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Editorial Style Guide
(For style issues not addressed in this guide, refer to the Chicago Manual of Style 16th edition.)
A
abbreviations
Avoid abbreviations in running text except when part of official names. If the name represented by an abbreviation may be unknown to some readers, use the full name in the initial reference.
College of Arts and Sciences (not …Arts & Sciences)
August (not Aug.)
Procter & Gamble (official name)
Large Binocular Telescope (LBT)
academic and administrative titles
See titles.
academic courses
Capitalize the main words in titles of specific courses, but not names used in a general sense.
Economics 200, Science 111
economics courses, sociology
Capitalize all nouns and adjectives referring to languages, countries, and nationalities.
a French course
an English course
academic degrees
See degrees.
academic programs
The term “program” should not be capitalized unless used as an official part of a title.
The Department of Psychology's program offers specializations in clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and developmental psychology.
The Health Sciences Scholars Program was implemented in autumn 2000.
academic units
For a list of academic units, go to osu.edu/academics/a-z.php.
Capitalize the official names of academic units. Do not capitalize the name in informal reference.
The Department of Art Education
the art education department
ACT
Acceptable on first reference. Do not use periods.
ADA, compliance within publications
Publications/materials should be made available in alternative formats to students, faculty, and staff with disabilities, and others with disabilities who are unable to read traditional print materials. If possible, include the statement: “This publication/material is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact (name, department initiating publication, address, phone number).” Documents can be converted to electronic computer formats, Braille, and audio files at the Office for Disability Services. Documents already on the Internet in an electronic format or those produced by University Marketing Communications can be converted into the necessary alternate formats as well.
See Disability Services.
addresses
Use appropriate punctuation. Abbreviate “boulevard,” “avenue,” and “street” with numbered addresses. Abbreviate directions (N., S., E., W.) in street addresses. Do not use a comma in addresses listing floors. “Room” is not used in giving locations or addresses. Spell out the names of numbered streets from first through ninth. Abbreviate Ohio (OH) in a block address; spell out in running text.
Note: States following cities in running text are parenthetical and require commas before and after.
Moritz College of Law
55 W. 12th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43210They visited Springfield, Ohio, on their last trip.
The admissions office is located at Enarson Hall, 154 W. 12th Ave., Columbus, Ohio, 43210.
Students will meet in 200 Animal Sciences Building.
See phone numbers.
advisor
Use the -or ending.
Affirmative Action statements
The Ohio State University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in its admission and employment programs. Use the following when applicable:
The short statement:
The Ohio State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution.
The long statement:
The Ohio State University is committed to building a diverse faculty and staff for employment and promotion to ensure the highest quality workforce, to reflect human diversity, and to improve opportunities for minorities and women. The university embraces human diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and eliminating discrimination. This commitment is both a moral imperative consistent with an intellectual community that celebrates individual differences and diversity, as well as a matter of law.
Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited.
For further information, contact the Office of Human Resources at 1590 N. High St., Suite 300, Columbus, OH 43201-2190, (614) 292-4164, or visit hr.osu.edu/policy/policyhome.htm. (Revised 11/09)
African American
No hyphen for the noun or the adjective. Both “African American” and “black” are acceptable.
African American students
African Americans
Ag campus
An informal reference not recommended for official use.
Ages
Use numerals.
Agricultural Technical Institute (ATI)
Abbreviate after first full reference. Do not use periods.
alma mater
Do not italicize.
alternative format
See ADA, compliance within publications; Disability Services.
alumnus, alumni
Alumnus is the singular, masculine form. For references to women, use alumna (singular) or alumnae (plural). Alumni is plural for a group of both men and women.
American College Test (ACT)
ACT is acceptable on first reference. Do not use periods.
American Indian
Native American is also acceptable.
Americans with Disabilities Act
See ADA, compliance within publications; Disability Services
ampersand
Avoid using an ampersand unless it is part of an official title.
