Style guide - Buckinghamshire New University

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STYLE
CONTENTS
Introduction.................................................2
16 tips on writing plain English.....................4
A – Z......................................................6-30
Poorly written English................................31
Email.........................................................32
References................................................33
Contact.......................................Back cover
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1
INTRODUCTION
When we became Buckinghamshire
New University, a new corporate identity
was drawn up to reflect the University’s
vibrancy and dynamism. This should be
used consistently throughout our written
and online publications and materials.
General writing tips
Our writing style should also reflect the
ethos of the University. We need to write in
a way that engages the reader and gives
the best impression. The reader should
be able to understand a document at first
reading and in the same sense that the
writer meant it to be understood.
Remember that you are writing for a mixed
audience – English may not be the first language
of many of your readers.
Aim to be as clear and concise as possible. Using
plain English does not mean you are dumbing
down your text, rather that you are simply delivering
your message in the clearest way possible. This
will help you create the greatest impact.
Keep it positive
Our courses are definitely not traditional. They are
designed to ensure that graduates hit the ground
running when they embark on their working
lives. Try and reflect this when writing about the
University and its courses.
Aim to attract your reader’s attention from the
beginning. Keep sentences short. When writing
for the web in particular, break your text into
paragraphs two or three sentences long. Be
direct, and when you need to impart more detailed
information do so clearly and without using jargon.
Example
Foundation degrees are exciting, vocational
degrees, designed to give you a flying start
towards your chosen career. If you’re already
in work, they can provide you with extra skills
to enhance your promotion prospects. Once
you achieve the award, you’re able to add
the letters FDA or FDSc after your name. You
can also progress to an honours degree or to
professional qualifications.
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Keep it as natural as possible
Writing he or she, he/she or (s)he can look clumsy.
Use ‘they’ to cover both genders, just as you would
if you were speaking.
Keep it friendly
It is quite acceptable to use the second person,
especially when communicating with students. Call
readers you, even if there are lots of them. For the
University or your directorate, use we.
Example
We have an exciting new portfolio of courses
starting in January. You will find more details on
our website.
When you are writing formal reports or documents,
you may need to be more formal, and use the
University or the Dean, for example, rather than we.
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16 TIPS
ON WRITING
PLAIN ENGLISH
1. Consider carefully your purpose and message
before starting to write – clear writing and clear
thinking go hand in hand.
2. Wear the reader’s shoes – how would you feel
in their position?
3. Plan a structure that will help the reader,
perhaps with headings, bullet-points, and a
pithy summary of key points at the start.
4. In letters and emails, tell the reader clearly,
concisely and courteously what has
happened, how the situation stands, and what
they can expect next.
5. Match your writing to the needs and
knowledge of the readers – some of them may
be baffled by official jargon and procedures.
6. Write sentences that average 15–20 words.
7. Keep the word order simple. In most sentences,
put the ‘doer’ early and follow it with an activevoice verb.
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8. Take pride in using everyday English, correct
grammar and accurate punctuation.
9. Where appropriate, use I, we and you to make
the writing more personal.
10. Maintain the flow by starting some of your
sentences with connectors like however and so.
11. Use commands when writing instructions.
12. Cut unnecessary words.
13. Check that the facts and judgement are
right. Nothing compensates for inaccuracy or
illogicality.
14. Ask someone else to read your documents
before they are issued.
15. Apply common sense to all guidance
about writing.
16. If you are asking someone to do something,
put your request towards the start of the
email or document.
Accessibility and dyslexia
When preparing support material for students with
accessibility issues (for example dyslexia) here are
some points that you should bear in mind:
• text should be left aligned
• use Arial at 12 point or greater, wherever
possible
• keep a clear uncluttered layout
• ensure words are not split between lines
• avoid large blocks of capital letters
• avoid italics
• avoid underlining words
• keep the use of punctuation such as commas,
semi-colons and full stops to a minimum
• try to avoid placing text over a busy image
or texture
• ensure good contrast between the text
and background
• maintain adequate spacing.
All publications should contain the
following statement, in 12 point or larger:
This publication is available in
alternative formats if required.
Don’t forget to ask whether participants have
special requirements (physical or dietary) when
you are organising a meeting or event.
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A
accommodation
advice (noun), to advise (verb)
adviser (not advisor)
affect (make a difference to)
ageing (not aging)
A-level
all right (your answers are all right)
Abbreviations
ext, fax, tel
Accents
Only use accents on foreign words, and don’t do
so if the word has been anglicised, eg cafe, fiance.
Exceptions
Précis, exposé (to distinguish from expose)
alright (are you alright?)
To insert accents in Word documents go to the
Insert menu and choose Symbol.
alumni (plural)
Acronyms and abbreviations
alumnus/alumna (singular)
alumnae (plural female)
amend, amendment
among, not amongst
analyse
AS-level
audio-visual
autumn, spring, summer, winter
Peppering your documents with capitals and
abbreviations can be confusing to your readers.
Don’t assume everyone knows what the initials
stand for – unless the organisation concerned is
commonly referred to in its abbreviated form, for
example BBC, RAC.
Write out the full name the first time you use it,
followed by the shortened version in brackets.
After that, just use the abbreviation. If you only
use the term once, then you don’t need to add the
abbreviation in brackets unless it is a useful piece
of information.
