Daniels Writing Style

Transcription

1 Daniels Writing Style SECTION 11 Tone and Voice The Daniels tone is confident, warm, inviting, knowledgeable, energetic and progressive. We speak with the assuredness of thought leaders and entrepreneurs steeped in a rich history of knowledge and tradition. Our voice is grounded in realism and embodies the enterprising spirit of the Denver business community. We are professional, active and smart. The Daniels voice is confident, uses active voice and avoids passive voice whenever possible. Incorrect Examples: Projects for the Essence classes were chosen by students. Daniels Tomorrow is bringing together a variety of stakeholders. Correct Examples: Students chose their own projects for the Essence classes. Daniels Tomorrow brings together a variety of stakeholders. The Daniels voice is also self-assured. Stay clear of extraneous language when possible. Be direct and to the point. Be concise and keep transitional words and phrases to a minimum. Daniels is a business college so we must speak the language of business. Think memo length instead of essay. Writing Guidelines Name in Text The proper name for our College is the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. First reference in text. The Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver is always used in the first reference in text. The use of the word the is optional. It is proper to say Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver when necessary. Example: The Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver is grounded in the principles of ethics and values-based leadership. or Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver welcomes new students to orientation. Section 11 Daniels Writing Style 1

2 After first reference. It may be referred to as (the) Daniels College of Business, Daniels, the College, or our College. The acronym DCB is only used by the registrar for class designations; it is not used for communications purposes. The rule for first use in text also applies to schools within Daniels. Example: First use: The Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management After first usage: the Burns School, RECM, Burns Capitalization. When using the word college to refer to Daniels, the letter c in College is capitalized. When using the word university to refer to DU, the letter u in University is capitalized. When referring to other universities, colleges or schools, no capitalization is necessary unless referring to a specific university, college or school. School vs. College. Daniels is a College, not a school. Many schools are housed within Daniels, including the School of Accountancy, the Reiman School of Finance and the Knoebel School of Hospitality Management. Web usage. When referred to on the homepage, the College is referred to as the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver. For each subsequent usage on sites, the names Daniels College of Business, Daniels, the College or or as the University of Denver s Daniels College of Business may be used. Writing Style Whether writing a letter or a brochure, for print or online, it s a good idea to: Use active rather than passive prose Speak directly to your target audience addressing your reader in the second person invites engagement Avoid acronyms and abbreviations that could confuse the general reader Emphasize how a particular program or product benefits the reader Recommend a course of immediate action, whether you want to drive readers to the website or encourage them to complete an application Please refer to the guidelines on the following pages when writing materials for Daniels. For specific questions, refer to The Associated Press Stylebook or The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., for items not shown in the guide. However, the following items listed in this styleguide take precedence over these reference manuals. 2 Daniels Writing Style Section 11

3 Abbreviations U.S., but USA US, U.S.A. Be correct and consistent when using. DU D.U. Addresses Office of Important People 2101 South University Boulevard, Suite 1234 Denver, Colorado #### Or Office of Important People 2101 S. University Boulevard Denver, Colorado #### 2101 S. University Blvd Denver, CO Return addresses on formal invitations and official Daniels publications should use complete words for direction, street name and state, including the +4 zip code. Include the suite number or office designation where possible. Electronic and all other uses of addresses may use an abbreviated format. Per DU Mail Services, include the +4 zip code in all usage. Affect/effect This will affect your date of graduation. Affect (verb) = to influence They want to effect greater sales growth. Effect (verb) = to cause The effect of getting your degree is higher earning potential. Effect (noun) = result Ampersand (&) Come to Daniels and excel in your field. Proctor & Gamble Texas A&M Come to Daniels & excel in your field. Proctor and Gamble Do not use ampersand in running text. Limit usage in headings and charts; exceptions are when space is limited. Use if it is actual part of a company or institution s name. Anytime/any time Come at any time you like. Come at anytime you like. Anytime = whenever Come anytime you like. Come any time you like. Any time = two words after a preposition such as at Apostrophe It s easy to schedule. (It is easy to schedule.) Playing rock n roll Its easy to schedule. Playing rock n roll Takes the place of a missing letter or number. In the 90s, he graduated. In the 90 s, he Apostrophe (not foot mark) See also Quotation marks Master s degrees Deans Dining Room Rock n roll music Masters degrees Dean s Dining Room Rock and roll music Do not use foot marks for apostrophes. Apostrophe is used to show possessive. Apostrophe is also used to show a letter that is missing. Assure/ensure/insure You can be assured of a quality education. Assure = to give you confidence, promise We want to ensure your success. Ensure = to make certain, guarantee We can insure your employees. Insure = references insurance Asterisk (*) In copy In footnote in 18 months.* * Executive MBA program ** MAcc Use asterisks to refer readers to footnote at page bottom. Asterisk follows punctuation or trademark/registration marks without an intervening space. Bold Rated top business college in Colorado Check for consistency. Do not overuse. Generally, do not bold end punctuation unless part of word or phrase being emphasized. Section 11 Daniels Writing Style 3