Kuhn Honors & Scholars House
apostrophes
Make abbreviations plural by adding “s.”
MBAs, RNs, BAs, W-2s, IDs
No apostrophe is needed for decades.
1990s, 2010s
For a singular noun ending in “s,” form the possessive by adding “ ’s. ”
Columbus’s highlights
Department of Physics’s new building
ARC
Spell out Adventure Recreation Center on first reference.
Asian American
No hyphen for the noun or the adjective.
Asian American students
Asian Americans
autumn, autumn semester
Lowercase references to seasons and academic periods.
B
Big Ten
Note that “Ten” is always spelled out in this phrase. There are actually 12 members of the Big Ten: University of Illinois, Indiana University, University of Iowa, The University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, Northwestern University, The Ohio State University, The Pennsylvania State University, Purdue University, and University of Wisconsin.
black
Both “black” and “African American” are acceptable.
Blackwell
Use lowercase “the” in running text.
They stayed at the Blackwell last night.
Board of Trustees
Capitalize the words “Board” and “Trustees” when referring to Ohio State’s Board of Trustees. Do not capitalize “board” or “trustees” when used alone or in second reference. When referring to other boards and trustees, use lowercase.
Ohio State's Board of Trustees
the board members agreed
broadcasting stations
Abbreviate the names of broadcasting stations, but omit periods and spaces.
WOSU-FM
WOSU-AM
WOSU-TV
Brutus
Should be capitalized. Plural is Brutuses.
Buckeye
Should be capitalized when referring to athletic teams (the Buckeyes), Buckeye spirit, and the mascot. Not capitalized when talking about the buckeye in general.
BuckID
No punctuation between letters.
bulleted lists
Keep punctuation for bulleted lists at a minimum. Begin each item with a lowercase letter.
Omit periods after items unless one or more of the items are complete sentences. If the list completes a sentence begun in an introductory element, the final period is also omitted unless the items in the list are separated by commas or semicolons.
The student has already taken:
• a general math course
• an advanced physics course
• three language courses
Ordinarily, commas are not used following a series of items. If the vertically listed items are phrases, especially long phrases, that grammatically complete the sentence containing them, commas may, but need not, be used. If commas are used, the last item is followed by a period.
In preparation, the student:
• earned a high score on the ACT,
• studied extensively on related subjects,
• talked with professionals in the field.
Note: It is not necessary to include “and” before the last item in the list.
C
campus
Do not capitalize “north campus,” “south campus,” “Newark campus,” etc. Exception: West Campus is a formal name.
See regional campuses, The Ohio State University, main campus.
capitalization
Lowercase the word “university” when it refers to Ohio State or another institution or when it is used in a generic sense.**
The university is nationally recognized.
A general rule is that official names are capitalized; unofficial, informal, shortened, or generic names aren’t. This rule applies to names of offices, buildings, schools, departments, programs, centers, institutes, etc. Phrases such as “the center,” “the institute,” “the college,” or “the museum” are not capitalized.
The Office of the Registrar
the registrar’s office
the registrar
Capitalize official names of bulletins, forms, conventions, conferences, symposia, etc.
Student Handbook
a Financial Aid Transcript
Capitalize official course titles (except for articles, prepositions, and conjunctions), whether or not the course number is used.
E201 Intro to Microeconomics
S250 Graphic Design I
Professor McVee is teaching Traditional Music of Ohio this spring.
Names of seasons, academic periods, and one-time events are generally not capitalized.
autumn 2012
summer term
spring semester
orientation
registration
spring break
commencement
For historical or documentary accuracy, follow the capitalization of original texts.
