February 2015 Project: Anglia Ruskin University | House style guide copy

Your guide to our house style Overview Is it May 1st or 1 May? If you write, commission or approve copy on behalf of our university, this guide is for you. There are two parts to it:

• a thorough house style list of items – arranged alphabetically – from how we write out dates (it’s the latter example in the headline, above) to the style we use for bulleted points

• some grammatical pointers to avoid common pitfalls on the page and snags on the screen. We’re in the education business Given what we do, it’s important that our written communications are of a professional standard. Consistency, as well as getting the fundamentals right, are important here. Please read through this document before drafting communications from our university. Then, as and when you write, just click on the links to take you to the areas you wish to refer to again. Five golden rules

1. We need fewer rules, if we all use the dictionary. When it comes to spellings or whether a word is hyphenated or not, please pick up a recent copy of the Oxford English Dictionary. In the UK, we always write in British (rather than American) English, as our roots are this side of the Atlantic. This rule applies even if your audience is an international one.  

2. If you can’t find the word, phrase or reference you need here, decide on the style rule yourself and stick to that principle throughout your piece. See 3, too.  

3. If you notice any omissions or have any questions, get in touch and we’ll update this guide accordingly.  

4. When commissioning writing, make sure your copywriter and, where appropriate, proofreader has a copy of this guide (see Links, below).  

5. ARU has Tone of voice writing guidelines too. Make sure you’re also familiar with this document, so that you’re writing communications in our organisation’s voice.  

Getting in touch This guide’s been prepared by our Corporate Marketing team. To get in touch, send your email to design@anglia.ac.uk with the subject heading ‘Style guide’. The team can also help with commissioning copywriters and proofreaders. For this House style guide, go to anglia.ac.uk/brand For our Tone of voice writing guidelines (‘Saying it’), go to anglia.ac.uk/brand For our brand guidelines, go to: anglia.ac.uk/brand

 

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A–Z of house style Contents Abbreviations and terminology – General 3 – Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) 3-4 Accents, foreign 7 Acronyms 7 Bias 7 Call to action (all publications) 8 Cambridge and Chelmsford terminology 8 Campus and course locations 8 Capitalisation 9 Captions 9 Contractions 9 Contact details 10 Correspondence 10 Course years 10 Currency 10 Date formats 11 Departments and Faculties 11 Disclaimer statements 11 Entry requirements 12 Full stops 12 Italics 12 Jargon 13 Job titles 13 Layout – Headings and sub-headings 13 – Layout 13 – Leading 13 – Paragraphs 13 – Spacing 13 – Tabs 13 – Widows and orphans 13 Levels, academic 14 Lists – Bullet point lists 14 – Numbering text 14 Logo 15 Names of people 15 Numbers 15 Pagination 15 Qualifications: Types and formats 16 Quotations 16 Spelling and word usage – Ambiguous terminology 17 – Website/electronic terminology 17 Tables 18 Time formats 18 Web addresses 18

 

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Grammatical pointers

Contents Apostrophes 19 Brackets and parentheses 19 Colons 19 Commas 19 Hyphens and dashes 20 Leader dots and ellipses… 20 Semicolons 21 ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Abbreviations and terminology: General Where possible, avoid using abbreviations and acronyms that aren’t well known. For example, very few readers outside of our four walls will understand that ‘LAIBS’ stands for our Lord Ashcroft International Business School. Even if they did, it sounds impersonal to refer to the School in this way; introducing the School in full and then referring to ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ is a better approach. Conversely, ‘BA (Hons)’ is widely recognised as a Batchelor of Arts’ degree and UK as United Kingdom, so there is no need to write these out in full. If you have to include an unfamiliar abbreviation or acronym, never assume your reader will know what it means. Spell out the full title when you first reference it (with the abbreviation in brackets). Use the abbreviation, or a short form of the full name, in subsequent references. Basic rules

• Don’t use full stops in abbreviations, such as BA, MSc, MPhil and so on. • Write degree names as BA (Hons), with a space between the abbreviation and the

parentheses. Not: BAHons or BA(Hons). • Bachelor of Science should always be written as BSc (Hons), with a lowercase ‘c’ and, again,

a space before the parenthesis. Apply the same rule for MSc. • PG Cert and Cert HE should have a space between the abbreviation and parenthesis. • Avoid abbreviations such as ‘ie’ and ‘eg’ as they sound impersonal and old fashioned for our

welcoming, modern university. Write ‘that is’ and ‘for example’ instead, or find another way of expressing your message here.

