2
Contents
This PDF is entirely searchable. From the toolbar menu, choose Edit > Find or Search to
begin your search. You can also click on an entry below to jump to a particular section.
Introduction 3
References and Sources 3
Proper Names at Rutgers 4
– Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 4
– Rutgers Entities 5
– Appropriate Rutgers Name 6
– Queen’s College and Old Queens 6
– School and College Names 7
– School/College/Center Abbreviations 10
– Other Unit Names 11
Academic Degrees 13
Addresses, States, Municipalities, and Countries 13
Alphabetization 14
Athletics 15
Capitalization 15
Gender-Neutral and Inclusive Language 18
Governing Boards 18
Italics 19
LGBTQA Language 20
Numbers 20
–Telephone Numbers 22
Plurals and Possessives 22
Preferred Spellings, Capitalization, and Usage 23
Punctuation 29
– Formatting Punctuation 29
– Periods, Other Terminal Punctuation, Colons 29
– Commas 29
– Dashes and Hyphens 30
– Hyphenation 31
– Parentheses 33
– Quotation Marks 33
– Semicolons and Colons 34
– Bulleted and Numbered Lists 34
Web Addresses 35
State Government References 36
Style Guide Exceptions for Material Prepared for
the News Media 37
3
Introduction
The following editorial guidelines have been developed for Rutgers, The State University
of New Jersey, to lend consistency to text presentation in university communications.
The primary purpose of this guide is to address topics specific to Rutgers that may not be
adequately covered in standard published style guides, such as The Chicago Manual of
Style or The Associated Press Stylebook. In addition, the guide summarizes some of the
most frequently raised questions of style—topics that are dealt with in greater detail in
these manuals—in order to offer a quick, but more comprehensive, reference tool.
Language evolves over time. This editorial style guide reflects common, current usages.
Questions of style, unlike many questions of grammar, usually do not have a “right” or
“wrong” answer. Instead, establishing a “preferred” style is helpful so that a consistent
presentation can be maintained throughout an array of materials that may be produced by
many different individuals. Having a set of predetermined guidelines can also save those
individuals the time and energy required to develop their own guidelines.
Exceptions to university style that apply to materials intended for distribution to the news
media are found on page 37.
References and Sources
Note that editorial style reference works may contradict one another. In addition to the
two primary sources listed below, many professional organizations have specialized style
sheets for their specific disciplines, as do academic journals. Choose the style reference
that is appropriate for your discipline and communications format.
Style Guides
• The Chicago Manual of Style (17th Edition), Chicago: University of Chicago Press;
print or online version
The creative services office of the Department of University Communications and
Marketing relies primarily on this source. The website is a useful resource, and the online
subscription is an alternative to purchasing the book.
• The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, Cambridge, MA: Perseus
Publishing: updated annually; print or online version
Used for newspapers, media, etc. The university news and media relations office of the
Department of University Communications and Marketing relies primarily on this source.
An online subscription is an alternative to purchasing the book.
Dictionary
• Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th Edition), Springfield, MA: Merriam-
Webster Inc.; print or online version
When a spelling variation to the main entry is listed, preference is for the main entry.
4
Proper Names at Rutgers
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public research university with three
higher education institutions—Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Rutgers University–
Newark, and Rutgers University–Camden—and an academic health care division,
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, which collaborates universitywide and is
aligned with Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
1. Capitalization: Note that the word “The” is capitalized.
2. Punctuation:
a. “Rutgers” is followed by a comma.
b. When used in text, the full name of the university is followed by a comma,
treating the phrase “The State University of New Jersey” as an appositive.
Example: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is the eighth oldest
institution of higher learning in the United States.
c. “The State University of New Jersey” as a stand-alone phrase is capitalized when
beginning a sentence or when used later in a sentence.
Example: Rutgers is The State University of New Jersey, and as such …
3. When to Use:
The name “Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey,” should be used when
referring to the university as a whole or to the central administration of the university.
The full name should be used in copyright notices to ensure that appropriate rights
and protections extend to the full university. The full name may also appear in
website footers, addresses, or other instances where a formal designation is
appropriate. The shortened form “Rutgers” is acceptable on subsequent references.
4. Possessive:
a. To make the word “Rutgers” possessive, add an apostrophe only. Do not add an
extra “s.”
Example: Rutgers’ chess team was founded in 1768.
b. When used as a possessive, the word “Rutgers’ ” is never preceded by “the.”
5
Hint: If you are not sure whether “Rutgers” should be possessive in a particular
usage, substitute a name that does not end in “s,” such as “Yale,” and see whether it
makes sense or whether the substitution requires you to add an “ ’s,” e.g., “Yale’s.”
5. Adjective:
a. When used as an adjective, the word “Rutgers” may or may not be preceded by
“the,” depending on the noun it modifies and the meaning of the sentence.
Example: In general, Rutgers students are a loyal bunch. The Rutgers students did
well.
b. When used as an adjective, the word “Rutgers” does not take an apostrophe.
Rutgers Entities
1.
Rutgers University–New Brunswick on first reference; Rutgers–New Brunswick on
subsequent references is acceptable.
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, “division” may be added for clarity, e.g.,
the Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences division. This division collaborates
universitywide and is aligned with Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
Rutgers University–Newark on first reference; Rutgers–Newark on subsequent
references is acceptable.
Rutgers University–Camden on first reference; Rutgers–Camden on subsequent
references is acceptable.
a. Use a closed en dash between Rutgers University and the city (as is used above).
Do not use an em dash (longer) or a hyphen (shorter). See Dashes and Hyphens on
page 30.
2.
Rutgers Health
Rutgers Health is the clinical arm of Rutgers—the areas of Rutgers Biomedical and
Health Sciences and other Rutgers units devoted to caring for patients. It’s a single
brand for all of Rutgers' patient care and services. Rutgers Health is the most
comprehensive academic health care provider in New Jersey, offering a breadth of
accessible clinical care throughout the state supported by the latest in medical
research and education.
3.
Rutgers University–New Brunswick is made up of five smaller campuses:
Busch campus
College Avenue campus
Douglass campus
George H. Cook campus (G.H. Cook campus is also acceptable)
Livingston campus
6
a. References to the five smaller campuses are acceptable when writing for an
internal audience at Rutgers. For external audiences, the preference is to use
Rutgers University–New Brunswick.
b. Also used, especially on maps: Cook/Douglass campus (although these are
considered to be two distinct campuses).
c. Note the appropriate alphabetical order of the campuses as listed above.
d. The word “campus” is not capitalized.
Appropriate Rutgers Name
1. The appropriate Rutgers name must appear somewhere in all official Rutgers
communications.