4 General She has a master s degree in engineering. I saw Dean Chrite. He is dean of Daniels. Yes, the College is 100 years old. Visit the University and its lovely campus. the Centennial Fund The Denver Post Family HomeStead PricewaterhouseCoopers The course will be in the Fall 2012 quarter. In the fall, it will begin. John is an associate professor of marketing. Associate Professor John Ames teaches math. He served as director of sales for ACME. She has a Master s Degree in Engineering. Brent Chrite, Dean of the business school Yes the college is 100 years old. Visit the university and it s lovely campus. The Centennial Fund See it in the Denver post. Family Homestead Price Waterhouse Coopers In the fall, the quarter will begin. In the Fall, it will begin. John is an Associate Professor of Marketing. He served as Director of Sales for ACME. Avoid unnecessary capitals. Do not capitalize names of degrees and subjects in general text. Capitalize as part of catalogs and course lists. Always capitalize proper nouns. When referring to the Daniels College of Business or the University of Denver, use the College and the University for a shorthand reference. Only capitalize the before a name if it is part of the actual name. Watch out for capitalization within names and companies that have been made into one word or have unusual variations. Daniels caps seasons when referring to quarter. Job titles are not capped if they appear after a name or separately. They are capped if they appear with the name. Degrees conferred MBA IMBA master s of science M.B.A I.M.B.A Master s of Science Capitalize abbreviations of college degrees without space and periods between letters. Do not capitalize academic degrees when spelled out, or names of college classes. Degrees Full-time MBA Professional MBA (Part time) full-time mba professional mba (part time) Use title case in body text and in headlines and subheads Executive MBA executive mba International MBA international mba One year MBA one year mba Rooms, chapters Chapter 11 Room 101 chapter 11 room 101 Capitalize chapter, room, highway, etc. when followed by a number or letter. Highway 55 highway 55 Schools and departments School of Accountancy Department of Marketing school of accountancy department of marketing Capitalize the formal names of schools and departments. In a paragraph that has already mentioned the Daniels College of Business, the paragraph will contain the word College with a cap when referring to Daniels. School, university and college Daniels College of Business is located in Denver, Colorado. The College offers degrees in marketing, business, etc... Daniels college of business is located in Denver, Colorado. The college offers degrees in marketing, business, etc... Use an initial cap on School, University, and College when referring to DU, a DU college or a DU school. If the paragraph is talking about college in general, the word college does not take aninitial cap. Captions under photos Helen Driscoll (left) with recipient, Martha Lindh Helen Driscoll (left) with recipient, Martha Lindh. Captions under photos generally do not have end periods. Choose, chose Choose your own program. Chose your program by the end of the year. Choose = present tense Chose = past tense 4 Daniels Writing Style Section 11

