Language and style guide 2016

Contents Quick reference guide

1. Text General guidance Standard information Word usage Forms of address Spelling

2. Punctuation Abbreviations Apostrophes Capitals Commas Email and web addresses Hyphens Italics Lists Quotation marks

3. Numbers Using numbers in sentences Dates Measurements, marks, scores and ratings Thousands, millions and billions Time Telephone numbers

4. Academic terminology

University terms Degrees Referencing Other academic terms

5. Further information and resources

Quick reference guide Referring to the University Use University of Glasgow not Glasgow University. Names of colleges, schools, programmes, courses etc Use initial capitals and ampersands (&) in the titles of colleges, schools, programmes, and courses to show information is linked – College of Science & Engineering, School of Physics & Astronomy. Capital letters Avoid capitals by using lower case wherever possible. Using abbreviations Don’t use full stops after abbreviations, acronyms and contractions, and don’t leave space between the letters. Numbers Write numbers out in full up to and including ten. For numbers over ten, use figures except where a number starts a sentence – Twenty-one students were on a field trip. University URLS Don’t use http or www at the start of web addresses – glasgow.ac.uk

1. Text General guidance Be concise and try to keep sentences and paragraphs short and succinct.

Aim for direct, clear language and avoid jargon. Address the reader where possible.

ü You will study subjects in first year. Χ The student will study subjects in first year.

Try to talk about the University with a personal voice.

ü We are proud of our inspiring people. ü Our people are changing the world.

Use an active voice.

ü Scientist finds cure for common cold. Χ Common cold cure discovered by scientist.

Think about your audience and decide on whether you are writing in a formal or informal style. For example, the title Professor should always be written out in full in formal communications but there may be some contexts – such as in social media – where the abbreviated Prof may be acceptable. A split infinitive (where the to is separated from its verb by other words – to clearly speak rather than to speak clearly) is acceptable if the sentence cannot be rewritten without changing the meaning. Final checks Proofread your material thoroughly and don’t entirely rely on spellcheckers. Make sure your spellchecker is set to UK English and not US English. If there are two correct ways to spell a word, be consistent within your document. Remember to check headings and captions – this is where errors can often be missed. Standard information for University communications The University has a legal requirement to ensure that its charity strapline – The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401 – appears on all printed documents, including posters, flyers and banners. In addition, all University publications should contain certain standard information. This will usually appear on the outer or inner back cover, or sometimes at the front on the contents page. • Contact information (such as web address, telephone, email) • Credits for text, photography, design and print • Copyright information – symbol, name of University, month and year, eg

© University of Glasgow May 2016

Word usage Use the following words and phrases rather than more formal alternatives. about rather than regarding among rather than amongst before rather than prior to for or concerning rather than in respect of now rather than currently so rather than consequently while rather than whilst Use the following preferred forms international rather than overseas thank you as two words without hyphen United Kingdom, UK rather than Britain, British (but in some contexts British Isles

is correct) The Hunterian rather than Hunterian Museum & Art Gallery (note: when

referring to The Hunterian you should capitalise the T of The)

Bear in mind that outwith is used mainly in Scotland – The research was undertaken outwith the UK. When writing for a wide audience you may prefer to use a different term, such as outside or beyond. Plural forms treated as singular verbs Plural nouns – such as criteria, data, group, media, stadia, team – should take a singular verb.

ü The group is publishing its report in June. ü The team is meeting at 12 noon.

Note: in some scientific contexts, data is still treated as a plural noun – the data were collected. Foreign words and phrases Avoid using Latin or other foreign languages unless necessary. Use italics for foreign words and phrases – circa, fin de siècle – except for those that have become accepted into English usage, such as ad hoc, alma mater, en route, et al, ex officio, versus. Don’t use accent marks on foreign words which have been anglicised or are widely used – cafe, facade, elite.