• Don’t use an ampersand (&) as shorthand for ‘and’, unless the ampersand is part of an official name (such as our Faculty of Science & Technology or School of Nursing & Midwifery).

• Write out 1st, 2nd, 3rd and so on as first, second and third. • We’re a modern university, so we use Contractions such as ‘we’re’ and ‘you’ll’ (see link), both

in reported speech and in our headlines and body copy.

Abbreviations and terminology: Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) To build a sense of place and community, we use ARU for Anglia Ruskin University where it feels right, but always write out Anglia Ruskin University in full the first time we appear in copy. We also use ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ when referring to us; it’s more direct and personal than referring to an institution’s name. Other basic rules

• Always use 'our University’, rather than 'the University' when referring to us in this way. • Don’t abbreviate University to Uni.

 

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• Don’t use an ampersand (&) in place of ‘and’, unless it’s an official title. For example, all of our Faculty and School titles feature an ampersand (such as our Faculty of Science & Technology or School of Nursing & Midwifery).

• ‘Welcome Week’ should always be referred to as this and not ‘Freshers’ Week’. Industry abbreviations 4C - Four Counties AB - Awards Board ACFHE - Association of Colleges of Further and Higher Education ACU - Association of Commonwealth Universities Adm - Admissions AHUA - Association of Heads of University Administration ALP - Anglia Language Programme ALSS - Arts, Law & Social Sciences, Faculty of AMRC - Association of Medical Research Charities AO - Academic Office APCL - Accreditation of Prior Certificated Learning APEL - Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning APL - Accreditation of Prior Learning ARC - Academic Registrars Council ARISE - Anglia Ruskin Initiative for Student Engagement ARMA - Association of Research Managers & Administrators ARMED - Active Risk Management in Education AU - Assessment Unit (of the Academic Office) AUA - Association of University Administrators AUEE - Association of Universities in the East of England B2C - Business to consumer CEO - Chief Executive Officer CISW - Certificate in Social Work CMT - Corporate Management Team CNAA - (the former) Council for National Academic Awards CoWA - College of West Anglia CPD - Continuing Professional Development CRC - Cambridge Regional College CRIC - Cambridge Ruskin International College CSE – Customer Service Excellence CSF - Course Specification Form (replaced PSF from September 2012) CTF - Cambridge Theological Federation DAP - Departmental Assessment Panel DDA - Disability Discrimination Act DoS - Director of Studies DVC - Deputy Vice Chancellor

 

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E&D – Equality and Diversity E&F - Estates and Facilities e:Vision - web-enabled version of Anglia Ruskin's Student Admin System (commonly referred to as SITS) EB - Employment Bureau EEDA - East of England Development Agency ELT - English Language Teaching EO - Equal Opportunities ESF - European Social Fund ESRC - Economic and Social Research Council FB - Faculty Board Fd - Foundation Degree FEC - Further Education Corporation FHSCE - Faculty of Health, Social Care & Education FLTAS - Faculty Learning, Teaching & Assessment Subcommittee FMS – Faculty of Medical Science FMT - Faculty Management Team FOI – Freedom of Information FQESS - Faculty Quality, Enhancement & Standards Subcommittee FRDSC - Faculty Research Degrees Subcommittee FREP - Faculty Research Ethics Panel FST - Faculty of Science & Technology HEFCE - Higher Education Funding Council for England HEI - Higher Education Institution HESA - Higher Education Statistics Agency HESES - Higher Education Students Early Statistics Survey HoD – Head of Department HRC - Huntingdonshire Regional College HRS - Human Resources Services IBL - Inquiry Based Learning IiP – Investors in People IR - International Relations ITS - IT Services JISC - Joint Information Systems Committee KIS – Key Information Sets KTP - Knowledge Transfer Partnership LAIBS - Lord Ashcroft International Business School LCA - London College of Accountancy LMI - Labour Market Intelligence LSC - Learning & Skills Council MARR - Marketing Admissions Recruitment and Retention Group

 

