This is the official Kirkwood writing style guide. Entries apply to all written materials, including the Web.
Alphabetical List of Style Preferences
A-Z
Names & Titles
Forms of Address
Capitalization
Punctuation
Numbers/Figures
Computer Terms
A-Z
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
academic degrees
(see degrees, academic)
academic departments/programs
(see department, names)
acronyms/abbreviations
In running text, spell out in first usage with the acronym or abbreviation in parenthesis.
The football team’s grade point average (GPA) of 3.6 is the highest in the conference. The team’s captain has a 3.99 GPA.
Exception: TGIF. The initials TGIF should be used first, with To Get Information Fast in parenthesis, on first reference only.
Centers and institutes used in full with title capitalization, but all subsequent reference should use lowercase (e.g., “center,” “institute” or “department”).
The Iowa Equestrian Center is located on the south side of campus. The center has state-of-the-art stable facilities.
Kirkwood Community College
Refer to the college’s graphic identity standards for additional information about logo usage.
Acceptable: Kirkwood Community College, Kirkwood, the college
Not Acceptable: Kirkwood College, K College, KCC, or the College
addresses, college (see also e-mail addresses, preferences)
Your Name
Title
Office/Department
Kirkwood Community College
6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW
P.O. Box 2068
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406
Also include your e-mail address and the college’s Web address when appropriate (e.g., business cards, e-mail signature)
john.smith@kirkwood.edu
http://www.kirkwood.edu/
addresses, general
According to the U.S. Postal Service, delivery addresses should be written in all capital letters with no punctuation. For more information, see their Web site at www.usps.com/businessmail101/addressing/deliveryAddress.htm
Admission, Admissions office, admission
Preferred usage does not include “s” in name. Capitalize when referring to office and lowercase when referring to the process.
Advance
An accelerated business degree offered as a partnership between Kirkwood and Mt. Mercy College.
Do not use ADVANCE or ADVANCE.
advisor, adviser
The college uses “advisor.”
Advising and Transfer Center
Can be referred to as “Advising” for short.
affect, effect
- affect (verb): to influence
- effect (verb): to cause
- effect (noun): a result
African American (no hyphen)
Capitalize; use instead of Black
afterward/afterwards
Afterward is American English, afterwards is British English
ages, periods of history
- Spell out 1-9, use figures for 10 and above.
- Hyphenate ages used before nouns (e.g., My two-year-old can recite the pledge). Do not hyphenate after a noun (e.g., My girl is two years old).
- Many historical or cultural periods are capitalized (e.g., Stone Age, Bronze Age, the Renaissance). More general period designations are not capitalized (e.g., the golden age).
aid (verb); aide (noun)
- The discovery will aid in finding a cure for cancer.
- The aide plans to speak to the senator about the issue.
all right, alright
Always written as two words.
a lot
Always written as two words.
alum, alumni, alumnus, alumna, alumnae
- alum(s) informal use for alumnus/a/i
- alumni (plural all, or a group of unknown gender)
- alumnus (masculine singular)
- alumna (feminine singular)
- alumnae (plural feminine)
a.m., p.m.
- Lowercase with periods; no caps
- Avoid 12 noon and 12 midnight; noon and midnight are sufficient and both are in lowercase
- Avoid including :00 for times at the top of the hour (use 10 a.m., not 10:00 a.m.)
America (see also U.S. )
When referring to the country, use United States.
ampersand (&)
- Generally not used in running text; okay in charts, tables, or lists.
- Okay to use in running text if it is part of an official name, e.g., U.S. News & World Report
Annual Giving, annual giving, The Kirkwood Fund
Capitalize the reference to the program, lowercase when referring to the act. The Kirkwood Fund is the proper name for the college’s annual fund.
anyone, any one, everyone, every one,
- The compound pronouns anyone or everyone mean “any person” and “all the people,” respectively.
- The non-compound modified pronoun any one or every one put a greater emphasis on the word one and mean “any single person or thing” and “every single person or thing.”
anyway, any way
- The compound word anyway is an adverb meaning “regardless.”
- Any way is simply the word way modified by the word any. It means “any manner” or “any method.”
apostrophe
See punctuation section
Asian American
Capitalize; do not use Oriental.
assure, ensure, insure: All mean “to make sure or certain”.
- Assure is used to “set the mind at rest.” They assured me my check was in the mail.
- Ensure means to make certain to do something
- Insure is to issue an insurance policy
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
B.A., Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts degree, bachelor’s degree
Abbreviation is all caps with periods. Note capitalization in other references
B.S., Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science degree, bachelor’s degree
Bible, biblical
Capitalize and italicize reference to book, lowercase biblical
black
Lowercase in reference to race, preferred usage is African American
Board of Trustees, the board, the trustees
Capitalize specific body, lowercase for general references.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
campus-wide
cancel, canceled, cancellation
capitalization
See capitalization section
capitalization
Do not overuse. Capitalization can interfere with readability, so keep to a minimum. Do not use all caps for Web page headings or subheadings. See department names, titles.
capstone, capstone project
Use lowercase
catalog, catalogue
Preferred usage is catalog
CD, CDs
No apostrophe on plural
CEO, CEOs
No apostrophe on plural
child care
class, Class of 2004
Capitalize specific reference to class, e.g., Class of 2004. Avoid using Class of ’04. See also capitalization section.
clichés
Avoid using them.
click here
Avoid using empty phrases like “click here” when linking to site content. For example, don't say “Click here to download our Online Style Guide.” Instead say “Download a copy of our Online Style Guide.”
clubs, committees, councils, teams
Full and official names should be capitalized. Use lowercase in subsequent references to the “club” or “committee.”
college-wide, campus-wide
commas
See also punctuation section.
commencement
Use lowercase when referring to the event.
chair
Not chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson.
co words
Close up most words eliminating a hyphen.
coauthor
cochair
cocurricular
coed, coeducational
coworker
college, the college (See also Kirkwood Community College )
In running text, always refer to Kirkwood Community College in the first reference. Subsequent references can use Kirkwood or “the college” (always use a lowercase “c” when “college” stands alone).