Note: When using initials, plurals do not take an
apostrophe and the ‘s’ is lower case, eg LAs.
Example
The National School of Furniture (NSF)
brings together education, businesses and
associations to create huge benefits for
students as well as the entire furniture industry.
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Addresses
Apostrophes
When writing addresses, avoid unnecessary
punctuation. The address should not contain:
Apostrophes have a variety of uses:
• full stops at the end of addresses
• a comma between the number and the
street name
• abbreviated forms of Road, Street or Avenue
• a comma between the town/county and
postcode.
The postcode should appear after the town or
city on the next line. Both Buckinghamshire and
Bucks are acceptable. Occasional variations may
be permitted in order to comply with computer
systems already in use.
Example
Student Experience Directorate
Buckinghamshire New University
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe
Bucks
HP11 2JZ
American English
Beware American usage of words and spelling,
for instance, capitalizing (rather than the English
capitalising), or gum (glue), trunk (boot of a car),
color, favorite, theater etc. You can change the
default language settings in Word to UK English.
Ampersand
The ampersand (&) is used in our faculty, school
and directorate titles.
• omissive - when you’re contracting two words,
eg: don’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t
• when you are describing a period of time,
eg: two years’ experience, four months’ work,
48 hours’ training
• possessive - when something belongs to
somebody/thing, eg: Judith’s book, the
University’s mission, the world’s resources
• words and names ending in s also take a
singular s eg: James’s, Bucks’s
• plural nouns take a singular apostrophe,
eg: children’s games, old folk’s home.
Don’t use an apostrophe to form a plural with
numbers and letters:
• 1990s not 1990’s
• three As at A-level
• CDs (not CD’s)
Don’t use an apostrophe in the contraction its
(belonging to it) eg: Its CD drive is broken.
Audience
Think about who you are writing for. Most of our
writing style guidelines will apply to the majority
of audiences, but you may need to change
the tone for different audiences and in different
circumstances, for instance if you are writing a
formal letter or academic paper.
Awards
A-level
FDSc
PGCE
Examples
BA (Hons)
GCSE
PGDip
Faculty of Design, Media & Management.
BEng (Hons)
MA
PhD
Welcome to the School of Advanced &
Continuing Practice, which is located in the
Faculty of Society & Health.
BSc (Hons)
MPhil
FDA
PGCert
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B
BA (Hons)
bachelor’s degree
benefit, benefited, benefiting
BEng (Hons)
BSc (Hons)
Bucks Students’ Union
budgeted
Branding
Our new corporate identity is designed to reflect
not only our new name, but what we stand for as
an institution. More information can be found in our
Brand Guidelines or at bucks.ac.uk/branding.
Please note that you must read the Brand
Guidelines before downloading University logos,
and that all usage must be approved by the
Student Experience Directorate. Incorrect usage
will detract from the strength of the branding.
Buckinghamshire
New University
The full name should be used on formal documents,
such as certificates, contracts, transcripts, letters
and governing body materials. We use the shorter
form Bucks New University as an alternative in some
circumstances, for instance in marketing materials.
‘Bucks’ is used as the abbreviated form of our
name provided there is no likelihood of confusion
with the county name.
BNU is not an acceptable abbreviation of the
University name; we use bucks.ac.uk as our web
address, and use bucks in our email addresses.
Use the full name in the first instance, followed by a
shorter form.
Example
Buckinghamshire New University (Bucks) has
been ranked number one in an index designed
to measure the quality of life of academic staff
at 121 higher education institutions in the UK.
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Bullet points
(See also lists, presentations and numbering
of paragraphs)
Where the list consists of single words or brief
phrases that relate to the previous sentence all
initial letters should be lower case.
Punctuate as follows:
Example
The open day programme includes:
• tours of the University
• visits to halls of residence
• talks on finance
• visits to academic departments.
Where the list consists of short sentences or
phrases related to the previous sentence initial
letters should be lower case. Punctuate as follows:
Example
The course was designed to:
• introduce students to basic concepts;
• familiarise students with the terminology;
• provide basic relevant statistics.
Where the list consists of longer, complete
sentences, punctuate as for normal sentences:
Example
Here’s some information you may find of interest:
• Bucks had 7,485 students on all levels of
study in 2012, including 5,222 students on
undergraduate courses.
• We welcome significant numbers of mature
students, with more than a third of the
population being over the age of 25.
Bullet points can help to break up text and make it
easier to read and digest.
Solid round bullet points should be used. If you
need to use secondary bullet points, you should
use open round bullet points.
When using bullet points in presentations,
remember:
• the bullet point should be a short summary of a
key point, not an entire sentence;
• bullet points should follow a consistent style;
• as a guideline, slides should not have more than
six bullet points and each bullet should be no
more than six words;
• bullet points alone can be boring – add pictures,
diagrams, audio clips or videos.
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Campuses
Since September 2009, we have had two
distinct campuses:
• High Wycombe Campus is a short walk from
the bus and train stations in High Wycombe on
Queen Alexandra Road.
• Our Uxbridge Campus allows Nursing students
to be close to the clinical areas where they
undertake their placements.
Example
There will be a shuttle bus service from our
High Wycombe Campus to the student
accommodation in Hughenden.