Forms of address Members of Parliament Members of Parliament or Members of the Scottish Parliament use the abbreviations of MP or MSP after their names – Anne Smith MP, James Green MSP. The Right Honourable prefix Members of the Privy Council have the prefix of The Right Honourable before their names, often shortened to The Rt Hon in text. The prefix is used without Mr, Mrs, Ms, Miss, Dr – The Rt Hon Jeremy Corbyn MP. Do include Sir or Dame if the individual has been knighted – The Rt Hon Sir Andrew Jones MP, The Rt Hon Dame Jane Smith.

Use the full name and title for the first mention and for subsequent references use either their first name only or their title and surname (be consistent throughout your document, don’t refer to one person as Dr Brown and another by their first name).

To find out who is a member of the Privy Council see https://privycouncil.independent.gov.uk. Official honours Individuals are appointed KBE/OBE/MBE, not made/received/got – John Smith was appointed Order of the British Empire for services to music. Peers are created, not appointed – Harold Macmillan was created Earl of Stockton. Knights/dames Always use first names with these titles, whether or not you are using surnames as well.

ü Sir Kenneth is always a good public speaker. ü Dame Sarah Brown is the chair of this committee.

The wife of a knight is known as ‘Lady [surname]’. A knight’s wife should never be addressed with the inclusion of her forename unless she is also the daughter of a duke, marquess or earl. The husband of a dame does not derive a title from his wife. When a male professor is knighted, the academic title and honour can be combined as Professor Sir John Green. A female professor can also combine titles, eg Professor Dame Anne Smith. Use the full name and title for the first mention and for subsequent references use either the academic title or the honour title, depending on the context, but not both.

ü Professor Green or Sir John ü Professor Smith or Dame Anne

Royalty

ü HM The Queen ü HRH Prince Charles

To find out more about forms of address see debretts.com/forms-address/titles.

Spelling Use -ise spelling, not -ize, in words such as organise, categorisation, internationalisation. Some organisations use -ize in their names (such as the World Health Organization, International Organization for Migration). As a courtesy you should use their –ize spelling when referring to their name. Preferred spelling forms adviser not advisor ageing not aging cafe not café convener not convenor dispatch not despatch elite not élite enquiry but inquiry for an official investigation focused not focussed judgement not judgment medieval not mediaeval naive not naïve ‘an’ with words where the h is silent, eg honorary, hour

not ‘a’

Commonly misspelled words accommodate benefited budgeted centred commemoration complement verb and noun, to make complete, that

which makes complete complementary combining to make complete (as in

complementary medicine) compliment verb and noun, praise complimentary given free of charge dependant noun, a person who relies on another dependent adjective forbear to refrain from forebear an ancestor foreword forgo to do without fulfil embarrassed indispensable install instil kilogram not kilogramme licence always -ce when a noun license, licensing always -se when a verb millennium

practice always -ce when a noun practise, practising always -se when a verb precede, preceding proceed, proceeding(s) principal adjective and noun: chief, chief person principle noun: fundamental truth, basis programme program only in a computing context questionnaire skilful supersede supervisor not superviser See also Punctuation section for more information.

2. Punctuation Use single spaces between sentences and not double spaces. Keep capitals and italics to a minimum. Abbreviations Don’t use full stops after abbreviations, acronyms, contractions etc and don’t leave space between the letters – BBSRC, UNESCO PhD, km, Dr NG Hope. Unless using a very widely understood acronym, write out the words in full at first use with abbreviation in brackets (use all caps for the acronym).

ü The Arts & Humanities Research Board (AHRB) provided funding for the project.

For subsequent references use the abbreviation alone – In 2015 the AHRB awarded a further grant to the project – but only include this if the abbreviation is used subsequently in your content. Latin abbreviations Don’t use full stops for the following – c (for circa – c1914), eg, ie, etc, et al, am, pm Money values Millions or billions of pounds can be abbreviated from £3 million to £3m or £1.5 billion to £1.5bn (note: there is no space between the figure and the m or bn unlike when written out in full) For thousands, do not use k and instead use full figure – £6,000 Telephone, email and web If you are giving contact information, be consistent with your abbreviations tel: +44 (0)141 330 2000, email: anna.brown@glasgow.ac.uk, web: glasgow.ac.uk OR T: +44 (0)141 330 2000, E: anna.brown@glasgow.ac.uk, W: glasgow.ac.uk

