions where centring is appropriate for small blocks of text (for example, posters) or in tables. Also note that decimal point alignment is often used for numbers in tables.

Italics

We use italics for:

the scientific names of genera, species and subspecies
the names of waka, ships, trains and other vehicles.

We also often use italics for:

book titles, journals, newspapers, films, videos, and television and radio series
foreign words or phrases in the text
single letters used as variables in mathematical formulae (for example, weight = w, height = h).

Note: These are not italicised on the DOC website.

Don’t use italics for:

report titles (instead, enclose these in single inverted commas)
link text or webpage titles
quoted text (see Quotation marks)
words from Māori and Pacific languages
variables of two or more letters in mathematical formulae (for example, body mass = BM, diameter at breast height = DBH).

Underlining

Underlining should be reserved for URLs and email addresses.

Use bold and/or italics to emphasise words.

Capitalisation

Avoid using all caps wherever possible, as your reader will find it harder to read.
Use sentence case in all headings and subheadings (that is, capitalise the first letter of the first word only unless the heading includes a proper name) – for example:

Conservation status of birds in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2021

Use capital letters when referring to specific groups, regions and offices (for example, New Zealand Government, Northern North Island Region); otherwise, use lower-case letters.

Note: When referring to DOC as ‘the Department’, a capital ‘D’ should always be used.

Use capital letters when referring to a specific position with a title (for example, Programme Manager) but lower-case letters when referring to multiple people with the same title (for example, programme managers) or a role without a formal title.
Use a capital letter when referring to multiple geographical features, such as rivers, lakes, mountains or islands, by their official names, regardless of whether the generic term comes before or after the names (for example, Lakes Tekapo and Pukaki; the Rangitīkei and Waikato Rivers; the North and South Islands).
Use a lower-case letter when using a proper noun as an adjective (for example, government department).

Exceptions

New Zealand Threat Classification System categories are always capitalised, even when used as adjectives (for example, Nationally Critical species).
Terms such as Crown, Treasury and Parliament are always capitalised, regardless of how they are used (for example, Crown land).
Sometimes it may be appropriate to use capitalisation to assist readers who may be unfamiliar with DOC terminology or to avoid confusion – for example, for terms such as ‘DOC’s Deputy Director-Generals’ or ‘Island Coordinator’. The main thing to remember is that if the decision is made to capitalise these terms and names, this must be done consistently throughout the text.

Colour

When selecting colours to use, consider your audience and how they are likely to use the material you’re producing. If it’s likely to be printed in black and white on an office or home printer, make sure there’s sufficient contrast between the shades to still work. And if it’s being printed in colour, avoid using too much red and green.

Additional notes

To provide emphasis:

DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPS AS IT IS DIFFICULT TO READ AND LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE SHOUTING!

Italics is also hard on the eye for long phrases/sentences, especially online.

It is better to use bold to emphasise important messages.

The more styles you use, the more difficult the text is to read, so try to keep things clean and simple.

Standard abbreviations

Examples of commonly used abbreviations are provided in the table below. A complete list of accepted abbreviations under the International System of Units (SI) can be found in the International System of Units (SI), 2019 edition.

Note: These abbreviations don’t need to be explained on first use.

Examples of commonly used abbreviations:
Term	Abbreviation	Include a space between the number and unit?	Additional notes
millimetre(s)	mm	Yes
centimetre(s)	cm	Yes
metre(s) / square metres	m/m²	Yes
kilometre(s) / square kilometres	km/km²	Yes
hectare(s)	ha	Yes
second(s)	s	Yes
minute(s)	min	Yes
hour(s)	h or hr	Yes	We tend to use hr in visitor and recreation brochures and signs but use h in everything else
kilometres per hour	km/h	Yes
milligram(s)	mg	Yes
gram(s)	g	Yes
kilogram(s)	kg	Yes
millilitre(s)	mL	Yes
litre(s)	L	Yes
kilowatt(s)	kW	Yes
percent	%	No
degrees Centigrade	°C	No
million	m	No	Only abbreviate where space is tight (e.g. tables)
billion	bn	No	Only abbreviate where space is tight (e.g. tables)
circa	c.	Yes	Science and technical reports only
sample size	n		Science and technical reports only
population size	N		Science and technical reports only
probability	P		Science and technical reports only
standard deviation	SD		Science and technical reports only
standard error	SE		Science and technical reports only
not applicable	n/a
note	NB
ante meridiem (before noon)	am	Yes
post meridiem (after noon)	pm	Yes
personal communication	pers. comm.
unpublished data	unpubl. data
Street/Road (specific)	St/Rd	Yes	Only abbreviate where space is tight (e.g. on a map)
Mount/Point	Mt/Pt		Only abbreviate where space is tight (e.g. on a map)
United Kingdom	UK
United States of America (noun)	USA
United States (adjective)	US

The following abbreviations can also be used but should be explained on first mention:
Term	Abbreviation	Should there be a space between the number and unit?	Additional notes
metres above sea level	m a.s.l.	Yes
State Highway	SH	No

Additional notes

Never add ‘s’ to these abbreviations to denote the plural form.
Always include a space between a number and a unit of measurement such as distance or time (for example, 6 min, 5 kg).
Do not use NZ instead of New Zealand (except in social media and currency).

