The University of Alabama

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.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H
I | J | L | M | N | O | P | Q
R | S | T | U | V | W | Y

Appendix A: Common Abbreviations

  1. Days of the Week and Months
  2. 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

parentheses

See parenthetical elements in the section on comma.

Parents Weekend

percent

Unless space is at a premium, use percent instead of the symbol (%).

See also numbers.

periods

Periods should only be used with complete thoughts or sentences, and they belong inside quotation marks.

philosophical terms

Generally lowercase unless derived from a proper name.

See also Appendix C: Cultural Periods, Movements, Styles.

p.m.

Abbreviation for "post meridiem" or "after mid-day." Lowercase and use the periods.

president

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

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

See also titles, personal.

programs, academic

In general, do not capitalize the names of academic programs; UA-specific exceptions follow. Capitalize the names of programs in headings, subheadings, titles of works, and tables of contents, as needed.

When an academic program is one of several closely related programs in that department, and the department markets that program under one specific name (i.e., uses that name in advertisements, catalogs, and departmental or school publications), usage may dictate its capitalization.

Try not to use program in place of major or department. Program often implies a separate administration or faculty, as in the Interim Program or Computer-Based Honors Program. When describing a student's activities, it may be best to use department, major, or degree program rather than simply program.

Should you choose for whatever reason to capitalize the full name of an academic program, do not capitalize program when used as a short form.

Computer-Based Honors Program, CBHP
Interim Program
MFA. program in creative writing, master of fine arts program in creative writing
the PhD program in applied statistics
University Honors Program
the doctoral program in mathematics
Multiple Abilities Program
Women's Studies Program

See also capitalization for general rules.

publications, UA-based

The list below provides the full, correct names of some UA-based publications. As with any publication, italicize these names when they appear in text. For more information about these publications, consult the undergraduate catalog or the campus directory.

Alabama Alumni Magazine
Alabama Heritage
Alabama Law Review
Black Warrior Review
The Executive
Capstone Engineer
Collegian
Communicator
Corolla
The Crimson White
Dateline Alabama
Dialog
Journal of the Legal Profession
Law and Psychology Review
Marr's Field Journal
New College Review
Southern Historian

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