Kirkwood Community College is located in Cedar Rapids, IA. The college is coeducational.
KCC, K College or the College are not accepted uses.
college address
See address, college.
college-wide
commas, serial
Do not use serial commas (no comma before “and” and “or”) unless the list contains two words linked by a conjunction.
The weather was cold, wet and windy.
You can have your eggs fried, scrambled or poached.
My favorite classes are Ethics, Crime and Punishment, and English.
committees, councils
See clubs, committees, councils
composition titles
Italicize titles of books, magazines, newspapers, journals, newsletters, films, and television shows. Set titles in regular type when the surrounding text is already in italics.
When referencing an article within a publication, or a song title from an album, the publication and/or album title appears in italics, while the article/song title appear in quotation marks.
My favorite song on the Magical Mystery Tour album is "I Am The Walrus."
computer terms
See separate section on computer terms.
course load
course titles
Listed in title caps, with no quotation marks or italics
I'm taking two history courses this semester: Europe Since 1945 and Early Modern Europe.
course work
cum laude
No italics
curriculum, curricula
Use curricula when referring to more than one curriculum
curriculum vitae, CV
Plural: curricula vitae, CVs
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
dash, em dash, en dash, hyphen (see also em dash, en dash, hyphen section)
- En dash (–): An en dash is smaller than an em dash but usually longer than a regular hyphen; often used in place of the word “to” or “through” such as 10–5 p.m. or Monday–Friday
- Em dash (—): use the em dash to create a strong break in the structure of a sentence.
- Hyphen (-): usually used to combine words or used within numbers (e.g., social security and credit card numbers)
database
dates (also see numbers section)
In running text avoid inserting “nd” or “st” (use April 23, not April 23rd)
Days:
Always spell out.
Months:
Always spell out months when using alone. Okay to abbreviate months when followed by a date (Jan. 6, 2004). Never abbreviate March, April, May, June, or July.
Consecutive dates can be written in two ways: by inserting an en dash or by using the word "to."
I will be on vacation June 1–7.
I will be on vacation June 1 to 7
Use “through” when dates extend from one month to the next.
The college will be closed from December 22 through January 3.
Years:
Never insert an apostrophe into decades or centuries (use 1960s or 1900s and NOT 1960’s or 1900’s)
Student/Alumni Classes:
When expressing class years, use a left facing apostrophe with no comma between the last name and class year. (e.g., Bob Smith ’95)
day care
Dean’s List
Dean of Students, Dean of the College, Office of the Dean of Students, Office of the Dean, the Dean's Office
degrees, academic
Include periods when abbreviated; e.g., B.A., M.A., B.S., M.S., M.B.A., Ph.D.
use lowercase when spelled out: bachelor/master degree,
bachelor/master of arts degree, doctoral degree, associate’s degree
department and office references
Capitalize actual name, lowercase department/office: English department, Human Resources office.
Exception: Use an initial capital for department/office when the reference is prefaced by Kirkwood or Kirkwood Community College: the Kirkwood English Department, the Kirkwood Community College Human Resources Office.
Lowercase informal reference: I am majoring in humanities. The department is located in Cedar Hall.
dissertation titles
Place within quotation marks with title caps
doctorate, doctoral degree
dot-com
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
e.g.
Abbreviation for “for example,” usually followed by a comma.
Avoid using ex. or i.e. (i.e. is the abbreviation for “that is”)
East, east
Capitalize when referring to national geographic region (e.g., the East); lowercase for compass direction.
eastern Iowa
Lowercase, as eastern Iowa is not a nationally-recognized region.
e-mail, e-book, e-commerce, e-communication, e-newsletter, e-postcard, e-publishing, e-shopping
Use lowercase with hyphen. Do not capitalize.
em dash (see dash)
emerita (feminine singular), emeritae (feminine plural), emeriti (masculine or feminine plural), emeritus (masculine singular). Do not italicize.
endowed chair
Lowercase unless referring to a specific endowed chair by name (e.g., Jane Doe, Endowed Chair for…).
en dash (see dash)
English Language Acquisition (ELA)
Not English as a Second Language (ESL).
etc.
Usually preceded and followed by a comma. Avoid gratuitous use of “etc.” as it is often unnecessary.
e-Tempo, e-TEMPO, eTempo
Not a recognized usage of the title. See TEMPO.
exclamation points
Avoid overuse of exclamation points in text or using more than one exclamation point for emphasis. Overuse appears amateurish to the reader. See also punctuation section.
extracurricular
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
faculty
An umbrella term that refers to both full-time and adjunct faculty.
When writing for events/services, be sure to designate who the event/service includes: faculty (all full- and part-time faculty), full-time faculty and/or adjunct faculty. Usage of the blanket term “faculty” is often confusing when events/services are meant only for full-time faculty members.
faculty is, faculty are
Both okay, depends on context.
fall, fall semester, the fall
Fall is only capitalized when referencing the title of a specific academic period of time.
The Fall 2007 Credit Class Schedule is now available.
See also seasons.
fax
Short for facsimile. Do not use all caps. Okay to use title cap when listing with contact information
filmmaker
first-class mail
flier vs. flyer
A flier is someone who flies. A flyer is an advertisement or circular.