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MDF - Module Definition Form MIP - Maintenance Investment Programme NHS - National Health Service NSS - National Student Survey NTI - New Technology Institute NVQ - National Vocational Qualification OA1 - The Overseas Activity form that staff must complete 3 weeks in advance of international travel. The on-line system for processing these is at http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/oa1form OIA – Office of the Independent Adjudicator OU - Open University PGCE - Post Graduate Certificate of Education or Professional Graduate Certificate of Education PRC - Peterborough Regional College PSF - Pathway Specification Form (replaced by CSF from September 2012) PVC - Pro Vice Chancellor QA - Quality Assurance QAA - Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education QAU - Quality Assurance Unit (of the Academic Office) QESC - Quality, Enhancement and Standards Committee (successor to QSC from December 2012) QSC - Quality and Standards Committee (succeeded by QESC from December 2012) RAE - Research Assessment Exercise RDCS - Research, Development and Commercial Services RDI - Resource Development International Limited RDSC - Research Degrees Subcommittee RDU - Research Degrees Unit (of the Academic Office) REF - Research Excellence Framework RESC - Research Ethics Sub-Committee RM - Risk Management RRPS - Rules, Regulations and Procedures for Students SAM - School of Accounting & Management SBS - Small Business Service SCoP - Senate Code of Practice SEC - Student Experience Committee SEEC - South East Essex College SEEVIC - South East Essex VI Form Community College (now known as SEEVIC College) SENDA - Special Educational Needs and Disability Act SITS - Strategic Information Technology Services - the company that supplies the University's student admin software. The software is called SITS:Vision SME - Small/ Medium Enterprise SPD - Sponsored Programmes Unit

 

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SPPU - Strategic Planning and Policy Unit (of the Academic Office) SS - Student Services SSIG - Student Satisfaction Improvement Group TA - Teaching Assistants TAB - Thurrock & Basildon College TGSE - Thames Gateway South Essex TGSP - Thames Gateway Strategic Partnership TTA - Teacher Training Agency UAS - University Accommodation Services UCAS - Universities and Colleges Admissions Service UCH - University Centre, Harlow UCP - University Centre Peterborough UCWA - University College, West Anglia UfI - University for Industry USU - University/Student Union Liaison UUK - Universities UK VCG - Vice Chancellors Group VLE - Virtual Learning Environment Accents, foreign Use the appropriate accents for non-English words. For example: • Étienne Pök is a well-known professor • François was reading a book • Trois-Rivières is a charming place. Acronyms Acronyms (abbreviations pronounced as words, such as NATO) should be written out in full the first time they appear, unless they’re well known. For example, write: Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). EU is fine to appear just as an acronym straight off. See also Abbreviations earlier. Bias We’re an accessible place where we champion equal opportunities. Exercise care and common sense to avoid bias. Some guidance

• Don’t stereotype people by race, class, sex or age group.

 

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• Avoid attempts at ‘positive discrimination’ too, as they can appear clumsy and heavy-handed – for example writing ‘she or he’, ‘him/her’ or ‘s/he’. There’s generally a better way to construct the sentence, but, if stuck, write ‘he/she’ or ‘one’. Using ‘they’ or ‘them’ avoids repetition of ‘he/she’ or ‘one’. (While technically incorrect to mix pronouns, this ensures an unobtrusive and consistent non-bias).

Call to action (all publications) For all publications, use the following call to action. Call: 01245 493131 Email: answers@anglia.ac.uk Visit: anglia.ac.uk (there’s no need to prefix web addresses with ‘www.’) Then, list the names and addresses of the relevant campuses for the course, subject matter or publication (Cambridge campus, Chelmsford campus, Peterborough campus). We have a lock-up of locators that always states our three main campuses. See our Brand guidelines for details at: anglia.ac.uk/brand Cambridge and Chelmsford terminology Cambridge terminology

• Cambridge is a city, not a town. Always use ‘city centre’ rather than ‘town centre’. • Cambridge City Council’s official strapline is ‘Visit Cambridge… Be Inspired’. • Cambridge United Football Club (CUFC). • The Grafton Centre, not the Grafton or Grafton Centre or any alternative. • The Grand Arcade, not Grande Arcade or Grand Arcad. • Jesus Green, not Jesus’ Green or lower case alternatives. • Lion Yard, not Lion’s Yard or any other version. • Midsummer Common, not Midsummer’s Common. • Parker’s Piece (with apostrophe) rather than Parkers Piece (as it once belonged to local

farmer Edward Parker). • The Mathematical Bridge (all initial capitals). • Addenbrooke’s Hospital not Addenbrookes. • King’s Lynn not Kings Lynn. • King’s Cross not Kings Cross.

Chelmsford terminology

• Chelmsford is a city, not a town. Always use ‘city centre’ rather than ‘town centre’. • Hylands House, not Hyland’s. • Essex County Cricket Club (ECCC) • The High Chelmer, not High Chelmer or any alternative. • V Festival, not v-festival or V-festival.