Apostrophes Indicating possession Use ’s to indicate possession – Anne’s presentation, Mrs Gaskell’s novels. Use s’ to indicate possession in names ending in s – James’ friend decided to apply for a new job, Dickens’ novels were serialised in weekly journals. When something belongs to more than one person or thing, then the apostrophe goes after the s – the students’ assignments are being graded, the lecturers’ handbook is being prepared. Plurals Don’t use apostrophe in plural forms. NGOs not NGO’s 1980s not 1980’s PhDs not PhD’s the Smiths not the Smith’s Possessive pronouns Don’t use apostrophe – hers, its, ours, yours, theirs. Brackets When the final punctuation belongs with the sentence in brackets, it comes before the closing bracket.

ü (The library is open seven days a week.) When the final punctuation does not belong with the content enclosed in brackets, it comes after the closing bracket.

ü Northern Numbers was published by C M Grieve (Hugh MacDiarmid). Capitals In general, use sentence case for headings, subheadings, captions etc (ie, put the first letter of the sentence in capitals, with the rest in lower case (except for proper nouns and acronyms).

ü Working closely with a Scottish artist ü Iconic symbols and inspiring architecture

Don’t capitalise nouns unless they are proper nouns (such as place names or the name of a college or school). Note: capitalise the Earth when referring to the name of the planet but not when referring to the ground or soil. Try to avoid putting entire words in capitals in body text as this is much harder to read. The preference is for headings, subheadings and captions to use sentence case, but for short headings title case or all capitals may be appropriate.

Capital ‘The’ There are a few instances where ‘the’ appears as a capital in text: formal royal titles, some organisations, some newspapers and place names.

ü HM The Queen, HRH The Princess Royal ü The Hunterian ü The Glasgow School of Art ü in The Times today … or in today’s Times … ü The Hague but the Netherlands, The Gambia

Directions Use a capital for compass directions only when referring to a recognised geographical or political entity – the Earth, the West, the West of Scotland, the West End. Don’t use capitals as part of a general direction – further west, eastern China. Book and newspaper titles Use a capital for all significant words in book titles, and for the first word of the subtitle.

ü Lives of the Artists ü Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar

Job titles Use capitals for job titles where the person is named.

ü Welcome to John Smith, Senior Lecturer. ü He introduced Senior Lecturer John Smith.

Don’t use capitals where the job title is used in a general way.

ü There are 45 senior lecturers in the college. Referring to the University Use the capital letter U when referring to the University of Glasgow, even where the full name of the University is not used – the University is embarking on a new project. When referring to university in a general way, use lower case u – Students can choose to study many subjects at university. University colleges and schools Capitalise the full names of University colleges and schools.

ü Many of the schools in the College of Social Sciences are based in the Adam Smith Building.

When referring to a college or school in general, use lower case c or s.

ü Staff in the college are attending a meeting.

ü The school is developing a new resource for students.

Χ The new Centre was formed last month.

Dots of omission (ellipsis) Type a space before and after the dots.

ü we shall … never forget them. Commas Use commas to separate items in a list, but not before ‘and’ or ‘or’.

ü The only sandwich left contained bacon, lettuce and tomato.

ü She had to decide whether to go to Stirling, Edinburgh or Dundee for the weekend.

It is not usually necessary to use commas around a name or names when these have a defining rather than descriptive role.

ü The speech was given by her son Edward and her daughter Catherine.

ü University Principal Professor Anton Muscatelli welcomed visitors to the opening ceremony.

Commas are used when the name is given by way of additional information and has a descriptive rather than defining role.

ü The Chancellor, Sir Kenneth Calman, will address the congregation.

ü His sister, Angela, lived in Australia. Email and web addresses Email addresses Write email addresses in lower case without underline.