C
Capitals
cafe
capitalise, capitalising
CD-ROM
childcare
competence, competences
(National Vocational Qualifications;
functional skills)
competency, competencies
(behavioural trait; functional and
behavioural skills combined)
complement
(that which completes or fills up)
compliment (expression of admiration)
computer-aided design
continuous (without interruption)
continual (happening frequently)
cooperate, cooperation, cooperative
coordinate, coordinator
council (an administrative or
advisory body)
counsel (advise/guidance)
coursework
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Keep your use of capitals to a minimum. Capital
letters interrupt the flow of the eye across the
page. Think about why you use them. Would you
leave your House in the morning to go to your
Job? No. So why should a student leave their Hall
of Residence to meet a Tutor? You don’t need to
capitalise when referring to something in general.
Example
The University’s academic structure is
now built around two faculties, which are
sub-divided into schools.
Subject disciplines should not be capitalised, but
course titles should:
• MEng Mechanical Engineering Design
• the programme includes lectures in history of
art, computing and geography.
But, if you are using official titles, use capitals.
Examples
The School of Design, Craft & Visual Arts in
the Faculty of Design, Media & Management
can provide you with an awareness of cultural
issues, as well as a strong grasp of marketing
and communication principles.
The School of Applied Management & Law has
an excellent reputation.
Don’t use capital letters in headings, except at the
beginning and for proper nouns.
Examples
Sports students stage tag rugby festival
Sports Business Management students from
Bucks New University staged a tag rugby
festival at the home of London Wasps.
Capitalising historical
periods and events
Capitalise names of widely recognised epochs in
anthropology, archaeology, geology and history,
for example the Bronze Age, the Dark Ages, the
Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Victorian era,
the Enlightenment, the Third Reich.
Also capitalise periods named after specific
dynasties or people, for example the Tudors,
Elizabethan. Use lower case for medieval, baroque.
Art movements:
Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Dadaism, Gothic,
Impressionism, Pop Art, Rococo, Surrealism, Arts
and Crafts movement etc.
War:
First World War, Second World War; Crimean/Boer/
Vietnam/Gulf War; Hundred Years War.
Capitalising job titles
(See ‘job titles’)
Capitalising proper nouns
Names of people, places, countries and
organisations should take capital letters.
Commas
It is acceptable to put a comma before and,
particularly in longer sentences or lists.
Examples
John Smith, High Wycombe, Missenden Abbey
For further information, and guidance on copyright
relating to your own work, read the IPR and
Copyright Policy which can be found on the
Bucks website at bucks.ac.uk.
Committees
Committee minutes and associated papers are a
record of the business and academic decisionmaking of the University, and are written in a
formal style. The Quality Unit in the Student &
Academic Services Directorate is responsible for
many University committees and is able to give
advice and training. If you are writing a paper for
the University Council, you may also wish to seek
guidance from the Senior Registrar (Governance) in
the University Secretary’s Office.
The University provides training in minute-writing
and servicing committees. Standard templates
for committees are available on our website.
Further advice for both officers and members of
committees can be found in the formal documents
section of the Bucks website.
Course
A course is a programme of study.
Course titles
Write BSc (Hons) or BA (Hons).
Capitalise course titles, but don’t capitalise
academic terminology.
Below are some examples of the usage of
Degree/degree:
Examples
A programme of studies leading to a degree in
Police Studies gives you the opportunity to find
out what contemporary policing is all about,
and the tools to investigate its complex nature.
Buckinghamshire New University’s Foundation
Degree in Policing involves placements with
Thames Valley Police.
The University offers several foundation degrees.
Copyright
Creative work such as books, poems, pictures,
drawings, music, and films, may be protected
by copyright. If you are uncertain about whether
you are able to use a piece of writing, diagram or
picture, you should seek the express permission
of the originator. If you don’t have permission, then
you shouldn’t use that piece of work.
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D
dependant (noun)
dependent (adjective)
disc (computers)
dissertation
dotcom
Dr
driving licence
Dash
The en-dash – is longer than a hyphen, and has a
different function. It is used without spaces when
there is a distinction in meaning between two words,
for example Conservative–Liberal Democrat alliance.
It is also used to replace ‘to’ in numerical phrases,
such as students aged 18–60 or pages 2–12.
You can use en-dashes in the same way that
you’d use brackets to indicate parenthesis. When
you use them in this way, leave a space either side
of each dash.
Examples
Our sites – High Wycombe and Uxbridge – both
have their own catering facilities.
Our Senior Management Team – the
Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice-Chancellors,
University Secretary and Clerk to the Council,
and Executive Deans – meet weekly.
Dates (see also ‘Time’)
Use numerals for numbers above ten. Use English
date formations, ie day, month, year.
• 1 January 2014
• 1920s, 1930s (not 1920’s, 1930’s)
• The 19th century
• The first century
Examples
Our next Undergraduate Open Day will be on
Wednesday 10 June 2015.
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Degree classifications
Disability
Degree classifications are:
Avoid outdated terms that stereotype or stigmatise.
If you need to refer to disability, try to structure
sentences in a positive way.
First, 2:1, 2:2 or 3rd. Never use 1st.
Use a capital when referring to a First, but a lower
case initial letter for first-class degree. Never use
first degree, as this can be confused with an
undergraduate degree. On degree certificates, and
in references, the classification should be written in
full, eg Second Class Honours (Lower Division).
Examples
She was awarded a First in Computing
He was awarded a 2:1 in Air Transport with
Commercial Pilot Training.
She was awarded a first-class honours degree
in Audio and Music Production.