Campus and course locations

• Write ‘campus’ in lower case, unless at the start of a sentence. • Cambridge should always precede Chelmsford for courses run on both campuses (that is,

being listed in alphabetical order). • Make sure we state course locations at all times as we’re in more than one place and also

have several Joint Venture partnerships.

 

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Capitalisation

A word shouldn’t have an initial capital letter ‘mid-sentence’ or following a comma, semicolon or colon, except when it’s a name or proper noun. Use an initial capital letter or letters for:

• all key words in book titles, course titles, newspapers and magazines (for example, ‘Working for a Better Future’ or ‘Safety in the Workplace’)

• ‘Fellow’ when referring to academic titles • titles of specific individuals, institutions, places, special days, trademarks or committees • ‘University’ when referring specifically to Anglia Ruskin University – set all in lowercase when

referring to ‘universities’, or ‘university’ singular, in general • names of degrees when in a title or heading, or are being referred to specifically • ‘Degree’ and ‘Diploma’ when referring to a specific qualification (for example, ‘English

Degree’, or in the term ‘Honorary Degree’) – use lowercase at all other times • names of Departments, such as ‘Human Resources Department’, as well as for ‘Faculty’,

‘Department’, ‘Pathway’ when they form part the official name • official academic subjects or disciplines; for example ‘She is taking a BA (Hons) in

Mathematics’ and ‘We’re the first university to offer a degree in Paramedic Science’ • module titles • the Government unless being used as an adjective (for example, government policy) • official or statutory job titles • days of the week, major world events, months, place names, seasons and titles of people • specific armed forces, such as Royal Navy – initial capitals are not needed when referring to

the forces in general (for example ‘army’).

Unless the word begins a sentence, don’t use capital letters for:

• career areas – for example, insurance, banking, marketing, advertising… • campus, credits, dissertation, distance learning (unless part of a course name), thesis,

programme. Captions Captions following quotes should start flush with the left-hand margin and be set in italics. Contractions We’re a welcoming, friendly place and use contractions for a human, conversational tone. Write:

• we’re instead of we are • you’re instead of you are • we’ll instead of we will and so on.

See our Tone of voice guidelines for further details and Apostrophes in this document.

 

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Contact details

Addresses Don’t use commas or other punctuation where you can split an address on separate lines, which is the best format (as shown below). Only use commas when an address appears as running copy because there is no space to set this out, as below. Cambridge campus East Road Cambridge CB1 1PT Chelmsford campus Bishop Hall Lane Chelmsford CM1 1SQ Email addresses Email addresses should always appear all in lower case. For example: answers@anglia.ac.uk rather than Answers@anglia.ac.uk Other contact information See examples, below. Call: 01245 493131 Visit: anglia.ac.uk Correspondence Letters running over a page should state ‘continued over’ on the bottom right of subsequent pages. Pages should not be numbered and file names should appear on office copies only. Keep contact details generic where possible. Use the following format when referring to the applicant enquiries team: Visit/Email/Call: For all enquiries, ask our applicant enquiries team: Visit: anglia.ac.uk Email: answers@anglia.ac.uk Call: 01245 493131 For more guidance on correspondence, you can use templates for letters, memos and so on, which IT Services will be happy to install on your PC/Mac. Course years Use a number for all course years, rather than a word. For example: 3 years full-time or 5 years part-time. Currency

• Use the pound sterling sign ‘£’. Large amounts should be written as follows: £30 million (rather than £30m, thirty million pounds, M£30 or £30,000,000).

• There’s no space between the currency sign and the number.

 

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Date formats

• Write the day, then month, then year without ‘st’, ‘nd’, ‘rd’, ‘th’… For example 1 May 2018. • When referring to a range of dates or years, use an en dash (–) rather than a hyphen (-).

For example: 6–8 July and 2009–2010. • When referring to decades, use 1930s and not the Thirties. • When referring to the academic year, use a forward slash. For example: 2009/10

Departments and Faculties Use an initial capital for official Department and Faculty names. Faculty names feature an ampersand. For example: Faculty of Science & Technology. For further details, see Abbreviations and terminology: Anglia Ruskin University and Capitalisation. Disclaimer statements Where appropriate, publications should state:

• 'This publication is printed on sustainable resources.' and include the recycle logo • 'For information about our privacy and data protection policy, please visit:

anglia.ac.uk/privacy'. Publications with reply forms should have the following:

• I am happy to receive promotional material about Anglia Ruskin University by post, by email, or by telephone.

• Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT • Anglia Ruskin University, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford CM1 1SQ • For Anglia Ruskin University's Privacy Statement, visit: anglia.ac.uk/privacy • Anglia Ruskin handles your personal information in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

We will retain your details so that we can send you further information about courses and qualifications. If you do not wish to receive any further communications, please email: answers@anglia.ac.uk quoting [* data('1.title') *].

<The quoting line is to add in their CRM ID by mail merge where possible>

Prospectuses and major publications For publications that are available in alternative formats, it is also important to add a note to this effect. For example: ‘This prospectus is also available in alternative formats, including Braille and large print.’

Email campaigns and web forms When sending an email campaign or building a web form, the following information should always be added beneath the signature:

• (Web form only) I am happy to receive promotional material about Anglia Ruskin University by post, by email or by telephone (both formats)

• Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT • Anglia Ruskin University, Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford CM1 1SQ • For Anglia Ruskin University's Privacy Statement, visit: anglia.ac.uk/privacy • Anglia Ruskin handles your personal information in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

We will retain your details so that we can send you further information about courses and

 

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qualifications. If you do not wish to receive any further communications, email: answers@anglia.ac.uk quoting [* data('1.title') *].

The quoting line is to add in their CRM ID via mail merge where possible>

Entry requirements

• Refer to students/applicants as ‘candidates’. • Course levels should be displayed in full and not abbreviated. For example, Certificate of

Education. • Mathematics should appear in full, and not be abbreviated to Maths. • All subjects should use initial capitals, when forming part of an award name. • A Level should have initial capitals, with no hyphen. • Jobs and professions, such as ‘doctor’, ‘marketeer’ or ‘designer’, should all be set in

lowercase, unless referring to an official or statutory role, where we use initial capitals (such as Vice Chancellor).

• ‘Degree’ and ‘Diploma’ should have initial capitals when referring to a specific qualification. For example: ‘English Degree’ or in the term ‘Honorary Degree’ and in lowercase at all other times.

• Masters should have an initial capital. • Foundation degree should be in lowercase if not forming part of an award name. • Numbers from one to ten should be written as words, unless referring specifically to level, or

year, of study. For example: Level 1, Level 2, Year 1, Year 2. • Entry requirements should be listed, and appear, in the following order:

XXX tariff points from A Level qualifications or equivalent (for example, BTEC or Advanced Diploma). Required subject(s): Excluded subject(s): Preferred subject(s): GCSE(s) required: GCSE(s) preferred: Non-academic conditions:

• Initial capitals should be used for Required, Excluded, Preferred and Non-academic when

appearing before the word subject(s). • GCSE should always be in initial capitals and if plural lowercase ‘s’ in parenthesis. For

example GCSE(s). Full stops

• Don’t add a full stop to the end of a website address, even if the address ends the sentence. • Only use one space after a full stop.

See also Bullet point list for use of full stops. Italics Titles of publications, periodicals, films and radio programmes, should be written in italics.

 

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Jargon Avoid jargon and long-winded, archaic words as they jar with our real-world tone of voice. Where jargon must appear, go to the trouble of explaining it the first time the term or phrase appears. Use everyday words, wherever you can. Job titles Use an initial capital letter for official (formal) job titles. For example: Vice Chancellor. Set general jobs and professions all in lower case, such as ‘designer’ and ‘doctor’. Layout Here are some general rules. For further guidance on typesetting, see our latest brand guidelines at anglia.ac.uk/guidelines Document layout

• All text should start flush with the left-hand margin, with no indent and justification. Don’t space for an even right-hand margin. We prefer type that’s set or ranged ‘ragged left’ as it’s easier to read.

• Use single spacing between words and sentences. Headings and sub-headings

• All headings should be flush with the left-hand margin (not centred), except in print advertising or e-Marketing when appropriate.

• Leave a one-line space after main headings. • Initial capitals should be used for the first word only of headings. For example: Aims and

objectives. This rule applies unless proper nouns appear in the title. For example: Living and studying in Cambridge, and also the name of a department or Open Day.

• Don’t add a full stop at the end of a heading or sub-heading. Leading Leading is the space between lines. Leading needs to be spaced so that the words on separate lines do not overlap. See our brand guidelines for details, here. Paragraphs All text should be set to start flush with the left-hand margin, with no indent or justification. We prefer type that’s set or ranged ‘ragged left’ as it’s easier to read. Spacing Text should be single spaced, with an extra line between paragraphs and after headings. Add a space after a full stop, colon or semi-colon. (Different rules may apply for Press Releases.) Tabs Set tabs at intervals of five spaces, rather than using the space bar to indent. Widows and orphans Wherever possible, we avoid a last word or short last line of a paragraph falling at the top of a page or column.

