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[octoprof]

I'm editing a multiple-authored manuscript in which I'm finding the spacing after periods to be inconsistent. Sometimes there's one space before the first letter in the next paragraph. Other times there are two or even three spaces. I probably wouldn't have noticed except the triple spaces spots jump out at me as too much white space. Now I feel the need to search and replace and make them all uniform, since clearly they are not.

Which is most appropriate: one space or two?

This is currently a Word document, if that matters.

[cajun]

Two, based on typing conventions (remember typewriters?), although Word is too stupid to figure that out.  Journals often ignore this rule to save page space, so you might want to check with the publisher to see if they even care.

[infopri]

Hi, octoprof.  I'm not pedant, but I was a copy editor and then a more comprehensive editor for about 15 years before going to grad school.  Back then, many folks were still using typewriters, and the rule was two periods after a period.  Today, on web pages, the rule of thumb is only one, as that's how the text will appear no matter how you type it.  In a Word document, which is what you asked about, you can go with either one space or two, as long as the manuscript is consistent.  Some people prefer the single space, now that proportional type is so common; I still prefer two spaces, as it makes the text easier to read--which, after all, is the whole point of having such conventions as punctuation and consistent spacing.

I hope this helps!

[octoprof]

Thanks, y'all! Two it is.

This is a working paper, so no publisher guidelines at this point. I don't think I consciously think about spacing when I'm typing anymore, I just do it automatically. Clearly, my co-author throws in these threesies in random places, so now I have to normalize everything to one standard. I'm going with two.

[secretweapon]

Two, but my editor doesn't believe me.

[kohelet]

APA manual (5th edition) says one space.  Strongly preferring two spaces, I routinely ignore this rule, but when submitting somewhere that requires APA formatting, I do a search-and-replace before sending it out.  Pains me.

[infopri]

Two, based on typing conventions (remember typewriters?), although Word is too stupid to figure that out.  Journals often ignore this rule to save page space, so you might want to check with the publisher to see if

Actually, this isn't true.  I don't know about Word 2003 (I went straight from Word97 to Word 2007), but in 2007 you can have Word automatically check the number of spaces after a period, without resorting to search-and-replace.

Here's how:  Click on the "Office Button" (that big round logo in the upper left corner of the screen), then click on the "Word Options" button in the lower right corner of the box that appears.  In the Word Options dialog box, select "Proofing" from the left pane.  Once you've done that, look in the right pane.  In the second section of options ("When correcting spelling and grammar in Word"), find the "Writing Style" option.  To its right is a button marked "Settings."  Click the "Settings" button.  The third item down lets you require either one or two spaces.  (The default setting is for it not to check.)

I haven't used this option, but I thought you should know that it's there.  :)   (Caveat:  You may want to test this feature and make sure that it doesn't put a second space after the period in, say, "Mr. Wonderful" and similar expressions.)

[john_proctor]

Two, based on typing conventions (remember typewriters?), although Word is too stupid to figure that out.  Journals often ignore this rule to save page space, so you might want to check with the publisher to see if they even care.

Yup.

Though, in my experience, nearly every copy editor cares (and notices).

Two unless protocol (discipline specific or, more common, style-guide-for-publishing-outlet specific) rules stipulate one.

One space saves space for print AND file size for electronic.

[pedant]

It appears that the matter has been handled by my deputies and minions.

I am currently engaged with the ongoing horrors of grammar and spelling.

There is so much barbarism afoot that a PuncPedant is needed simply to handle matters of overused apostrophes, underused semicolons, and the correct uses of periods and diacritics.

I tremble.

[t_r_b]

You two-spacers are behind the times. When we shifted from typewriters to computers (you know, back at the dawn of civilization) we also switched from two post-sentence spaces to one. With proportional fonts, the extra space is superfluous.

In other news, we no longer have to press tab at the beginning of each paragraph: word processors indent automatically these days. Nor does one have to leave space for footnotes at the bottom of each page.

[voxprincipalis]

You two-spacers are behind the times. When we shifted from typewriters to computers (you know, back at the dawn of civilization) we also switched from two post-sentence spaces to one. With proportional fonts, the extra space is superfluous.

Agreed. One space is the new black.

VP

[mended_drum]

Two, dagnabbit!  Two!

[octoprof]

Two, dagnabbit!  Two!

Such violence here.
All over one space or two.
Scary, isn't it?

[prof_smartypants]

The real question is, how much longer will my 200 page dissertation be if I change it from one space to two?

[elsie]

You're giving me nightmares about my master's thesis. At the time I was also working for a newspaper. My editor insisted on one space; my advisor insisted on two. My poor typing fingers were so confused.