UA Editorial Style Manual

There are three kinds of dashes used in University publications, each with its own uses. Most word-processing and page-layout programs can produce all three—hyphen, en dash, and em dash.

Hyphen ( - ). Used to separate the elements of a hyphenated compound (for example, on-screen or English-speaking students) or to break words at the end of lines of copy.

Following are some general guidelines for the use of hyphens in compounds. When in doubt, consult a current dictionary.

1. Don't use a hyphen after words ending in -ly.

2. Compounds with century are hyphenated when they work as modifiers: ninth-century art, 11th-century religion.

3. A compound with the prefix well should be hyphenated before the noun and open (no hyphen) after.

4. Use hyphens with temporary compounds, such as those invented by the writer: quasi-realistic, post-homecoming. A compound is permanent when it can be found in a current dictionary or style manual.

5. Use hyphens to prevent misreading—to link two or more words so they won't be misread as linked to or modifying other words.

Unclear: high school teacher, finite element equation
Better: high-school teacher, finite-element equation

6. Use a hyphen for extra clarity when the last letter of the prefix and the first letter of the word are the same (as in non-native), or when confusion might arise if the term is written as one word:

7. Use a hyphen when the second element begins with a capital letter or a numeral:

8. Compounds with -like and -wide are usually closed, except for words of three or more syllables, proper nouns, or other forms in which a closed compound would likely be confusing (such as words ending with -l):

Poe-like
swanlike
campuswide
collegewide (but College-wide in publications referring to one specific UA college)
schoolwide (but School-wide in publications referring to one specific UA school)
University-wide (when referring to The University of Alabama)
university-wide (when used in the general sense or when referring to another university)

9. Consult a current dictionary or style manual to determine whether to close or hyphenate common compounds, such as lifelong (closed) or life-sized (hyphenated).

When using hyphens to break words at the end of lines of copy, limit hyphenation as much as possible. If you can, turn hyphenation off. If you can't, follow these general rules:

a. Don't break a hyphenated compound in the middle of either of its component words. If the compound must be broken, break it after the hyphen.
b. Avoid line breaks that leave only one or two letters at the beginning or end of a line.
c. Avoid having more than two lines in a row end in hyphens.
d. Avoid breaking personal names, proper nouns, phone or fax numbers, e-mail or WWW addresses, and elements of street and mailing addresses. If you must break a Web or e-mail address, break it before a punctuation mark, so your readers won't miss it.

En dash ( – ). Used to indicate duration. The en dash is also used to separate the elements of a hyphenated compound in which (a) at least one of the elements is composed of two or more words or (b) both elements are hyphenated compounds. When you can't create an en dash, a hyphen will do.

To indicate duration or continuing or inclusive numbers such as dates, times, or reference numbers, use the en dash as shown below. Don't put a space on either side of the en dash.

When indicating duration or inclusive numbers, use numerals for all numbers if using the en dash or if one of the numbers in the construction must be written in numerals:

The program accepts children age 1–5.
He sold 9–13 sets of encyclopedias each week.

When using a from . . . to construction, use to instead of the en dash, and include the first two digits of the second year:

The program accepts children from age one to five.
Ronald Reagan was in office from 1980 to 1988.

Em dash ( — ). Used to introduce an explanatory or emphatic element; to indicate a sudden break in thought or speech; to create a break in continuity greater than that suggested by the comma; and to set off multiple nouns, when the nouns are the referents of a pronoun that is the subject of a summarizing clause. Use no space on either side of the em dash. In applications and formats that don't allow em dashes, use two hyphens ( -- ). Don't overuse em dashes-never use more than a single em dash or pair of em dashes in a sentence. Consider commas and parentheses as alternatives.

EN 101 English Composition I-an introduction to college-level writing-is required of all UA freshmen.
She proofed the brochure copy-copy that could help recruit a generation of UA transfer students-for the sixth time.
He was able to surmount every obstacle but the last-a greased wall 50 feet in height.
Iceland, Malaysia, Peru-these are just some of the countries from which UA students come.

When em dashes fall between two clauses that would normally be separated by a comma, drop the comma.

Because some departments could not provide results by the deadline—for a number of good reasons—publication of the survey was delayed.

database (n., adj.)

Use the sequence month-day-year. In a sentence, the year is set off by commas:

On September 15, 1995, she bought her first car.
On the day of her birth, Wednesday, June 12, 1974, it rained in Montgomery.

If the day is not given, no commas are needed:

In invitations, fliers, and similar announcements, always give the day of the week before the date. The year is not necessary in many such publications, particularly if the name of the event includes it.

Avoid constructions such as May 5th, even though we pronounce dates as ordinals.