5 Coloradan He s a second-generation Coloradan. He s a second-generation Coloradoan. Commas (See also Oxford comma) With gratitude to my parents, Mother Teresa and the Pope. The panda eats shoots and leaves. With gratitude to my parents, Mother Teresa, and the Pope. The panda eats, shoots and leaves. Follow AP style: omit last serial comma. Exceptions: when one of the items in the series contains a conjunction (and, but, or), the phrase is lengthy or to avoid confusion. John Smith, MBA, eats fish. He moved to Accra, Ghana, in 1997 and to Denver, Colorado, in John Smith, MBA eats fish. He moved to Accra, Ghana in 1997 and to Denver, Colorado in Use before and after degree designations. Before and after for cities/states, cities/ countries Compliment/ complement Complimentary/ complementary He gave a compliment to the class. A table tent sign will complement the poster. His business skills will complement his technical prowess. He gave a complement to the class. A table tent sign will compliment the poster. His business skills will compliment his technical prowess. Compliment = courtesy, praise Complimentary= free, flattering Complement = to supplement or enhance Complementary = serving to complete, mutually supplying what each other lacks. Compound words and Hyphenation The well-connected student is an asset. The well-connected student is an asset. Never break an already hyphenated word. The most respected school... The academically gifted group will The most-respected school... The academically-gifted group will Do not break words at end of lines, except for those words already hyphenated. Do not hyphenate comparative or superlative form when adverb more, most, less or least is combined with an adjective. Do not hyphenate an adverb particle combination if the adverb ends in ly. Contact information For more details: contact Gloria Valdez, gloria.valdez@du.edu For more details, contact Gloria Valdez at gloria.valdez@du.edu Questions? Contact Gloria Valdez at gloria.valdez@du.edu. Questions? Contact Gloria Valdez, gloria.valdez@du.edu Contractions Can t Won t Can not Will not Use contractions judiciously. Maintain an active voice without becoming too informal. Daniels programs and designations Daniels Tomorrow The Daniels Compass Daniels tomorrow the Daniels Compass Always double-check for full and correct name and do not assume how it should be written. the Centennial Fund The Centennial At Daniels Dashes From , Joe worked at Students excel here you will too. From , Joe worked at Students excel here-you will too. Use en dash to represent through for dates, times. Use em dash to represent break in text. Do not add spaces around em and en dashes. Exception: Due to the special character issue on the website, headlines and subheads do use spaces around em dashes. Section 11 Daniels Writing Style 5

6 Dates Donate by December 31, 2008, for a tax deduction. The May 2008 concert Donate by December 31, 2008 for a tax The May, 2008 concert Use a comma after the year in a date that includes the day; no comma if just month and year. He will go on May 15, He will go on May 15th, In the 1990s, the school In the 1990 s, the Degrees Joy Small, PhD, JD, MBA Joy Small, Ph.D., J.D., M.B.A. Write degree abbreviations without periods. Joy has a master of arts degree. The degree is a master of science in real estate and construction management. Joy has a Master of Arts Degree. The degree is a masters of real estate and construction management. Do not hyphenate. Do not capitalize degree name and make sure it is the correct degree name. Master is singular as part of a degree. Etc./et cetera i.e., e.g. Students, teachers, parents, etc., will be there. Students, teachers, parents etc. will be there. Avoid overuse. Use commas before and after. Use the forms; i.e., registration and course. Volunteer clubs exist; e.g., UGIVES and GIVES. i.e. = that is e.g. = for example Everyday/every day Classes held every day Classes held everyday Every day = every day It is an everyday routine. It is an every day routine. Everyday = ordinary, daily Exclamation point! Blood donations are needed. Donate today! Blood donations are needed! Donate today! Avoid overuse. Be consistent when exclamations are used. Font Make sure it is consistent. Make sure it is consistent. Make sure weight and point size are consistent throughout the document. Headlines/Subheads Hyphenation Hyphenation (Suspensive) Living and Learning at Daniels Daniels Undergraduate Degrees reelect reenter coordinate reevaluate preeminent Living and Learning at Daniels. Daniels undergraduate degrees. Re-elect re-enter co-ordinate re-evaluate pre-eminent Be consistent when punctuation is used or not used. The hyphen used after a prefix ending in a vowel when the prefix is followed by the same vowel is becoming less common. The hyphen may be omitted in words that are used frequently and are readily recognized without it. This is a 3- to 4-week program. This is a 3 to 4-week program. Use suspensive hyphenation. Inch/foot marks (see also Apostrophe, Quotation marks) The poster is 2' long. The tent is 4" x 6". The poster is 2 long. It is 4 by 6. Do not use apostrophes and quotation marks for foot marks and inch marks and vice versa. Internet Check it on the Internet. Check it on the internet. Always capitalize Internet as it is a formal name. 6 Daniels Writing Style Section 11

