UC San Diego Editorial Style Guide

Last Updated: October 6, 2023 8:19:12 AM PDT

Use this as a guide when you write for Blink, TritonLink, or other UC San Diego websites.

Purpose

The UC San Diego Web Editorial Style Guide is intended to help writers preparing text for UC San Diego websites. In most instances, it follows The Associated Press (AP) Stylebook (subscription required for online access). We recommend that writers and editors follow this style to ensure consistency throughout UC San Diego websites.

You can access the UC San Diego Library's online copy of the AP Stylebook. This resource is limited to 10 users at a time (including student use). To ensure availability for others, don't leave the website open longer than needed. Access is restricted to UCSD IP addresses (on network or VPN).

Instructions for use

Note that some entries contain separate instructions or style guidelines that are recommended for anyone who writes content for Blink and TritonLink. These entries are identified with the words "Blink/TritonLink instructions." All other UC San Diego writers should follow the general instructions.

Read the information below to find out more, or use these links to go directly to a term:

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

For additional reference

If you have style questions or suggestions, contact Workplace Technology Services (WTS).

Note: This page has a friendly link that's easy to remember: http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/styleguide

A

abbreviations: See acronyms and abbreviations.

academic degrees

The preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as: Mary Smith, who has a doctorate in philosophy. Use an apostrophe in bachelor's degree, a master's, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. When academic degrees are referred to in general terms such as doctorate, doctoral, bachelor's, or master's, they are not capitalized. When using the initial forms, do not put spaces between the initials. Examples:

bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctoral degree, doctoral candidate, a doctorate in history, a B.A., an M.S., a Ph.D., an M.F.A., an M.B.A., a master's (degree) in applied physics, the doctor of philosophy degree
A.B. B.A. B.S. D. Eng. Ed.D. J.D. M.A.T. M.Arch. M.B.A. M.D. M.Eng. M.F.A. M.L.A. M.P.H. M.P.P. M.A. M.S. M.S.W. Ph.D. Pharm.D.

Licenses and associations do not take periods: CPA, LCSW, AAAS, IEEE, ASLA.

academic departments

In general, capitalize disciplines only when referring to specific courses or departments:

He is a doctoral student in cognitive science at UC San Diego.
She is a master's student in the Department of Cognitive Science.

In a first reference, use "Department of Literature," but use "literature department" or "literature" in subsequent references. Majors and minors are lowercase, but proper names as subjects are always capitalized. Example:

She majored in linguistics and minored in Chinese studies.

Academic Senate: Use "the Academic Senate," or "the senate." If you must abbreviate, see the entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations. See also collective nouns, faculty.

academic titles

Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as chancellor, dean, etc., when they precede a name. Use lowercase elsewhere:

This year's keynote address will be given by Chancellor Pradeep Khosla.
The chancellor will give the keynote address this year.
The chancellor of UC San Diego is Pradeep Khosla.

acronyms and abbreviations

Use the entire name first, followed by the acronym in parentheses, then use the acronym in subsequent references:

Temporary Employment Services (TES)

Exception: If the acronym is familiar to your audience, use it first, followed by the entire name in parentheses:

EH&S (Environment, Health & Safety)

Avoid using the word "the" with an acronym unless it is necessary for clarity. In general, omit periods from acronyms: DOE, NCAA, NEA, NIMH, SAT scores, UNESCO, but U.S., U.N. Examples:

Check with OSHPP.
Visit the OSHPP website.
Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) is the office responsible for providing occupational health, safety, and environmental services to UC San Diego.
UC San Diego's School of Medicine (SOM) is highly ranked as a research institution. Research from SOM is frequently cited in professional publications.

See a listing of UC San Diego Acronyms and Abbreviations.

If you are using the campus CMS:

In the summary: Use the spelled-out name, not the acronym.

administration: Use "the administration" or "UC San Diego's administration." If you must abbreviate, see the entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations.

Admissions, Office of Admissions: Use "Admissions" or "Office of Admissions." If you must abbreviate, see the entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations.

advisor: The preferred spelling is "advisor" (not adviser) for college counselors, etc. If you must abbreviate, see the entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations.