See also Appendix E: Punctuation and Appendix F: Time Terminology.

days of the week

Do not abbreviate in running text. Where space is limited, as in tables or cutlines, abbreviate as follows:

Note: Due to severe space limitations, the Office of Academic Records and University Registrar uses the following abbreviations for the days of the week: M (Monday), T (Tuesday), W (Wednesday), R (Thursday), and F (Friday).

See also Appendix E: Punctuation and Appendix F: Time Terminology.

As with other titles, capitalize dean only when it precedes the individual's name or is part of another official title, and never when writing generally of the dean or a dean:

That's something for the dean to decide. I'll ask Dean Smith in the morning.
dean's office
Office of the Dean
Dean's List (when referring specifically to a University of Alabama Dean's List; when describing a student's accomplishments in a more general sense, lowercase)

See also titles, personal.

See centuries/decades.

decision making (n.), decision-making (adj.)

See programs, academic.

degrees, academic

See academic degrees.

degrees—temperature

The campanile on the Quadrangle was constructed in 1929 and named after UA President George H. Denny. Like all collective nouns, it takes a singular or plural verb, depending on meaning.

See collective nouns.

On first reference, use the official name of the academic department: the Department of Art. The departmental section of the printed campus directory contains the full, official names of University departments and divisions.

Capitalize a department's name only when using the full, official name. If necessary, recast the sentence or use a vertical list to avoid confusion.

He teaches courses in the departments of music, art, and English.
Students may take courses in several departments, including music, art, and English.
Credit may be earned in courses taken in other departments, such as music, art, and English.
Scholarships in the fine arts are available through the Department of Music, the Department of Art, and the Department of Theatre and Dance.

On second reference, it is acceptable to use a short form such as art department, but do not capitalize such short forms. It is also acceptable, when writing about only one department, to use department as a short form:

The symposium was sponsored by the Department of English; five members of the department's faculty made presentations.

Some department names may be shortened to just the subject name:

He is a member of the history faculty.
She was a member of the communication studies faculty; now she teaches in the psychology department.

Don't use a short form when it might confuse your readers.

Confusing: He is now part of the French faculty. She has been teaching in economics, finance, and legal studies for seven years.
Better: He is now part of the French department faculty. She has been teaching in the Department of Economics, Finance, and Legal Studies for seven years.

See also capitalization for general rules.

desktop (n., adj.)

dial up (v.), dialup (adj.)

directions and regions

See geographic terms and names.

disability accommodations and statements

See equal-opportunity statements.

Do not capitalize the names of academic disciplines or major or minor areas of study, except those derived from proper nouns. When the name of the discipline is used as part of a title, such as that of a department, capitalization is necessary, but don't use it when speaking of the discipline in general terms:

Incorrect:
I studied History and English at Yale.
Graduate students in Management must complete 6 hours of thesis or nonthesis research.
Following are instructions for applying to the doctoral program in Sociology.

Correct:
I studied history and English at Yale.
Graduate students in management must complete 6 hours of thesis or nonthesis research.
Following are instructions for applying to the doctoral program in sociology.

See also capitalization for general rules.

Use disk, except as below.

When describing a college or school of The University of Alabama, use the official names and second references/abbreviations given below. Note capitalization and punctuation.

Any of the college or school names may be shortened to College or School when the context permits such a substitution without confusion. Don't use such a short form in a sentence or paragraph describing more than one such division.

When writing a phrase such as the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences, do not capitalize the. See University of Alabama, The.

College of Arts and Sciences, Arts and Sciences, A&S
Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, C&BA, the business school
College of Communication and Information Sciences, C&IS
College of Community Health Sciences, CCHS (If using this abbreviation, be sure your readers won't confuse the College with the Coordinating Council for Honor Societies, which also abbreviates its name to CCHS.)
College of Continuing Studies, Continuing Studies
College of Education
College of Engineering
Graduate School
Honors College
College of Human Environmental Sciences, HES
School of Law, law school
Capstone College of Nursing, CCN
School of Social Work

See also capitalization for general rules and Appendix E: Punctuation.

doctoral, doctorate

Doctoral is an adjective.

Doctorate is the degree received.

The University of Alabama's domain name is ua.edu.

double major (n.), double-major (adj.)

The abbreviation DVD is acceptable in all references for digital video disc.