 

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Levels, academic

• Write ‘Level 1’ and so with a capital ‘L’ and a number (figure) for levels of academic progression. Not: Level One, level one or other variations. Levels should only be used for part-time/online courses; ‘Years’ should be used for full-time students.

• For full-time courses, write ‘Year 1’ and so on with a capital ‘Y’ and number (figure). Lists Bullet points can be used in the place of a semi-colon or a comma, when listing items. Wherever possible, avoid splitting a list over two pages or two columns. For short bullet point lists (up to seven items):

• use a colon immediately before the start of a list (as above) • arrange the list in alphabetical order and present each item in the list in the same way for

consistency • don’t use a capital letter at the start of each item (as shown here), except when the following

word is a name or proper noun • leave a line space before the first item in the list and after the last one • end the last bulleted point item with a full stop.

In the example, above, the last bullet point completes the sentence that begins ‘For bullet point lists (up to seven items):’.

For longer lists or where each item listed is a sentence in its own right, rather than following a colon, make each item a line of its own, with a capital letter to start the sentence and a full stop after each line. There may be times, especially when a communication has lots of lists or lists appear in a table, when a full stop to end each line looks unsightly. Drop all full stops in these cases, including on the last item listed. General rules • Bullet points should be in regular type (not bold) and the same font as the text that follows. • Bullets should be set flush with the left-hand margin, with a five-space tab afterwards. • Sub-bullet list items should have the bullet flush with the start of the text above, with a five-space tab after. For example: • this is list text but

• this is sub-bullet item • as is this.

• then return to main bullet list. Numbering text

• Large blocks of text should be broken into paragraphs, or numbered sections and sub-sections.

• Having started on a system of numbering, keep to this throughout the document. • Use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3…) rather than Roman numerals (I, II, III…) or ordinals (FIRST,

SECOND, THIRD…). • Start numbering flush with left-hand margin, with the following text indented by a five-space

tab. • Sub-sections should be numbered as follows: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 then 1.2.1, 1.2.2… • Numbers should be separated by a single dot between numerals (no stop after the last

numeral). • Don’t enclose numbers in parentheses or brackets. For example, don’t write: (1), (1.2) and so

on. • Punctuate four-figure plus numbers with a comma to help the reader. For example, 1,999.

 

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Logo

For use of our logo and other brand assets, please see our brand guidelines at: anglia.ac.uk/guidelines Names of people In keeping with our human tone of voice, write out the first name and Surname of individuals. So John Smith rather than J Smith or J. Smith. Precede names with academic titles. See Capitalisation for further details. Note: For student quotes and when referring to student names, use the individual’s first name only (not the Surname). Numbers

• Write out numbers from one to ten (as shown here), unless referring specifically to module descriptors. For example: Level 1, Level 2, Year 1, Year 2…

• Use figures for numbers from 11 upwards. • Very large figures should be partly written out. For example: 12 million. • Figures over 1,000 should contain separating commas (5,000,000). • When a number appears as the first item in a sentence, write it out in words. • Use the least number of figures possible when referring to pagination. For example: pp248–

53. • Per cent format: ‘per cent’ should be written out in numbers. For example: ‘3%’ or ‘65%’. • Centuries format: ‘1st century’ up to ‘9th century’, and after that ’10th century’. • Telephone and fax numbers format: Written in full with spaces. For example: 01245 493131.

Use the UK international code in documents to be read by international students: +44 (0) 1245 493131.

• Show our main telephone number as 01245 493131 (UK enquirers) and +44 1245 493131 (Overseas enquirers).

• Don’t abbreviate billion to bn or million to m. • Don’t split a telephone number over two lines. • Use metric units and be consistent within the document. Spell the units in full. • Fractions should be written out in full (‘three-quarters’). • Use figures for all numbers in tables.

Page numbers don’t follow these rules. They’re always set as figures. Pagination

• Numbering should appear from page two onwards (for external and internal documents). • Don’t place strokes, dashes or brackets either side of the page number. • External documents: Numbering should appear bottom right on right-hand (or ‘recto’) pages

and bottom left on left-hand (‘verso’) pages.

 

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Qualifications: Types and formats

General rules:

• names of degrees (such as bachelors and diploma only) should be capitalised when in a title or heading

• undergraduate and postgraduate taught degrees should be referred to as courses • postgraduate qualifications should be split between taught, professional and research • A Masters degree should always have an initial capital.

