Writing & StyleStyle guide

Chronology Section

DAISY’s book-structure guidance lists chronology as a possible front-matter component. A chronology is useful when temporal sequence helps readers navigate a historical, biographical, or otherwise time-dependent work; location and labeling remain edition decisions.

Quick answer

A chronology section presents events in time order to help readers orient themselves. It can be structured as front matter or elsewhere depending on the work and publishing system.

Key details

Core IssueDAISY’s book-structure guidance lists chronology as a possible front-matter component
Registerbook publishing and document structure

Important caveats

Scope Boundary

["Do not treat front-matter placement as mandatory; choose placement based on reading function, publisher practice, and format."]

Further guidance

Placement

["DAISY includes chronology among possible front-matter elements, while real books may place chronologies in other structural positions."]

Purpose

["Use a chronology when a time-ordered sequence gives readers useful orientation before or alongside the main text."]

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. DAISY Structure Guidelines — Front Matter (opens in a new tab)DAISY Consortium · DAISY structural guidance listing chronology and other possible front-matter information objects

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