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Scientific Style and Format Online is the essential resource for those writing, editing, and publishing in the scientific community. Developed by the Council of Science Editors (CSE), the leading professional association in science publishing, this indispensable guide encompasses all areas of the sciences. Now in its eighth edition, it has been fully revised to reflect today’s best practices in scientific publishing. Online subscribers receive access to the fully searchable text of the current edition and other online tools, as well as the popular Chicago Manual of Style Online Forum, a community discussion board for editors and authors.
We offer three different annual subscription types—Individual, Group, and Institutional.
Start by selecting your tour:
Click here for information on Individual and Group subscriptions
Click here for information on Institutional subscriptions
Individual and Group Subscriptions
Search and You Will Find
With a straightforward and intuitive interface, Scientific Style and Format Online makes finding the information you need easy. Your subscription grants you to access the complete content of Scientific Style and Format Online and the unique My SSF personalization features.
There are several ways to find the content you need in Scientific Style and Format Online. You can use the fully hyperlinked table of contents in the left navigation bar or the index to jump to any chapter or paragraph. Or you can use the search box in the upper right-hand corner to find specific words and phrases, or search by paragraph number.
Scientific Style and Format Online uses Google search technology to provide you with comprehensive results returned in order of relevance. You will return results from the 8th edition content, as well as from the Chicago Style Q&A, the Forum, and any Notes or Style Sheets you have created with the My SSF features. All results are ordered by tabs to help you find exactly what you need.
It’s My SSF!
With My SSF features, you can add Notes, Bookmark frequently referenced paragraphs, and create Style Sheets for your projects. You can also save your Notes and Style Sheets to your hard drive or local network or e-mail them to your colleagues.
Just click on the appropriate icon and begin building your own personalized style guide.
It’s Worth Noting
Use Notes to add your observations, reminders, or exceptions to Scientific Style and Format Online. Use Paragraph Notes when your comments refer to entire paragraphs or choose In-Line Notes for comments on particular phrases or sentences. Both types of Notes are searchable along with the contents of Scientific Style and Format Online. You can even add live links to other paragraphs.
You can see all paragraphs you’ve added notes to on the Scientific Style and Format Online table of contents or on the My Notes page, and you can also e-mail paragraphs containing your Notes to colleagues or save them to your hard drive or local network.
Bookmark Your Frequently Visited Paragraphs
If you often visit the same paragraphs in Scientific Style and Format Online, the Bookmark feature can aid your navigation. You can see all your Bookmarks on the Scientific Style and Format Online table of contents or on the My Bookmarks page. You can add or remove Bookmarks with a single click.
Connect with your Community
Connect and interact with other Scientific Style and Format Online subscribers in The Chicago Manual of Style Online Forum. The Forum is a place to discuss the finer points of style, copyediting, author relations, professional development, the publishing industry, and other topics with fellow subscribers. A special section is devoted to matters of specific interest to Scientific Style and Format Online subscribers.
Build your own Style Sheets
With Style Sheets, you can create your own lists of guidelines or reminders for specific projects. Create new Style Sheets from scratch or copy and modify previously created Style Sheets to adapt them to other projects.
You can give each Style Sheet a title, provide other identifying information (such as project or author), and then type your style rules in the text editing pane. You can also copy text from Scientific Style and Format Online and paste it into your Style Sheet.
To view a list of all your Style Sheets, click on the My Style Sheets link in the left-hand column. Or search your Style Sheets along with the rest of the site’s contents. As with Notes, you can e-mail your Style Sheets to colleagues or save them to your hard drive or local network.
You made it, now share it!
Share your brilliant notes with colleagues and friends. Simply click on the e-mail icon fill in an address (or two or three), write your message, and hit Send. The paragraph that contains your Note will be sent as an attachment. You can also e-mail Style Sheets in the same way.
Is it “the Smiths” or “the Smith’s”?
To see answers to hundreds of style questions from editors, writers, and everyone else who works with words, look no further than the Chicago Style Q&A. Each month Chicago’s editorial staff posts a new batch of questions and answers, and we maintain a fully searchable archive of previous Q&A content. This popular feature is available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike.
Free Tools for Science Writers and Editors
Scientific Style and Format Online also offers a number of free tools, including helpful information on manuscript preparation, manuscript and proof markup, editorial office practices, and other professional guidance from the Council of Science Editors. The SSF Citation Quick Guide offers a brief tutorial on Scientific Style and Format citation with many clear examples in a concise and easy-to-use format. Sample correspondence and helpful links to other resources are also available.
Sign Up Today!
Individual subscriptions start at just $50 per year, or $45 per year for a two-year subscription. Discounted rates are available for groups. To sign up today, click here.
Institutional Subscriptions
Search and You Will Find
Your institutional subscription allows IP-authenticated access without a login so your patrons can get quick access to the authoritative content of Scientific Style and Format Online. There are several ways for users to find the content they need in Scientific Style and Format Online. They can use the fully hyperlinked table of contents or the index to jump to any chapter or paragraph. They can use the search box in the upper right-hand corner to find specific words and phrases, or they can search by paragraph number.
Scientific Style and Format Online uses Google search technology to provide the most comprehensive search results returned in order of relevance. Patrons can choose to receive results from the 8th edition of Scientific Style and Format and from the Chicago Style Q&A.
Usage Statistics
You need accurate usage statistics for your online reference products, and Scientific Style and Format Online delivers. As your institution’s administrator, you can use your Web Access ID to download accurate, up-to-date monthly usage reports whenever you need them.
Institutional administrators can also add a logo or personalized text to the Scientific Style and Format Online’s homepage on the account administration page.
Is It “the Smiths” or “the Smith’s”?
To see answers to hundreds of style questions from editors, writers, and everyone else who works with words, look no further than the Chicago Style Q&A. Each month Chicago’s editorial staff posts a new batch of Q&A’s addressing questions submitted to the University of Chicago Press’s manuscript editing department. The archive of questions is fully searchable along with the 8th edition of Scientific Style and Format. This popular feature is available to subscribers and non-subscribers alike.
Free Tools for Science Writers and Editors
Scientific Style and Format Online subscribers receive access to a number of free tools, including helpful information on manuscript preparation, manuscript and proof markup, editorial office practices, and other guidance from the Council of Science Editors. The SSF Citation Quick Guide offers a brief tutorial in Scientific Style and Format citation with many clear examples in a concise and easy-to-use format. Sample correspondence and helpful links to other resources are also available for use.
Sign Up Today!
Scientific Style and Format Online is available to public, academic, and private libraries by annual subscription. Pricing is based on the same classification model used for other University of Chicago Press electronic subscription products. Subscribers receive unlimited online access to the full contents of the 8th edition of Scientific Style and Format for the IP ranges they provide.
To determine your classification or to subscribe, contact customer service at ssfhelpdesk@press.uchicago.edu. You will need to provide your IP range, size, and institutional contact information to facilitate billing and establish connectivity. We offer free trials for libraries and non- profit organizations seeking IP access.
For more information on institutional rates or free trials, e-mail us today at ssfhelpdesk@press.uchicago.edu.
The Council of Science Editors is a nonprofit community of editorial professionals dedicated to the responsible and effective communication of science.