Directorates
The correct usage of Directorate is at the end,
for example Student Experience Directorate.
Directorate names may be abbreviated if they are
long and provided they have been mentioned in full
in the first instance, for example SED.
Examples
John Smith, who has muscular dystrophy, is a
first year student...
(not suffers from, or is a victim of)
John Smith, who is a wheelchair user, studies...
(not wheelchair bound, in a wheelchair)
John Smith, who has a hearing impairment...
(not is deaf)
Refer to disabled people (not the disabled) and
somebody who is visually impaired (not blind).
For further guidance, consult the
Disability Service on 01494 605 049 or
email [email protected].
Dyslexia (and Accessibility, see page 5)
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E
earth, the
east
e-commerce
effect (a result/bring about a result)
eg
e-learning
email
eg
The abbreviation eg comes from the Latin exempli
gratia, and indicates that one or more examples
follow. Use a comma before eg. Don’t use a full
stop afterwards. Like ie, ergo and et al, eg is rarely
used outside formal academic writing. In marketing
copy, eg can often be replaced by for example, or
such as.
Do not confuse eg with ie. You do not need to
include full stops in eg.
end-of-year
Example
euro, euros
We offer part-time courses in a wide range
of subjects, such as upholstery and
Adobe Photoshop.
ext
Ellipses
If you are using an ellipsis in mid sentence to signify
an omission, there should be spaces before and
after the ellipses.
Example
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Rebecca Bunting,
said: “I’m delighted that … students have joined
us this year.”
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Email
Exclamation marks
Please see page 32.
etc
The exclamation mark is used after true
exclamations, which express surprise, fear, or some
other emotion, eg: What a magnificent dissertation!
Try to avoid adding etc to the end of sentences.
Rather than etc, try using including.
Occasionally an exclamation mark may be
enclosed in parentheses to indicate irony:
Example
This course looks at the key issues facing the
music industry today, including intellectual
property, the digital revolution and changing
business models.
After a long and careful (!) search the student
found his library book.
Exclamation marks should always be used with
restraint, and you should never use more than
one together.
Ethnicity
Please make sure that all written text is inclusive of
all races and creeds.
Exam papers
There are standard templates for cover sheets
which can be edited and adapted by school for
both exams and time constrained assessments
(TCAs). Material should be in plain English with
clear, unambiguous and precise instructions.
Keep formatting to a minimum. The exams team
provide a proofreading service and read every
exam paper in advance, so that they can advise
invigilators of the exam requirements. (See dyslexia
and accessibility for further guidance.)
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F-G
Facebook
fax
FDA
FDSc
fiance
focus, focused, focuses, focusing
forum, forums
formula, formulas
foundation degree
freephone
full stop
full-time
The University has two faculties. Faculty only has a
capital F when it is part of the faculty’s title.
Example
The Faculty of Design, Media & Management is
located on our High Wycombe Campus.
The academic staff in the faculty are based at
our High Wycombe Campus.
Fewer
(see also less)
The basic rule of thumb is if you can count it, use
fewer. Fewer means not as many, whereas less
means not as much. However, use less if you are
referring to a period of time.
Examples
A shower uses less water than a bath, so you
should take fewer baths.
GCSE
She will be finishing her course in less than
six weeks.
goings-on
There are fewer people taking part this year.
graduand (one who is about to receive
a degree)
graduate (one who has been awarded
a degree)
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Faculty
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File referencing
Formal documents
(see also headers and footers)
(also see committees)
A document should contain in the footer: the job
title of the person who created the document; the
date it was created; the drafting history; and the
location of the file.
Formal documents should follow this guide.
Templates for formal committee documents,
memos and faxes can be found on our website.
Formal documents will normally have forced
justification (be fully justified).
Example
Prepared by Conferment Manager
12 June 2014, First draft
K:\acserv\Registry\General information\
Templates\Extra style guide text.doc
Fonts
Our Brand Guidelines show us what our
documents should look like. Every newspaper
and magazine uses a limited number of typefaces
(fonts) in a restricted number of sizes and styles.
Here at Bucks our marketing materials will always
use Flux Regular for headings and Helvetica Neue
for text. On the web, we use Verdana for text.
Additional font styles may be used occasionally for
specific purposes, at the discretion of the Student
Experience Directorate. For letters, documents
such as reports, minutes, faxes and memos,
spreadsheets and presentations, use Arial as the
default font.
Full stops (full points)
Leave a single space after a full stop.
Gender
Use non-discriminatory language and write in a
non-gender specific manner.
Avoid terms which imply gender stereotyping in
work, eg cleaning lady, best man for the job. Use
Chair, not Chairman, Chairwoman or Chairperson.
Geography
Capitalise defined geographical areas, such as, the
North, Black Country, East Anglia, Lake District,
Midlands, Peak District or West Country. Areas
referred to by compass points are written in lower
case, for example, north, south-east, south-west.
More information go to bucks.ac.uk/branding.
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H
headteacher
(not headmaster or headmistress)
health care, health care professionals
higher education
Headers and footers
in documents
In most document templates the headers and
footers are set up already.
honorary award
In multi-page documents you should always
remember to:
honorary doctorate
• Include the University name in the header.
honorary fellow
• Where relevant include the faculty, school or
directorate name in the footer.
honours (lower case unless part of a
specific degree)
• Use page numbering. It is useful to the reader
if you select page 1 of 2, which is available
through the header/footer autotext.