7 Italics Macro/micro Bloomberg Businessweek rates it as Daniels Business Review Communiqué macroeconomics microprocessor BusinessWeek rates it as macro-economics micro-processor Italicize the names of publications, books, plays and TV shows. Do not hyphenate words that begin with macro/micro. Microsite microsite micro site Use as one word with no space. Non/non- nonstudent nongraduate non-student non-graduate Webster s and style guides have moved away from hyphenating most non words. Exceptions: before a capital letter. non-u.s. non U.S. Numbers (see also Dates, Telephone numbers) nonprofit There are 35 classes listed. He has taken five classes. And 5 percent of Among top 15% of undergraduate programs and top 5% of graduate programs It is 10 degrees outside. In the 1990s; In the 90s (decades) In the 90s (temperature) On June 5, 2010, the On the fifth of June non-profit There are thirty-five classes listed. He s taken 5 classes. And five percent of Among top 15 percent of undergraduate programs and top 5% of graduate programs It is ten degrees outside. On June 5th, 2010, the Online Find it online. Find it on line. Find it on-line. One word. Use figures for all numbers above nine; spell out all numbers under 10. Exceptions: Ages, sums of money, times of day, calendar years, days of the month, temperature, dimensions and mixed grouping. Use numerals in parentheses, in charts and with technical terms. Use numerals with percent written out in running text. Use numeral with % sign in charts and when comparing many statistics. Make sure apostrophe goes in the correct direction. Avoid ordinal in complete dates where the day follows the month. Orphans Oxford or Serial comma An orphan is the first line or word in a paragraph that is set as the last line of a page or a column. With gratitude to my parents, Mother Teresa, and the pope. With gratitude to my parents, Mother Teresa and the pope. Avoid any words or numbers that hang out at the end of a line of copy. Do not use the Oxford comma except in rare occasions where the omission of the Oxford comma would create ambiguity. Phone numbers Use periods, not dashes. Plurals DU offers master s degrees. Held in the DU Deans Dining Room. DU offers masters degrees. Held in the DU Dean s Dining Room. Check for correct plural and do not assume the context is the same each time. Possessive case Daniels students Daniels s students For singular proper names ending in s, use only an apostrophe, with the exception of Daniels, which does not have an apostrophe. Quotation marks He said it will thrive. He said it will thrive. In the U.S., the period sits inside the quotation marks. Section 11 Daniels Writing Style 7