Yesterday, I saw a flyer on the bulletin board that reminded me to use my frequent flier miles.
freshman
Use lowercase when referring to class status.
fund-raiser, fund-raising
fund-raising (n, adj)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
gray
Use instead of grey. Gray is American English; grey is British English.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
health care
While some in the industry are moving toward creating a compound word, AP still views health care as two words.
Help Desk, help desk (see also computer terms)
Always written as two words. Capitalize Help Desk if referencing the Kirkwood Help Desk. Lowercase if referencing a random help desk.
Call Lynda at the [Kirkwood] Help Desk.
With my computer skills, I could work at a company's help desk someday.
home page
Two words and lowercase.
honors classes
Capitalize when referring to actual course (e.g., Honors Thesis).
Honors Program
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
i.e.
Abbreviation for “that is,” usually followed by a comma.
Avoid using ex. or e.g. (e.g. is the abbreviation for “for example”)
Inc.
Not used in running text; may be included when companies/corporations are in lists, but with no preceding comma (e.g. Nike Inc.).
initials with names
Insert a period after middle initial (e.g., Jane B. Doe). Use a space between two or more initials (e.g., Bob R. K. Smith)
Exception: Michael J Gould Kirkwood Recreation Center – no period after middle initial.
Internet
Always capitalize reference. See also computer terms, Web and World Wide Web
intranet
Always used lower case. See also computer terms, Web and World Wide Web
introductory words:
First (not firstly)
Second (not secondly)
Third (not thirdly)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
Jr., Sr., III
Not preceded by a comma; e.g., Bob Smith Jr.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
Kirkwood Community College
Refer to the college’s graphic identity standards for additional information about logo usage.
Acceptable: Kirkwood Community College, Kirkwood, the college
Not Acceptable: KCC, Kirkwood College, K College or the College
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
magna cum laude
No italics.
majors, programs
Majors are generally lowercased unless they include a word that is normally capitalized.
For example, physics, economics, Spanish, German, modern languages and literatures.
masters, master's degree, Master of Arts degree, Master of Science degree
middle-aged, middle age, the Middle Ages
midterm, mid-1980s, mid-October
modifiers
Avoid the overuse of modifiers (adjectives and adverbs) that can add unnecessarily to the length of your text (making it wordy). Commonplace modifiers to avoid are really, very and pretty.
money (see also numbers section)
When representing money in running text, use the dollar sign. Do not use a decimal and two zeros unless you must specify the number of cents (e.g., use $8 and not $8.00).
For amounts less than $1, write as a figure and spell out cents.
The candy bar costs 50 cents.
When using numbers above $1 million, use the dollar sign and up to two decimal points (e.g., A $1.25 million gift was given to the college). Avoid listing large numbers with lots of zeros (e.g., 4,500,000,000). In headlines or tables where space is limited you may use "K", "M", or "B" to represent thousand, million, or billion.
Kirkwood Community College Receives $1.2M Endowment Gift .
multicultural, Multicultural Center
Most multi words are not hyphenated
multimedia
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
names
In the first reference in running text, list a person’s full name and title. Subsequent references should only include the person’s last name or a person’s title and last name if it is significant to the writing. Do not include Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. on the second reference.
Dr. Bob Smith, chief of cardiac medicine, is the honorary chair of the hospital’s capital campaign committee. Dr. Smith expects the campaign to last 18 months.
Jane Smith ’05 was nominated for a leadership award by her professor. Smith will accept the award on June 20, 2004.
Native American
Avoid using Indian.
nicknames
Inset in quotation marks after middle name or initial and before last name.
Bob L. “Red” Smith
North, north
Cap when referring to geographic location, lowercase for compass direction
The South voted straight republican.
Iowa City is about 20 minutes south of Cedar Rapids.
northeast Iowa
Not capitalized.
numbers (See also dates)
In running text, write out numbers one through nine and use figures for 10+; (except course numbers, course credits, and percentages). In even decimals, it is not necessary to include two zeros (correct: $55; incorrect: $55.00)
For amounts less than a dollar, write as figures and spell out cents
Correct: The candy bar is 50 cents.
Incorrect: The candy bar is $.50.
When referring to percentages in running text, always spell out “percent” (e.g., At the college, nearly 90 percent of students live on campus.)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
offices
See department and office references.
off-campus (if used as a modifier), off campus (not a modifier)
I enjoy off-campus living. I live off campus.
offline, online
one word, no hyphen
on-campus (if used as a modifier), on campus (not a modifier)
I enjoy on-campus living. I live on campus.
one-fourth, one-half
over, more than
Use “over” when referring to spatial references (e.g., The deer jumped over the fence.). Use “more than” when referring to amounts or numbers.
Correct: The cost of the gift was more than $50.
Incorrect: The cost of the gift was over $50.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
percent, percentages
Spell out when using in running text. Okay to use “%” in charts and tables.
This year, nearly 90 percent of our students chose to live on campus.
period (see also punctuation section)
In running text, include only one space after a period and not two spaces.
Ph.D., Ph.D.s (plural), doctoral degree, doctorate (not doctorate degree)
p.m. (see also a.m.)
lowercase with periods
PowerPoint (see also computer terms)
prefixes
co, pre, un, post, multi, etc., are almost always closed up unless it precedes a proper noun; e.g., pre-Cold War
Professor; Professor of Biology Bob Smith; biology professor Bob Smith; Bob Smith professor of biology
Use lowercase when appearing alone or after a person’s name as a job title; use uppercase if appearing before a person’s name as a job title.
Professor Smith has taught biology for 10 years.
Bob Smith, professor of biology, has taught at the college for 10 years.