• At the end of the document include the authors
(generally job titles only), the date created,
drafting history, and file location.
Headings
Headings should be in bold, never underlined.
Underlined headings look like hyperlinks to
web pages.
More information on headings, subheadings and
body copy can be found in the Brand Guidelines or
at bucks.ac.uk/branding and templates can be
found on our website.
High Wycombe
High Wycombe should be used in preference
to Wycombe.
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Honours/Hons
If it is part of a degree title, honours should be
written, in the abbreviated form eg BSc (Hons)
Games Development.
Include a space between the subject title and Hons.
Honours should be written in the lower case if
referred to within a general sentence.
Example
John Smith left Bucks New University with an
honours degree in Social Work.
Hyphenation (see also dash)
The hyphen (-) looks like a short dash, but the
hyphen and the dash are very different; whereas
the hyphen unites, the dash separates (except
when it is used to elide).
Certain words and phrases tend to evolve from
separation to linkage. The trend in English is
for frequently used word combinations to grow
together from two words to one, sometimes
passing through a hyphenated stage, for example
from electronic mail through e-mail to email.
The following principles are useful to know:
Two or more adjectives before a noun that act as
one idea (one-thought adjectives) are connected
with a hyphen.
Example
This is a low-budget film.
Use a hyphen in expressions where words have
become linked by usage to express one idea.
Example
mother-in-law, top-notch, fine-tune, X-ray.
When written as words, fractions and cardinal
numbers consisting of two words are hyphenated.
Example
one-fourth, two-thirds.
Hyphenate words prefixed by ex-, self-, or all-,
and some words prefixed by cross-.
Example
ex-wife, self-evident, all-inclusive,
cross-reference.
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ie (see also eg)
The abbreviation ‘ie’ comes from the Latin ‘id
est’ meaning that is. As with eg, no full stop is
necessary. Use a comma before ie but try to avoid
using it if possible. Do not use ie when you should
use eg.
Initials
Do not add punctuation to the initials of names,
such as JK Rowling, WH Smith.
‘ise’
I
Use ‘ise’ rather than ‘ize’ at the end of a word
(except capsize and size).
Italics
ie
install
instalment
International Baccalaureate
inter-cultural
internet
inter-relationship
The following are generally italicised: titles of books,
periodicals, TV programmes, films, plays, operas,
song titles, names of ships and aircraft. Also italicise
foreign (including Latin) phrases not yet naturalised
and scientific names of plants and animals.
Do not use italics to add emphasis. Do not italicise
titles of chapters, articles, or sections, which take
single quotes. For details of the use of italics in
referencing using the Harvard System see the
Guide to Referencing Using the Harvard System on
the Bucks website at bucks.ac.uk/referencing.
It’s and its
Be careful to check your punctuation.
It’s means it is. Its means belonging to it.
Example
The University is located in the centre of High
Wycombe; its main campus is a short walk
from the railway station, but it’s also easy to
catch a bus.
IT terms
Commonly used IT terms include:
• CD-ROM, CD-ROMs, CDs (no apostrophes)
• CD-ROM (read only), CD-RW (read and write),
CD-I (interactive)
• cyberspace
• email (no hyphen) but e-commerce
• hard disk, but compact disc or optical disc
(disc = round!)
• internet (lower case initial letter)
• PCs, Macs
• software program.
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Jargon (see also acronyms)
If you’re writing for an external audience avoid
jargon, acronyms and hyperbole.
For an internal audience terms specific to the
higher education sector, such as RAE or HEFCE,
are hard to avoid, but should be written in full in
the first instance.
Job titles
Use the title in full at the beginning of your document.
The Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of
Buckinghamshire New University, Prof
Rebecca Bunting, said …
The use of capital letters for job titles is largely a
matter of convention – there are no hard and fast
rules. However, professional editorial practice
suggests that unnecessary capitalisation should be
avoided – it makes the text look dated and makes it
more difficult to read.
J
Where company or brand names appear in logos
in capital letters or lower case, they should be
typeset to match, for example easyJet, innocent,
British Airways.
In general:
• Jobs: all lower case: copywriter, graphic
designer, editor of The Times
• Titles: use upper case when the job becomes
a title: Queen Elizabeth, President Obama,
Professor Jones and for impersonal titles such
as the Queen or the Lord Chancellor.
Example
The University appointed a new vice-chancellor
in 2015. Vice-Chancellor Prof Rebecca Bunting
joined us from The University of Portsmouth.
Justification
(see also accessibility and dyslexia, and
formal documents)
Marketing materials will normally be left aligned.
OUR STYLE
21
Latin plurals
Some Latin plurals are so common that we don’t
realise they are plurals, for example alumni and data.
However, many plural forms look pedantic and put
the reader off, for example:
• fora – use forums
• formulae – use formulas
• syllabi – use syllabuses.
Less (see also fewer)
The basic rule of thumb is if you can’t count it,
use less.
L
Levels (see also years)
Avoid referring to levels in marketing materials
unless directly relevant to the content of the course.
liaison
licence (noun), to license (verb)
lifelong
LinkedIn
long-standing
Refer to the first year, second year or third year,
but be careful if you are referring to part-time
courses. In internal or formal documents where it is
necessary to refer to levels in a general sense use
lower case.