Contractions

The use of contractions (e.g. we’re, don’t, they’re, aren’t) can give the text a friendlier and more approachable tone, making it useful in our informal communications (e.g. social media, DOC website).

However, contractions should be avoided in more formal materials (e.g. factsheets, reports).

E.g., i.e. and etc.

When writing for a general audience, it’s best to avoid using e.g. (meaning ‘for example’), i.e. (meaning ‘that is to say’) and etc. (to indicate that other similar items could also be included) where possible, as some readers (particularly international visitors) may not understand these terms, and screen readers cannot properly read them, which reduces accessibility. Where they are used:

always include a comma before the term
don’t use a comma after the term
include full stops in printed materials (e.g., i.e., etc.) but no punctuation in digital publishing such as web pages and social media (eg, ie, etc)
don’t use both e.g. and etc. in the same clause, as they both indicate that the list isn’t complete.

Acronyms and initialisms

Acronyms are abbreviated words that can be pronounced as words (e.g. NIWA), while initialisms are pronounced as letters (e.g. SPCA). Note that people commonly refer to both as acronyms.

When using acronyms and initialisms:

always spell them out on first use – for example, Natural Heritage Management System (NHMS); the abbreviated form can then be used after that
don’t crowd your text with too many, particularly within one sentence, as it makes it difficult for the reader to follow. Instead, you could describe the item in a different way – for example, ‘the strategy’ in place of ‘the Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Land Management’.

A list of the acronyms and initialisms commonly encountered at DOC can be found in the DOCtionary (available to DOC staff only).

Words versus numerals

Words should generally be used for numbers one to nine inclusive, while numerals should be used for 10 or more (for example, four stoats, 20 trees). Exceptions to this include when:

you’re comparing amounts and one of those amounts is above nine (for example,‘The trap killed 4 stoats and 20 possums’)
the number appears alongside a unit of measure (for example. 2 years, 5 kg) – see Measurements
you’re presenting a percentage (for example, 1%)
the number appears in a table and space is tight
the number appears at the start of a sentence – either spell it out as a word or recast the sentence (although note that it is acceptable to begin a bullet point with a numeral).

Comma use

Include commas between the thousands in numbers over 1,000 to make them easier to read and distinguish numbers from years.

Spaces

There should always be a space between the numeral and unit, except for:

percentages (for example, 100%)
temperatures (for example, 23°C)
gravitational acceleration (for example,1,000g – also note the use of italics to distinguish this from ‘grams’)
currency (for example, $100)
when using the abbreviations for million and billion (for example, 5m people)
when using a hyphen (for example, 5-day walk) – for further information about using hyphens between numbers and units, see Hyphens (-), en dashes (–) and em dashes (—).

Measurements

Numerals should always be used in association with a unit of measurement such as time, length, area, weight and energy, including when using abbreviations and hyphens (for example, 10 km, 5-minute walk).

Percentages

If possible, use the symbol (%) rather than ‘percent’ as it helps the figure stand out. There is no space before the symbol (for example, 15.7% not 15.7 %).

Money

There is no space between the currency symbol and numerals, and commas must be used for values of 1,000 or greater (for example, $1,500). If the unit of currency is being specified, this should appear before the currency symbol without a space (for example, NZ$1,500).

If all the values are whole numbers, do not use decimals. If any of the values are fractions, then all numbers must be reported to two decimal places – for example:

Adult $6, child $3, infants free or Adult $12.00, child $3.50, infants free

NOT: Adult $6, child $3.50, infants free or Adult $6.5, child $3.5, infants free

Dates and time

Numerals should be used in dates and ordered [day, month] or [day, month, year] (for example, 1 January or 1 January 2015). Where possible, spell out the month to avoid confusion between the New Zealand system (dd/mm/yyyy) and the American system (mm/dd/yyyy).
Present centuries as numerals and with a lower-case ‘century’ (for example, 19th century, not nineteenth century, 19^th century or 19th Century).
When using the abbreviations am and pm, there is a space after the numeral. If referring to whole hours, do not include minutes. If any of the times are not on the hour, then all times must show the minutes, with a full stop not a colon between the hour and minute numerals – for example:

Open 8 am to 10 pm or Open 8.00 am to 10.30 pm

NOT: Open 8am to 10:30pm or Open 8 am to 10:30 pm

Avoid using 12 am or 12 pm as it isn’t technically correct and could cause confusion. Instead, use noon / 12 noon and midnight / 12 midnight or, in certain cases, the 24-hour clock (but note that the 24-hour clock is not preferred DOC style).

If using the 24-hour clock, four digits are always used, with no punctuation or spaces between the hours and minutes (for example, 0000 [midnight], 0715 [7.15 am], 1915 [7.15 pm]).
When using ‘o’clock’, there is a space after the numeral (for example, 9 o’clock).

Number/date ranges

Always use en dashes, not hyphens, for number and date ranges (see Hyphens (-), en dashes (–) and em dashes (—)).

