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6.09 Peripheral matter in a text

Italics may be used to set off peripheral matter such as prefaces and dedications or epigraphs and quotations at the beginning of a book or chapter. Stage directions for a play are usually set in italics and placed within brackets or parentheses. Introductory matter setting the scene is also usually in italics, but not in brackets or parentheses.

Italicize the terms See, See under, See also and See also under when used in indexes, and the expressions To be continued, Continued on p., Continued from p. and Continued on next page.

Italicize editorial clarifications:

  • Representatives from certain Carribean [sic] countries . . .
  • [My emphasis]
  • [Translation]

See 8.10 Insertions, alterations and parentheses and 8.14 French and foreign-language quotations for further information on this point.