African-American: See ethnic groups, nationalities.

ages

Always use figures:

The department is 9 years old.

The graduates are in their 20s.

Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives:

She is a 30-year-old graduate student.

B

bachelor's degree: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, B.A., B.S. A bachelor's degree or bachelor's is acceptable in any reference and preferable to the term "baccalaureate." See also academic degrees.

Back to top: See anchor links.

bias-free language

Avoid reference to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, ethnic background or debilitating physical condition if it is not pertinent to the story.

Age: Avoid the terms "elderly" and "senior citizen" in reference to an individual.
Diseases: Do not use a disease to describe an individual: He is diabetic. Rather: He has diabetes. One acceptable variation is "survivor of," as in "She is a survivor of cancer."
Racial and ethnic group identification: Avoid unless pertinent to the story.

billions: See millions.

black: See ethnic groups, nationalities.

board

Capitalize only when integral part of a proper name:

It is the responsibility of the UC San Diego Chancellor’s Community Advisory Board.
The board meets 4 times a year.

board of directors, board of trustees: Always use lowercase.

bold text (strong)

Use bold or red text sparingly when you need to emphasize important words or phrases, but generally avoid using italics in online text, since it's hard to scan. Bold any punctuation that immediately follows your bolded text. HTML code:

Use <b> </b> tags.

Bookstore, UC San Diego Bookstore: Use "the UC San Diego Bookstore" in the first occurrence on a page, then use "Bookstore" in subsequent instances (not University Bookstore). If you must abbreviate, see the entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations. See also Bookstore website.

Brand Guidelines: Brand is more than a visual system with logos, colors and typography. It’s a reflection of campus essence and how UC San Diego stakeholders feel about the institution. See the Brand Guidelines website.

building and facility names

Never abbreviate, except when necessary in charts and tables. Capitalize the proper names of buildings, including the word "building" if it is part of the proper name:

He worked in the Capitol Building
Her office is in the Center Hall building

If you must abbreviate the name of a building, look for an entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations. See also departments, office(s).

bullet or ordered lists

Always use an initial capital letter on the first word in a list item. Use end punctuation only if the list item is a complete sentence. Use ordered (lettered or numbered) lists when the order of the items is important. Otherwise, use bullet lists. Make all items within a list parallel in construction; e.g., start each item with a verb, make each item a complete sentence, etc.

HTML code:

Bullets:<ul> <li> </li> </ul>
Numbers:<ol> <li> </li> </ol>

If an introductory sentence precedes the list, end the sentence with a colon.

by-: In general, no hyphen: byproduct, bygone era

C

Calif.: Use as the abbreviation for California. Use "CA" only as a mailing address. See also northern, southern.

California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2)

Spell out on first reference, then abbreviate as Calit2 in subsequent references:

California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology is a partnership between UC Irvine and UC San Diego. Calit2 is one of 4 California Institutes for Science and Innovation established by former Gov. Gray Davis in December 2000.

campus: Use lowercase in all instances: The UC San Diego campus. Avoid using: the upper campus, the lower campus. Instead, use the Scripps campus and the main campus, or central campus. If you must abbreviate, see the entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations. See also UC San Diego.

campus ID: Use lowercase "c": Please present your campus ID.

campuswide, campus-wide: 1 word or with hyphen is acceptable. See also universitywide.

capitalization: Generally, avoid unnecessary capitalizations or those that result from individual preference or sense of emphasis. Consult the Merriam-Webster online dictionary: if lowercase is an acceptable form, follow that usage. Avoid using ALL CAPS in websites, since it's hard to scan. See also buildings, departments, ethnic groups, non-, offices, titles, web page titles.

cards, forms

Cards: Capitalize when part of the name, lowercase when referring to cards in general:

Do you have an identification card?
This is the Preferred-Program Card.

Forms: Use lowercase:

Complete the General Application form.

Cashier's Office: Use "Cashier's Office" instead of Cashier or University Cashier. If you must abbreviate, see the entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations.