As a general rule, the whole number should be included after the en dash (for example, pages 156–157, not 156–7). However, a range of years within a century can be abbreviated if preferred (for example, 1935–99).

In number ranges, there should be no spaces either side of the en dash. In date ranges, use no spaces if the dates are within the same month but include spaces if they span more than 1 month (for example, 1–9 February, 1 February – 13 March, 1 February 2002 – 13 March 2009).

Additional notes

A financial year or season is expressed as 1997/98, while 1997–1998 indicates a span of 2 years.
Be careful when using Roman numerals – for example, the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust is commonly known as the QEII National Trust, not the QE11 National Trust.
Always include a zero before a decimal point (for example, 0.05 not .05)
Always include a space between a > or < symbol and the number that follows (for example, 10 stoats).

Which and that

Which is generally used to introduce a subclause – extra information that, if deleted, does not change the main idea of the sentence. With this usage, it should always be preceded by a comma, with another comma at the end of the subclause, or placed in brackets.

That should never be used to introduce a subclause but is generally used in all other instances. For example:

DOC is a government department that is responsible for conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

DOC, which is a government department, is responsible for conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

DOC (which is a government department) is responsible for conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Additional notes

A subclause does not have to include which but must still be placed within commas or brackets – for example:

DOC, a government department, is responsible for conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

DOC (a government department) is responsible for conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

In British English, which can also be used as part of the main clause – for example:

DOC is a government department which is responsible for conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Affect and effect

In general, affect is a verb, while effect is a noun – for example:

This decision will affect people.

This decision will have an effect.

Additional note

Effect can also be used as a verb – for example, in the phrase ‘effect change’. However, this usage is quite rare.

Dependent and dependant

Dependent means that something relies on something else – for example:

The trip to Matiu/Somes Island is dependent on weather conditions.

A dependant is a person who depends on someone else and often refers to spouses and children.

Principle and principal

Principal means first in rank or importance (e.g. school principal or the principal reason for doing something).

Principle means a fundamental truth or law (e.g. a moral principle).

Historic and historical

People often use historic when they mean historical.

Historic means having importance in history (e.g. a historic battle).

Historical means from/of the past or relating to the past (e.g. a historical document)

Note, however, that the Treaty of Waitangi would be referred to as a historic document.

A and an

When deciding whether to use ‘a’ or ‘an’ before an abbreviation, be guided by how the abbreviation is pronounced (e.g. an LSE student, a NIWA report).

Use ‘an’ before a silent ‘h’ and ‘a’ before an aspirated ‘h’ (e.g. an heir, an hour, an honest politician, an honorary consul, but a hero, a hotel, a historian).

Altitude and elevation

Altitude means the height of an object above the surface of the ground or sea level and is used when referring to something that is above the ground (e.g. a plane).

Elevation means the height of an object above a specific point on the ground (often sea level) and is used when referring to something that is sitting on the ground (e.g. a hut).

Ensure that you distinguish between tables and figures. A table is used to present lists of data arranged in columns and rows; a figure represents information in a graphical form, including charts, diagrams, maps, illustrations and photographs.

Both tables and figures can be used to present complex information in an easy-to-read format. Avoid using both to present the same information – if you need to provide a table to explain a figure, the figure isn’t doing its job.

Here are some tips to ensure that your tables and figures are as easy to read as possible:

Use a sans serif font (Helvetica or Arial).
Don’t crowd the text – use a landscape page orientation to create more space if necessary.
If you’re using colour, don’t overdo it and make sure the contrast is sufficient to work if printed in black and white.
Always name the table or figure clearly, ensuring that the caption describes what is being shown.

Table entries

As with bulleted or numbered lists (see Lists), where any of the entries in a column include more than one sentence, all entries in that column should end with a full stop for consistency, and where all entries are a single word or sentence, no full stop is needed.

The first letter of each entry is usually capitalised. However, the common names of species and glossary terms are often presented in lower case to show how they should be referred to and indicate those that include proper nouns.

Table/figure numbering

Tables and figures are usually numbered to aid cross-referencing, in which case they should be numbered sequentially in the order in which they’re cited in the text. In instances where numbering isn’t needed or appropriate (e.g. in short factsheets, on signs or where there is only one figure/table), they should still include a clear caption to explain what they show.

In-text citations

Where tables and figures are numbered, they should be cited in the text. The citation can appear as part of the sentence or as an aside in parentheses. For example:

There was greater nesting success in areas where rats were trapped, as shown in Fig. 1.

There was greater nesting success in areas where rats were trapped (Fig. 1).

Note that ‘Figure’ is abbreviated in science and technical reports but can be written in full in other materials if preferred.

Table caption styles

Tables should always have the caption sitting above them.

DOC’s style for table captions in science and technical reports is to have a full stop after the number, an em space between the number and caption, and a full stop at the end of the caption. For example:

Table 1. Status of introduced mammals on the Auckland Islands.

There is more flexibility for other materials, including around the use of bold, as long as there is internal consistency in style.

Figure caption styles

Figures should always have the caption sitting below them or off to one side.