Exception: Title can be capitalized when listed on a separate line under a person's name, such as on a business card.
programs
Capitalize the word program only when it is part of the official name (e.g., Honors Program, Corporate Partners Program).
punctuation (see punctuation section)
publication titles
Italicize all titles for books, magazines, television shows, and movies.
NBC’s Today Show; Moby Dick; Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
quotation marks, punctuation with (see also punctuation section)
All punctuation except semicolons and colons is kept inside end quotation marks.
In dialog or conversation, place each person’s words in a separate paragraph.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
references, acronyms/abbreviations (see acronyms)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
seasons
Do not capitalize or use commas (e.g., spring 2000, not spring of 2000 or Spring 2000).
Fall and spring are only capitalized when referencing the title of a specific academic period of time.
The Fall 2007 Credit Class Schedule is now available.
state abbreviations
When standing alone, write out all state names. When appearing in running text with city or town (e.g., Manchester, N.H.) abbreviate according to the Associated Press Stylebook. Use postal abbreviations only when listing mailing addresses.
|
State Name |
AP Styleguide |
Postal
Abbr. |
|
State Name |
AP Styleguide |
Postal
Abbr. |
|
Alabama |
Ala. |
AL |
|
Montana |
Mont. |
MT |
|
Alaska |
Alaska |
AK |
|
Nebraska |
Nebr. |
NE |
|
Arizona |
Ariz. |
AZ |
|
Nevada |
Nev. |
NV |
|
Arkansas |
Ark. |
AR |
|
New Hampshire |
N.H. |
NH |
|
California |
Calif. |
CA |
|
New Jersey |
N.J. |
NJ |
|
Colorado |
Colo. |
CO |
|
New Mexico |
N.Mex |
NM |
|
Connecticut |
Conn. |
CT |
|
New York |
N.Y. |
NY |
|
Delaware |
Del. |
DE |
|
N. Carolina |
N.C. |
NC |
|
Washington, D.C. |
D.C. |
DC |
|
Ohio |
Ohio |
OH |
|
Florida |
Fla. |
FL |
|
Oklahoma |
Okla. |
OK |
|
Georgia |
Ga. |
GA |
|
Oregon |
Ore. |
OR |
|
Guam |
Guam |
GU |
|
Pennsylvania |
Pa. |
PA |
|
Hawaii |
Hawaii |
HI |
|
Puerto Rico |
P.R. |
PR |
|
Idaho |
Idaho |
ID |
|
Rhode Island |
R.I. |
RI |
|
Illinois |
Ill. |
IL |
|
S. Carolina |
S.C. |
SC |
|
Indiana |
Ind. |
IN |
|
S. Dakota |
S.Dak. |
SD |
|
Iowa |
Iowa |
IA |
|
Tennessee |
Tenn. |
TN |
|
Kansas |
Kans. |
KS |
|
Texas |
Tex. |
TX |
|
Kentucky |
Ky. |
KY |
|
Utah |
Utah |
UT |
|
Louisiana |
La. |
LA |
|
Vermont |
Vt. |
VT |
|
Maine |
Maine |
ME |
|
Virginia |
Va. |
VA |
|
Maryland |
Md. |
MD |
|
Virgin Islands |
V.I. |
VI |
|
Massachusetts |
Mass. |
MA |
|
Washington |
Wash. |
WA |
|
Michigan |
Mich. |
MI |
|
West Virginia |
W.Va. |
WV |
|
Minnesota |
Minn. |
MN |
|
Wisconsin |
Wis. |
WI |
|
Mississippi |
Miss. |
MS |
|
Wyoming |
Wyo. |
WY |
|
Missouri |
Mo. |
MO |
|
|
|
|
semesters
Do not capitalize (e.g., spring semester) unless you're referencing the title of a specific academic period of time.
The Fall 2007 Credit Class Schedule is now available.
students, class designations
Do not capitalize first-year student, upperclassman, returning student, freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior unless beginning a sentence.
student-athlete
study abroad (n, adj)
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
telephone numbers
List toll numbers with dashes (e.g., 603-641-7000). Avoid listing x6184 or ext.6184 without the rest of the telephone number, since people from off-campus may not be familiar with the college's area codes and prefixes.
Toll-free numbers: List toll-free numbers with dashes (e.g., 800-641-7000). A “1” preceding the number is not necessary.
temperature
86 degrees F or 30 degrees C (no period after the F or C within a sentence)
86°F or 30°C (no spaces).
TEMPO
Kirkwood Community College's internal staff/faculty e-mail newsletter.
Do not use eTempo, e-Tempo, Tempo.
TGIF
To Get Information Fast. TGIF is a standalone program offered by Admissions. It should be referenced by its acronym first and the actual title in parenthesis on first reference. No periods are used between initials.
that, which
That is defining. Which is nondefining or relative. Sometimes the two can be interchanged, but the clause containing which must be set off by commas
The game, which is scheduled for 4 p.m., has been canceled.
The game that is scheduled for 4 p.m. has been canceled.
that, who
Use "who" only when referring to people.
She is the only person who understands me.
My horse is the only one that I trust.
theater, theatre
Use theatre when referring to the craft or art of theatre. She is a theatre major. I love theatre.
Use theater when referring to the building in which theatre occurs. We went to the theater to see a movie.
time (see also numbers section)
- Use lowercase with periods (a.m., p.m.)
- Remove “:00” for times at the top of the hour
- Do not include midnight or noon in time references (e.g., 12 noon or 12 midnight)
- Include time zones after times as required (e.g., 1:30 p.m. EST)
titles (see composition titles, publication titles, names and titles)
titles, academic/professional
Capitalize titles appearing before a persons name (e.g., Professor Bob Smith). Use lowercase when appearing alone or after a person's name (e.g., Bob Smith, professor of biology, plans to retire.).