ü name.surname@glasgow.ac.uk Web addresses Write URLs in lower case, don’t underline and don’t include ‘http://’ or ‘ www.’ at the beginning of University URLs – glasgow.ac.uk Use a full stop if the web address appears at the end of a sentence. If a line break is necessary, try to break after a slash, percent sign, question mark or underscore. The University’s web team advises we should see a web page not visit.

ü For further information, see glasgow.ac.uk. Exclamation marks Avoid using exclamation marks.

Hyphens Take off the automatic hyphenation in your software and avoid hyphenating words in text as much as possible. Hyphen dashes and en-dashes Hyphenated words should use a normal hyphen dash: full-time. For other dashes use the longer spaced en-dash (–), rather than the shorter hyphen (-). The keyboard shortcut is control + minus (from the numeric keypad) on PCs and alt plus minus on Macs.

ü There is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so worth doing as simply messing about in boats.

Dashes in online copy You should avoid using space dash space for online copy. The University’s website displays text flexibly depending on screen size, browser and user preference. This means dashes can appear at the start of a line, where they are easily interpreted as a bullet. Instead try to use commas or brackets. When to use hyphens Use hyphens if two words are used together as a compound word modifying a noun first-year courses four-year degree six-month period long-term contract decision-making process well-developed plans up-to-date records When not to use hyphens Don’t use hyphens when the phrase follows the noun.

ü the plans were well developed ü the records are up to date

Don’t use hyphens after adverbs ending in ly.

ü recently launched project ü newly discovered species

Words with prefixes Words with prefixes generally don’t need hyphens and are written as one word, unless to avoid confusion or to aid pronunciation. Words with – and without – hyphens Use hyphens with these compound words evidence-based full-time part-time first-hand north-west two-thirds, one-third problem-based problem-solving self-assessment state-of-the-art

Don’t use hyphens with these compound words coursework fieldtrip fieldwork goodwill teamwork wellbeing worldwide healthcare No hyphen cooperate coordinate crossdisciplinary email ebook interdisciplinary multidisciplinary multinational multimedia no one ongoing online policymaker policymaking postdoctoral postgraduate redesign reopen reuse undergraduate wellbeing worldwide Hyphen anti-intellectual e-commerce mid- (as in mid-August, mid-1960s) multi-ethnic non-negotiable post-war pre-date pre-eminent pre-war re-entry re-form (as in to form again) under-represented Vice-Principal Pro-Vice-Principal world-changing (when used as an adjective)

Italics Avoid using italics for full sentences, headlines or sub-heads. Titles of works Use italics rather than single quotation marks for all titles of books and newspapers, films, TV series, plays, musical works etc.

ü The BBC is recording an adaptation of Tolstoy’s War and Peace.

Also use italics for works of art and species. ü Vermeer’s The Astronomer is on display in the Louvre in Paris.

Photo or illustration captions The preference is for italics not to be used in captions but if you do so, aim to be consistent within your document. Avoid using italics for full sentences, headlines or sub-heads. Foreign words and phrases Use italics for foreign words and phrases – circa, fin de siècle – except for those that have become accepted into English usage, such as ad hoc, alma mater, en route, et al, ex officio, versus. See also Text section for more information. Lists Short lists Don’t use punctuation at the end of short bullet points in a list, except for the last bullet point which is usually followed by a full stop. Don’t use a colon at the end of the introduction to the list unless it forms a complete sentence. Don’t start bullet list items with a capital (unless they are proper nouns, including the titles of programmes or courses). The main forms of teaching are

• lectures • tutorials • seminars • practicals or laboratories.

Longer lists Punctuate a more complex list exactly as if it were a normal sentence or sentences. This Masters is a new and innovative programme.

• You will benefit from being taught by academics at the forefront of their field. • Our optional courses are built around real research scenarios. This will give

you practical experience that will enhance your employability.

Quotation marks Direct quotes Use double quotation marks for direct quotes of all kinds.

ü The Principal said, “I would like to welcome our visitors to the opening of our new building.”

When a word or phrase is quoted within a sentence or a phrase already in (double) quotation marks, use single quotation marks for the inner quotation.