CD-ROM: Note hyphen and capitalization.

cell phone: 2 words, no hyphen.

chair, chairwoman, chairman, chairperson

Use "chair." Avoid chairwoman, chairman, chairperson:

It is up to the chair of the Department of History. (whether male or female)
Notify the chair of the department.

As part of a formal title, capitalize:

Chair Robert Johnson has a 2-year term.

In less formal references, use lowercase:

She was meeting chair Robert Johnson during office hours.

D

dash: See em dash, en dash.

data

Usually a plural noun: The data have been carefully collected. "Data" can, however, take a singular verb when used as a collective noun (describing a group or quantity as a unit):

The data is accurate.

dates: Use 1981–82, not 1981/82 or 1981–1982 (use en dash between); in the '80s or 1980s. See also en dash.

days of the week

Use "weekdays" instead of "Monday through Friday." Generally, spell out the days of the week:

Monday through Wednesday

When space is an issue (e.g., on some graphics), abbreviate the days. Do not use a period after an abbreviation, and separate the days with an en dash. Examples:

M–Th
Mon–Thu

E

earth: Generally, use lowercase; capitalize when used as the proper name of the planet.

e.g.: Means "for example" (Latin) and is followed by a comma. Do not confuse with i.e., which means "that is," or "in other words."

ellipsis (...)

Use an ellipsis to indicate the deletion of 1 or more words in condensing quotes, texts and documents. Avoid deletions that would distort the meaning. Leave 1 space before and after an ellipsis. Example:

I ... tried to do what was best.

If the words preceding an ellipsis constitute a complete sentence, place a period at the end of the last word before the ellipsis, and follow it with a regular space before the ellipsis:

I no longer have a strong political base. ...

Use an ellipsis with sentences ending in other punctuation marks (question mark, exclamation point, comma or colon) in the same manner:

Will you come? ...

Do not use an ellipsis at the beginning and end of direct quotes. Do not use an ellipsis to indicate a pause in speech—use a dash, unless it is in a context where words have been deleted, in which case an ellipsis would be appropriate.

email

Do not use a hyphen. Only use: email. When used in a title, capitalize only the "e":

"How to Send Email"

Use the person's name — not the email address — as the name of the link. Follow the name with a comma and the phone number:

Mary Smith, 858-555-5555.

HTML code: < a href="mailto:sdonahoe@ucsd.edu"> Mary Smith</a> 858-555-5555.

Use a hyphen with other e-terms, such as: e-book, e-business and e-commerce.

em dash (—)

Use an em dash to indicate a break in thought, an abrupt change, or emphasis within a sentence:

Topics include — but are not limited to — the items on the list.

Use an em dash to set off a series of words separated by commas:

Several kinds of interview questions — open-ended, behavioral, follow-up — should be included.

Always use a space before and after an em dash. HTML Code: —

F

faculty: Use lowercase: the faculty, the faculty of Muir College. See also academic senate, collective nouns.

fall: See quarter, seasons.

FAQ: FAQ is an acronym for "frequently asked questions." Use the acronym primarily in titles and headers, not in body text. Use the spelled-out version of "frequently asked questions" in body text, at least in the first usage. When referring to 1 document that contains frequently asked questions, refer to the document as an "FAQ" (not "FAQs"). When referring to more than 1 document that contain frequently asked questions, refer to the documents as "FAQs." Refer to specific questions within an FAQ as "questions," not as "FAQs." When writing an FAQ page, if you have more than 10 questions, try grouping them into categories.

farther, further

Farther refers to physical distance:

He ran farther than before.

