"Punctuation Matters" gives straight answers to the queries raised most frequently by practitioners in computing, engineering, medicine and science as they grapple with day-to-day tasks in writing and editing. The advice it offers is based on John Kirkman's long experience of providing courses on writing and editing in academic centers, large companies, research organizations, and government departments, in the UK, Europe and in the USA. Sample material discussed in the book comes from real documents from computing, engineering and scientific contexts, giving the guidelines an immediately recognizable, 'true to life' relevance. The advice is down-to-earth and up-to-date. Clearly set out in three parts: part one states a policy for clear and reliable punctuation; part two gives a series of alphabetically arranged guidelines, to be 'dipped into' for guidance on how to use the main punctuation marks in English; and part three contains appendices on paragraphing, word-division, and how conventions of punctuation differ in the UK and the USA. "Punctuation Matters" is the essential guide for everyone who has to write in scientific, technical and medical contexts, with clear explanations on punctuation, what it does and how to use it.