DOC’s style for figure captions in science and technical reports is to have ‘Figure’ written in full, followed by the number and a full stop, an em space between the number and caption, and a full stop at the end of the caption. For example:

Figure 1. Limestone areas surveyed in South Canterbury.

Again, there is more flexibility for other materials, including around the use of bold, as long as there is internal consistency in style.

Photo caption styles

While photos can be included as figures and numbered as such, they are often left unlabelled in many of the materials we produce. However, they should ideally have a caption describing what they show and should always appear with a photo credit, presented in italics with no punctuation at the end. For example:

Matukituki valley. Photo: Jean Kenney
Dactylanthus. Photo: Terry C Greene

If the caption needs to be separated from the photo, also indicate which photo it refers to. For example:

Cover: Matukituki valley. Photo: Jean Kenney

Permissions

When using materials (e.g. figures, photographs) taken from somewhere else, always check the copyright status and obtain the necessary permissions to reproduce it. Remember: copyright usually sits with the publisher, not the author.

DOC’s referencing style is based on the Council of Science Editors (CSE) style for referencing. Below, we provide some guidance on how to format the details of references in our materials. Further information on the CSE style can be found in Scientific Style and Format: The CSE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers, and an EndNote style is also available to assist with formatting your references.

In-text citations

Where a large number of resources are cited (e.g. in science and technical reports), we cite the author and year in the text and then include the full publication details in a References section at the end of the report, before any appendices.

In-text citations follow these rules:

If the citation is separate from the sentence, the author(s) and year should be placed in brackets – for example:

The conservation statuses of birds in Aotearoa New Zealand are listed in Conservation status of birds in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2021 (Robertson et al. 2021).

If the citation appears as part of the sentence, only the year should be in brackets – for example:

The conservation statuses of birds in Aotearoa New Zealand are listed in Robertson et al. (2021).

Where publications have two authors, both names are cited, linked by ‘and’ (e.g. Smith and Jones 1996).
Where publications have three or more authors, the first author’s name is cited followed by ‘et al.’ (e.g. Smith et al. 1996).
Where multiple citations with the same author(s) are provided alongside each other, separate the years with commas (e.g. Doe 1996a, 1996b, 1998).
Where multiple citations with different authors are provided alongside each other, order them chronologically and then alphabetically, separated by semicolons (e.g. Doe 1996; Smith and Jones 1996; Smith et al. 2021).
Where multiple citations with the same first author and year but different co-authors are provided alongside each other, cite the surname of the first author and as many co-authors as necessary to distinguish the references followed by et al. (e.g. Smith, Jones, et al. 2021; Smith, Young, et al. 2021).

Citing personal communications

Information that has been supplied privately by another individual is cited in the text as a ‘personal communication’. All personal communications should include the name of the individual who provided the information, as well as their affiliation and the date of the correspondence where possible – for example:

In a conversation on 17 October 2022, William Smith said …

Mr E Jones supported the theory in a letter dated 21 May 2021.

I understand that elements of the original theory are under investigation (ED Paulsen, pers. comm., 20 April 2020).

Additional notes

Where the author is unknown, cite the first few words of the title followed by an ellipsis in place of the author (e.g. Principle N.Z. earthquakes … 1960).
Where the year is unknown, insert ‘date unknown’ in square brackets after the author’s name (e.g. Smith [date unknown]).
You cannot have a personal communication from one of the authors of a report. This should be cited as a personal observation (abbreviated ‘pers. obs.’) or unpublished data (abbreviated unpubl. data).

Citing unpublished data

There is sometimes the need to reference the findings of research that has not yet been published. This is cited as unpublished data – for example:

Colour-band resightings also confirm that some adult godwits occur in eastern Australia during their southward migration (OSNZ, unpubl. data).

Reference lists and bibliographies

Reference lists should include only those resources that were cited in the material, whereas bibliographies should list additional resources that informed the content but aren’t directly cited.

In both cases, the resources should be ordered alphabetically by authors’ surnames and presented at the end of the material before any appendices. Where publications have the same author(s), order them by year. And where they have the same author(s) and year, order by title (ignoring ‘a’, ‘an’ and ‘the’ at the start) and distinguish them by adding a letter after the year.

Journal articles

O’Donnell CFJ, Christie JE, Hitchmough RA, Lloyd B, Parsons S. 2010. The conservation status of New Zealand bats, 2009. New Zealand Journal of Zoology. 37:297–311.

Note: We spell out the journal name in full.

Series and reports

Du Fresne S. 2010. Distribution of Maui’s dolphin (Cephalorhynchus hectori maui): 2000–2009. Wellington: Department of Conservation. DOC Research & Development Series 322.

Ho M, Berthelsen A, Clark D. 2023. Blue carbon habitats in the Otago Region. Prepared for Otago Regional Council. Nelson: Cawthron Institute. Cawthron Report No. 3963.

Books

Heather B, Robertson H. 2000. The field guide to the birds of New Zealand. Revised edition. Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd.