See academic units, addresses, colleges, degrees, department names, landmarks, majors and minors, The Ohio State University, titles.
chair
Use in all cases (not chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson).
chairs and professorships
Capitalize the titles of named chairs and professorships whether used alone or after an individual’s name.
colleges
Capitalize the full, formal names of colleges, but lowercase shortened or informal versions.
the College of Engineering
the engineering college
the college
See addresses, capitalization.
commas
Use the serial comma (the final comma before “and,” “or,” or “nor”) in a list of three or more items.
red, white, and blue flags
If items in the series contain commas themselves, use semicolons between all items.
The letters she wrote are dated August 7, 1918; May 12, 1935; and January 4, 1965.
When following a person’s name, qualifiers such as PhD and MD are preceded by a comma. A second comma follows the qualifier in running text.
Ross Dalbey, PhD
The opening remarks by Ross Dalbey, PhD, set the tone for the conference.
However, qualifiers such as Jr., Sr., and III are not set off by commas.
Martin Luther King Jr.
Charles Smith III
Set off the year when using dates with commas on both sides if a day of the month precedes it.
January 29, 2012, is the deadline.
January 2012 is the deadline.
Set off a parenthetical (nonrestrictive) expression with commas on both sides. Note that states following cities are parenthetical and require commas before and after.
The study, it was believed, had been falsified.
The members of the class, generally speaking, were happy to be there.
We drove to Cleveland, Ohio, last weekend.
Commas appear after, not before, an expression in parentheses (like this), and they always go inside quotation marks, except when a quotation mark indicates inches.
cosponsor, cocurricular, copay
One word.
course listings/titles
Each course has a course number and course title, which is always capitalized (even if the course is referred to without the number). There is no punctuation between the course number and course title.
S101 Elementary Composition I
course work
Two words.
curriculum/curricula
Curriculum is singular. Curricula and curriculums are plural.
D
database
One word.
dates
Spell out months and days of the week; use numerals for years. Use no punctuation if listing just the month and the year, but set the year off with commas if using the day of the month.
May 2012
a February 5, 2012, deadline
Join us Wednesday, October 17, for a celebration.
Decades may be referred to in any of the following ways. (Note: No apostrophe is needed for 1990s, 2000s, etc.)
the 1990s, the ’90s, the nineties
decision making, decision-making
Two words as a noun, hyphenated as an adjective.
Decision making was not the committee's strong point.
She found the decision-making process easy.
degrees
Capitalize the main words in the names of degrees when they are spelled out and capitalize abbreviations of degrees. Abbreviation of the degree name is acceptable on first reference. (Note: There are no spaces between elements.) In its most recent edition (16th), Chicago Manual of Style prefers that degrees not be abbreviated with periods.
Bachelor of Arts = BA
Bachelor of Science = BS
Master of Arts = MA
Master of Business Administration = MBA
Master of Science = MS
Doctor of Philosophy = PhD
Capitalization of names of degrees should match the registrar’s official degree list. If the official degree name contains the words “of Science,” the discipline is capitalized. (Refer to the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, not the Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry or the Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry.) Similar rules apply to references made to master’s and doctoral degrees.
Do not capitalize academic degrees used in a general sense. Note that bachelor’s and master’s end in ’s.
an associate degree
a bachelor’s degree
a master’s degree
a doctoral degree or a doctorate
In references to degrees, the word “degree” is never capitalized.
She earned her Master of Music degree.
Make plural abbreviations of degrees by adding “s.”
MAs, PhDs, JDs
Capitalize names or abbreviations of academic degrees and honors following a personal name.
Jim Smith, Doctor of Law
Susan Brown, MD
James Trillburn, Woodrow Wilson Fellow
Degrees conferred at institutions other than Ohio State may follow a different style. Verify degree names to preserve correct capitalization, abbreviation, and punctuation style.
When they follow a person’s name, qualifiers such as PhD and MD are preceded by a comma. A second comma follows the qualifier in running text.
William Turner, PhD
The latest article published by William Turner, PhD, was his third in six months.
department names
Capitalize the full, formal names of departments, but lowercase shortened or informal versions.
the Department of Mechanical Engineering
the mechanical engineering department
See addresses, capitalization.