ü James said, “The driver has announced, ‘The train terminates at the next station; but a connecting bus will take you to your destination.’”

A full stop or other punctuation that belongs to the quote itself, as the first comma below does, should be placed inside the closing quotation mark.

ü “When I start to read a book,” Sarah said, “it means I become immersed in a completely new world.”

Use a full stop outside the quotation mark if the word, phrase or quote is only part of a sentence.

ü Alice said that the book was quite “without pictures or conversations”. When quoting more than one paragraph from the same source, repeat the opening quotation mark at the start of each paragraph, but use only one closing quotation mark, at the end of the quotation.

ü Professor McInnes said: “The Henry Baxter Scholarship will support the first project of a new programme of research to address long-term questions for the human future.

ü “Working with colleagues, we will investigate new ideas to push back desert

margins through engineering interventions.” It’s fine to use either colons or a comma to introduce a quotation but be consistent throughout your publication.

3. Numbers Write numbers out in full up to and including ten. For numbers over ten, use figures. Exceptions to this include measurements and currency, where a number starts a sentence or where there are two or more figures in text. See also Academic Terminology section for semesters and years. Using numbers in sentences Write a number out in full where it starts a sentence and use hyphen if required.

ü Twenty-seven options are available. Alternatively, rephrase if possible.

ü There are 27 available options. Where a phrase contains two or more numbers, then use figures for all of them – 3 to 12 months rather than three to 12 months, between 5 and 18 years rather than five and 18 years. Dates Calendar dates Write as date, month, year without punctuation – 2 May 2016. If the day of the week is given, write it in full and place comma after – Thursday, 12 May 2016. If day or month is not given, use ordinal numbers (such as 1st, 3rd, 15th) and don’t use superscript (to prevent problems with line spacing).

ü There was a meeting on the 17th. If using from with a start date/time, always use to to indicate the end date/time rather than an en-dash; alternatively use an en-dash without from.

ü The working week runs from Monday to Friday. ü The working week runs Monday–Friday.

Spans of years For spans of years, use unspaced en-dash and don’t repeat centuries: 1939–45, 2015–16. If spanning two centuries, use unspaced en-dash and all digits: 1999–2001. If writing as part of a sentence, do not use en-dash – Sir Charles Wilson was Principal from 1961 to 1976. For financial years use a solidus (slash /) – 2015/16. Decades Don’t use apostrophe: 1870s, the 1950s. Write someone’s age by decades as words – he planned to retire in his sixties.

Centuries Use number and write century in full without hyphenation if used as a noun – the 19th century. Hyphenate when used as adjective and don’t use superscript – 19th-century poetry. Epochs You can use either BC/AD and BCE/CE, depending on the context; for example, AD/BC can be used in academic writing with historical or religious references but BCE/CE may be more suitable in materials such as annual reports or for modern references. Write BC after the date and AD before – 155 BC or AD 899. For Before Common Era, write 205 BCE. For Common Era, write 2016 CE. Measurements, marks, scores and ratings Use numbers, even when under ten – 5kg, 500MB, 5 metres, rated 7 out of 12. For percentages, use % symbol in body text but write out in full for headings.

ü Thirty per cent of adults in the UK own bicycles. Thousands, millions and billions For numbers above 999, use comma to express thousands – 1,000, 10,000, 900,000. It’s fine to abbreviate millions to lower-case m or billions to bn but always write thousands out in full – £6,000 – rather than using k. Don’t leave a space if abbreviating, but leave a space if writing out in full

ü £1.5 billion ü £3bn Χ £9million

Time Use either the 12- or 24-hour clock – but don’t swap around, use one consistently in your text. Use the 12-hour clock with am and pm without full stops or spaces – 9am, 2pm, 3.30pm – but 12 noon. Use the 24-hour clock in international contexts without punctuation such as colons between the hour and the minutes – 0900–1700. Telephone numbers Use the international code, in this format: +44 (0)141 330 2000.