When referring to specific levels use an upper case
L and the relevant number, for example Level 4.
However, remember that levels do not necessarily
equate to years of courses. For example, the first
year of a postgraduate programme will be at Level 7.
Examples
Students at these levels will be expected to
complete an extended project.
There are now 50 students studying the course
at Level 4.
Lists (see also bullet points)
Punctuate short lists with commas, and larger lists
or phrases with semi-colons.
Preface the list with a colon. Put lists of names
or courses in alphabetical order, in order to avoid
implying a hierarchy, unless there is a particular
reason for choosing a different order.
22
OUR STYLE
M
Measurements
MA (Master of Arts – an MA, not a MA)
Use standard abbreviations (km, lb, etc) but
whenever possible use litre, mile and million in full
to avoid confusion.
marketplace
There is no need to add a full stop after a unit
of measurement. There are no plurals and there
is no gap between the numeral and the unit of
measurement.
medieval
Examples
£10–20, 5–6K
1 mile, 1 metre, 1m, 2m, 3m
master’s degree(s)
MPhil (Master of Philosophy)
MSc (Master of Sciences)
multicultural
multidisciplinary
£1 million, £1M, £2M, £3M
multimedia
£20,000–30,000 not £20–30,000 (unless you
mean £20 to £30,000)
multinational
Modules
multiprofessional
Module titles should be written out in full and take
upper case initial letters. When writing a list of
modules, divide with semi-colons.
OUR STYLE
23
Numbers
• Thousands: 1,000, 10,000 and 1,000,000.
• Spell out numbers one to ten. Use numerals
for numbers over ten, and where attached to
a percentage sign, a unit or sum of money.
• Also apply this to cardinal numbers
eg fifth century, 12th century.
• Never use numerals at the beginning of a
sentence; rearrange the order of words so that
the number is not at the beginning, but ensuring
that the sentence still makes sense.
N-O
• Fractions: three-quarters, one-third,
two-and-a-half.
• Do not mix decimals and fractions.
• Elide as much as possible, eg 4–8, 115–116.
Examples
national curriculum
no-one
north, north-west
5%, 8cm, £3, $4, €6.
To access a euro sign, PC users should press
AltGr + 4 on the main keypad, and Mac users
should press alt + 2 on the main keypad.
Numbering of paragraphs
O-levels
official (relating to an authority or having
the approval of an authority)
officious (asserting authority)
online
organise, organising
You should only need to number paragraphs used
in formal documents, such as reports, regulations,
policy documents and minutes. Paragraphs should
be numbered 1, 2, 3 and so on.
Roman numerals should not be used. Avoid
subsections if possible, but if you must use them,
number them 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and so on. If these
sections need dividing use letters.
Example
1 This is an example of a paragraph.
1.1 This is an example of a subsection.
1.2 This is the next subsection.
24
OUR STYLE
a This is a subsection division.
b This is the next subsection division.
P
Percentage
Write per cent out in full in general text.
Use % in tables.
Example
52 per cent of the student population is female
and 48 per cent male, although there is wide
variation between courses.
Point size
(see also accessibility and dyslexia)
The standard size for internal use is 10 point.
Documents should be produced in larger print
sizes or alternative formats if requested.
Presentations (see also bullet points)
Programme
A programme can be a brochure, prospectus
or syllabus: a course is a programme of study.
Capitalise programme only when it is part of a full
course title. A program is a piece of software.
part-time
per cent, percentage
PGCert, PGCE, PGDip, PhD
postcode
postdoctoral
postgraduate
post-qualifying, post-qualification
postmodern
postwar, prewar
practice (noun), practise (verb)
pre-qualifying, pre-qualification
pre-registration
prescribe (issue a prescription or
recommend with authority)
principal (first in importance)
Example
principle (rule)
All international exchange students are enrolled
on the modular scheme to follow the International
Exchange Programme. This programme uses
existing modules to provide an educational
experience that is both relevant and stimulating.
proactive
Prof
program (computers)
programme (of study)
proscribe (condemn or forbid)
Pro Vice-Chancellor
OUR STYLE
25
Quotation marks
Check that quotation marks are curly not straight
when they are printed. Use double speech marks
for reported speech.
The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Society &
Health said: “We welcome all new students.”
Quotes within quotes
Try to avoid quotes within quotes. However, when
used, use double quote marks for the outer quote
and single quote marks for the inner.
Q
The Vice-Chancellor quoted Oscar Wilde in
her speech: “I don’t believe that ‘nothing that
is worth knowing can be taught.’”
If the quote is a full sentence, put the closing
punctuation inside the quote marks:
“I’m delighted that student numbers are
up this year.”
If the quote is a full sentence that falls at the end of
another full sentence, introduce it with a colon:
She stated: “I’m delighted that student numbers
are up this year.”
If the quote is a full sentence that falls at the
beginning of the sentence, conclude with a comma
(or, if relevant, an exclamation or question mark)
inside the inverted commas:
“I’m delighted that student numbers are
up this year,” she stated.
“I’m over the moon!” she stated.
If the quote isn’t a full sentence put the punctuation
outside the quote marks:
She tells us that student numbers are
‘up this year’.
26
OUR STYLE
Saint
For names of towns, churches etc abbreviate to St,
eg St Andrew’s Church, High Wycombe.
School
Titles of academic schools should begin with a
capital S.