How we write qualifications A Level (not A-Levels or A-levels, unless being used as an adjective) AS Level BA (Hons) BEng (Hons) BSc (Hons) BTEC Cert HE Dip HE EdD FdA FdSc GNVQ HNC HND LLB (Hons) MA MBA MEng MFA MPhil MSc PGCE PG Cert PG Dip PhD Quotations

• Use double speech marks to enclose quotations, with single quotations for a quotation within a quotation. For example: “She said ‘Anglia Ruskin University’ when answering the phone.”

• Ideally, don’t change a supplied quotation. If you do, get the amended quote approved from the individual who gave it before publishing it in print or online. We can, however, correct student quotes. Please see below for guidance.

• Place [sic] to highlight an original mistake or actual expression used. • When adding copy within the quotation to help with the understanding of it, place this

additional content in square brackets. • The contributor’s name should follow the quote, followed by the course or job title and so on.

Make sure you adopt a consistent style throughout. Student quotes: Additional point

• We have more licence to correct quotations to ensure acceptable English usage and reflect

the sense of what the individual was saying (in terms of weight or impact). • Give the first name only (not the Surname) of the student providing the quotation.

 

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Spelling and word usage

Spell words as you’ll find them in a recent edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Avoid American English. For example: write ‘programme’ not ‘program’; ‘centre’ not ‘center’. Guidance on more ambiguous terminology

• When referring to Anglia Ruskin University, use ‘we’ rather than ‘our’ or ‘the University’; this is in line with our vision and values as an inclusive, friendly, approachable place. For example: ‘We have an extensive network of contacts with institutions throughout the world.’ Not: ‘Our University has an extensive network of contacts with institutions throughout the world.’

• Hyphenate full-time, part-time and on-campus when these words are being used as adjectives. For example: ‘full-time undergraduate’, ‘part-time postgraduate’ and ‘on-campus facilities’. When these words are not being used as adjectives, write out as two words. For example: ‘Study full time or part time at Anglia Ruskin University’ and ‘You’ll find a library open to you 24/7 during term time on campus’.

Write:

• undergraduate, not under-graduate or under graduate or any other alternative • postgraduate, not post-graduate or post graduate or any other alternative • sign up, not sign-up or any other alternative • ‘alumni’ – a group of people of both sexes (or where the sex of the group members is

unknown) who have graduated from Anglia Ruskin University. This is the most commonly used form and our preference. ‘Alumnus’ refers to an individual male graduate; ‘alumna’ refers to an individual female graduate; ‘alumnae’ describes a group of graduates known to be comprised entirely of females. The later examples are not commonly used, which is why we prefer ‘alumni’

• emeritus (masculine), emerita (feminine), emeriti (plural) • professor. For captions or headings, abbreviate the word professor. For example: Prof

Gordon Bennett named to the Order of Canada’. In text, spell out the title in the first reference. Use the last name without the title in subsequent references. For example: ‘Professor Gordon Bennett was honoured by the Canadian Psychological Association. Bennett has been teaching at Anglia Ruskin for many years.’ When the word is used descriptively (following a name, preceding a field of study or as a common noun), do not capitalise the initial ‘p’.

Website/electronic terminology: • database, not data base or data-base • eMarketing, not E-Marketing or emarketing • email, not e-mail or electronic mail • Hits on a link should be ‘click-thrus’ or ‘click-thru’ or ‘click-thru rate (ctr)’ • homepage, not home page • Internet, not internet but intranet, not Intranet • online, not on-line or on line • PC, not personal computer or pc • programme, not program – unless in an IT context • URL • website, not web site or web-site • webpage, not web page • world wide web or www • Facebook, LinkedIn (one word), Twitter and YouTube (as written here, with an initial capital) and not other variants.

 

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Tables

Tables should be uncluttered and evenly spaced.

• Use column headings, starting the initial words with an upper case. • Use figures for all numbers in tables. • Add the source of the contents at the base of the table, where relevant. • Don’t split tables over two pages.

Time formats

• Use the 24-hour clock for itineraries and timetables, punctuating with a full stop to separate the hour and minutes. For example: 19.45.

• Use 24.00 to denote midnight. • All other time references should be expressed as per the following examples: 9.15am,

11.00pm, 12 noon... • am and pm should always be in lower case. • When referring to a range of times, use an en-dash For example: 9.15–10.15am.

Web addresses

• Don’t insert a full stop after a web address, even if it is at the end of a full sentence with another sentence following (it may be confused as part of the address).

• In printed materials, don’t underline URLs because it makes them hard to read (especially if the address contains an underscore). Put urls in bold, instead, to stand them out.