2. When referring specifically to Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Rutgers
Biomedical and Health Sciences, Rutgers University–Newark, Rutgers University–
Camden, or Rutgers Health, identify it as such and use the correlating logo/signature.
The Rutgers and Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, logos/signatures should
be used for communications from/about the central administration and governing
boards or when referencing more than one entity.
Queen’s College and Old Queens
1. Queen’s College refers to the original name of Rutgers. Note that there is an
apostrophe in Queen’s College.
2. Old Queens Campus is acceptable if in a historical reference; otherwise, do not use.
Note that there is no apostrophe in Old Queens Campus.
3. Old Queens Building is acceptable. When referring to the building on second
reference, Old Queens is acceptable. Note that there is no apostrophe in Old Queens
Building or Old Queens.
7
School and College Names
As of August 1, 2018, there are 29 schools and colleges at Rutgers, The State University
of New Jersey. Note that the word “Rutgers” is formally part of the name of some of the
schools (Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers Law School,
Rutgers School of Dental Medicine) and not formally part of the name of others.
“Rutgers” may be placed before the name of the school or college in the latter case at the
discretion of the writer.
1. Camden College of Arts and Sciences
2. Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
3. Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
4. Graduate School–Camden
5. Graduate School–Newark
6. Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology
7. Graduate School of Education
8. Mason Gross School of the Arts
9. New Jersey Medical School
10. Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
11. Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick (see Note 1 on page 8)
12. Rutgers Law School †
13. Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
14. School of Arts and Sciences
15. School of Arts and Sciences–Newark (see Note 2 on page 8)
16. School of Business–Camden
17. School of Communication and Information
18. School of Criminal Justice
19. School of Engineering
20. School of Environmental and Biological Sciences
21. School of Graduate Studies ††
22. School of Health Professions
23. School of Management and Labor Relations
24. School of Nursing
25. School of Nursing–Camden
26. School of Public Affairs and Administration
27. School of Public Health
28. School of Social Work
29. University College–Camden
† The School of Law–Newark and the School of Law–Camden were merged and became
Rutgers Law School on July 31, 2015. The law school has two locations. There is a co-
dean of the Rutgers Law School in Newark and a co-dean of the Rutgers Law School in
Camden.
†† The Graduate School–New Brunswick and the Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences were merged and became the School of Graduate Studies on July 1, 2017.
8
Note: Degree-Granting Units
1. Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick
Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick is the preferred umbrella
name used in most cases to identify students, faculty, programs, etc., connected to the
university’s three formal degree-granting units that offer business programs in
Newark and New Brunswick:
Rutgers Business School: Undergraduate–Newark
Rutgers Business School: Undergraduate–New Brunswick
Rutgers Business School: Graduate Programs–Newark and New Brunswick
In general, use “Rutgers Business School–Newark and New Brunswick.” You may
use the formal nomenclature if preparing a formal report for a chancellor or vice
president, for instance, and you need to make a distinction between programs. But for
general audiences use the umbrella name. To make distinctions, consider specifying
“the bachelor of science program at Rutgers Business School–Newark and New
Brunswick,” for example. Never use “Rutgers Business School–Newark” or “Rutgers
Business School–New Brunswick.”
2. School of Arts and Sciences–Newark
School of Arts and Sciences–Newark incorporates two degree-granting units:
Newark College of Arts and Sciences
University College–Newark
9
1. School names do not include “The” (cap “T”) as part of their name. You may,
however, when appropriate, use “the” (lowercase “t”) to precede the name.
2. The word “Rutgers” before the name of a school or college may or may not include
an apostrophe depending on the writer’s preference. Notable exceptions are Rutgers
Business School–Newark and New Brunswick, Rutgers Law School, and Rutgers
School of Dental Medicine, which never take an apostrophe.
Examples: Rutgers’ School of Criminal Justice is based in Newark. The professor
presented his seminar at the Rutgers School of Social Work.
3. Use a closed en dash in the name of the school. Do not use an em dash (longer) or a
hyphen (shorter).
Examples: University College–Camden, Graduate School–Newark
See Dashes and Hyphens on page 30 for details and instructions on how to insert the
dashes into your document. Also, see Style Guide Exceptions for Material Prepared
for the News Media on page 37.
4. Always use the full name of the school or college on first reference. On second
reference and thereafter, it is preferable to use “the school” or “the college,” with
distinctions made if necessary, e.g., “the psychology school.” Avoid abbreviations
(acronyms and initialisms) on second, and later, references.
On second reference, Mason Gross is acceptable for the Mason Gross School of the
Arts and the Bloustein School is acceptable for the Edward J. Bloustein School of
Planning and Public Policy.
5. If you must use an abbreviation in text for brevity’s sake, reference the full name at
the first mention, followed by the abbreviation (acronym or initialism) in parentheses.
Contact the dean’s office of the school or college to determine the preferred acronym
or initialism.
See School/College/Center Abbreviations on page 10.
10
School/College/Center Abbreviations
1. Use abbreviations (acronyms and initialisms) sparingly. The preference is to spell out
school, college, center, and institute names in full and to avoid using acronyms,
initialisms, or shortened names. An acronym is formed from a series of letters read as
a word (e.g., CAIT, for Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation), while
an initialism is formed from a series of letters read as a series of letters (e.g., CCAS,
for Camden College of Arts and Sciences).
It is preferable to use “the school” on second reference, with distinctions made if
necessary, e.g., “the psychology school.” Although schools and colleges tend to rely
on acronyms and initialisms in their own materials, be mindful that readers may not
understand the abbreviations and that full names immediately convey the scope and
nature of the school.
Example: The School of Arts and Sciences is the largest unit at Rutgers University–
New Brunswick. Enrollment at the school exceeds 20,000.
Note: On second reference, Mason Gross is acceptable for the Mason Gross School of
the Arts and the Bloustein School is acceptable for the Edward J. Bloustein School of
Planning and Public Policy.
2. When referring to a center or institute, it is preferable to refer to “the center” or “the
institute” on second reference. Rely on abbreviations only when dealing with more
than one center or institute. If you need to use the abbreviation for brevity’s sake,
reference the full name at the first mention, followed by the abbreviation
(acronym/initialism) in parentheses.
Examples: Catherine studied under a faculty member at the Institute for Advanced
Materials, Devices, and Nanotechnology. The institute was established in 2005.
The Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP) and the Center for Women’s
Global Leadership (CWGL) jointly sponsored the seminar. CAWP hosted the Friday
sessions, and CWGL sponsored the Saturday sessions.
