Voice

SEA DREAM communicates with a voice that reflects its commitment to scientific excellence, regional collaboration, and equitable partnerships. All communications should be clear, credible, and accessible while remaining respectful of diverse audiences across Southeast Asia.

Spelling

SEA DREAM follows British English. 

Spelling should follow the current Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and Oxford Languages, using the preferred British spelling where variants exist. Examples include:

*Use programme except when referring to software or computer programs.

Always follow the official spelling of organisations, publications, or proper names.
 

Quotation Marks

Use quotation marks consistently to distinguish quotations from titles and specialised terms.

Single quotation marks (' ')

Use single quotation marks for:

• titles of articles or reports
• conference themes
• slogans
• specialised terms on first reference
• letters or words discussed as words

Double quotation marks (" ")

Use double quotation marks only for direct quotations or spoken dialogue.
 

Bulleted Lists

Use bullet points to improve readability while maintaining consistent punctuation and formatting.

Complete sentences

If each bullet is a complete sentence, begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop.
 

Introductory stem

If an introductory statement leads directly into the bullet points, each item should complete the sentence. Begin each item with a lowercase letter (unless it is a proper noun). Omit punctuation for short items.
 

Words or short phrases
 

If the bullet points consist of words or short phrases rather than sentence fragments, begin each item with a lowercase letter (unless it is a proper noun) and omit punctuation.
 

Inclusive Language

SEA DREAM is committed to respectful, inclusive, and equitable communication. Language should reflect the diversity of people, institutions, and communities across Southeast Asia while avoiding stereotypes or discriminatory expressions.
 

Use inclusive language
 

• Use gender-neutral terms where possible.
• Avoid assumptions based on gender, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion, or age.
• Refer to people respectfully using their preferred names and pronouns when known.
• Emphasise people before conditions or characteristics where appropriate (for example, people living with disabilities where this aligns with preferred terminology).

Whenever possible, use plural constructions to avoid unnecessary gendered pronouns.
 

Numbers

Spell out numbers one to nine and use numerals for 10 and above, except when a number begins a sentence.
 

Dates

Use the day-month-year format without commas.
 

Time

Use the 24-hour clock and always include the applicable time zone for meetings, events, webinars, deadlines, and other time-sensitive communications. Use the appropriate time zone abbreviation or UTC/GMT offset where relevant.
 

Hypenation

Use hyphens only where they improve clarity or are part of established terminology.
 

Do not hyphenate commonly accepted terms.
 

Punctuation

Apply British English punctuation consistently throughout all communications.

• Use one space after full stops, commas, colons, semicolons, and other punctuation marks. Do not insert multiple spaces between sentences.
• Use the serial (Oxford) comma only where it improves clarity.
   

Use en dashes (–) for ranges.
 

References to Figures and Tables

References to figures, tables, charts, and panels should appear in parentheses at the end of the relevant sentence.
 

Source notes should begin with Source: followed by the citation.
 

Acronyms

Acronyms should only be used after the full term has been written on its first occurrence. Once introduced, the acronym may be used consistently throughout the remainder of the document.

Guidelines
 

• Spell out the full name on first mention.
• Do not create unnecessary acronyms.
• Avoid using abbreviations that may not be widely recognised by the intended audience.
• Use only officially accepted acronyms for organisations, programmes, and technical terms.
   

Regional Country Names

Southeast Asia
Use Southeast Asia (not South East Asia).

Country Names
Use the official English names adopted by SEA DREAM and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Regional References

• Avoid abbreviating "Southeast Asia" to "SEA". Use "SEA" only when it forms part of the official programme name, such as "SEA DREAM", or another officially named entity.
• Refer to member organisations by their official institutional names.