Disability Services
The Office for Disability Services converts textbooks, exams, and other print materials into a more usable format for individuals who are unable to use traditional print. Colleges, departments, faculty, and programs are encouraged to include a statement about the availability of alternative formats in their materials: “This publication/material is available in alternative formats upon request. Please contact (name, department initiating publication, address, phone number).” For more information, contact the Office for Disability Services at ods.osu.edu or (614) 292-3307.
See ADA, compliance within publications.
Dr.
Avoid use of the honorific title “Dr.” (in reference to an academic who has earned a doctorate) unless used in a direct quote. Instead, use PhD following the name. (“Dr.” may be used in reference to a medical doctor.)
Alison Smith, PhD, spoke at the ceremony about her research.
drop/add
Lowercase references to the drop/add procedure.
E
e-business, e-commerce
Lowercase and hyphenate these technological business references.
E. Gordon Gee
Use E. Gordon Gee on first reference (instead of President Gordon Gee). Before using photos of, quotes by, and references to President Gee, please notify the Office of the President. Contact: 292-2424 or gordon.gee@osu.edu.
ellipsis
Use the three-dot sequence to indicate that something has been left out of a sentence or passage. Leave a space before and after each dot. If a sentence ends (or is cut off) right before the ellipsis, leave in the punctuation that would have ended the sentence.
The prerequisite class … is required for all students.
As the saying goes: When in Rome … .
With a hyphen
emeritus
Emeritus is the singular, masculine form. For references to women, use emerita (singular) or emeritae (plural). Emeriti may serve as the plural for a group that is composed of men only or both men and women. Emeritus is lowercase in all forms (unless used before a name as a formal title).
professor emerita of art
professors emeriti
faculty emeriti
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action policy
See Affirmative Action statements.
F
faculty
Faculty can be plural or singular depending on whether the word is used to describe the group as a whole (singular) or to describe its members individually (plural). To avoid confusion, rewrite the sentence to avoid a plural verb or use faculty members.
fax
Lowercase.
Fisher College of Business
Use “Fisher College of Business” on first full reference. Use "Fisher" (not "Fisher College") on second reference.
foreign students
The phrase “international students” is preferred.
fraternal groups
Capitalize the names of fraternities and sororities but not the words “fraternity,” “sorority,” and “chapter.”
Ohio State chapter of Phi Beta Kappa fraternity
freshman, freshmen
Although “freshmen” is plural, use “freshman courses,” “freshman year,” “freshman class,” etc. Other alternatives: use “incoming” students or “first-year” class.
full time/full-time
Hyphenate as an adjective before the noun; otherwise use two words.
He works full time in the office.
He is a full-time worker.
fundraising
One word, noun or adjective.
G
Gateway
Use South Campus Gateway to describe the area located between 9th and Chittenden Avenues. See southcampusgateway.com for more information.
Gee (President)
Use E. Gordon Gee on first reference (instead of President Gordon Gee). Before using photos of, quotes by, and references to President Gee, please notify the Office of the President. Contact: 292-2424 or gordon.gee@osu.edu.
grade point average (GPA)
Do not hyphenate. Do not use periods in abbreviation (GPA). Use all caps.
Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
Abbreviate after the first full reference. Do not use periods.
graduates with honors
Italicize but do not capitalize: summa cum laude, magna cum laude, cum laude, magna cum laude with distinction.
groundbreaking
One word as adjective or noun.
H
health care
Two words, no hyphen, both nouns and adjectives.
She has health care at the company where she works.
She has high health care costs.
Hispanic
Capitalize Hispanic. Use “Hispanic American” for the student population represented by the Office of Minority Affairs.
homepage
One word when referring to an Internet web site.
Honors and Scholars Programs
Spell out “and,” no ampersand.