3. When referring to alumni with school/college and year of graduation, abbreviations
are acceptable. When citing a person’s school or college and year of graduation after
their name, use the abbreviation for the school, followed by an apostrophe and the
last two digits of the year.
Examples: John Smith GSE’56; John GSE’56 and Jane DC’58 Smith
For clarity, use the whole year when referring to class years from past centuries,
especially if it may not be clear to the reader based on the context.
Example: Paul Robeson RC1919
11
4. School and College Abbreviations
Use the following abbreviations when referring specifically to alumni with school or
college and year of graduation. For guidance regarding abbreviations for schools and
colleges from earlier years at Rutgers, contact the Department of Alumni Relations,
848-932-7490.
CC: Cook College
CCAS: Camden College of Arts and
Sciences
CLAW: School of Law–Camden
DC: Douglass College
ED: School of Education
EJB: Edward J. Bloustein School of
Planning and Public Policy
ENG: School of Engineering
GSAPP: Graduate School of Applied and
Professional Psychology
GSBS: Graduate School of Biomedical
Sciences
GSC: Graduate School–Camden
GSE: Graduate School of Education
GSM: Graduate School of Management
GSN: Graduate School–Newark
GSNB: Graduate School–New Brunswick
LC: Livingston College
MGSA: Mason Gross School of the Arts
NCAS: Newark College of Arts and
Sciences
NJDS: New Jersey Dental School
NJMS: New Jersey Medical School
NLAW: School of Law–Newark
NUR: College of Nursing
PHARM: Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy
QC: Queen’s College
RBS: Rutgers Business School–Newark and
New Brunswick
RC: Rutgers College
RLAW: Rutgers Law School
RSDM: Rutgers School of Dental Medicine
RWJMS: Robert Wood Johnson Medical
School
SAS: School of Arts and Sciences
SASN: School of Arts and Sciences–Newark
SB: School of Business
SBC: School of Business–Camden
SC&I: School of Communication and
Information
SCILS: School of Communication,
Information, and Library Studies
SCJ: School of Criminal Justice
SEBS: School of Environmental and
Biological Sciences
SGS: School of Graduate Studies
SHP: School of Health Professions
SHRP: School of Health Related Professions
SMLR: School of Management and Labor
Relations
SN: School of Nursing
SNC: School of Nursing–Camden
SPAA: School of Public Affairs and
Administration
SPH: School of Public Health
SSW: School of Social Work
UCC: University College–Camden
UCN: University College–Newark
UCNB: University College–New Brunswick
Other Unit Names
1. Department and administrative office names at Rutgers are almost always
“Department of” or “Office of.” Exceptions include the Rutgers University Police
Department, Rutgers Athletics, Rutgers Recreation, and Rutgers University Libraries.
2. Capitalize the formal, full names of centers, bureaus, institutes, academic departments,
administrative offices, and other formal groups, such as boards or committees. Use the
full name of the unit on first reference. Lowercase shortened names may be used
thereafter.
12
Examples: Department of History, but the history department; Department of English,
but the English department; Office of the Dean, but the dean’s office; Board of
Governors, but the board.
3. Make sure that the university affiliation (Rutgers University–New Brunswick, Rutgers
University–Newark, Rutgers University–Camden, or Rutgers Biomedical and Health
Sciences) of the group described is obvious from the context, e.g., the Department of
Psychology at Rutgers University–Newark.
4. Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey: Using the full name of the institute on the first
reference is the preferred style. On second reference and thereafter, Cancer Institute of
New Jersey is preferred. You may also use the Cancer Institute in subsequent
references, but avoid abbreviations such as CINJ, except for limited internal
communications.
13
Academic Degrees
1. Degree Names:
Spell out all academic degrees: bachelor’s degree instead of B.A. or B.S., master’s
degree instead of M.A. or M.S., doctoral degree instead of Ph.D., medical degree
instead of M.D. Use either “doctorate” or “doctoral degree,” never “doctorate
degree.” Use the word “degree” after the degree name for clarity. Note that the proper
construction is “bachelor of arts degree” or “bachelor’s degree.” It is never
“bachelor’s of arts degree.” Use abbreviations only if spelling out the degree is
unwieldy or space is limited.
Examples: bachelor’s degree, bachelor of arts degree, B.A. degree
2. Lowercase academic degrees: bachelor of arts degree in history
3. Use periods in degree abbreviations. However, if there is a strong preference for
dropping the periods, drop them consistently.
Examples: B.A. and M.B.A., but BA and MBA
4. Do not use italics for summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude.
5. Academic Credentials:
Generally, avoid listing degrees and professional credentials after a person’s name
(otherwise it can lead to alphabet soup). However, you may spell out their degree or
provide a description.
Examples: Jill Smith, who holds a doctor of pharmacy degree...; Samuel Simons, a
physician who specializes in...
6. If it is essential to your communication to indicate doctoral designations, do so after
the name by adding “M.D.”, “Ph.D.”, etc. Do not add “Dr.” before the name.
Addresses, States, Municipalities, and Countries
1. Commas are used in text to set off individual elements in addresses and names of
geographical places or political divisions. The standard U.S. Postal Service
abbreviation for a state or country should be used when providing addresses primarily
for the purpose of mailing or in citations. (Use only one space, not two, between the
state and the zip code.) Otherwise, states and countries should be spelled out in full.
Note that “D.C.” in running text is used with periods but “DC” in an address for
mailing purposes is used without periods.
14
Examples:
Please send all proofs to the editor at 25 Bentley Drive, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.
The plane landed in Nairobi, Kenya, that evening.
The company’s offices in Richmond, Virginia, were renovated recently.
2. When referring in general to a municipality, city, or state, the word “city” or “state” is
not capitalized when it precedes a place name, but when referring specifically to an
official governmental function/action of the municipality, city, or state, “city” or
“state” is capitalized when it precedes the place name.
Examples:
Visitors to the city of New Brunswick will notice new Rutgers banners hanging from
utility poles.
Rutgers serves residents throughout the state of New Jersey.
The City of New Brunswick approved Rutgers’ banner program at the council
meeting.
The State of New Jersey issued new guidelines for teen drivers.
3. Rutgers return addresses should have a minimum of three lines. The bottom line
should have the city, state, and zip code. The second line from the bottom should
have the street address (and suite number, if any). The third line from the bottom
should have Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, or appropriate Rutgers
name. The name of the building, if any, should appear on the fourth from the bottom
line along with a room or floor number, if any. Other information, e.g., school,
department, etc., should appear above that. Note that New Jersey is abbreviated (NJ)
when used with a zip code. Note that “Street,” “Avenue,” etc., are spelled out in full.