• Keep all web addresses to one line only. There’s no need to prefix address with ‘www’. For example, write anglia.ac.uk rather than www.anglia.ac.uk

 

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Grammatical pointers Apostrophes

• Use an apostrophe to indicate possession. For example: ‘Our University’s Corporate Plan’ (the Corporate Plan belongs to the University). When indicating possessives in the plural, the apostrophe should go after the final ‘s’. For example: ‘Students’ Union’ (the Union belongs to the students).

• Apostrophes are also used to indicate contractions, where a letter or letters are left out of a word. For example: o’clock (of the clock) or ‘we’ll’ and ‘you’re’.

• There are some possessives of plurals that do not end in ‘s’. For example: men’s, people’s and children’s.

• Apostrophes should not be used to indicate plurals in dates. For example: 1990s, not 1990’s. The same applies to abbreviations. For example CDs, PCs, HNDs; not CD’s, PC’s and HND’s.

• Its and it’s often cause the most confusion. The rule is: - it’s = it is or it has (contracted form of verb) - its = of it (positive pronoun).

Brackets and parentheses

• Use regular brackets or parentheses, ( ), to indicate a separate thought or expression within a sentence. For example: ‘She taught the statistics course (one of the toughest in the curriculum) for 15 years.’

• Use regular brackets to offer an explanation or definition of a term or an acronym that is to be repeated within the text. For example: ‘The Ruskin Gallery (Anglia Ruskin University’s Art Gallery) is located in Cambridge.’

• Use brace or square brackets, [ ], within a direct quote to indicate words of explanation that are not actually part of the original quotation, ‘Those enrolling in it [the Masters programme] should know that the requirement is six full credits and a thesis,’ said Professor Smith.

• Avoid ‘nested’ parentheses ([ ]) or square brackets inside regular brackets, whenever possible.

• When adding parentheses to a sentence, punctuation should be placed after the parentheses. • If the parentheses contain a full sentence, punctuation should be used inside the brackets.

Colons Use a colon to:

• introduce a list, quotation, question, direct speech and a sub-title • separate main clauses, such as between a statement, an example or explanation, or to

present a conclusion. Don’t use a capital after a colon, except when the following word is a name or proper noun. Commas

• Commas should be used to join clauses within a sentence and also to separate list items in a series.

• A comma before the final ‘and’ in a list clarifies the grouping. For example ‘Modules include Economics, Politics, and Finance and Government’ indicates that Finance and Government is a module. Inserting a comma before the final ‘and’ means these are two separate modules. That is: ‘Modules include Economics, Politics, Finance and Government’.

• Use a comma to precede an example or quote, but not a colon.

 

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Hyphens and dashes There’s a difference between a hyphen and a dash. Hyphens A hyphen is a short punctuation mark (-) between compound words (see examples, below). A hyphen appears in adjectival use to aid the reader and prevent ambiguity (such as ‘decision-making process’ and ‘deep-blue sea’). Hyphens are also used to connect a word that is split over two lines, but, wherever possible, we prefer to take that word over rather than split it. Examples of words with hyphens (no space after the hyphen) See also, spelling and word usage on p17. Full-time Part-time Decision-making Up-to-date Out-of-hours In-depth In-house Two-thirds Well-known On-campus Off-site E-books Examples of words without hyphens A Level Postgraduate Crossroad Email Background Biannual Bilingual Fieldwork Coursework Childcare It’s best to refer to a recent copy of the Oxford English Dictionary as a hyphenated word may well become a single word as a result of common usage. Dash (en dash) A dash is a longer punctuation mark (the length of the character ‘n’) than hyphen. It:

• replaces the word ‘to’ when linking inclusive numbers. For example: 9 July–10 August and pp159–61. There is no space either side of the dash. (See also Date formats and Time formats.)

• creates a strong break in a sentence – often separating a part of it you wish to pull out – like this. There is a space either side of the dash.

Leader dots and ellipses… ‘Leader dots’ lead into, or out of, text and should appear as a series of three dots with no space either side.

 

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Three periods (...) also serve as an ellipsis, with the addition of a fourth period to end a sentence. Ellipses are used to show that text has been omitted. There are no extra spaces before, between or after each of the periods of the ellipsis, except at the end of a sentence.

Semicolons

Use a semicolon to:

• connect associated parts of the same sentence • divide items in a list which are part of a sentence • punctuate bullet point list items.

Please also see Lists, as bullet point lists are often a better solution to using semicolons or commas.