Honors Program
See graduates with honors, University Honors Program.
http:// and www. in URLs
Delete “http://” and "www." in web addresses if not essential.
womensplace.osu.edu
osu.edu
hyphens
Use as few hyphens as possible. Use hyphens in compound adjectives to prevent misreading.
The state-level review panel decided.
If compound adjectives are commonly used, a hyphen is not necessary.
high school student
top 10 research university
I
international students
The phrase “international students” is preferable to “foreign students.”
Internet
Capitalize “Internet.” Also capitalize “the Net” or “the Web” when referring to the Internet. However, lowercase “web” when used with another word to form a compound noun or adjective: website, webpage, web address, etc.
See also website, World Wide Web
J
K
Knowlton School of Architecture
KSA is acceptable on second reference.
L
laboratory
Spell out as part of an official name or in first reference. “Lab” is acceptable as a second reference.
landmarks
Capitalize the main words in the official names of campus landmarks.
the Oval
Mirror Lake
library
See Thompson Library
M
main campus
Use “Columbus campus” instead of “main campus.”
majors and minors
Do not capitalize names of schools, college studies, fields of study, options, curricula, major areas, minors, major subjects, or programs unless a specific course is being referred to or if using names of countries, nationalities, historical periods, and languages.
a student majoring in political science
a student majoring in English
See academic courses.
Midwest, Midwestern
Uppercase references to the Midwest of the United States.
months
Months are not abbreviated in running text. A comma is not used for just the month and year.
September 1992
See dates.
multicultural
One word.
N
Native American
“American Indian” is also acceptable.
noncredit
One word.
nondegree
One word (unless “non” modifies a hyphenated phrase).
nondegree student
non-degree-granting program
nondiscrimination statements
The Ohio State University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in its admission and employment programs. Use the following when applicable:
The short statement:
The Ohio State University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution.
The long statement:
The Ohio State University is committed to building a diverse faculty and staff for employment and promotion to ensure the highest quality workforce, to reflect human diversity, and to improve opportunities for minorities and women. The university embraces human diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and eliminating discrimination. This commitment is both a moral imperative consistent with an intellectual community that celebrates individual differences and diversity, as well as a matter of law.
Discrimination against any individual based upon protected status, which is defined as age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, is prohibited.
For further information, contact the Office of Human Resources at 1590 N. High St., Suite 300, Columbus, Ohio 43201-2190, (614) 292-4164, or hr.osu.edu. Revised 11/09.
nonprofit
One word.
nonsexist language
Avoid words and usage that reinforce sexist stereotypes. Do not use “he” as an all-inclusive pronoun. “He or she” can be used, but the following solutions are preferable:
- Change the subject to the plural and use “they,” making sure there is verb/noun agreement.
- Change the singular third-person reference (he/she) to the second person (you).
- Use neutral words to replace personal pronouns (such as “one” or “several”).
- Repeat the noun or use a synonym.
- Revise the sentence to eliminate the pronoun altogether.
See chair, freshman, freshmen.
nontraditional
One word.
numbers
Spell out numbers one through nine.* Use numerals for 10 or more and for fractions; spell out numbers that begin a sentence or rewrite the sentence.
Exceptions: See Big Ten. Spell out numbers 10 and above in special cases involving formal invitations and in sequences such as “one through ten.”
Last year, two of four students participated.
Between six and eleven students would go to the interview.
In 1986, more than 45 students received presidential awards.
In running text, when referring to dollar amounts in millions, use the numeral and million, rather than zeros.
$6 million (not $6,000,000)
See addresses, ordinals, percent, phone numbers.
O
off campus
Two words, but hyphenate as an adjective before a noun.
Ed lives off campus.
Ed has an off-campus apartment.
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC)
Abbreviate after the first full reference. Do not use periods.
The Ohio State University**
After the first full reference to The Ohio State University (note the capital T), the following references are acceptable:
Ohio State
the university (always lowercase)
Do not use “OSU” to refer to The Ohio State University unless OSU is part of the formal name.