Further refers to an extension of time or degree:

She will investigate the matter further.

fees: Do not capitalize: fees, university registration fee, parking fee, housing fees

fellow, fellowship

Use lowercase when used alone, but capitalize in combination with the name of a granting organization:

Mark is an AARA Fellow.
A fellow of the American Agricultural Economics Association will attend.
He is hoping for a Guggenheim Fellowship
She was one of 4 fellows selected from California universities.

figures: See numbers.

first-year student

Use first-year as the adjective: They beat the first-year team (not "freshmen team") alternative. Hyphenate only when used as a compound modifier. Examples:

She is a first-year student at Warren College.
She worked hard during her first year at UC San Diego.

fiscal year: Abbreviate as FY: "FY 2007."

flyer, flier: Use "flyer" for both physical (paper) postings and electronic notices.

font colors

Blink/TritonLink instructions: For the most part, don't use colored fonts in Blink or TritonLink text. Use a red font sparingly, for emphasis, following these guidelines:

HTML code: Do not use <font="red">

Blink: Use <span class="emphasis">
- Example: <span class="emphasis">your red text here</span>
TritonLink: Use <span class="cwp-important">
- Example: <span class="cwp-important>your red text here</span>

foreign: See international.

forms: See cards, forms.

freelance (v. and adj.): The noun: freelancer; no hyphen for all forms.

freshman, freshmen students: See first-year

full time, full-time

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier (adjective):

She has a full-time commitment.

Do not use a hyphen when "full time" appears after the verb:

This position is full time.

fundraising, fundraiser: 1 word, no hyphen.

FY: See fiscal year.

G

gender

If singular construction is necessary, use "he" or "she." No slashes ("his/her"). Avoid the awkward "he or she" and "his or her" by using plurals wherever possible, being careful not to mix singular and plural:

All students have their preferences. (Not: "Every student has their preference.")

Be sensitive to gender-specific terms and titles:

Chair (not chairman, chairwoman, chairperson)
Supervisor (not foreman)
Police officer (not policeman)
Flight attendant (not stewardess)
Server (not waitress)

Copy intended to apply to both sexes should be written without gender bias. Avoid specifying gender unless it is essential to meaning. Avoid using "man" or "mankind" when referring to men and women; instead, use "human," "humanity," or "humankind." See also bias-free language, sexual orientation.

general-education requirement

Hyphenate as a modifier:

You must fulfill all general-education requirements.

GPA: See grade-point average.

grade, grader: Hyphenate both the noun forms (first-grader, 10th-grader) and the adjectival forms (an 11th-grade competitor).

grades: Letter grades appear without quotation marks (as in B average). Use an apostrophe in plurals: She earned all A's this quarter.

grade-point average: Hyphenate as a modifier; no hyphenation for the noun form: She earned 12 grade points during the year. Abbreviate as GPA — no periods.

graphics

Alt text is mandatory (find more information about alt text and why it is used).

For images that are decorative only, use an empty alt tag: alt=""
HTML example: <img alt="" src="/Blink/_images/homepage/news_geisel3.jpg">

In cases where the image carries meaning, follow these guidelines for alt text:

Keep it short.
Accurately describe the graphic.
Use an initial cap on the first word, then lowercase subsequent words unless they are proper nouns
HTML example: <img src="/Blink/Images/Gallery/5811hp.jpg" alt="Bar graph showing diversity statistics">

groundbreaking: 1 word, no hyphen.

H

headers: Readers should be able to scan the headers on a page for an overview of the main ideas. Use no more than 2 levels of headers (<h2> and <h3>) below the page title. Use <h2> for main topic areas and <h3> for subtopics.

health care: Use 2 words (as both an adj. and noun). Use UC San Diego Health when referring to the UC San Diego patient-care program.

health sciences

In general, use lowercase:

UC San Diego educates many students in the health sciences.

Use uppercase when referring to the department:

The vice chancellor of Health Sciences and dean of the School of Medicine discussed the issues.

high-tech: Note hyphenation.

Hispanic: See ethnic groups, nationalities.

historical periods and events

Capitalize the names of widely recognized epochs in anthropology, archaeology, geology and history:

the Bronze Age
the Dark Ages
the Pliocene Epoch

Capitalize recognized popular names for the periods and events:

the Atomic Age
the Boston Tea Party
Prohibition

Lowercase century: the 20th century. Capitalize only the proper nouns or adjectives in general descriptions of a period:

ancient Greece
classical Rome
the Victorian era

home page: The "front" page of a particular website. Always 2 words, no hyphen.

honorary degrees: All references should specify that the degree is honorary.

hyphen (-)

Use a hyphen to link compound modifiers:

It was a good-faith attempt.