Exceptions:
In general references to a person's profession use lowercase titles.
The event will be hosted by biology professor Bob Smith. For more information contact Professor Smith by telephone.
Title can be capitalized when listed on a separate line under a person's name, such as on a business card.
toll-free number
trademark symbols
do not use “TM” and “®” in running text
trustee; trustees
Lowercase unless referring to the specific body (e.g., Board of Trustees).
Bob Smith, a trustee, will be at the event.
The Board of Trustees will consider the motion.
two-thirds
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
undergraduate
up-to-date
United States; USA; U.S.
user-friendly
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V-Z
vice president (no hyphen); VP (uppercase, no periods)
voice mail
Web (see also Internet)
Always capitalize the first letter since you are referring to the larger World Wide Web.
Web site
Two words with Web capitalized. Exceptions: webcam, webcast, webmaster
which, that (see that, which)
who, whom
An easy way to determine which is the correct usage is to turn a clause into a sentence, replacing who with he/she and whom with him/her
Bob Smith, who attended Kirkwood Community College, was born in Manchester. (He [not him] attended Kirkwood Community College.)
To whom should I give my payment? (Should I give my payment to him [not he]?)
work-study, work-study program
World Wide Web (see also Internet and Computer Terms)
Capitalize all words.
Names and Titles (see also "Forms of Address")
Referencing names
Include the full name of a person the first time they appear in an article. Thereafter, use the person's last name.
Bob Smith is author of the new book. Smith wrote the book while on sabbatical.
Dr., Ph.D.
Use the title Dr. when referring to a doctor of medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine. Do not use it to designate doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.)
Dr. Smith is a skilled surgeon.
Jane Smith, Ph.D, spoke about her research in early French history.
Job titles
Capitalize all job titles when used before a name or in lists and programs. (Exception: Do not capitalize such titles in the text when they follow the name.)
Mick Starcevich, president of Kirkwood Community College.
Professor Bob Smith is chair of the Biology department.
Exception: Title can be capitalized when listed on a separate line under a person's name, such as on a business card.
Unofficial titles
Do not capitalize unofficial titles preceding the name.
The writer Robert Frost...
Job titles that stand alone or in apposition
Do not capitalize titles standing alone or in apposition.
The president of Sun Microsystems is scheduled to speak at the conference.
Contact the dean of students for more information.
Abbreviated job titles
Abbreviate the following titles when they precede a name: Dr., Mr., Mrs., the Rev., Fr., and all military titles. Do not use them in combination with any other title or with abbreviations including scholastic or academic degrees.
Bob Smith, Ph.D., not Dr. Bob Smith, Ph.D.
Lily Smith, M.D., not Mrs. Lily Smith, M.D.
Do not abbreviate assistant and associate when used in a title, such as assistant professor of history.
Publication Titles
The titles of books, essays, plays, musical compositions, motion pictures, pamphlets, radio and television programs, and songs, should all be placed in italics.
Of Mice and Men
America the Beautiful
NBC's Meet the Press
The titles of newspapers, journals, newsletters, and magazines should be italicized.
The Union Leader
Newsweek
When referencing an article within a publication, or a song title from an album, the publication and/or album title appears in italics, while the article/song title appear in quotation marks.
My favorite song on the Magical Mystery Tour album is "I Am The Walrus."
Forms of Address
Courtesty Titles
Professional Ratings
Academic Degrees
Specific Titles
Professor
Reverend
Rabbi
Esquire
The Honorable
Military Ranks
Government Officials
Senator
Representative
Governor
Judge
Alderman
Mayor
Most people who hold a title, a professional affiliation, or an academic degree are proud to have those titles or affiliations attached to their names. Not being sensitive or knowledgeable enough to know when and where to use these titles can cause offense. Here’s a detailed rundown of how to use these titles.
Courtesy Titles: Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.
Appear: envelope, inside address, salutation
Precede: full name or surname only
Mr. Jonathan Campbell, Miss CampbellSeparated from name by comma: no
Special Rules: Mr. is never used in the typed or the written signature.
Mrs., Miss, and Ms. are optional in the typed signature, but they must be enclosed in parentheses.
(Miss) Adele JohnstonMrs., Miss, and Ms. are used in the typed signature when the woman has a preference about being addressed as Miss, Mrs., or Ms.
Mrs., Miss, and Ms. are never used in the written signature.
Never use Ms. with a woman’s married name. Ms.
Janet Litz, not
Ms. David ArwoodPlurals: Mr.—Messrs. Mrs.—Mesdames Miss—Misses Ms.—Mses., Mss.
Professional Ratings and Affiliations: P.E., C.P.S., A.I.A., etc.
Appear: envelope, inside address, optional in typed signature
Follow: surname
Separated from name by comma: yes
Used with courtesy titles: no
Special Rules: They are never used in the written signature. They are not necessary in the typed signature if they appear in the printed letterhead.
Academic Degrees: M.D., D.D.S., D.V.M., Ph.D., D.D., etc.
Appear: envelope, inside address, typed and written signature
Follow: surname
Separated from name by comma: yes
Used with courtesy titles: no
Jeanne Kelly, Ph.D., not Mrs. Jeanne Kelly, Ph.D.
Dr. Kirkpatrick, not Dr. Kirkpatrick, M.D.
Professor (Prof.)
Appears: envelope, inside address, salutation
Precedes: full name or surname only
Professor James Wilson, Professor Wilson
Separated from name by comma: no
Used with courtesy titles: no
Professor James Wilson, not Mr. Wilson, Professor
Special Rules: Avoid abbreviating when using with surname only.