In referring to regional campuses, the first reference in text copy should be to the complete title.
The Ohio State University at Lima offers courses in many areas.
The Ohio State University at Mansfield held a special student seminar.
Subsequent references:
Ohio State Lima
Ohio State Mansfield
Ohio State Marion
Ohio State Newark
The Lima campus…
See Ohio State University Extension, regional campuses
(The) Ohio State University Hospital
See The Ohio State University Hospital
(The) Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
See The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Ohio State Scholars Program
Scholars Program is acceptable on second reference.
Ohio State University Extension
Note there is no “The” used for this title. Second references: “Extension” or “OSU Extension.”
Ohio State University Research Foundation (OSURF)
Note there is no “The” used for this title. Abbreviate after the first full reference. Do not use periods.
on campus
Two words, but hyphenate as an adjective before a noun.
Sylvia works on campus.
Sylvia has an on-campus job.
onCampus
Faculty and staff newspaper. Always one word. Always italicized. Lowercase o, capital C.
online
One word.
ordinals
Write out first through ninth. Use numerals for 10th and higher (11th, 22nd, 53rd).
P
percent
Spelling out percent is preferred, although % may be used if space is needed. Use numerals in front of percent, unless starting a sentence.
They asked 50 percent of the students.
One percent of the faculty attended.
phone numbers
Use parentheses around the area code in running text and addresses.
(614) 292-3980
See addresses.
Possessives
For singular nouns ending in s, use s’s to make it possessive.
Columbus’s
postdoctoral
One word. Postdoc is also acceptable.
predoctoral
One word.
President E. Gordon Gee
Use E. Gordon Gee on first reference (instead of President Gordon Gee). Before using photos of, quotes by, and references to President Gee, please notify the Office of the President. Contact: 292-2424 or gordon.gee@osu.edu.
President's Club
Apostrophe before "s"; lowercase "t" when "the" is used: the President's Club
professorships
Capitalize the titles of professorships whether used alone or after an individual’s name.
James Neff, the Willard M. Kiplinger Professor
Q
quotation marks
In regular text, commas and periods always go inside the end quotation mark. Colons and semicolons always go outside the end quotation mark. Exclamation marks and question marks can go inside or outside the quotation mark depending on usage; place inside if it applies to the quoted matter, outside if it applies to the whole sentence.
Who wrote “The Raven”?
He asked, “How long will it take?”
Do not use quotes for word emphasis.
R
Rankings
Do not use a hyphen when referring to a “top 10” or “top 25” program.
She hopes to stay in the top 10 of her class.
Ohio State is a top 10 research university.
Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC)
RPAC is acceptable on second reference.
Regional campuses
The Ohio State University includes campuses in Columbus, Lima, Mansfield, Marion, and Newark and the Agricultural Technical Institute and Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster. In referring to regional campuses, the first reference in text copy should be to the complete title.
The Ohio State University at Lima offers courses in many areas.
The Ohio State University at Mansfield held a special student seminar.
Subsequent references:
Ohio State Lima
Ohio State Mansfield
Ohio State Marion
Ohio State Newark
The Lima campus…
See campus and The Ohio State University.
Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC)
Abbreviate after the first full reference. Do not use periods.
resume
Do not use accent marks.
S
Scarlet and Gray
Uppercase when referring to the Buckeyes. Lowercase when referring to the colors.
She always roots for the Scarlet and Gray, even though she lives in Texas now.
She always wears scarlet and gray to the games.
Scholars
See Ohio State Scholars Program.
Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
SAT is acceptable on first reference. Do not use periods.
Schottenstein Center
On first full reference, Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center. Thereafter, Schottenstein Center is acceptable.
South Campus Gateway
The area located between 9th and Chittenden Avenues. See southcampusgateway.com for more information.
spring, spring semester
Lowercase references to seasons and academic periods.