UA EDITORIAL STYLE MANUAL

UA Editorial Style Manual—editorial standards for University of Alabama publications. Compiled for editors and proofreaders around the campus by the Office of Marketing and Communications, a division of the the Office of University Advancement. Introduction \| What's New The Editorial Style Manual (alphabetical listing of topics): A \| B \| C \| D \| E \| F \| G \| H I \| J \| L \| M \| N \| O \| P \| Q R \| S \| T \| U \| V \| W \| Y Appendices: Appendix A: Common Abbreviations Days of the Week and Months State and Postal Abbreviations Appendix B: Campus Building Names Appendix C: Historical, Cultural, and Geographical Terms Appendix D: Computer- and Internet-Related Terms Appendix E: Punctuation Appendix F: Time Terminology Appendix G: Usage	dash/hyphen There are three kinds of dashes used in University publications, each with its own uses. Most word-processing and page-layout programs can produce all three—hyphen, en dash, and em dash. Hyphen ( - ). Used to separate the elements of a hyphenated compound (for example, on-screen or English-speaking students) or to break words at the end of lines of copy. Following are some general guidelines for the use of hyphens in compounds. When in doubt, consult a current dictionary. 1. Don't use a hyphen after words ending in -ly. The highly qualified professor teaches well. 2. Compounds with century are hyphenated when they work as modifiers: ninth-century art, 11th-century religion. 3. A compound with the prefix well should be hyphenated before the noun and open (no hyphen) after. The well-known faculty makes the University proud. The faculty is well known. 4. Use hyphens with temporary compounds, such as those invented by the writer: quasi-realistic, post-homecoming. A compound is permanent when it can be found in a current dictionary or style manual. 5. Use hyphens to prevent misreading—to link two or more words so they won't be misread as linked to or modifying other words. Unclear: high school teacher, finite element equation Better: high-school teacher, finite-element equation 6. Use a hyphen for extra clarity when the last letter of the prefix and the first letter of the word are the same (as in non-native), or when confusion might arise if the term is written as one word: post-master's/postmaster's re-sent/resent re-signed/resigned 7. Use a hyphen when the second element begins with a capital letter or a numeral: anti-Reagan non-University post-'80s pre-1492 8. Compounds with -like and -wide are usually closed, except for words of three or more syllables, proper nouns, or other forms in which a closed compound would likely be confusing (such as words ending with -l): Poe-like swanlike campuswide collegewide (but College-wide in publications referring to one specific UA college) schoolwide (but School-wide in publications referring to one specific UA school) University-wide (when referring to The University of Alabama) university-wide (when used in the general sense or when referring to another university) 9. Consult a current dictionary or style manual to determine whether to close or hyphenate common compounds, such as lifelong (closed) or life-sized (hyphenated). When using hyphens to break words at the end of lines of copy, limit hyphenation as much as possible. If you can, turn hyphenation off. If you can't, follow these general rules: a. Don't break a hyphenated compound in the middle of either of its component words. If the compound must be broken, break it after the hyphen. b. Avoid line breaks that leave only one or two letters at the beginning or end of a line. c. Avoid having more than two lines in a row end in hyphens. d. Avoid breaking personal names, proper nouns, phone or fax numbers, e-mail or WWW addresses, and elements of street and mailing addresses. If you must break a Web or e-mail address, break it before a punctuation mark, so your readers won't miss it. En dash ( – ). Used to indicate duration. The en dash is also used to separate the elements of a hyphenated compound in which (a) at least one of the elements is composed of two or more words or (b) both elements are hyphenated compounds. When you can't create an en dash, a hyphen will do. To indicate duration or continuing or inclusive numbers such as dates, times, or reference numbers, use the en dash as shown below. Don't put a space on either side of the en dash. 1831–1995 August–September 1940 fiscal year 1994–95 When indicating duration or inclusive numbers, use numerals for all numbers if using the en dash or if one of the numbers in the construction must be written in numerals: The program accepts children age 1–5. He sold 9–13 sets of encyclopedias each week. When using a from . . . to construction, use to instead of the en dash, and include the first two digits of the second year: The program accepts children from age one to five. Ronald Reagan was in office from 1980 to 1988. Em dash ( — ). Used to introduce an explanatory or emphatic element; to indicate a sudden break in thought or speech; to create a break in continuity greater than that suggested by the comma; and to set off multiple nouns, when the nouns are the referents of a pronoun that is the subject of a summarizing clause. Use no space on either side of the em dash. In applications and formats that don't allow em dashes, use two hyphens ( -- ). Don't overuse em dashes-never use more than a single em dash or pair of em dashes in a sentence. Consider commas and parentheses as alternatives. EN 101 English Composition I-an introduction to college-level writing-is required of all UA freshmen. She proofed the brochure copy-copy that could help recruit a generation of UA transfer students-for the sixth time. He was able to surmount every obstacle but the last-a greased wall 50 feet in height. Iceland, Malaysia, Peru-these are just some of the countries from which UA students come. When em dashes fall between two clauses that would normally be separated by a comma, drop the comma. Because some departments could not provide results by the deadline—for a number of good reasons—publication of the survey was delayed. See also numbers, room numbers and names. database (n., adj.) dates Use the sequence month-day-year. In a sentence, the year is set off by commas: On September 15, 1995, she bought her first car. On the day