4. Academic terminology Always refer to the University of Glasgow, or UofG, but not Glasgow University or GU. Use the capital letter U when referring to the University of Glasgow or to a named university, even where the full name of the University is not used.

ü The University is embarking on a new project.

Use initial capitals and ampersands for names of colleges, schools, programmes and courses – College of Science & Engineering, School of Modern Languages & Cultures, MSc in Geospatial & Mapping Sciences. Where the full name of the college or school is not being used, then don’t use initial capitals.

ü The college is hosting an event next week. ü We have 200 postgraduate students in the school.

Professorships Professorships at the University can take either of two forms: an established chair or a personal professorship. Refer to the chair when talking about the position but not when talking about the person

ü The Regius Chair of Botany was established in 1818.

ü Regius Professor of Medicine Anna Dominiczak said … Degrees Don’t use full stops – MA, PhD, PgCert. Use initial capitals for types of degree – Honours, Designated, Senior Honours. Use full stops in numerical degree classifications, not colons – 2.1, 2.2. Use initial capitals and hyphen for written degree classifications – First-class Honours. When writing text about the degree, use MA with Honours.

ü You can apply for the degree of MA with Honours. Use the shorter version after a graduate’s name.

ü Emma Brown, MA(Hons), graduated from the University in 2003

ü Emma Brown (MA 2003) (note: don’t insert a comma between the degree and year.)

Main undergraduate degrees awarded at Glasgow

Bachelor of Accountancy (BAcc) Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) Bachelor of Divinity (BD) Bachelor of Education (BEd) Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) Bachelor of Laws (LLB) Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) Bachelor of Music (BMus) Bachelor of Nursing (BN) Bachelor of Science (BSc) Bachelor of Technological Education (BTechEd) Bachelor of Theology (BTheol) Bachelor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery (BVMS) Master of Arts (MA) Master of Arts (Social Sciences) (MA(SocSci)) Master of Engineering (MEng) Master in Science (MSci)

Main postgraduate degrees awarded at Glasgow

Doctor of Education (EdD) Doctor of Medicine (MD) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Engineering Doctorate (EngD) Master of Education (MEd) Master of Letters (MLitt) Master of Music (MMus) Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Master of Research (MRes) Master of Science (MSc) Master of Theology (MTh) Master of Veterinary Medicine (MVM) Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip) Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert)

Honorary degrees

Doctor of Divinity (DD) Doctor of Engineering (DEng) Doctor of Laws (LLD) Doctor of Letters (DLitt) Doctor of Music (DMus) Doctor of Science (DSc) Doctor of Veterinary Medicine & Surgery (DVMS) Doctor of the University (DUniv)

Referencing

For information about different reference styles such as Chicago, Harvard etc, see glasgow.ac.uk/library/subjectssupport/helpguides/referencing.

Other academic terms A-level hyphenated and lower-case ‘l’ alumni alumnus alumna

plural for group masculine singular feminine singular

higher education always lower case honorary not honourary graduand person about to graduate, used to describe a student on

graduation day prior to ceremony Masters capital M and no apostrophe but for the plural of Master,

the apostrophe follows the s as in Masters’ postgraduate student not graduate student Principal Adviser initial capitals Professor always in full and not abbreviated to Prof except in

informal communications such as social media if appropriate

semester 1, year 2 not semester one or year two Intermediate 1 and 2 National 5 Standard Grade Higher Advanced Higher

initial capitals and numerals

Vice-Principal/ Vice-Chancellor/ Pro-Vice-Principal

initial capitals and hyphenated (to show they are linked)

5. Further information and resources Writing for the web glasgow.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/webpublishing/design/writingfortheweb How to get a publication designed glasgow.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/brandguidelines/toolkit/publicationsdesign/howtogetapublicationdesigned How to get a publication printed glasgow.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/brandguidelines/toolkit/publicationsdesign/howtogetapublicationprinted Proofreaders Susan Milligan, writtenword.co.uk, susan@writtenword.co.uk Lynn Miller, miller.lynn@outlook.com Further advice Susan Howie, Publications Manager, susan.howie@glasgow.ac.uk