UA Editorial Style Manual

The acronym LAN is acceptable in all references for local-area network.

liberal arts (n.), liberal-arts (adj.)

Following are some general guidelines for the use and punctuation of vertical and run-in lists.

Vertical lists are set off from the body text-so they catch the reader's attention. A vertical list is also the best way to organize lists with items that are lengthy or contain two or more sentences.

See colon to determine when to use a colon to set up lists.

Vertical lists may be bulleted or enumerated.

In a bulleted list, the bullet takes the place of punctuation (such as commas or semicolons) between items in a list. Don't use any punctuation at the ends of bulleted items that are not sentences. There is also no need for a concluding period at the end of a bulleted list, even when that list continues a sentence-that lone period will look lost down there.

• special invitations to all UA sporting events
• The Sportsfan, the club's bimonthly newsletter
• a Sports Club hangtag
• free T-shirts for each member and his/her spouse

When your bulleted items are sentences, capitalize the first letter of each and use appropriate end punctuation. When they consist of single words or phrases, lowercase is best.

To help make your college experience a pleasant and successful one, keep these suggestions in mind:

• Register for classes.
• Show up for classes.
• Buy the required books.
• Don't get expelled.

Keep your bulleted lists consistent. If some of the items in a list are sentences, make all of them sentences. If some items begin with verbs, begin all items with verbs. In short publications, such as brochures, try to structure all your lists the same way-either sentences or not. In longer works, some variance is acceptable.

It is usually best to indent your bulleted list from the surrounding copy. Consider the density of the surrounding copy and whether your list might get lost, even with the bullets.

In an enumerated vertical list, each item is preceded by a number or letter followed by a period. Use enumerated lists when you'll want to refer back to specific items (e.g., "as in item 15 above"). Numbers (as opposed to letters) are best used when sequential order is important, because that's what numbers imply to readers.

Following are some guidelines for punctuation of numbered lists:

A run-in list (one not broken out in vertical style) should suffice if your list is short or if the items within the list are short. Run-in lists take up less space than vertical lists, but they're harder to read.

If you plan to refer back to specific items in the list, enumerate the items with letters or numbers. Otherwise, simply separate the items with commas or semicolons.

Enumerate the items in a run-in list with numbers or letters enclosed in parentheses. There is no period or other punctuation enclosed within the parentheses, and there is no space between the number or letter and parentheses. Put one space between the closing parenthesis and the word that follows.

Use commas or semicolons to separate enumerated items exactly as you would if there were no (1), (2), (3), or (a), (b), (c).

log on, log off (v.)
logon, logoff (n., adj.)



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	LAN The acronym LAN is acceptable in all references for local-area network. LexisNexis liberal arts (n.), liberal-arts (adj.) lifelong lifetime link lists Following are some general guidelines for the use and punctuation of vertical and run-in lists. *Vertical lists* are set off from the body text-so they catch the reader's attention. A vertical list is also the best way to organize lists with items that are lengthy or contain two or more sentences. See colon to determine when to use a colon to set up lists. Vertical lists may be bulleted or enumerated. In a bulleted list, the bullet takes the place of punctuation (such as commas or semicolons) between items in a list. Don't use any punctuation at the ends of bulleted items that are not sentences. There is also no need for a concluding period at the end of a bulleted list, even when that list continues a sentence-that lone period will look lost down there. The benefits of membership include • special invitations to all UA sporting events • The Sportsfan, the club's bimonthly newsletter • a Sports Club hangtag • free T-shirts for each member and his/her spouse Join now to experience all the rewards of Sports Club membership. When your bulleted items are sentences, capitalize the first letter of each and use appropriate end punctuation. When they consist of single words or phrases, lowercase is best. To help make your college experience a pleasant and successful one, keep these suggestions in mind: • Register for classes. • Show up for classes. • Buy the required books. • Don't get expelled. Keep your bulleted lists consistent. If some of the items in a list are sentences, make all of them sentences. If some items begin with verbs, begin all items with verbs. In short publications, such as brochures, try to structure all your lists the same way-either sentences or not. In longer works, some variance is acceptable. It is usually best to indent your bulleted list from the surrounding copy. Consider the density of the surrounding copy and whether your list might get lost, even with the bullets. In an enumerated vertical list, each item is preceded by a number or letter followed by a period. Use enumerated lists when you'll want to refer back to specific items (e.g., "as in item 15 above"). Numbers (as opposed to letters) are best used when sequential order is important, because that's what numbers imply to readers. Following are some guidelines for punctuation of numbered lists: Align letters or numbers vertically along the periods that follow them (usually called decimal alignment or decimal tab), and align the text one space to the right. Second and subsequent lines of text should be aligned under the first letter of the first line of text (hanging indent). Reserve the (1), (2), (3) or (a), (b), (c) format for run-in lists. A run-in list (one not broken out in vertical style) should suffice if your list is short or if the items within the list are short. Run-in lists take up less space than vertical lists, but they're harder to read. If you plan to refer back to specific items in the list, enumerate the items with letters or numbers. Otherwise, simply separate the items with commas or semicolons. Enumerate the items in a run-in list with numbers or letters enclosed in parentheses. There is no period or other punctuation enclosed within the parentheses, and there is no space between the number or letter and parentheses. Put one space between the closing parenthesis and the word that follows. Use commas or semicolons to separate enumerated items exactly as you would if there were no (1), (2), (3), or (a), (b), (c). listserv log in, log out (v.) login, logout (n., adj.) log on, log off (v.) logon, logoff (n., adj.) long-standing long-term longtime top of page

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UA EDITORIAL STYLE MANUAL