Example:
School/Center
Building Name, Room or Floor (if any)
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (or appropriate Rutgers name)
Street Address, Suite Number (if any)
City, State Zip
Alphabetization
Preference is to use the letter-by-letter (as opposed to word-by-word) method to
alphabetize.
Example of letter-by-letter order: Newark, New Brunswick, New York
Example of word-by-word order: New Brunswick, New York, Newark
15
Athletics
Style for commonly used athletics terms:
Big Ten or Big Ten Conference * (always spell out “Ten”; never use “10”)
Division I, Division II, Division III (use roman numerals)
SHI Stadium (never S.H.I. Stadium)
NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) *
A score of 6–8 (use an en dash)
Having a season record of 9-3 (use a hyphen)
* For questions regarding NCAA or Big Ten copyrights, trademarks, and other issues,
contact the Office of Trademark Licensing in the Department of University
Communications and Marketing.
Capitalization
1. General Rule: Capitalize sparingly. Lowercase is preferred in current usage.
2. Academic Subjects:
Lowercase the names of subject areas in text, unless the name is a proper noun, such
as French. Capitalize a subject when used as the name of a specific course or with its
subject code or curriculum code.
Examples: Sociology 01:920:201, Sociology 920. He double-majored in art and
sociology.
3. University, College, and School:
Lowercase university, college, and school unless they are used as part of a formal
complete name.
Examples: The School of Health Professions is part of Rutgers Biomedical and
Health Sciences. The school offers majors in a wide variety of disciplines.
4. Titles of Organizations:
Capitalize the formal, full names of centers, bureaus, institutes, academic
departments, administrative offices, and other formal groups, such as boards or
committees. Lowercase shortened names or casual references. Department and
administrative office names at Rutgers are almost always “Department of” or “Office
of.” Exceptions include the Rutgers University Police Department, Rutgers Athletics,
Rutgers Recreation, and Rutgers University Libraries.
16
Examples: Department of History, but the history department; Department of English,
but the English department; Office of the Dean, but the dean’s office; Board of
Governors, but the board.
5. Titles of Persons:
a. Lowercase titles of persons unless the title is used as an honorific with a last
name.
Examples: professor of English Richard Flunk, but Professor Flunk; campus dean
Ellen Elroy, but Dean Elroy
Exceptions: Board of Governors Professor, Distinguished Professor, University
Professor, and other specific, unique titles should be capitalized so they are not
confused with the generic “distinguished professor,” for example.
Examples: Sarah Star, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of History
b. Use titles and positions (do not include degrees) to identify and explain
someone’s academic or professional standing; a descriptive title adds more
context to your communication.
Examples: researcher and oceanographer Paul Pond; endocrinologist and chief of
endocrinology Barbara Black
c. Avoid honorifics (Mr., Mrs., Dr.). List someone’s full name on first reference and
then use their last name.
Example: Physicist Rorey Ideal was elected to the American Academy of Arts
and Sciences. Ideal’s research focuses on the structure and properties of materials.
6. Headlines and Titles of Works:
a. Capitalize the first and last words and all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs,
adverbs, and subordinate conjunctions. Lowercase articles, coordinate
conjunctions, and prepositions (no matter how long). Also, see Style Guide
Exceptions for Material Prepared for the News Media on page 37.
b. With hyphenated compounds, always capitalize the first element. Subsequent
elements are capitalized unless they are articles, prepositions, or coordinating
conjunctions, or if the first element is a prefix.
Examples: Fifth-Century Art, Medium-Sized Schools, Non-Christian Mythology, but
Out-of-the-Way Places, Re-creating the World, Anti-intellectual Pursuits
17
7. “The” as Part of the Name of an Organization or Periodical:
Lowercase “the” in front of all formal titles unless you know that the organization
insists on making the “the” a formal part of its title. “The” is not capped for Rutgers
units. Note that the word “the” preceding a newspaper title is lowercased and not
italicized. This is the case with all newspaper titles regardless of whether the word
“the” appears on the newspaper’s masthead. Also, see Style Guide Exceptions for
Material Prepared for the News Media on page 37.
Examples: He attended The Ohio State University and completed graduate work at
the School of Criminal Justice at Rutgers University–Newark. He later worked for the
New York Times.
8. Generic Term with Plural Proper Names:
The generic term in a proper noun is uppercased if used in the plural.
Examples: the Raritan and Millstone Rivers; the corners of Main and Washington
Streets, the Departments of Economics, Environmental Sciences, and Geography
9. Academic Years:
Lowercase terms designating academic years. Because it is preferable to avoid
gender-specific language, use “first-year student” in place of “freshman” if it does not
change or make ambiguous the meaning of the sentence.
Examples: first-year student, freshman, senior, graduate student, postdoc
10. Specific Classes:
Treated collectively, specific classes can be considered a formal group and therefore
capitalized.
Example: the Class of 1946
11. Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Identity:
Capitalize Black, Caucasian, Hispanic, Asian
(lowercase “white” and “brown” since they refer to a wide range of cultures and
identities)
12. Seasons of the Year:
Lowercase the four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter)
18
Gender-Neutral and Inclusive Language
Avoid gender-specific and biased language that reasonable readers might find offensive
or distracting unless, of course, the specific language is central to the meaning of the text.
Achieving gender neutrality for generic references to people may involve rewording a
sentence. There are several options to keep language concise and inclusive.
1. Avoid gender-specific words and phrases whenever possible.
Use Avoid
chair chairman/chairwoman/chairperson
humankind or humanity mankind
police officer policeman
first-year student* freshman*
* First-year student is preferred unless it changes the meaning of the text or makes it
ambiguous. For example, in saying that “housing is guaranteed to all first-year
students,” there is the possibility that readers may consider an upper-level transfer
student to be a first-year student, when, in fact, housing is guaranteed only to
freshmen.
2. Use “they,” “theirs,” or “them” as a singular pronoun if preferred.
Original: A student left his or her backpack behind.
Rewrite: A student left their backpack behind.
3. Replace a pronoun with an article
Original: Request that the employee submit her report.
Rewrite: Request that the employee submit the report.
4. Remove a pronoun altogether
Original: Ask the professor whether he is ready to begin class.
Rewrite: Ask whether the professor is ready to begin class.
5. Switch a gendered pronoun with “who”
Original: The instructor will be better prepared after she attends the conference.
Rewrite: An instructor who attends the conference will be better prepared.
The above examples apply to references where the identity of the person is unknown or
unimportant. For references to a specific person, writers should be sensitive to the fact
that some individuals have a particular preference for the pronouns used to refer to them
and should take this into consideration.