Authored chapters/articles in books

Smith RE. 1990. Fishing in the Antarctic. In: Yamamoto GO, Yates L, editors. World fisheries. London: Chapman & Hall; p. 25–35.

PhD theses

Matthew C. 1992. A study of seasonal root and tiller dynamics in swards of perennial ryegrass [dissertation]. Palmerston North: Massey University.

Master’s theses

Fraser RJ. 1998. Historical tsunami database for New Zealand [master’s thesis]. Hamilton: University of Waikato.

Online materials

Vance A. 2021. This is how it ends: nature’s serious decline is accelerating. Why? It’s us. Stuff. [accessed 5 Jan 2024]. stuff.co.nz/environment/300424903/this-is-how-it-ends-natures-dangerous-decline-is-accelerating-why-its-us

Note: We generally include links to websites and web pages in the text rather than listing these in the References.

Unpublished materials

Department of Conservation. 2018. Strategy for prioritising threatened species research funding. Christchurch: Department of Conservation (unpublished; DOCCM-6347797).

Note: Avoid including unpublished reports where possible. If you do need to include them, ensure that you provide as much detail as possible so the reader can locate the report if necessary.

Acts and other types of legislation

We don’t usually list Acts and other types of legislation in a References section. Instead, include details in a footnote (see Footnotes and endnotes).

Note that the full title of an Act, Bill or regulation, including the year of first enactment, should be given on first mention. The title should be capitalised and there should be no comma between the title and year (e.g. Conservation Act 1987). The name can then be abbreviated by removing the year (e.g. Conservation Act) or referencing the type of legislation if there is no room for confusion (e.g. the Act) – note that ‘Act’ and ‘Bill’ are always capitalised. The basic unit of an Act is a section and this should be lower case (e.g. section 4 of the Conservation Act).

Additional notes

Where a work has more than 10 authors, list the first 10 followed by ‘et al.’.
When an organisation is the author and initials have been used for it in the in-text references, provide the initials in square brackets (e.g. [DOC] Department of Conservation) and order the reference by the full name, not the initials.
Where there is no author, order the item by title, ignoring ‘a’, ‘an’ or ‘the’ at the beginning of the title, and present the date after this.
Where the date is unknown but the year can be inferred, place the year in square brackets.
Where the date is unknown and cannot be inferred, insert ‘[date unknown]’ in place of the year details.
Where the publisher is unknown, insert ‘[publisher unknown]’ in place of the publisher details.
Where the place of publication is unknown, insert ‘[place unknown]’ in place of the location details.
Where a work has more than one publisher, use the first one listed.

The following lists include words and phrases you might commonly come across at DOC, showing our preferred spelling.

acknowledgement

Act

all-of-government (A0G) [refers to umbrella branding]

Animal Health Board (AHB)

annual report [general]

Annual Report [specific year]

ANZAC [all caps only when referring to Australian and New Zealand Army Corps]

Anzac Day

approximately [avoid using approx. – if space is limited, use ‘about’ or ‘c.’ (science and technical only)]

Arbor Day

area office [general – but see comments under Capitalisation]

Area Office [specific]

area staff [but see comments under Capitalisation]

Asset Management Information System (AMIS)

at risk [general; only use a hyphen when used as an adjective, e.g. at-risk species]

At Risk [New Zealand Threat Classification System status]

audiovisual

backcountry

Backcountry Hut Pass

Backcountry Hut Ticket

barbecue

benthic protected area [general]

Benthic Protected Area [specific]

biased

Biodiversity Advice Fund

Biodiversity Condition Fund

biomass

bioregion

biosecurity

biv, bivvy or bivouac

bottom trawling

bushline

bycatch

bylaw [general]

Bylaw [specific]

c. [circa, about; generally used before a unit of measure (e.g. c. 2 m); don’t use ca. or ~ and only use in science and technical reports]

campground

campsite

carbon offset project

carbon sequestration

carbon stocks

car park [generic; use capitals only if it’s the specific name of a car park]

cellphone [‘mobile’ is preferred]

coastal marine area [general]

Coastal Marine Area [specific]

coastline

collective agreement

community-led [adjective]

Conservation Act 1987

Conservation General Policy

conservation management strategy (CMS; plural CMSs) [general]

Conservation Management Strategy (CMS; plural CMSs) [specific]

Conservation Services Programme (CSP)

cooperation

coordinated

correlated

cross-departmental

cross-section

Crown

data reader

datalogger

dataset

department [general]

the Department [used only as a shortened form of the Department of Conservation]

departmental

decentralised

decision-maker

decision making [noun]

decision-making [adjective, e.g. decision-making process]

decision support tool

degrees Celsius (°C)

Deputy Director-General (DDG)

Deputy Directors-General (DDGs)

didymo

Director-General (DG)

distress beacon [preferred over personal locator beacon]

DOC [Department of Conservation; not DoC or Doc]

docCM

docDM

downloaded

downturn

drop off [verb]

drop-off [noun and adjective, e.g. at the drop-off, drop-off point]

duneland

ecological district [general]

Ecological District [specific]

ecosource

ecotourism

Environment Protection Agency (EPA; previously ERMA]

et al. [‘and others’ – used in the text when citing a reference with three or more authors; don’t italicise]

Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

Executive Leadership Team (ELT)

ex situ [not italic]

factsheet

family friendly [noun]

family-friendly [adjective, e.g. family-friendly activities]

far-flung

feedback

first come, first served

Fish & Game New Zealand

flow-on effects

focused, focuses

follow up [verb]

follow-up [adjective, e.g. follow-up survey]

footbridge

foothills

Forest & Bird

forest carbon sink

four-wheel drive (4WD)

freehold, freeholding

fresh water [noun; e.g. these fish live in fresh water]

freshwater [adjective; e.g. freshwater fish]

front country

full-time [unless taking about a sport, in which case ‘full time’]

game bird

General Manager Operations

General Policy for National Parks

gillnet

glow-worm

gold mine, gold mining

government [general and adjective]

the Government [specific]

grassland

Great Walk

Great Walk season

hand-held

hands-on

hapū

harbourside

hectare(s) (ha)

Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

heritage site [generally preferred over ‘historic site’ as is a broader term]

high country [noun]

high-country [adjective, e.g. high-country station]

high risk [noun]

high-risk [adjective; e.g. high-risk procedure]

hill country

hilltop

hitchhiker organisms

hotspot

hour(s) (hr)

hydroelectric, hydroelectricity

hydrolake

hydro power

Icon site

in depth [noun]

in-depth [adjective, e.g. in-depth look]

in situ [not italic]

information-rich [adjective]

inter-agency group

intermediate outcome (IO) [general]

Intermediate Outcome (IO) [specific]

International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS)

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

Internet

inter-organisational

inter-personal

intranet

irruption [of pests, such as rats]

-ise [not -ize]

isite [not i-SITE]

iwi

judgement

kaiārahi (guide)

Kāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnaka

kaitiaki, kaitiakitanga (guardian, guardianship)

kauri disease [we no longer refer to kauri dieback]

kawenata (agreement)

kettle holes

kilometre(s) (km), square kilometre(s) (km2)

kiwi [bird]

Kiwi [a New Zealander]

kōiwi tangata (human remains)

knowledge-based [adjective]

kupenga (net)

lake shore

land cover carbon stocks

Land Cover Database (LCDB)

Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ)

Land Information New Zealand (LINZ)

land use

Landcare Research [also see Manaaki Whenua]

landform

landmass

landowner

large-scale [adjective]

licence [noun]

license [verb]

life cycle

life history [noun]

life-history [adjective; e.g. life-history traits]

litre (L)

long drop (toilet)

long term [noun, e.g. in the long term]

long-term [adjective, e.g. long-term goals]

lookout [as in viewpoint]

macroalgae

Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research

Māori

Māori conservation cadetship

Māori-owned land

marae

Marine Protected Areas Policy and Implementation Plan (MPA Policy)

mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge)

Mātauranga Kura Taiao Fund

metre(s) (m), square metre(s) (m2)

millilitre(s) (mL)

minute(s) (min)

the Minister

Minister for Hunting and Fishing

Minister of Conservation

the Ministry

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)

Ministry for the Environment (MfE)

Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT)

mountain biking [noun and adjective]

multicultural

multi-layered

n/a [not applicable]

National Archaeological Records System

National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd (NIWA)

National Office (avoid using Head Office)

national policy statement (NPS; plural NPSs) [general]

National Policy Statement (NPS; plural NPSs) [specific]

national scale [noun]

national-scale [adjective, e.g. national-scale pest]

Natural Heritage Management System (NHMS)

Nature Heritage Fund

NB [note]

New Zealand Archaeological Association (NZAA)

New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA)

New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS)

Ngā Whenua Rāhui

Ngā Whenua Rāhui Komiti

no one

non-statutory

non-target species

northeast

north-northeast

north-northwest

northwest

NZ Topo map [e.g. NZ Topo50, NZ Topo250 (map series); NZ Topo50 BG38 (specific map)]

offshore

one way [e.g. track description]

one-way [adjective, e.g. one-way bridge]

ongoing

online

on-site survey

on-the-ground presence

outcome [generic]

Outcome [specific from Statement of Intent]

Outcome Based Investment (OBI) Programme

outlying

output class

outreach

overtrousers

[‘page’ or ‘pages’ – e.g. 120 p., p. 5, p. 120–140]

Pākehā [New Zealander of European descent]

palustrine [freshwater wetlands]

para-aminopropiophenone (PAPP)

part-time

percent [preferred over per cent]

pers. comm. [personal communication]

pest free [noun, e.g. the island is pest free]

pest-free [adjective, e.g. pest-free island]

pest-led work

pick up [verb]

pickup [adjective, e.g. pickup point]

place [general]

Place [specific place as defined in a legal or regulatory document]

PO Box

port of call

pounamu (greenstone)

pre-border

predator free [noun]

predator-free [adjective, e.g. predator-free island]

Prime Minister

program [computer]

programme [of work]

protection outcome

public conservation lands and waters (PCL&W)

Public Service Association (PSA)