Examples
We would like to welcome you to the School of
Design, Craft & Visual Arts and hope that the
landmark programmes we offer will be useful to
your decision-making.
The School has developed a diverse range
of exciting courses where it has been at the
forefront of educational innovation.
Do not use a capital S when talking about schools
more generally.
S
semi-colon
Examples
south, south-west
The Faculty of Society & Health is divided into
three schools.
state-of-the-art
Sentence construction
Construct sentences so that they say what
you mean.
Example
stationary (not moving)
stationery (writing materials)
Students’ Union
syllabus, syllabuses
Not: Walking onto campus, a duck flew into me.
(This suggests that the duck was walking
onto campus.)
But: A
duck flew into me as I was walking
onto campus.
OUR STYLE
27
Telephone numbers
Do not include hyphens and include a space
between the area codes, the main number and the
third digit of the main number, eg 01494 522 141.
Treat mobile phone numbers as having five-figure
area codes: 07769 920 035.
Use international numbers on stationery and
adverts in publications that may be seen overseas,
eg +44 (0) 1494 522 141, but only the national
codes in other instances.
Use tel, ext and fax in abbreviated form, without
a full stop. Make sure you check all telephone
numbers before a document is published.
T
Templates (see also committees)
A range of document templates are available on
our website.
target
targeted
targeting
tel
Twitter
Time (see also dates)
To express an academic year, or range of years,
use the following format:
2015–16, or 2015–2016, using an en-dash
Do not use 2015-16 or 2015/16
Use am and pm, not the 24-hour clock.
Use full stops not colons as separators.
3pm not 3.00pm, 9.30am not 09:30,
11.30pm not 23:30 (no space before the am/pm)
noon (not 12 noon), midnight (not 12 midnight)
Titles (see also job titles)
Refer to a person using their first name and family
name and any title. Only use Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms in
correspondence and avoid using initials. In titles,
Prof or Dr is preferrable to Professor or Doctor.
Prof Rebecca Bunting,
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
Titles, newspapers
and magazines (see also italics)
Do not capitalise ‘the’ unless it is part of the title.
Examples
the Daily Telegraph, the Mail on Sunday,
the Financial Times
The Times, The Independent, The Guardian,
The Economist.
28
OUR STYLE
Underlining
Don’t underline unnecessarily. Headings should not
be underlined because readers may think they are
hyperlinks. Use bold for emphasis.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales,
Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is synonymous
with Britain. Great Britain refers only to the
mainland. Beware of using England when you
mean Britain, or vice versa.
University
We refer to the University as:
• Buckinghamshire New University (our formal
name, used in contracts and on certificates,
for example)
U
• Bucks New University (used informally and
in internal and external marketing materials
for example)
• Bucks (be aware of possible confusion with
the county)
• BNU is not an acceptable abbreviation of the
University name.
Capitalise titles, eg Buckinghamshire New
University, but use lower case for general
use, for example: There are two universities in
Buckinghamshire.
Always capitalise when talking about Bucks New
University, eg the University’s football team.
Do not confuse the University’s (belonging to
the University) with universities (more than one
university).
Upper case
Avoid putting words in upper case - it appears as if
you are shouting at your readers and interrupts the
flow of words.
US
Use US as the abbreviation for the United States,
not USA. There is no need to spell out the words
even at first mention. America is also acceptable
(but don’t use America where ambiguity could
occur with Canada or Latin America).
OUR STYLE
29
Web addresses
Only precede web addresses with ‘http://’ if the
address doesn’t start with ‘www’.
In printed publications to remove hyperlink
underscores right click on your mouse.
Always remove the ‘www’ before a web address,
and if an address comes at the end of a sentence
it’s fine to use a full stop.
W-Y-Z
Vice-Chancellor (or VC)
vocational A-level
All web addresses should be checked before a
document is published. When linking from one web
page to another make sure the hyperlink makes
sense to the reader; don’t just say ‘click here’.
Example
Find out more about the University’s faculties.
Work-based learning
Capitalise only when referring to a specific course.
Example
Certificate in Work-based Learning
website
wellbeing
west
who’s (a contraction of who is or who
has)
Foundation degrees are distinctive because
they are designed by employers and lecturers
together – leading to work-based skills that are
really valued.
They also combine work-based learning
and work-related learning with traditional
academic teaching.
whose (whose book is this?)
Wi-Fi
workplace
work-placement year
world class
Wherever possible, use years in place of levels;
readers may not understand the levels.
Example
worldwide
In the final year the modules for both courses
are the same.
worthwhile
The four-year mode includes a work placement
undertaken in the third year.
you’re (you are)
your (is this your book?)
30
Years (see also levels)
OUR STYLE
Here we give examples
of poorly written copy
followed by possible ways
of improving on them.
1 "I would not ever want to say there are not
people on our campus that at first in the
classroom are not hard to understand, at least
until students get used to them," Watkins said.
Watkins said: “Some employees are hard to
understand, at least until the students get used
to them.”
2 Operationally, teaching effectiveness is
measured by assessing the levels of agreement
between the perceptions of instructors
and students on the rated ability of specific
instructional behaviour attributes which were
employed during course instruction.
We measure the effectiveness of our teaching
by comparing the views of instructors and
students on the instructions given.
3 In our endeavour to ensure guest safety at all
times, can visitors please note that fire bell
testing is carried out every Monday at 9.30am.