Governing Boards
Rutgers has several governing boards. The proper names of all governing boards should
be capitalized: Board of Governors, Board of Trustees, the Rutgers University Senate; but
19
the governors, trustees, senate, member of the Board of Governors, senator, etc. should
be lowercase. Governing boards at Rutgers are headed by a chair and vice chair; avoid
using chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson.
Italics
Using italics for emphasis in text should be avoided as much as possible. Italics are used
for the following:
1. Titles of books, journals, magazines, newspapers, reports, films, television programs
(specific episodes are in quotation marks), blogs, podcasts, and brochures. (Article
titles are placed in quotes. Academic course titles are placed in quotes when
appearing in narrative text. See Quotation Marks on page 33.)
2. Media websites (newspapers, magazines, blogs, etc.). Follow formatting conventions
for analogous print media, almost always italics. It is preferable to indicate when you
are referring to the online version of media that also appears in print rather than
including the URL.
If you must include a media URL, format it in regular/roman, lowercased. Check the
URL to be sure it is not case-sensitive. See Web Addresses on page 35.
Examples:
Her comments appeared last year in the Economist.
She writes for the online edition of the Economist.
The article and comments are archived online at economist.com.
NJ.com, the online home of 12 New Jersey newspapers, including the Star-Ledger,
has launched a newly designed website.
Rutgers Today is the official online source for universitywide news.
Note: Rutgers Today, NJ.com, the Associated Press, etc. are not italicized.
3. Titles of musical recordings, such as albums and CDs. (Song titles are placed in
quotes. See Quotation Marks on page 33.)
4. Titles of paintings, photographs, sculpture, and other art. Also art exhibition titles.
5. Court cases.
Example: Miranda v. Arizona. Also, the Miranda case.
6. Words and phrases in other languages if they are likely to be unfamiliar to readers.
Set in regular/roman if repeated. If a foreign language word is listed in Webster’s, it is
assumed to be familiar enough not to warrant italics, such as summa cum laude,
magna cum laude, and cum laude.
20
7. Scientific names of plants and animals. Capitalize genus, but not species and
subspecies.
Example: Homo sapiens rutgersensis
8. Terms with special meanings or slang may be italicized the first time they are used.
Using quotation marks instead of italics is equally acceptable. Be consistent.
Subsequent uses are in regular/roman.
9. References to words as words or letters as letters may be in italics. Using quotation
marks instead of italics is equally acceptable. Be consistent.
Example: The word simply has other meanings. X marks the spot. Also acceptable:
The word “simply” has other meanings. “X” marks the spot.
10. Letter grades.
Example: The average grade for the class was a B, but Lisa earned an A.
LGBTQA Language
1. Use the term LGBTQA when referring to individuals who identify as lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, queer, or asexual. Using the initialism alone on first reference
is acceptable if the audience is informed and the context makes it clear. If the
audience may not know what it means, write it this way on first reference: LGBTQA
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual).
Example: A program run by the housing department is designed for LGBTQA
(lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and asexual) students. The LGBTQA
community fully supports it.
LGBTQA+ is an emerging term that acknowledges that the initialism LGBTQA is
limited.
2. Writers should be sensitive to the fact that some individuals have a particular
preference for the pronouns used to refer to them and should take this into
consideration. It is acceptable to use “they,” “theirs,” and “them” as singular
pronouns if preferred. (See Gender-Neutral and Inclusive Language on page
18.)
Numbers
1. The general rule is to spell out cardinal and ordinal numbers through nine, i.e., zero
through nine, and first through ninth. Use Arabic numerals for 10 and above, and 10th
and above. This may cause a paragraph, or even a sentence, to have both words and
numerals for numbers. This is fine. For example: She had three cats and 11 dogs.
21
Exceptions are made for academic credits, percentages, ages, heights, weights, and
other dimensions.
a. For ordinal numbers, do not use superscript when typing 10th and above.
Example: He celebrated the publication of his 15th journal article, not 15
th
journal
article.
2. Academic Credits: Expressed in numerals.
Examples: This is a 3-credit course. The major requires a total of 36 credits.
3. Percentages: Expressed in numerals, and the word “percent” is spelled out.
An exception can be made for tables, where the percent sign (%) can be used.
Example: The professor passed 80 percent of the class.
4. Ages: Expressed in numerals.
Example: a 3-year-old girl, she is 32 years old
5. Height, Weight: Use figures for all and spell out inches, feet, pounds, ounces, etc.
a. Hyphenate adjectival forms before nouns.
Examples: He is 5 feet, 10 inches tall. The baby weighed 5 pounds, 11 ounces. He
is a 235-pound fullback. The 5-foot-10-inch runner. The 5-10 runner.
6. Numbers at the Beginning of Sentences: Spell out.
Example: Eighty percent of the class passed.
7. Times: Use numerals except for noon (12 p.m.) and midnight (12 a.m.).
a. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes: 11:15 a.m., 3:25 p.m.
b. Do not use :00 if the time is on the hour: 10 p.m. (An exception may be made
in formal invitations: Please join us from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
8. Dates: When citing a specific date, it is helpful to the reader to include the day of the
week. Do not abbreviate the days of the week and months.
Examples: Thursday, May 16, 2019; September 2020; April 12 (not 12
th
or 12th)
9. Decades: the 1980s, the ’80s
10. Spell out numbers in casual expressions: Thanks a million.
22
Telephone Numbers
The preferred form for listing telephone numbers is the following:
732-445-3701, ext. 6409
732-445-3701 x 6301 is also acceptable if space is an issue.
Plurals and Possessives
1. The possessive case of singular nouns is formed by the addition of an “apostrophe s”
(’s). The possessive case of plural nouns is formed by the addition of an apostrophe
only. This applies to proper nouns and common nouns.
Example: Jack’s car, Columbus’s ship, puppies’ tails
Exception: Rutgers’. Use an apostrophe only with the word “Rutgers.” Do not add an
extra “s.”
Example: Rutgers’ football team (or the Rutgers football team), Rutgers’ students (or
the Rutgers students). (Also see the Proper Names at Rutgers on page 4.)
Note: The word “Rutgers” before the name of a school, college, center, institute,
program, etc., may or may not include an apostrophe, depending on the writer’s
preference. Notable exceptions are Rutgers Business School–Newark and New
Brunswick, Rutgers Law School, and the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, which
never take an apostrophe.
Examples: Rutgers’ School of Criminal Justice and Institute of Jazz Studies are based
in Newark. The professor presented the seminar at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical
School.
2. Single or multiple letters used as words and numbers form the plural by adding “s”
alone, so far as it can be done without confusion.