St. John Arena
Always abbreviate “Saint” in St. John Arena. Note that there is no ’s in this name.
T
TBDBITL
Short for “The Best Damn Band in the Land,” Ohio State’s marching band
The Neil Legacy Society
Uppercase "T"
The Ohio State University**
After the first full reference to The Ohio State University (note the capital T), the following references are acceptable:
Ohio State
the university (always lowercase)
Do not use “OSU” to refer to The Ohio State University.
In referring to regional campuses, the first reference in text copy should be to the complete title.
The Ohio State University at Lima offers courses in many areas.
The Ohio State University at Mansfield held a special student seminar.
Subsequent references:
Ohio State Lima
Ohio State Mansfield
Ohio State Marion
Ohio State Newark
The Lima campus…
See Ohio State University Extension, regional campuses
The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center–Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC–James)
See The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
The Ohio State University Hospital
After first reference to The Ohio State University Hospital, the following are acceptable:
University Hospital
OSU Hospital
Note: University Hospital, not Hospitals. For more information, contact the OSU Medical Center’s Department of Communications and Marketing, (614) 293-3670.
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Comprises the College of Medicine and its School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and School of Biomedical Science; the Office of Health Sciences; various research centers, programs, and institutes; OSU Physicians, Inc.; the OSU Faculty Group Practice; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute; and the OSU Health System, which includes University Hospital, University Hospital East, Ohio State's Harding Hospital, the Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital, Ohio State University Rehabilitation Services at Dodd Hall, the OSU Primary Care Network, the OSU Specialty Care Network, CarePoint multispecialty outpatient facilities, and the FastCare walk-in health care clinics.
First references: The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center or Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University.
Second and subsequent references: Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center.
Do not use OSU Medical Center or WMC.
The Oval Society
Uppercase "T"
Thompson Library
Official name of the main library on the Columbus campus. Avoid using only “main library” in reference to the Thompson Library.
time
Use numerals in all cases and omit the zeros for on-the-hour times. Use periods for a.m. and p.m. To avoid confusion, use noon and midnight instead of 12 p.m. and 12 a.m.
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
1-3 p.m.
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
8 a.m. to noon
titles
Capitalize titles when they immediately precede a personal name. Titles following a personal name or used alone in place of a name are lowercase. Capitalize titles used in lists if they appear line for line as in an address.
Professor George Shaw
George Shaw, professor,
George Shaw is a professor.
When preparing lists of faculty names with titles, spell out the titles unless the list is long and space is at a premium.
U
Undergraduate Student Government (USG)
Abbreviate after the first full reference. Do not use periods.
United States, U.S.
Use United States as the proper noun, U.S. as the adjective.
university**
Lowercase when referring to Ohio State, unless used as part of the full name of the institution.
See The Ohio State University.
university-wide
University Honors Program
Honors Program is acceptable on second reference
USG
See Undergraduate Student Government.
V
versus
Use “v.” when abbreviating “versus.”
He’s the prosecutor in Smith v. Jones.
This Saturday, it’s the Buckeyes v. the Hawkeyes.
W
website
One word.
Wexner Center for the Arts
Not “… of the Arts”
Wexner Medical Center
See The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
World Wide Web
Three words, no hyphens, always all initial caps. Second reference, “the Web” or “the Net.”
See Internet.
X
Y
year
Use numerals and an apostrophe when abbreviating to indicate class year.
Class of ’63 (note capital C)
Joe Smith, BA, ’80
Decades may be referred to in any of the following ways. (Note: no apostrophe is needed for 1990s, 1980s, etc.)
the 1990s
the ’90s
the nineties
year in school
Do not capitalize the words “freshman,” “sophomore,” “junior,” “senior,” or “graduate” when they refer to the year in which a course is to be taken or to the classification of the student.
Z
zip code
See addresses.
* Exception to Chicago Manual of Style
** Exception to onCampus