Rd [specific named road]

reforestation

Recreational Hunting Area (RHA)

re-develop

regenerating

Regional Pest Management Strategy (RPMS)

reo (language)

retrofitted

risk-based [adjective]

riverbank

riverbed

river water

road end [generic]

Road end [specific road, e.g. Wakarara Road end]

road map

roadside

rockfall

roll-out

rūnanga [general]

Rūnanga [specific]

salt water [noun]

saltwater [adjective, e.g. saltwater lake]

satellite-tagged, satellite-tagging

scheelite

seabed

seabird

seafloor

section [of Act, e.g. section 4]

self-sustaining

sequestration

setnet

shrubland

signalled

signpost

site-based management

ski field

southeast

south-southeast

south-southwest

southwest

St [specific named street]

State Highway (SH) [specific, e.g. SH1]

statement of intent (SOI, plural SOIs) [generic]

Statement of Intent (SOI, plural SOIs) [specific]

Statement of Service Performance

Stats NZ

storytelling, storyteller

Strategic Direction [document]

stopbank

stream bed

stream water

subadult

subalpine

subantarctic

sub-region

subspecies

Sustainable Water Programme of Action (SWPOA)

swing bridge

tangata whenua (indigenous people)

taonga (treasure)

targeted

TBfree NZ

Te Pūkenga Atawhai (DOC cultural competency course)

Te Puni Kōkiri

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

Terrestrial and Freshwater Biodiversity Information System (TFBIS)

Te Tiriti o Waitangi [note that ‘Te’ is always capitalised, including when abbreviated to ‘Te Tiriti’]

tikanga (customs)

time frame

timeline

Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi)

Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIANZ)

translocated

Treaty of Waitangi

treeline

treetops

turn-off [noun; e.g. stop at the turn-off]

turn off [verb; e.g. turn off to West Bay]

tussockland

understorey

underway

unpubl. data [unpublished data]

valley [lowercase, unless an official name]

viewpoint

visitor centre [unless referring to a specific, named visitor centre]

wāhi tapu (sacred place)

wāhi taonga (site of significance to Māori)

waterbody

wellbeing

Wi-Fi

wildflower

workstream

World Wide Web

The following list includes some plants and animals that are commonly misspelled, are known more commonly by their Māori name, or are known by both their Māori and English names. Which name you use or whether you use both will depend on the type of publication and common usage – there are seven dialects in use across Aotearoa New Zealand, so local communications may require an alternative spelling.

The following resources may also be useful:

Te Aka, to check Māori words and macrons.
Ngāi Tahu taonga species list, to check names of species used by Ngāi Tahu.
New Zealand Legislation website, for other species lists resulting from Treaty settlements.
New Zealand Birds Online, to check English and Māori names of birds.
New Zealand Plant Conservation Network, to check English and Maōri names of plants.

Note: plants and animals with commonly used Māori and English names are listed under both. However, we generally use the te reo Māori name first followed by the English name. (See Species names for further details.)

Argentine ant

Australasian bittern / matuku

Australasian harrier / kāhu

banded dotterel / pohowera or tūturiwhatu

banded kōkopu

banded rail / moho pererū

bar-tailed godwit / kuaka

black beech / tawairauriki

black-billed gull / tarāpunga or tarāpuka (South Island)

black-fronted tern / tarapirohe

black petrel / tāiko

black shag / māpunga or kawau

black stilt / kakī

blue duck / whio

bottlenose dolphin / terehu

bronze whaler / reremai

brown teal / pāteke

cabbage tree / tī rākau or tī kōuka

Canada goose

Chatham Island pigeon / parea

Chatham Island tāiko

common dolphin / aihe

dabchick/weweia

dotterel

eel/tuna

fairy tern / tara iti

fantail/pīwakawaka

fern root / aruhe

fernbird/mātātā

dragonfly / kapowai

grand skink

grey duck / pārera [or māunu for Ngāi Tahu]

grey teal / tētē moroiti

grey warbler / riroriro

Haast’s eagle / hokioi or pouākai

Hamilton’s frog

hard beech / tawhairaunui

Hector’s dolphin

hihi/stitchbird

hīnau

hoiho / yellow-eyed penguin

horopito

īnanga/whitebait

kahikatea

kāhu / Australasian harrier

kākā

kākāpō

kākāriki [parakeet—note that this refers to both orange-fronted and red-crowned parakeets]

kakī / black stilt

kāmahi

kānuka

kāpuka/broadleaf

karaka

karamū [Coprosma species]

karearea / New Zealand falcon

karoro / black-backed gull

katipō

kātote

kauri

kea

kekeno / New Zealand fur seal

kererū or kukupā / wood pigeon (common name) or New Zealand pigeon (correct name)

kiekie

kiore

kiwi

kawau / black, pied or little shag

kohekohe

kōkako

kōkopu

korimako/bellbird

kororā / little penguin [formerly known as little blue penguin]

kōtare/kingfisher

kotuku / white heron

koura/crayfish

kōwhai

kuaka / bar-tailed godwit

little penguin / kororā [formerly known as little blue penguin]