8 Rankings Financial Times 2008 Executive MBA rankings: #90 internationally and only Colorado school on list Financial Times #90 and only Colorado school listed Résumé His résumé shows his work experience. His resume shows no work experience. List complete ranking. Do not extract parts of the ranking to list on its own. For complete list of rankings, go to: daniels.du.edu/aboutus/rankings Both are correct but accent marks are preferred. Seasons Flowers bloom in spring. Classes being in fall. Daniels Fall quarter starts in September. Flowers bloom in Spring. Classes being in Fall. Daniels fall quarter starts in September Do not capitalize the seasons. The only exception to this is when the season is mentioned in association with a university quarter. (Ex. Fall quarter, Spring quarter). Do not capitalize quarter. Spacing There is only one space after a period. This is correct. There are two spaces after this sentence. This is not correct. Word processing software inserts the correct spacing between sentences. State designations Denver, CO He lives in Denver, Colo., but spends summers in Phoenix, Ariz. He lives in Denver, CO, but spends summers in Phoenix, Ariz. Be consistent within the same document. His address is 2 Broadway, Delta, CO Denver, Colo. Denver, Colorado Telephone numbers see Phone numbers see Phone numbers see Phone numbers The/the such as Columbia, Harvard and the University of Southern California. such as Columbia, Harvard and University of Southern California. Add the when necessary for proper flow of language. Time Titles Noon 1 p.m. 8 a.m. 10:30 p.m. 9:30 10 a.m. Dr. James Smith James Smith, PhD 12:00 pm 1:00 p.m. 8:00 AM 10:30 pm 9:30 a.m. 10:00 a.m. Dr. James Smith, Ph.D. No need to use the :00 after a whole number with time. Morning and afternoon is referred to as a.m. or p.m. and noon and midnight are specified as such to avoid confusion with each other if written as 12:00 or 12. Dr. and PhD are redundant. At Daniels, all PhD designations do not contain periods. Toward/towards As we move toward the future As we move towards the future Toward is preferred in U.S. Web/website Find our website on the Web. Find our Web site on the web. Capitalize Web when referring to World Wide Web as formal name. Western/western West/west Eastern/eastern East/east business practices of the Western world Here in the West, DU Chou worked in the Far East after living on the West Coast in Los Angeles. business practices of the western world Here in the west, DU Chou worked in the far east after living on the west coast in Los Angeles. Western/West: Relating to or characteristics of a region, specifically America and Europe or the western U.S. Capitalize East: Regions or countries lying to the east of Europe, esp. China, Japan and India, or the eastern U.S. Widows Find the Daniels website on the Web. Find the Daniels website on the Web. Avoid short words that stand on a line alone. 8 Daniels Writing Style Section 11

9 Branded Boilerplate Paragraphs Feel free to use these paragraphs to copy and paste into documents when you need to describe the Daniels College of Business. About Daniels The Big Picture. The Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver is globally recognized as a leader in providing business education. Grounded in ethics, our educational experience not only teaches students, it transforms lives. As a learning community, our students, faculty and staff nurture service, outreach and personal integrity as we proactively tackle the tough business issues of our day. We recognize the value of collaboration, an enterprising spirit and a rigorous curriculum that is not bound by classroom walls or continents. Our alumni are intensely aware that learning doesn t end on graduation day and that connections are not severed by geography. It is a place where faculty members are friends as well as mentors. It is a place where students become teachers. Above all, it is a place where our core values of community, excellence, professionalism and collaboration show through in the work we do and the impact we have on the world. About Daniels Facts & Rankings. The Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver ranks among the top business schools in the world by Bloomberg Businessweek, U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review. Founded in 1908, Daniels is among the first business colleges in the U.S., including Wharton, Chicago, Berkeley, Dartmouth, New York, Wisconsin, Illinois, Harvard, Northwestern, and Pittsburgh. As the eighth-oldest collegiate school of business in the country, Daniels built a curriculum producing accountable citizens of the world who are business sharp, stakeholder savvy and future ready. About Daniels The Compass. The Daniels Compass is more than a classroom experience. It is the ethical framework that cuts across our curriculum to enrich everything we do. Students practice ethical decisionmaking through experiential learning opportunities in the community and around the world. We teach problem solving with real-world problems, sustainability through corporate partnerships, and we weave social responsibility through the fundamentals of business. Students learn through graduate and undergraduate courses and programming including the Leading at the Edge Weekend and Ethics Bootcamp designed to prepare them for the future through lessons in leadership, teambuilding, ethics, sustainability, innovation and globalization. Section 11 Daniels Writing Style 9