We test the fire bell every Monday at 9.30am.
4 Reclamation of the site will involve the
identification and remediation of any pollution
and contamination which may be present on
the site together with the removal or treatment
of hazardous features such as unstable ground
and mineshafts etc.
In reclaiming the site, we will:
• identify and clean up any pollution and
contamination; and
POORLY
WRITTEN
ENGLISH
5 The department is required to make savings
of £13m next year and this objective will be
achieved by efficiency savings. An evaluation of
cash collection methods and procedures and
identification of potential savings in this area have
been conducted by senior management and
determined to be part of this overall process.
We must save £13m next year and will do so
by improving efficiency. Senior managers have
studied our cash-collection methods and found
them to be a possible source of savings.
6 LSC and HEFCE announced today that they
were launching a joint FE/HE funding initiative.
One of the fundamental building blocks of this
scheme is a joined up approach to creating a
ladder of educational opportunity for learners of
all ages.
The Learning and Skills Council, and the Higher
Education Funding Council for England, will be
funding a new Further/Higher Education initiative.
They will work together to create opportunities
for progression for learners of all ages.
7 In order to take ownership of the problem and
impact the situation, going forward, I would
like to encourage dialogue between all my
colleagues and myself. Bring along to my office
your shopping lists for action.
Please discuss any ideas with me so that I can
resolve the problem.
• make safe or remove hazards such as
unstable ground and mineshafts.
OUR STYLE
31
Email
Emails should follow the main points in this guide.
If you are writing an email to someone outside the
University or to someone you don’t know, your email
should be written with the formality of a letter, but
should not be overly long.
When writing emails, make sure that you:
• are concise and to the point
• use a proper structure and layout, including
short paragraphs and blank lines between
each paragraph
• avoid long sentences
• use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation
• are clear about what you are asking or telling
people and what you want them to do
• avoid writing in CAPITALS – they imply that you
are shouting
• always enter a subject in the subject line and
make it meaningful to the recipient
• avoid using urgent or important in the
subject heading, unless the message is
absolutely critical
• avoid abbreviations and emoticons and never
use text language
• answer all questions to pre-empt further emails
• avoid copying emails to people who don’t really
need to receive them, and only use ‘Reply to all’
if you are certain everyone needs to see
the response
• avoid attaching unnecessary files, and direct
people to the file location, whenever possible
32
OUR STYLE
• read the email before you send it and run
the spellcheck
• answer within 24 hours, if possible, but don’t
let email take over your life!
• set key points in the day for checking emails, for
instance first thing in the morning, at midday and
at the end of the day
• use the ‘Out of office’ tool when you are going to
be away from the office.
Think before you send. You should wait before
sending an email, if you are angry or annoyed
about something. Come back to it after a break,
reread it, and reassess whether it is appropriate
to send it. Remember that the tone of a message
can be lost in email and the sender may not have
intended the message to be interpreted in the way
you read it.
Likewise, a recipient of an email may misinterpret
an email sent in haste or anger.
In an extreme case, the recipient may claim
harassment or libel in response to an angry or
defamatory email. Drafting an email without the
recipient’s address will avoid sending an email
before you are certain that it is ready to be sent.
Don’t forward spam emails, hoaxes or chain letters.
Don’t use email if you don’t need to. Using the
telephone or speaking to someone face-to-face is
often quicker and helps build relationships.
For further guidance you may wish to visit a website
called emailreplies.com. You can also read the
University’s email policy on our website.
REFERENCES
This guide is designed to be as comprehensive as
possible, but is not exhaustive.
This guide was produced by Buckinghamshire
New University in 2015, and is accurate at the time
of going to press. We reserve the right to amend
information within this guide without prior notice.
Other useful publications and websites include:
• askoxford.com
• Bucks New University branding
(bucks.ac.uk/branding)
• Bucks New University formal documents
(bucks.ac.uk/formal)
• Bucks New University referencing
(bucks.ac.uk/referencing)
• British Dyslexia Association
(bdadyslexia.org.uk)
• Copy-editing: The Cambridge Handbook
(Judith Butcher, Cambridge University Press)
• The Concise Oxford English Dictionary
(Oxford University Press)
• emailreplies.com
• The Guardian Style Guide
(guardian.co.uk/styleguide)
• The King’s English (bartelby.com)
• Online dictionary (dictionary.com)
• plainenglish.co.uk for very useful advice on
writing simply and clearly.
OUR STYLE
33
CONTACT
Breaches of our corporate identity undermine our
brand, so please read these guidelines carefully and
consult the brand manager if you have any queries.
For further information and advice please contact:
Brand manager
Marketing & Student Recruitment
Buckinghamshire New University
High Wycombe Campus
Queen Alexandra Road
High Wycombe
Buckinghamshire
HP11 2JZ
Telephone: 01494 522 141
Facsimile: 01494 605 023
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @bucksnewuni
Facebook: bucks.ac.uk/facebook
LinkedIn: bucks.ac.uk/linkedin
To download our logo, templates, or a
copy of this guide as a PDF please go to
bucks.ac.uk/branding.
We will consider any requests for accessible formats that may be required.
Please send your request to: [email protected].
This publication was produced by Buckinghamshire New University in May 2015, and is accurate at the time of going to press.
We reserve the right to amend information within this guide without prior notice.
© Buckinghamshire New University 2015