Use a hyphen for clarity:

She recovered the data.
They re-covered the damaged roof.

Do not hyphenate compound modifiers that include the word "very" or words that end in "-ly":

She gave very clear directions.
The instructions were overly complicated.

Capitalize hyphenated words in titles and headers only if the hyphen connects 2 separate words:

How-To
Sign-On

Do not capitalize the letter following the hyphen in hyphenated words:

See also anti-, by-, em dash (—), en dash (–), inter-, intra, mid-, pro-, -wide.

I

ID card, UC San Diego: See campus ID.

i.e.: Means "that is" (Latin) or "in other words" and is followed by a comma. Do not confuse with e.g., which means "for example."

index, index number: Both "index" and "index number" are acceptable. Use the plural "indexes."

Indian, American Indian: See ethnic groups, nationalities.

initials: Use periods and no space when someone uses initials instead of a first name: R.G. Little. See also period.

in-residence

Hyphenate and lowercase when used generically or following an individual's name:

The department had an artist-in-residence during each of the past 5 years.
Joyce Smith, the department's professor-in-residence, will be on campus until April.
Many American universities have artist-in-residence programs.

Capitalize when used as a formal title or name:

When will Artist-in-Residence John Smith present the lecture?
We discussed the UC San Diego Artists-in-Residence Program.
John Smith, UC San Diego Artist-in-Residence.

insure

"Insure" means to contract to be paid money in the case of loss:

UC San Diego offers a benefit that enables you to insure against accidental injury or loss of life.

J

job titles (UC San Diego)

Lowercase job titles when they appear in body copy:

Human Resources has several recruiting specialists.

Lowercase job titles when they refer to a particular person but do not appear as part of the person's official title:

Steve Relyea is one of UC San Diego's vice chancellors.

Uppercase job titles when they appear as part of an individual's official title:

Steve Relyea, Vice Chancellor, Business Affairs.

Uppercase job titles when they refer to a position:

We have an opening for a Senior Writer.

If you must abbreviate a job title, look for an entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations. See also capitalization, titles.

job-seeker: Use a hyphen.

judgment: Not judgement.

junior, senior: Abbreviate as Jr. and Sr. only with full names. Do not precede by a comma: Joseph P. Baldwin Jr.

K

No entries.

L

Latino/ Latina/ Latinx: See ethnic groups, nationalities.
Latinx: A gender-neutral word for people of Latin American descent.

lectures, lecturers, lectureships

The title of a lecture should, in all cases, be written in quotes but not italicized. Lectures can be held, presented or given. The title "lecturer" should be treated as an occupational title rather than a formal title, and thus always be lowercased, even before a name. Example:

Nutrition lecturer Mary Smith.

Lectureships, often endowed or underwritten, enable the university to invite distinguished scholars to campus for a period of a few days to participate in seminars and to give one or more talks:

The 19th annual Shell Biochemistry Foundation lectureship is funded by a grant from the Shell Oil Corp.

If you must abbreviate, see the entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations.

left hand, left-handed, left-hander: left hand (n.), left-handed (adj.), left-hander (n.)

letter grades: See grades.

letter spacing: Use 1 space after a period in both printed materials and website copy.

library, librarian

Use uppercase when part of a name:

The UC San Diego Library; Geisel Library

Use lowercase when not part of a name:

The university librarian, the librarian

If you must abbreviate, see entries in Acronyms and Abbreviations. See also job titles, UC San Diego Libraries.