of her birth, Wednesday, June 12, 1974, it rained in Montgomery. If the day is not given, no commas are needed: She bought her first car in September 1995. In invitations, fliers, and similar announcements, always give the day of the week before the date. The year is not necessary in many such publications, particularly if the name of the event includes it. Avoid constructions such as May 5th, even though we pronounce dates as ordinals. See also Appendix E: Punctuation and Appendix F: Time Terminology. days of the week Do not abbreviate in running text. Where space is limited, as in tables or cutlines, abbreviate as follows: Sun. Mon. Tues. Wed. Thurs. Fri. Sat. Note: Due to severe space limitations, the Office of Academic Records and University Registrar uses the following abbreviations for the days of the week: M (Monday), T (Tuesday), W (Wednesday), R (Thursday), and F (Friday). See also Appendix E: Punctuation and Appendix F: Time Terminology. dean As with other titles, capitalize dean only when it precedes the individual's name or is part of another official title, and never when writing generally of the dean or a dean: That's something for the dean to decide. I'll ask Dean Smith in the morning. dean's office Office of the Dean Dean's List (when referring specifically to a University of Alabama Dean's List; when describing a student's accomplishments in a more general sense, lowercase) See also titles, personal. decades See centuries/decades. decision making (n.), decision-making (adj.) degree programs See programs, academic. degrees, academic See academic degrees. degrees—temperature See temperature. Denny Chimes The campanile on the Quadrangle was constructed in 1929 and named after UA President George H. Denny. Like all collective nouns, it takes a singular or plural verb, depending on meaning. See collective nouns. departments On first reference, use the official name of the academic department: the Department of Art. The departmental section of the printed campus directory contains the full, official names of University departments and divisions. Capitalize a department's name only when using the full, official name. If necessary, recast the sentence or use a vertical list to avoid confusion. He teaches courses in the departments of music, art, and English. Students may take courses in several departments, including music, art, and English. Credit may be earned in courses taken in other departments, such as music, art, and English. Scholarships in the fine arts are available through the Department of Music, the Department of Art, and the Department of Theatre and Dance. On second reference, it is acceptable to use a short form such as *art department,* but do not capitalize such short forms. It is also acceptable, when writing about only one department, to use department as a short form: The symposium was sponsored by the Department of English; five members of the department's faculty made presentations. Some department names may be shortened to just the subject name: He is a member of the history faculty. She was a member of the communication studies faculty; now she teaches in the psychology department. Don't use a short form when it might confuse your readers. Confusing: He is now part of the French faculty. She has been teaching in economics, finance, and legal studies for seven years. Better: He is now part of the French department faculty. She has been teaching in the Department of Economics, Finance, and Legal Studies for seven years. See also capitalization for general rules. desktop (n., adj.) dial up (v.), dialup (adj.) directions and regions See geographic terms and names. disability accommodations and statements See equal-opportunity statements. disciplines Do not capitalize the names of academic disciplines or major or minor areas of study, except those derived from proper nouns. When the name of the discipline is used as part of a title, such as that of a department, capitalization is necessary, but don't use it when speaking of the discipline in general terms: Incorrect: I studied History and English at Yale. Graduate students in Management must complete 6 hours of thesis or nonthesis research. Following are instructions for applying to the doctoral program in Sociology. Correct: I studied history and English at Yale. Graduate students in management must complete 6 hours of thesis or nonthesis research. Following are instructions for applying to the doctoral program in sociology. See also capitalization for general rules. disk Use disk, except as below. compact disc digital video disc laserdisc videodisc divisions When describing a college or school of The University of Alabama, use the official names and second references/abbreviations given below. Note capitalization and punctuation. Any of the college or school names may be shortened to College or School when the context permits such a substitution without confusion. Don't use such a short form in a sentence or paragraph describing more than one such division. When writing a phrase such as the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences, do not capitalize the. See University of Alabama, The. College of Arts and Sciences, Arts and Sciences, A&S Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, C&BA, the business school College of Communication and Information Sciences, C&IS College of Community Health Sciences, CCHS (If using this abbreviation, be sure your readers won't confuse the College with the Coordinating Council for Honor Societies, which also abbreviates its name to CCHS.) College of Continuing Studies, Continuing Studies College of Education College of Engineering Graduate School Honors College College of Human Environmental Sciences, HES School of Law, law school Capstone College of Nursing, CCN School of Social Work See also capitalization for general rules and Appendix E: Punctuation. doctoral, doctorate *Doctoral* is an adjective. He entered the doctoral program in 1993. *Doctorate* is the degree received. She earned her doctorate in '85. domain name The University of Alabama's domain name is ua.edu. download double major (n.), double-major (adj.) DVD, DVDs The abbreviation DVD is acceptable in all references for digital video disc. top of page

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UA EDITORIAL STYLE MANUAL