Example: earning three Bs, IOUs, the early 1920s
3. Abbreviations ending with a period form the plural with an “apostrophe s.”
Example: Ph.D.’s, M.D.’s, Psy.D.’s
If periods are dropped consistently for all degrees, however, form the plural by
adding “s” alone.
Example: MDs and MBAs
23
Preferred Spellings, Capitalization, and Usage
Always use the preferred spelling (the first entry in the dictionary) when there is more
than one acceptable spelling listed. Example: toward, not towards.
A
AAU (Association of American Universities)
adviser (not advisor)
affect (see effect): Affect, as a verb, means to influence: The construction will affect
traffic for many months to come. Affect, as a noun, is rarely used. It means
emotional state: The patient’s depression was indicated by his flat affect.
African American
All-American
alum (f. or m., singular; use very sparingly and never in formal communications)
alumna (f., singular) Jane is an alumna of Douglass College.
alumnae (f., plural) Jane and Mary are alumnae of Douglass College.
alumni (m. or group of men and women, plural) The fraternity’s alumni came back to
campus for the event. Jane, Bill, and six other alumni attended the meeting.
alumnus (m., singular) Bill is an alumnus of the School of Social Work.
Asian American
assure (see ensure and insure): Assure means to make sure or certain. He double-checked
to assure that the answers were correct.
B
Barnes & Noble at Rutgers
best seller (n.)
best-selling (adj. before noun)
Big Ten (always spell out Ten; never use 10)
Big Ten Academic Alliance
Black (people and culture)
blog
C
campuswide
catalog (not catalogue)
chair (not chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson)
child care (n. and adj.)
citizen (use only if someone has citizenship; preference is to use resident)
CMS (content management system)
coadjutant (not coadjunct)
coauthor
co-chair (this is an exception to the rule to close up words beginning with co)
co-dean (this is an exception to the rule to close up words beginning with co)
colonial
coursework
credits (not credit hours)
cross-cultural
cum laude
24
cumulative grade-point average
curriculum (singular), curricula (plural)
D
database
day care (n. and adj.)
decision-maker (n.)
decision-making (n. and adj.)
dial up (v.)
dial-up (adj.)
Division I, Division II, Division III
doctor (see physician)
dos and don’ts
double major (n. and v.)
dual degree (n.)
dual-degree (adj. before noun)
E
Earth (i.e., She returned to Earth.); the earth (i.e., She returned to the earth.)
East Coast
ebusiness
ecommerce
effect (see affect): Effect, as a verb, means to accomplish: The new president effected
many changes. Effect, as a noun, means result: The effect of the donation was
dramatic.
email
emerita (f., singular) She is a trustee emerita of the board.
emeritae (f., plural) The women are trustees emeritae of the Women’s Science Coalition.
emeriti (m. or group of men and women, plural) John and Jane were trustees emeriti of
the board.
emeritus (m., singular) John is a trustee emeritus of the board.
enewsletter
ensure (see assure, insure): Ensure means to guarantee: Steps were taken to ensure
accuracy.
evite
F
faculties (plural, when referring to faculty of more than one academic unit)
faculty (may be singular or plural for verb agreement; use “members of the faculty” if
necessary to avoid awkward construction) Rutgers faculty [they] seek solutions
for urgent problems. The Rutgers faculty [it] is known for excellence in research.
Members of the faculty [they] are organizing the research symposium.
fall (the season)
FAQ (not FAQs) for Frequently Asked Questions
fieldwork
fifth-year student
first-year student
25
fiscal year 2021 (also FY2021; reserve FY for financial matters)
follow up (v.)
follow-up (n. and adj.)
full time (after a verb)
full-time (adj. before a noun)
fundraise, fundraiser
fundraising (n. and adj.)
FY2021 (for financial matters; also fiscal year 2021)
G
google (v.)
grade-point average
groundbreaking
H
health care (n. and adj.)
high school (n. and adj.)
high-speed (adj. before noun)
high-tech (adj. before noun)
historic (having great and lasting importance)
historical (occurred in the past)
homepage
I
in-depth (adj. before noun)
inpatient
insure (see assure, ensure): Insure is reserved for insurance, i.e., paid policy.
internet
J
Jersey Shore
joint degree (n.)
joint-degree (adj. before noun)
jump start (n.)
jump-start (v.)
L
Latino/a, Latinx (a gender-neutral alternative)
LGBTQA, LGBTQA+
life cycle
lifelong
life span
lifestyle
lifetime
livestream
log in (v.)
26
login (adj. and n.)
long-standing (adj. before noun)
long-term (adj. before noun)
M
magna cum laude
microblog
minicourse
modeled; modeling
multimedia
myRutgers
N
NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association)
NetID
North Jersey (but northern New Jersey)
O
on campus (after a verb)
on-campus (adj. before a noun)
online
on site (after a verb)
on-site (adj. before a noun)
on the Banks
outpatient
P
part time (after a verb)
part-time (adj. before a noun)
password
PDF (Portable Document Format)
physician (preferred over doctor when referring to a medical doctor)
physician assistant (not physician’s assistant)
podcast
policy maker or policy making (n.)
policy-making (adj.)
postdoc
prelaw
premedicine
preveterinary
problem solving (n.)
problem-solving (adj.)
R
real world (n.)
real-world (adj.)
27
reentry
résumé
retweet
round up (v.)
roundup (n.)
S
semester (preferred usage; see term)
SHI Stadium (never S.H.I. Stadium)
sign up (v.)
sign-up (n. and adj. before noun)
social media
Social Security Number
socioeconomic
South Jersey (but southern New Jersey)
spin off (v.)
spin-off (n. and adj. before noun)
spring (the season)
start-up (n. and adj.) (fledgling business)
state house (New Jersey State House) (see State Government References on page 36)
statewide
stem cell research
streaming
student-athlete
summa cum laude
summer (the season)
supply chain management
symposia (pl.); symposium (sing.)
T
teleconference, teleconferencing
telehealth
telemedicine
term (generally only used when referring to term bills; otherwise, use semester)
theater
3D; 3D-printed object
time frame
timetable
totaled, totaling
trade-off (n.)
trailblazer
turfgrass
tweet
U
underway
universitywide
28
URL (Uniform Resource Locator; i.e., an individual web address)
username
V
v. (in title of a court case)
versus (not vs.)
vice chair
vice chancellor
vice president
videoconference, videoconferencing
W
WeatherWatchers
web
webcast
Webex
webpage
website
West Coast
Wi-Fi
wiki
winter (the season)
woman (adj.) (preferred over female) She is the first woman president.
workforce
workplace
work study (n.)
work-study (adj.)
worldwide
World Wide Web
Z
zip code
29
Punctuation
Formatting Punctuation
Periods, exclamation points, commas, colons, semicolons, hyphens, and other internal
and terminal punctuation should be set in the type style (e.g., bold, italic, regular/roman,
color) of the preceding word.