Link Family: Use initial cap on both "Link" and "Family." "Link products" is also acceptable. Avoid using the lengthier "Link Family of products." The Link family is an integrated Web-based environment that provides authorized UC San Diego students, faculty, and staff with consistent and easy-to-use access to administrative information. See LinkFamily for more information.

links to Excel, PDF, PPT, Word, and Zip files

When you link to a document in one of these file formats, put the name of the application or format in parentheses at the end of the link:

Link text (Excel)
Link text (PDF)
Link text (PPT)
Link Text (Word file)
- Note: Use "file" after Word only.
Link Text (Zip)

Listserv, list server: Use "mailing list" or "electronic mailing list" instead of the trademarked word Listserv to refer to an electronic discussion group based on common interests that uses a mailing list program to distribute messages to all members' email addresses. UC San Diego uses Mailman software to administer its electronic mailing lists.

log in (v.), log out (v.), login (n. or adj.), logout (n. or adj.)

Log in and log out are the preferred terms for entering/ exiting an application. Log in/ log out are used as verbs; login/logout may be either a noun or an adjective. Log in/ log out (verb). Examples:

Did you log in?
When finished, don't forget to log out.

If you forget your login ID, you can request it by email.
And don't forget to click the logout button to exit the program.

Note: If your use of log in is followed by the word "to," then use "into":

You can log into your email from home.

M

magazine names

Lowercase the word "magazine" unless it is part of the publication's title:

Harper's Magazine (part of title)
Newsweek magazine (not part of title)

N

nationalities: See ethnic groups, nationalities.

nationwide: 1 word, no hyphen.

Native American: See ethnic groups, nationalities.

newspaper names

Capitalize "the" in a newspaper's name if that's how the publication prefers to be known:

I subscribe to The New York Times.
She was quoted in the Los Angeles Times.

O

ocean

Use lowercase when the word "ocean" stands alone, or in plural uses:

I saw the ocean.
Capt. Jack sailed both the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Capitalize the proper name of the ocean:

The Atlantic Ocean can be very cold.

off campus/ off-campus

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective before a noun:

Press 8 to call an off-campus phone number.
Torrey Pines Center South is located off campus.

P

PAC/PID: See PID/PAC.

parentheses (): Use sparingly or try to rewrite the sentence to avoid them. Use commas or dashes to set off incidental material within a sentence whenever possible. Place a period outside a closing parenthesis if the material inside is not a sentence (such as this fragment). (An independent parenthetical sentence such as this one takes a period before the closing parenthesis.) When a phrase placed in parentheses (this is an example) might normally qualify as a complete sentence but is dependent on the surrounding material, do not capitalize the first word or end with a period.

part time, part-time

Hyphenate only when used as an adjective before a noun (no hyphen when "part time" appears after the verb):

This is a part-time position.
This position is part time.

people, persons: Use "person" for an individual, "people" as the plural. Use "persons" only in a quote.

percent

Use the symbol % when writing for the Web. Always use numerals. However, when AP style is required, "percent" should be written out:

The professor said 40% is a failing grade.
About 60% of the association's membership was there.

period (.)

Use a period at the end of a declarative sentence: The book is finished.
Use a period at the end of a mildly imperative sentence: Shut the door.
Use an exclamation point instead of a period for greater emphasis: Be careful!
Use a period at the end of some rhetorical questions. A period is preferable if a statement is more a suggestion than a question: Why don't we go.
Use a period at the end of an indirect question: He asked what the score was.
Use a period with initials: John F. Kennedy, T.S. Eliot. But, people referred to by their initials only do not take periods: JFK, LBJ.
Periods always go inside quotation marks: She said, "Let's head for the pub."

Q

quarter

Generally use:

fall quarter
winter quarter
spring quarter

Capitalize when referring a specific quarter/ year such as Fall Quarter 2006-2007 or Fall Quarter 2008. If referring generically to any fall quarter, use lowercase. Note that summer is a session, not a quarter. See also week of quarter, Summer Session, term.

question mark (?)

Use a question mark at the end of a direct question:

"Who started the riot?"
"Did he ask who started the riot?"

Do not use question marks to end indirect questions:

He asked who started the riot.
To ask why the riot started is unnecessary.
I want to know what the cause of the riot was.
How foolish it is to ask what caused the riot.