Professor Brock, not Prof. Brock
Use Professor in the salutation when it’s followed by a surname.
Dear Professor Brock, not Dear Professor
Never use Professor in the typed or the written signature.
Plural: When addressing more than one professor at once, do not abbreviate the word professor.
Professors Brock and Edwards, not Profs. Brock and Edwards
The Reverend (The Rev.)
Appears: envelope, inside address, optional in typed signature
Precedes: full name or surname
Separated from name by comma: no
Used with courtesy titles: yes
Special Rules: A first name or a courtesy title must intervene between The Reverend and the surname.
The Reverend Miss Ward, The Reverend Ann Ward, The Reverend Dr. Ward,
not The Reverend Ward
Never use The Reverend in the written signature.
Do not use The Reverend in the salutation.
Use Mrs., Miss, Mr., Dr., Father, Chaplain, etc., in the salutation.
Dear Miss Ward, not Dear Reverend or Dear Reverend Ann Ward
Plural: The Reverends, The Revs.
Rabbi
Appears: envelope, inside address, salutation, typed or written signature
Precedes: full name or surname
Rabbi David Gold, Rabbi Gold
Separated from name by comma: no
Used with courtesy titles: no
Special Rules: It is permissible to use Rabbi or Dr. in the salutation.
Dear Rabbi Gold, Dear Dr. Gold
Plural: Rabbis
Esquire (Esq.)
Who uses: Attorneys, Consular Corps, architects, professional engineers, Justices of the Peace
Appears: envelope, inside address, typed signature
Follows: surname
Separated from name by comma: yes
Used with courtesy titles: no
Marilyn Kapstan, Esq., not Dr. Marilyn Kapstan, Esq., or Ms. Marilyn Kapstan, Esq.
Used with business title: yes, the addressee’s business title may appear on the next line
Marilyn Kapstan, Esq.
Attorney-at-law
Special Rules: Esq. is never used in the written signature.
Plural: Esqs.
The Honorable (The Hon.)
Who uses: Any high-ranking appointed or elected officials, such as judges, representatives, senators, governors, and the President and the Vice President of the United States
Appears: envelope, inside address
Precedes: full name
Separated from name by comma: no
Used with courtesy titles: yes.
But drop the courtesy title when the addressee’s full name is used.
The Honorable (Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs.) Pax
The Honorable Dr. Pax The Honorable Roberta Pax
Used with business title: yes
Special Rules: A first name, an initial, or a courtesy title must intervene between The Honorable and the surname.
The Honorable R. Pax, not The Honorable Pax
This title is retained even after the person no longer holds the office.
The Honorable is never used in the typed or the written signature.
Plural: The Hons.
Military Ranks or Ratings
The proper use in written correspondence of military ranks and ratings can be mind-boggling. The following rules are organized according to where such titles appear in a letter.
Note: Titles of officers are the same in the Army, the Air Force, and the Marine Corps. (The exception to this rule is the top rank in the Marine Corps. It is Commandant of the Marine Corps.)
Envelope, Inside Address
Precede: full name
Followed by: comma and branch of service (abbreviated)
Used with courtesy titles: no
Abbreviations for branches of service:
United States Navy—USN United States Air Force—USAF
United States Army—USA United States Coast Guard—USCG
United States Marine Corps—USMC
Note: Abbreviations for branches of service are typed in all capital letters with no punctuation.
Captain Robert Stalle, LISAF Capt Robert Stalle, USAF/USMC
CAPT Robert Stalle, USN/USCG CPT Robert Stalle, USA
Note: The abbreviations for ranks and. ratings vary from one branch of service to another and are too exhaustive to be covered in this section. In the examples used here, we have tried to give a balanced representation from each branch. Where slashes and two branches of the service appear, the abbreviations given apply to both. In general, abbreviations for ranks and ratings are used with no punctuation.
Salutation
Precede: surname
General form: Dear (rank/rating) surname
Dear Commander Stalle Dear Corporal Stalle
Dear General Stalle Dear Private Stalle
Special Rules: When ranks and ratings appear in the salutation, they are never abbreviated.
For warrant officers and noncommissioned Army officers and for all Navy ranks below commander, the courtesy title and surname are used in the salutation. However, if the addressee is a female, the rank or rating may be used in the salutation.
Chief Warrant Officer LISAF/LISA—Dear Mr./Ms. Stalle
Ensign USCG/LISN—Dear Mr./Ms. Stalle
Cadet (Air Force, Army, Coast Guard Academies)—Dear Cadet Stalle or Dear Mr./Ms. Stalle
Midshipman (Naval Academy)—Dear Midshipman Stalle or Dear Mr./Ms. Stalle
Typed Signature
Follow: full name
Separated from name by comma: yes
Followed by: comma and branch of service (abbreviated)
Used with courtesy titles: no
Special rules: The above rules apply when abbreviations for ranks and ratings are used in the typed signature.
Commander—Robert M. Stalle, CDR, LISN/LISCG
Warrant Officer—Robert M. Stalle, WO, USAF/USA
Major—Robert M. Stalle, Maj, USAF/USMC Robert M. Stalle, MAJ, USA
Note: If the rank or rating is spelled out in full, it should appear one line below the full name. In this case, the rank or rating should be followed by a comma and the abbreviation for the branch of service.
Robert M. Stalle
Captain, USAF/USMC/LISA/USN/USCG
Federal, State, and Local Government Officials
Senator, U.S. and State
Title: The Honorable
Followed by: If U.S.—United States Senate
If state—The State Senate or The Senate of
Salutation: Dear Senator Michaels
Representative, U.S. Congress and State (state includes assemblyman, delegate)
Title: The Honorable
Followed by: If U.S.—United States House of Representatives
If state—House of Representatives or The State Assembly or The House of Delegates
Salutation: Dear Mr./Ms. Michaels or Dear Representative Michaels
Governor
Title: The Honorable
Followed by: Governor of_________ or The Governor of
Salutation: Dear Governor Michaels
Note: In some states, the Governor is referred to as His/Her Excellency.
