Dear reader, here are a short style guide and a checklist for report creation. Good luck with whatever you are working on!

RPA Style Guide

Grammar and Formatting

Overview, Key Findings, Report Body, Next Steps, and Acknowledgements are included in every report
In most cases, write out numbers less than 10 – Exceptions are when referring to percentages, such as “5%”.
Double dashes are fine! The website CMS will convert — to —.
Single space between sentences rather than double space.
% versus percent – We are using the % symbol.
Bulleted lists don’t require periods at the end of statements, in most cases.
Oxford comma – The Oxford comma is what the Comms team has been using in most of our materials, it is the subject of a great Vampire Weekend song, and it makes it easier to follow along when reading lists. Please use it!
City versus city – Should use lower case for city, state, and federal unless you are naming the place, per 4RP debates. Capitalizing City and State can give an exalted status to NYC and NYS that we don’t always give to other cities and states in the region.

Terminology and diversity/anti-racism

This section will evolve. Here is a larger document with notes on our choices. Contact the Values Working Group to suggest updates.

We use Latinx in most cases, but there is flexibility based on audience and partners. Hispanic/Latino can be used when referring to data sources like the census that survey using those terms.
We capitalize Black, Latinx, Native American, Asian, Latinx etc. but not do not capitalize the “w” in white.

Citing Sources

Footnote formatting – Here’s the format: [publication/author, “title hyperlinked.” (date).]. Example: The New York Times. “Fall’s Here. Can We Still Go Apple Picking?” (September 17, 2020). Footnotes go outside of the period. If you don’t format your footnotes, you will be shamed.
Photos — all photographs in reports must be taken by us, given to us with permission (with source credited), or creative commons/fair use images (with source credited). The best way to find creative commons images is to use Google image search, click on Tools, and then click on Creative Commons in the Usage Rights dropdown. Make sure to add the photographer’s name to the photo’s file name so we can credit appropriately.
Charts — Charts and infographics created by other organization can only be used in our reports with permission. In some cases we will include an image of their chart with a credit, and in some cases we will redesign the chart and credit it as “chart by ____, reformatted by RPA”.

Website Content Blocks

Here is a library of content blocks we use on the site.

Colors

These are the only colors that should be used in RPA-designed products. Copy and paste the color codes into the color picker in MS Word and other programs

Back to Staff Notes

So you’re writing a report...

Things to think about early in the process

Audience – Is this report aimed at experts, or at a wider audience? Why not both?
Stakeholders – Who needs to weigh in on the report? Who should see an early draft? Who should at least be given a courtesy head’s up before the report is published? Work with the Comms team to create a list and identify specific point people within RPA to reach out to those stakeholders.
Call to action – What should readers do once they’ve read the report?
Visuals/Special Features report authors should meet with Comms a few weeks before they are ready for layout to brainstorm how we can use video, illustration, animation, charts, infographics, and photos in the report – and in social media advertising for the report.
Photos – Please take photos! We can make bad photos look good in photoshop. Let Comms know what type of photos you will need. We can take some pictures too.
Charts and Maps – We are using everviz.com to create most charts, and Carto for most maps. Check in with Comms, Ellis, and Marcel to discuss charts – and give them enough lead time to help out.
Keep track of your citations – It is much easier for everyone involved if you keep track of citations within footnotes in your report draft. Please do not leave them as comments or save them until the end.
Timing – For a standard RPA report, it can take a month or more to move from solid-looking draft to publication. Bank more time than you think you’ll need. Please let the Comms team know as soon as possible if there is an upcoming deadline from a funder or a partner.

Sections included in every RPA report

Report Overview – Each report should start with a summary. Our reports are long and readers might not make it all the way through. The overview sets the stage and tells readers what they will find in the report.
Key Findings – Don’t bury the lede! Please include a section with key findings or key recommendations after the report overview.
Report Body – This is the bulk of the report. Break it into three to ten sections so it is easy for readers to digest.
Next Steps – Reports should end with a “Next Steps” section. What’s the call to action for readers? What’s the call to action for people in power?
Acknowledgements — Make sure to write down who the authors are, who the funders are, and who needs to be thanked.

Things to think about while you are putting together a report

Don’t forget the Overview, Key Findings, Report Body, and Next Steps
Hierarchy – our bag of tricks for formatting includes this hierarchy:
- Section Head (appears in table of contents — most reports have between 3 and 8 sections)
- Heading 1 (makes a little line across the page)
- Heading 2 (a little bolder than bold text)
- Bold text (can be at the start of a paragraph, but not in the middle)
Callout text and opportunities for images/slideshows – These features are a big part of report designs. Notes about where to use them can be included in report text google docs.
Links to our other work – Whenever other RPA work is relevant, we like to link to it. Authors should note places where we can make connections.
Other formatting choices – Here’s the full menu of options. Authors don’t need to make too many design decisions, but it is good to think about options for creating a hierarchy of importance for readers who may only be skimming the text.

Things to do as you finalize the report draft

Key Findings for Social Media – List 3 – 6 things that Twitter readers (who probably won’t read the whole report) should know about our findings, and share them with Comms.
Find an editor who will kill your darlings – Designate a person who had no hand in writing the text to serve as an editor.
Make sure to share the report with previously identified stakeholders – Most folks will need a few business days to review materials and provide feedback. If you’re just giving a courtesy head’s up, 24 hours before publication is sufficient. The RPA Board of Directors is typically given at least 24 hours advance notification.
Don’t forget the acknowledgements section! List report authors in the order you want them to appear, list the people or groups who should be thanked, and list the funders.
Don’t forget the factsheet! – We have been making a two-page pdf factsheet for each web report. These are great as handouts at in-person events, can be included in proposals, and come in handy when meeting with the press. Work with Comms to distill your report into factsheet format. Here are some examples: Bikeway, Be my Neighbor, Time to Act
Your draft isn’t done until you have formatted the footnotes.

Layout

Copy edit – Contact Comms for a copy edit before layout begins.
Last minute editing – It’s best if the text is final before layout begins (real life sometimes gets in the way of this). Google docs work well before layout begins. Once layout has begun, check in with the lead author and with Comms to figure out the best way to suggest edits. We use a mix of Google Docs, Dropbox, and web based software.
Comms staff will be able to share drafts with you as the report is designed.