Put question marks inside or outside of quotation marks, depending on the meaning:

He asked, "How long is the book?" and who wrote "Gone With the Wind"?

quotation marks (" ")

Use quotation marks around the title of a book or other major literary or artistic work. Use quotation marks to refer to a word as a word, or to indicate foreign words:

The word "mediation" has several meanings.

Put periods at the end of sentences inside the quotation marks. Put a question mark inside quotation marks if the question is part of the sentence or item in quotes:

I think the title is "What About Retirement?"

Put colons and semicolons outside quotation marks unless they are part of the quotation. Do not put quotation marks around page or form names in text unless they are necessary:

Find out more in the Diversity Overview.
Refer to the "10 Steps to Safety" guide.

R

racial groups: See ethnic groups, nationalities.

ratios: Use figures and hyphens: 2-to-1, a 2-1 ratio.

re-

Prefix rules apply. Use a hyphen when the prefix ends in a vowel and the following word begins with the same vowel:

re-elect
re-enact
re-enter

Also use hyphen if meaning denotes repetition:

re-cover (cover again), but recover (regain)

regents: The formal name is the Board of Regents of the University of California. Acceptable abbreviations include: UC Regents, the Regents of the University of California, the Board of Regents, the regents, or the board. UC Regents is OK on first reference. See also collective nouns.

related links: See text links and See Also box.

residence hall: Preferred. Avoid "dormitory."

resume: Do not include accent marks in onscreen text. In body text, be careful not to place the word where it could be mistaken by the reader for the verb "resume."

right hand, right-handed, right-hander: right hand (n.), right-handed (adj.), right-hander (n.)

room

Completely identify a location by including the building name and the room's name (capitalize) or numbers (in figures):

East Conference Room
Social Sciences Building
Literature Building, Room 210

S

School of Medicine: The acronym is SOM.

Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Use "Scripps Institution of Oceanography" in first reference. In second reference use "Scripps Oceanography" if space permits and just "Scripps" if space is limited.

Institution, not Institute.

Remove all references to the acronym "SIO."

Use Scripps' (not Scripps's).

There is no "the" or "The" in front of the institution name.

seasons

Always lowercase unless part of a formal title, even when naming an issue of a publication:

They organized our annual Summer Spectacular event.

T

tables

CMS users: When creating a table, follow these guidelines:

Don't indent HTML code for a table. This makes code harder to read.
HTML code:

<tbody>

<tr>

<th>Header 1</th>

<th>Header 2</th>

</tr>

<tr>

<td>column 1</td>

<td>column 2</td>

</tr>

</table>

teen, teenager, teenage: No hyphens. Do not use teen-aged or teenaged.

telephone number/ extension

General style:

858-555-1111
858-555-1111, Ext. 45555
800-888-8888, not 1-800-888-888
Ext. 45555 (not X45555, x45555, ext. 45555, or extension 45555)

term: Use quarter, not "term."

text links

A link that appears within the main body of a Blink or TritonLink page is called a "link in text" or "text link." These links are indicated by underline and connect to:

websites
Online documents
Applications
Other Blink or TritonLink pages
Email addresses

General guidelines for text links:

Keep text links as short as possible while still conveying adequate meaning. For example, a link to the Blink page Hardware and Software Recommendations might appear as the word "recommendations" in a sentence.
Avoid the use of "click" or "click here" to point out links. Instead, make the link a logical word in a sentence:
- Contact your college advisor. (Not "Click here to find your college advisor.")

Use your judgment about the number of text links to include. Too many links make a page hard to read, but if the links are necessary (for example, to explain steps in a process), include them. Do not underline punctuation marks that appear next to text links. Examples:

Use the term "recommendations" to illustrate this.
Consult with Human Resources, then take the appropriate action.

Link to a Web page outside of Blink or TritonLink:

Use the complete URL.
HTML code: See the Office of the President's <a href="http://ucop.edu/">website</a>.

that, which, who, whom

Generally, use "which" in nonessential clauses (clauses that could be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence). Nonessential clauses are usually set off by commas:

That 1998 report, which focused on attendance, was the first of its kind.

Generally, use "that" in essential clauses (clauses that can't be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence):

The report that focused on attendance was the first of its kind.