Judge—Federal, State, and Local
Title: The Honorable
Followed by: If federal—Judge of the United States, District Court for the __________., District of
If state—Judge of the _________ Court or Judge of the Court of
If local—Judge of the Court of _________ or Judge of the _________ Court
Salutation: Dear Judge Michaels
Note: The above titles are not used in the written signature. However, they do appear in the typed signature one line below the typed name.
Edward Michaels Edward Michaels
United States Senator Governor
Alderman
Title: The Honorable
Followed by: Alderman or Alderman Edward/Ellen Michaels
Salutation: Dear Mr./Ms. Michaels or Dear Alderman Michaels
Mayor
Title: The Honorable
Followed by: Mayor of ________
Salutation: Dear Mayor Michaels
Capitalization
Kirkwood Community College
Do not capitalize college when referring to Kirkwood Community College (e.g., The college is located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.)
Job titles
Capitalize job title if it occurs before the name; lower case if following or by itself.
Many faculty attended the game including Professor Bob Smith.
Bob Smith, professor of biology, stayed until the end of the game.
The dean of students attended the conference.
Exception: Title can be capitalized when listed on a separate line under a person's name, such as on a business card.
Buildings, departments, addresses, etc.
Capitalize association, building, center, club, conference, hall, street, etc., when used as part of a title; thereafter, do not capitalize these words when used alone to refer to the specific place or group.
The Faculty Senate - thereafter, the senate
The Human Resources office - thereafter, the office
The History department - thereafter, the department
Kirkwood Community College Board of Trustees - thereafter, the board or the trustees
Courses
Capitalize the name of a specific course or subject.
ENG-105, Composition I
Rooms
Capitalize room when used to designate a particular room.
The meeting was held in the Marland Room in Iowa Hall.
Abbreviations
Capitalize alphabetical abbreviations of groups, organizations, or institutions such as FBI, UNH, ROTC, USDA, UCLA, or MIT, without periods or spaces unless the entity uses such punctuation as part of its proper name.
In running text, write out the first instance and place the abbreviation in parenthesis. Thereafter you can use the abbreviated text.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has an office in Manchester. For directions to the USDA's office, visit their Web site.
Ethnic groups and nationalities
Capitalize names of ethnic groups and nationalities.
Amy Smith, professor of African American Studies
The Asian American community
the French artist
Publication titles
Capitalize all words in the titles of books, plays, lectures, musical compositions, etc. unless they are prepositions, articles, or conjunctions. (Exception: The first word of a title is always capitalized). Place all publication titles, movies, and television shows in italics.
Of Mice and Men, Spiderman II, NBC's Meet the Press, Nightline
Geographic regions
Capitalize recognized geographical regions. (Exception: Do not capitalize points of the compass.)
the South, the Midwest, the East, the West
The Technology Corridor is in eastern Iowa.
To get to Jones Hall from Iowa Hall, walk north and east across campus.
College degrees
Do not capitalize official college degrees when spelled out.
He has a bachelor of science in biology, a master of arts in literature, and a doctor of philosophy.
Majors, courses, programs, etc.
Do not capitalize names of college studies, fields of study, options, curricula, major areas, major subjects, or programs, unless referring to a specific course. (Exception: Capitalize names of languages.)
Jane is studying biology, theology, and Spanish.
Each student must meet the college's core requirements in languages and humanities.
Kirkwood Community College offers a biology major.
Classes
Do not capitalize organized groups or classes of students in college or high school, or the words freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate, when referring to the classification of the student.
Humanities II must be taken in the sophomore year.
Jane Smith is a senior chemistry major.
The junior class has scheduled a meeting for tomorrow night.
Class designations
Do not capitalize designations of officers of a class, social organization, etc.
She was elected freshman class treasurer.
Bob Smith is president of the Abbey Players.
Words not to capitalize
Do not capitalize these words: honors, bachelor's degree, master's degree, baccalaureate, federal, state, and government.
Do not capitalize the word offices or departments when referring to more than one individual office or department.
The offices of Public Relations and Admission attended the event.
Seasons
Do not capitalize seasons.
I am looking forward to graduating in the spring of 2005.
Punctuation
Commas
Serial comma
Do not use a comma between the last two items in a series, unless the series includes two items joined by "and" or "or."
The college will host the conference, which will feature a keynote address, lectures and a poster display.
My favorite sandwiches are bologna, peanut butter and jelly, and ham.
In numbers
Place a comma after digits signifying thousands: 1,952 students. (Exception: Don't use a comma when referring to temperature: 2200 degrees.)
i.e. and e.g.
Introductory words or phrases such as namely, i.e., and e.g., should be immediately preceded by a comma or semicolon and followed by a comma.
Locally grown food is fresher, i.e., it doesn't have to be trucked here from California.
Dates
When writing a date, place a comma between the day (if given) and the year, and after the year.
December 7, 1941, is a day that will live in infamy.
Do not place a comma between the month and year when the day is not mentioned, or between season and year.
December 1999, fall 2000
Use a comma between two or more adjectives when each modifies a noun separately.
My uncle is a strong, confident, stubborn man.
Do not use commas between cumulative adjectives. In the instance below ‘and’ cannot be inserted between the adjectives three, oval, and disks, and the order of the adjectives cannot be changed.
Three large oval disks appeared in the sky above the city.