Examples: The professor was quoted in the New York Times. The prize went to
Volcanoes of the Deep, a film coproduced by Rutgers. Contact your adviser
immediately!
An exception is when a web address comes at the end of a sentence. If the web address is
formatted in bold or color, the ending punctuation should remain unformatted (to
distinguish it from the URL).
Periods, Other Terminal Punctuation, Colons
1. Use only one space between sentences after a period, question mark, or exclamation
point.
2. Use only one space after a colon in a sentence.
Example: She carried three things: a ball, a bat, and a mitt.
Commas
1. Series or Serial Comma: Use a comma after each element in a series of three or
more. Also, see Style Guide Exceptions for Material Prepared for the News Media on page
37.
Example: students, faculty, and administration
Exception: We discourage the use of ampersands (&). However, if an ampersand
must be used, there is no comma before an ampersand.
Example: housing, dining & transportation
2. Title abbreviations following a person’s name, such as Jr. and Sr., and roman
numerals are not set off by commas.
Example: John J. Jones Sr. and John J. Jones III were poor, but John E. Jones made a
lot of money.
30
3. Use commas to set off a word or phrase in apposition, unless it has an essential
identifying function. (Apposition is when two usually adjacent nouns referring to the
same thing are used in a sentence and are essentially interchangeable. In the example
below, the person has one wife, Mary; there is no confusion about which wife is
referred to, so Mary does not serve an essential identifying function for “my wife”
and is set off by commas. The person does have more than one friend, however, so
John does serve an essential identifying function for “my friend” and is not set off by
commas.)
Example: My wife, Mary, arrived but my friend John did not.
4. In dates, commas are not used to mark off the month and year. If the day is included,
the year is set off by commas before and after.
Examples: The meetings were held in April 1967. The events of April 18, 1775, have
been celebrated in song and story.
5. Use commas after both a city and state when both are given.
Example: He lived in Bedford Hills, New York, before moving to Georgia.
Dashes and Hyphens
There are three common dashes of differing lengths used in formatted copy:
em dash (—), en dash (–), and hyphen (-). The em dash is the longest (the width of an
uppercase “M” in the typeface and size being used, which is usually also the point size).
The en dash is half the length of the em dash. The hyphen is the shortest. Also, see Style
Guide Exceptions for Material Prepared for the News Media on page 37.
1.
Em dash:
Use an em dash to denote an abrupt change in thought or to set off an element added
for emphasis, explanation, or digression. The em dash should be typeset closed, i.e.,
with no extra space before or after the em dash.
Example: Tens of thousands of previously unknown proteins—revealed to scientists
through the mapping of the human genome—may point the way to the discovery of
new drugs to treat disease.
Note: To insert an em dash in Word:
PCs: From the menu, choose Insert > Symbol/Special Character, then choose the em
dash (the larger of the two dash options). The shortcut is Alt + Control + Numberpad
Minus Sign (-).
MACs: From the menu, choose Insert > Advanced Symbol, then choose the em dash
(the larger of the two dash options). The shortcut is Command + Option +
Numberpad Minus Sign (-).
31
2.
En dash:
a. An en dash is used to separate a range of inclusive dates and numbers. The en
dash should be typeset closed, i.e., with no extra space before or after the en
dash.
Example: May–June, 1964–1970, pages 25–39
b. An en dash is used in sports scores and should be typeset closed.
Example: a score of 6–8
c. Rutgers uses the en dash in school and university names and should be typeset
closed.
Example: Graduate School–Camden, Rutgers University–New Brunswick
Note: To insert an en dash in Word:
PCs: From the menu, choose Insert > Symbol/Special Character, then choose the en
dash (the smaller of the two dash options). The shortcut is Control + Numberpad
Minus Sign (-).
MACs: From the menu, choose Insert > Advanced Symbol, then choose the en dash
(the smaller of the two dash options). The shortcut is Command + Numberpad Minus
Sign (-).
3.
Hyphen:
a. Used to form compound words (see Hyphenation, below).
b. Used in phone numbers, e.g., 732-445-3710 (see Telephone NumbersTelephone
Numbers on page 22).
Hyphenation
1. Current usage tends toward the closing of prefixes and of compound words that used
to be hyphenated. Check the dictionary. (Also see Preferred Spellings, Capitalization, and
Usage on page 23.)
2. Compound adjectives that are hyphenated before a noun are open after a noun.
Examples: full-time student, the student is full time; on-campus housing, living in
housing on campus
3. Adjectival phrases are hyphenated before the noun and are usually open after a noun.
Examples: up-to-date list, list is up to date; state-of-the-art equipment, equipment is
state of the art
32
4. Other compound adjectives may or may not be hyphenated.
a. Hyphens should be used to avoid ambiguity.
Examples: personal-computer program, slow-moving van
b. If the meaning of the compound adjective is a universally understood
expression, no hyphen is needed.
Examples: health care system, high school classroom
c. Less common expressions are better hyphenated.
Example: joint-degree program
5. Use hyphens with nouns that represent different and equally important functions
when they form a single expression.
Example: student-athlete
6. A hyphen is used after the first of two prefixes or after the first element in a “double”
compound adjective.
Example: Macro- and microeconomics, fourth- and fifth-century art (but established
in the fifth century)
7. Do not hyphenate an adverb ending in “ly” before an adjective.
Example: highly popular musician
8. Compound adjectives where the second adjective ends in “ed” are hyphenated.
Example: good-natured proofreader
9. The following prefixes generally are not hyphenated:
anti
bi
co
counter
extra
inter
intra
macro
micro
mid
mini
multi
over
post
pre
pro
re
semi
socio
sub
super
tele
trans
un
under
Exceptions: (a) when the second element is capitalized or is a figure, e.g., mid-July,
pre-1960s; (b) when there is a homonym, e.g., recover a lost object, but re-cover a
couch; (c) for clarity, when it creates a strange spelling connection, e.g., co-chair, not
cochair; co-dean, not codean; and (d) sometimes when there are repeated vowels,
e.g., anti-intellectual or co-op, but reestablish and reenlist. Consult the dictionary.
33
10. Ewords: Many expressions are cropping up with the letter “e” preceding a familiar
word. We recommend closing all such expressions and lowercasing the word
immediately following the “e” prefix.