Use "that" and "which" to refer to inanimate objects and animals without a name:

The department that created the process now shares it with other UC San Diego departments.

Casey and Spirit, who are golden retrievers, behave well at work.

Use "who" as the subject of a sentence, clause or phrase:

Speak to the staff member who is in charge.

Use "whom" as the object of a verb or preposition:

She is the teaching assistant to whom you should address your questions.

the

Lowercase when used with organizations. Capitalize when used with the name of newspapers and periodicals if they are part of the proper title:

The findings were reported in The Sacramento Bee.
The measure was approved by the University of California Board of Regents.
She works for the Dow Chemical Co.

theater/ theatre

Use "theater" for all generic references to auditoriums and the theatrical arts. Use "theatre" only if part of a proper name. Theaters located on the UC San Diego campus are:

Mandell Weiss Center for the Performing Arts, which houses these public performance spaces:

times of day

Always use numerals, except for noon and midnight. Use lowercase type and periods, but no spaces, with a.m. and p.m. Use an en dash for ranges. Examples:

a.m., p.m.
midnight (not 12 a.m.)
noon (not 12 p.m.)
7:30 p.m.
7 a.m.
1–2 p.m. (See en dash for spacing.)
10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. (See en dash for spacing.)

U

UC, UCOP: See University of California.

UCPath

UCPath is the University of California's system-wide payroll, benefits, human resources, and academic personnel system.

Do not use "UC Path."

UC San Diego

UC San Diego is the preferred first reference in higher-level Web pages, but the following forms are also acceptable:

University of California San Diego (no comma between "University" and "San Diego")
UC San Diego

Use “University of California San Diego” for a first reference. Use the abbreviated version “UC San Diego” in subsequent references and in headlines.

Do not use “UCSD.”

Write "the university" (lowercase) for both UC San Diego and UC references.

V

Veterans Administration Medical Center: See entries in Acronyms and Abbreviations.

vice chancellor

Use lowercase when not used with a name:

The vice chancellor of Business Affairs was there.
It was left up to the associate vice chancellor.

Use uppercase when used with a name (as part of a title):

Vice Chancellor Jones congratulated the team.
Associate Vice Chancellor Smith paid us a visit.

If you must abbreviate, see entry in Acronyms and Abbreviations. See also chancellor.

voice mail: 2 words, no hyphen.

W

waitlist (n), wait-list (v)

Use waitlist as a noun and wait-list as a verb or compound modifier:

Put yourself on the waitlist. (noun)
You can wait-list a class. (verb)
See a list of wait-listed classes. (compound modifier)

web: Lowercase web, website, webserver, webcam, webcast, webinar, webmaster.

web page titles

Capitalize the first and last word, principal words, prepositions and conjunctions of 4 or more letters such as With, From, Before. Examples:

Questions to Ask During an Interview
Personnel Policies for Staff Members
How to Delcare or Change a Major

website: See web.

week of quarter

When referring to a particular week within the 10-week quarter, use an uppercase "W," followed by a numeral:

He added the class during Week 2.

weekdays: Use "weekdays" instead of "Monday through Friday." See also days of the week.

well-being: 1 word, and hyphenate.

which, who, whom: See that, which, who, whom and the AP Stylebook entry on "essential clauses."

-wide

Do not use a hyphen in campuswide, systemwide, nationwide, worldwide. Do use a hyphen in these cases:

UC-wide
CSU-wide

winter: See quarter, seasons.

work-study: 1 word, and hyphenate.

workweek: 1 word, no hyphen.

X

No entries.

Y

year-end: 1 word, and hyphenate.

yearlong: 1 word, no hyphen.

years

Use figures, without commas: 1975.

To indicate decades, use an "s" without apostrophe: 1990s. It was back in the ‘80s or 1980s.

To indicate a range of years, use an en dash and this format: 2004–2006 (not 1981/82 or 1981–82)

Z

ZIP code: Use all caps in "ZIP" and lowercase "c" in code. Always 2 words, no hyphen.