Colons
Use a colon after an independent clause to direct attention to a list, an appositive, or a direct quotation of one or more paragraphs.
Students should always carry the following things: paper, pens, textbooks and a positive attitude.
My roommate is guilty of two unhealthy habits: staying up late and poor eating.
Quotation Marks
Set quotation marks outside of periods, question marks, and commas and inside colons and semicolons. They should be set inside of exclamation points that are not part of the quotation.
He asked, "How long will this take?"
No quotation marks are necessary in interviews when the name of the speaker is given first, or in reports of testimony when the words question and answer or Q and A are used, such as:
Q: Who will benefit from the fee waiver program?
A: Full-time faculty and staff.
Apostrophe
When referring to years, use an apostrophe only to indicate numerals that are left out. Do not use an apostrophe in plural cases. For class years, us a single, left facing single quotation mark with no comma between the last name and class year.
Chris Clark ’92
1960s
the ’80s (preferred style is the 1980s)
Master’s and doctor’s degrees should always be written with an ’s. Never write masters’ degrees.
Dashes
Em dash —
Use em dashes to indicate an abrupt change of thought or to set off a parenthetical phrase with more emphasis than commas, or to set off an appositive whenever a comma might be misread as part of a series. Do not insert a space before or after em dashes. The sentence should still make sense if you remove the words between the em dashes.
In New Hampshire, the amount of open space—farmland, mountains, and forests—provides unsurpassed opportunities for enjoying the outdoors.
En dash –
Use en dashes to replace the word "to" when it represents a duration of time. Do not put a full space before or after the en dash. Do not use the en dash when preceded by the word "from."
The biology class will be held 2–4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.
The biology class will be held from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays.
Hyphen -
Use the hyphen to connect two or more words functioning together as an adjective before a noun (to avoid ambiguity).
on-campus housing, rather than on campus housing.
Do not use the hyphen to connect -ly adverbs to the words they modify.
The beautifully exhibited artwork will be on display until the end of the month.
In a series, hyphens are suspended.
The runners from Jefferson High School received first-, second-, and third-place honors.
Use the hyphen with the prefixes all-, ex-, and self- and with the suffix -elect.
The college organizes several self-help projects to assist those in need.
Lily is the student government's president-elect.
Do not hyphenate words beginning with the prefix non, except those containing a proper noun.
Non-French, nontechnical
Do not place a hyphen between the prefixes pre, semi, anti, co., etc., and nouns or adjectives, except proper nouns. (Exception: Hyphenate to avoid duplicated vowels or triple consonants.)
coauthored, reapply, pro-republican, pre-enlist, premedicine
Do not place a hyphen between the prefix sub and the word to which it is attached:
subtotal
Numbers/Figures
Figures
Use figures for numbers 10 or greater, write out figures less than 10
Nearly 40 people attended the gathering. Only four people came to class.
Days of the month
Use figures for days of the month, omitting st, nd, rd, and th:
September 28 (not September 28th)
December 22 (not December 22nd)
Large figures
Use figures for sums that are cumbersome to spell out; however, spell out the words million and billion.
The campaign received a $3.25 million gift. (not 3,250,000 million)
China has a population of roughly 1.9 billion.
Measurements
Use figures for measurements
6 feet
15 inches
9 cubic centimeters
33 percent (don't use 33% in a sentence)
Ages
Use figures for ages more than 10, spell out if less than 10.
The child is five years old.
For a 12-year-old student, she sure knows her history
The average student age at the college is 20.
Telephone numbers
Write phone numbers as follows:
- Always list area codes and local exchanges on the Web since some visitors will be attempting to call from off campus.
- Use dashes to separate numbers (e.g., 319-398-7000)
- Avoid listing only extensions (e.g., x6164 or ext. 6184), since Kirkwood uses multiple local exchanges. Include the entire number (398-7137)
- Also list toll-free numbers with dashes for consistency (e.g., Call us at toll-free at 800-332-2055).
Time
Use figures for hours of the day:
5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. (never 5:00 p.m., unless used in lists of events to preserve alignment of type).
Money
Use figures for amounts of money with the word cents or with the dollar sign (i.e., $5, $5.25 or 77 cents) unless tabulated in columns.
Numbers at the beginning of a sentence
Do not begin a sentence with numerals; supply a word or spell out the figures. Please note: numbers less than 100 should be hyphenated when they consist of two words:
Two thousand people attend the college.
Eighty-eight percent of our students live on campus.
One-half of the class was late.
Computer Terms
A good source of definitions for commonly used computer and Internet terms is http://www.webopedia.com/.
- alt text, alternate text, alt tag
- blog or Web log
- CD: compact disk
- CD-ROM: all caps and hyphenated
- chat
- chatroom: one word
- database: one word
- disk, diskette
- drop-down: hyphenated
- e-communication
- e-mail
- e-newsletter
- e-postcard
- e-publishing
- forum, discussion board, bulletin board
- 56K: no space before and "K" is capitalized
- Help Desk: two words
- homepage: one word
- html: Hyper Text Markup Language
- Internet
- internet service provider (ISP)
- intranet
- laptop: one word
- listserv: one word, no "e"
- log in
- log on
- Macintosh: no internal caps
- multimedia
- offline, online: no hyphen
- PC: personal computer (plural: PCs)
- podcast, podcasting: one word
- PowerPoint
- real time (n.); real-time (adj.)
- URI: uniform resource identifier
- URL: uniform resource locator
- videoconferencing: one word
- Word: use after using Microsoft Word in first reference
- Web, the Web, World Wide Web (no hyphens), Web site
- weblog, weblogging: one word, not capitalized, more commonly known as blog/blogging