Examples: ebusiness, ecommerce, evite, enewsletter
Note that the “e” in such terms is capitalized when the term appears in a headline, as a
stand-alone head, and at the beginning of a sentence.
Example: Ecommerce is important to success in the retail marketplace.
11. Sports records: a season record of 9-3.
12. All “self” compounds are hyphenated except when the addition is a suffix.
Examples: self-confident, self-reliant, but selfless and selfish
13. Compounds with “well” are hyphenated before the noun unless the expression carries
a modifier. Do not use a hyphen if the compound appears after the verb.
Examples: well-intentioned person, but very well known man. She is well known.
14. Suffixes are rarely hyphenated.
Examples: statewide, campuswide, universitywide
Parentheses
No punctuation should be used before an opening parenthesis. All punctuation except
terminal punctuation, such as a period, question mark, or exclamation point, should be
dropped before a closing parenthesis.
Quotation Marks
1. All punctuation marks except the colon and semicolon are placed within quotation
marks.
Example: He heard what he described as a “very loud and disturbing growl.” “This is
crazy,” she said. He described the procedure as “a definite step forward”; others
disagreed.
2. Use double quotation marks for quoted words, phrases, and sentences that are not set
apart in block quotations. Use single quotation marks to enclose quotes within quotes.
Example: “Then, for an encore, he sang ‘Yesterday.’”
34
3. Article, dissertation, song, and TV episode titles are placed in quotes. (See Italics for
styles of other titles on page 19.)
4. Academic course titles are placed in quotes when appearing in narrative text.
Semicolons and Colons
1. The first word of a sentence following a semicolon or the first word of a sentence or
list following a colon within a sentence should be lowercased. Use only one space
after a semicolon or colon.
2. Use a semicolon in lists of names or titles or in other lists that would not be clear if
separated by commas only.
Examples: Her work combines elements of environmental, civil, and mechanical
engineering; human and animal biology; and sociology.
They came from Mendon, Utica, and Chester, New York; Paterson, Camden, and
Newark, New Jersey; and Newton, Worcester, and Hull, Massachusetts.
Bulleted and Numbered Lists
1. A vertical list is best introduced by a complete grammatical sentence, followed by a
colon. After each bullet or number, each entry should start with a capital letter. The
entries should carry no punctuation at the end, unless they are complete sentences. Do
not mix complete sentences with nonsentences. Also be consistent and parallel in
construction on bulleted items: if one begins with a verb, they all should. Another
consideration is to alphabetize the list if the list is in no particular order.
Examples:
Other online innovations have also been developed:
• Financial aid application and awards
• Loan counseling
• Loan promissory notes
• Online student survey to measure service quality
Compose three sentences to do the following:
1. Illustrate the use of commas in dates.
2. Distinguish the use of semicolons from the use of periods.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the em dash.
2. A vertical list that comprises, with its introduction and entries, a complete sentence
begins with an introductory statement followed by numbers or bullets. Each entry
starts with a lowercase letter and is followed by a semicolon. A period should follow
the final entry.
35
Example:
We also consider such qualitative factors as
• extracurricular activities;
• community, volunteer, or U.S. military service;
• honors and awards;
• employment;
• family obligations; and
• socioeconomic background.
Note: The above styles for structuring and punctuating lists are recommendations. One
has flexibility depending on the communication material. It is best to use a consistent
style throughout a document or website.
Web Addresses
1. Web addresses are set in roman.
2. Avoid including http:// when listing a URL for websites. Rather, state clearly that the
address is a web address. Include www. only if it is required by the specific website.
Example: Please visit oirap.rutgers.edu on the web.
3. Do not underline URLs. Do not format URLs in italics. If you want to draw attention
to a URL in a printed piece, consider using bold or a color. There is not a specific
style, since the best choice may vary depending on the design of the publication. For
the most part, URLs should be lowercased; check the URL to be sure it is not case-
sensitive.
4. It is strongly preferred not to break a URL at the end of a line of text. If possible,
rewrite the text to avoid this. If a web address must be broken between two lines, be
sure that a hyphen or space is not added inadvertently at the break point.
5. When a URL falls at the end of a sentence, it should be followed by a period. It is
common knowledge that the period is not part of the URL. Should you wish to
emphasize this and your URL is formatted in bold or in a color, then the period
should revert to the previous (often regular/roman or black) type. (This contradicts
standard formatting, which calls for punctuation to be set in the type style of the
preceding word.)
36
State Government References
1. The proper name of the meeting place of the New Jersey legislature in Trenton is the
New Jersey State House. Note that “state house” is two separate words, not
“statehouse,” as you would find in the dictionary. Use lowercase in generic
references.
Examples:
The meeting took place at the New Jersey State House.
The state house is a popular field trip destination for New Jersey schoolchildren.
2. When referring to another state’s legislative meeting place, research the proper name.
Example: Maryland State House, Ohio Statehouse, Kentucky State Capitol, State
Capitol of Pennsylvania
3. Spell out “governor.” See Style Guide Exceptions for Material Prepared for the News
Media on page 37.
Example: Governor Phil Murphy visited Rutgers on Tuesday. The governor
announced the creation of a task force on school security.
37
Style Guide Exceptions for Material Prepared for the News Media
The following exceptions to university style apply to materials intended for distribution
to the news media. News organizations adhere to Associated Press (AP) style. Using AP
style decreases the likelihood of copy errors.
Comma, in a Series
Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the
conjunction in a simple series. Example: The flag is red, white and blue.
But if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction, place a comma before the
concluding conjunction. Example: I want orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for
breakfast.
Titles for Elected Officials
Use the abbreviations Gov., Rep., and Sen. with a proper name. Example: Gov. Phil
Murphy
Headline Style
Capitalize all words except conjunctions, articles, and prepositions of three or fewer
letters.
Hyphenation and Dashes
Use a hyphen in school names and university names. Do not insert spaces before or after
the hyphen. Example: Graduate School-Camden, Rutgers University-Newark
Use a hyphen to separate inclusive dates and numbers. Do not insert spaces before or
after the hyphen. Example: May-June, 1964-1970, pages 25-30
Use en dashes within a sentence to set off a phrase or change in thought. Insert spaces
before and after the dashes. Example: The president listed qualities – intelligence,
honesty, humor – that she liked in an assistant.
Months
Abbreviate the following months when used with a specific date: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept.,
Oct., Nov., and Dec. Spell out all months when using alone, or when using with a year
and no specific date.
Periodical Titles
Capitalize “the” in the name of a periodical if that is the way the publication prefers to be
known. Check the masthead if in doubt. Example: The New York Times
Personal Titles
Follow AP Style for capitalization of titles.
