UW–Madison Editorial Style Guide

This document includes links to and information about the UW–Madison Editorial Style Guide, which should be applied to all Nelson-related communications..

Editorial Style Guide

Link: https://editorial-styleguide.umark.wisc.edu/

Developed in collaboration by University Marketing and the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, the Editorial Style Guide provides a handy reference for points of style specific to UW–Madison: to detail items that university communicators use frequently, including inclusive terminology, and to ensure that UW–Madison titles, locations, departments, and the like are used in a consistent manner.

If you can't find the topic you're looking for in the style guide, refer to the following additional sources:

Style Guide: Heavy Hitters

Here are some style-guide points that we commonly encounter in our daily work:

UW–Madison
UW–Madison gets an en-dash, not a hyphen. Do not use the in front of UW–Madison.

  • Windows shortcut: alt + 0150
  • Mac shortcut: option + hyphen
Academic Titles
Academic titles are only capitalized when they precede the name:
  • ✅ The school’s founder is Professor Charles Frances Xavier.
  • ✅ The school’s founder is Charles Frances Xavier, a professor of genetics.
  • ❌ Charles Frances Xavier is a Professor of genetics and the school’s founder.

Departments
Capitalize departments and programs only if they include a proper noun or you’re using the formal “Department of …

  • ✅ They’re a faculty member in the English department.
  • ✅ They’re a faculty member in the entomology department.
  • ✅ They’re a faculty member in the Department of Entomology.
Titles of People
In general, capitalize titles only when they are formal titles that appear directly before a name: Chancellor Jane Doe, Professor John Doe; but the chancellor, the professor; do not confuse titles with occupation descriptions: movie star Bette Davis, astronaut John Glenn; capitalize titles that precede names and refer to more than one person with the same title: Professors Jane Doe and John Smith; see also CMS 8.19–8.33 (especially CMS 8.28 about academic titles); see also academic titles
Formatting Times
  • use figures (8 p.m., 4 a.m.) except for noon (12 p.m.) and midnight (12 a.m.)
  • use a colon to separate hours from minutes
  • with time ranges, use the words from and to, not from and an en dash (from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., not from 9 a.m.–2 p.m.)
  • with time ranges without the word from, use an en dash with no spaces (Monday–Friday, 2–4 p.m.)
    • if both times are a.m. or p.m., include the a.m. or p.m. with the later time only (8 to 11:30 a.m., 1:30–5 p.m., but 9 a.m.–2 p.m.)
Co- Words
Do not use hyphens in words such as coauthor, codirector, cofounder, coworker, etc. To check a specific word, search Merriam-Webster's online dictionary.
Non- Words
Do not use hyphens in words such as noncredit, nonprofit, nontraditional, etc. To check a specific word, search Merriam-Webster's online dictionary.
Re- Words
Only use hyphens in re- words if the hyphen makes a distinction between two different words, like re-create (to create something again) vs. recreate (like recreational sports). To check a specific word, search Merriam-Webster's online dictionary.

Questions? Contact communications@nelson.wisc.edu.

Browse the style guide


Keywords:
style guide, editorial style guide, grammar, communications, style, language 
Doc ID:
123985
Owned by:
Chelsea R. in Nelson Administrative Hub
Created:
2023-02-10
Updated:
2024-08-29
Sites:
Nelson Administrative Hub