little shag / kawaupaka or kawau

longfin eel / tuna

long-tailed bat / pekapeka

māhoe

maire

makamaka

māmāngi

mānuka

māpou

māpunga / black shag

mataī

matuku-moana / white-faced heron

Māui dolphin / popoto

mingimingi

miro

miromiro/tomtit

mistletoe / pikirangi or pirirangi

mohua/yellowhead

morepork/ruru

Mount Cook buttercup [not Mount Cook lily]

mountain beech / tawairauriki

New Zealand dotterel / tūturiwhatu

New Zealand falcon / kārearea

New Zealand fur seal / kekeno

New Zealand pipit / pīhoihoi

New Zealand scaup / pāpango

New Zealand sea lion / whakahao or rāpoka

New Zealand shoveler or Australasian shoveler / kuruwhengi

nīkau

North Island robin / toutouwai

orange-fronted parakeet / kākāriki karaka

orca or killer whale / maki

Otago skink

oystercatcher/tōrea [includes variable, South Island pied and Chatham Island species]

pahautea / New Zealand cedar

paradise shelduck / pūtangitangi [or pūtakitaki for Ngāi Tahu]

parea / Chatham Island pigeon

pāteke / brown teal

pekapeka / bat

pied shag / kāruhiruhi or kawau

pīhoihoi / New Zealand pipit

pīngao

pirita or pirinoa / mistletoe [includes yellow, green, scarlet and white species]

pīwakawaka, pīwaiwaka or tīrairaka /fantail

podocarp

pohowera or tūtiriwhatu / banded dotterel

pōhutukawa

pōkākā

ponga

pukatea

pūkeko [or pākura for Ngāi Tahu]

pūriri

rainbow skink

rāpoka or whakahao / New Zealand sea lion

rātā

red beech / tawhairaunui

red-crowned parakeet / kākāriki

rewarewa

rifleman/tītitipounamu

rimu

rimurapa / bull kelp

riroriro / grey warbler

rock wren/pīwauwau

roroa / great spotted kiwi

saddleback/tīeke [refers to both the North Island and South Island species]

shore plover / tuturuatu

shortjaw kōkopu

short-finned eel / tuna

short-tailed bat / pekapeka

silver beech / tawhai or tawai

silvereye/tauhou

snowgrass

South Island robin / kakaruai, kakariwai or kakaruwai

southern right whale

spur-winged plover

stitchbird/hihi

tahr

tāiko/petrel [refers to black and Westland species]

takahē

tākapu / Australasian gannet

tānekaha

taraire

tara iti / fairy tern

tawa

tawaki / Fiordland crested penguin

tawāpou

tāwari

tīeke/saddleback

tī rākau or tī kōuka / cabbage tree

tītoki

tokoeka / South Island brown kiwi

tomtit/miromiro

tōrea / oystercatcher [includes South Island pied, variable and Chatham Island species]

tōrea pango / variable oystercatcher

tōrea tai / Chatham Island oystercatcher

toroa/albatross

tōtara

tōwai

tuatara

tūī

tuna/eel [both shortfin and longfin species]

tūturiwhatu or pohowera / banded dotterel

tuturuatu / shore plover

Westland petrel / tāiko

weweia/dabchick

wētā

whakahao or rāpoka / New Zealand sea lion

whekī / rough tree fern [Dicksonia squarrosa]

whekī-ponga / golden tree fern [Dicksonia fibrosa]

whio / blue duck

whitebait/īnanga

white-faced heron / matuku-moana

whitehead/pōpokotea

wrybill / ngutu pare

yellow mistletoe / pirita or pirinoa

yellow-eyed penguin / hoiho

yellowhead/mohua

DOC writing style guide

Introduction

Our name

Additional notes

Spelling

Language and tone

Write clearly and use simple language

Use gender-inclusive language

Write with one voice for ‘one DOC’

Take care when using ‘our’

Avoid using ‘please’

Additional resources

Te reo Māori

Use te reo Māori where possible

Define less familiar terms

Include macrons where appropriate

Additional notes

Place names

Use official names wherever possible

Acknowledge dual names

Treat unofficial names as official names

Additional notes

Species names

Use the best-known name

English naming conventions

Māori naming conventions

Useful links

Include scientific names where appropriate to avoid confusion

Punctuation

Apostrophes

Additional notes

Colons and semicolons

Commas

Exclamation marks

Hyphens (-), en dashes (–) and em dashes (—)

Solidus / forward slash

Additional notes about spaces

Quotation marks

Additional notes

Formatting

Spacing

Alignment

Italics

Underlining

Capitalisation

Exceptions

Colour

Additional notes

Abbreviations

Standard abbreviations

Additional notes

Contractions

E.g., i.e. and etc.

Acronyms and initialisms

Lists

Additional notes

Numbers

Words versus numerals

Comma use

Spaces

Measurements

Percentages

Money

Dates and time

Number/date ranges

Additional notes

Commonly confused words

Which and that

Additional notes

Affect and effect

Additional note

Dependent and dependant

Principle and principal

Historic and historical

A and an

Altitude and elevation

Links

URLs versus descriptive links

Formatting links

Additional notes