Consistency of Editorial Style on Stockton's Web Site

In this section, the learner will:

recognize the editorial style used on Stockton's Web site.

Important Consistency Rule of Thumb for Editorial Style:

Be consistent in use of editorial style throughout documents and Web site for

all elements, such as presentation of URLs, use of commas (serial vs. non-

serial), use of capitalization, etc.

Stockton employs two editorial references for its published documents

including its Web site, The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition

and Webster's New College Dictionary (Fourth Edition).

An editorial style guide specific to Stockton based on The Chicago Manual of

Style, 16th Edition and Webster's New College Dictionary (Fourth Edition)

has been developed by Kim A. McCabe, Director, Publications/Creative

Services. The complete document and sections of the document by topic can

be accessed below in pdf form. To access the complete document or a topic,

click on the title.

For internal use// Publications/Creative Services //Editorial Style Guide

Last revised 5/18/2010

Prepared by: Kim A. McCabe, Director, Publications/Creative Services

Editorial Reference Sources:

Webster’s New World College Dictionary (Fourth Edition)

The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition. (2003). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

A

abbreviations

Use periods in academic degrees and professional and honorary designations. For

example, B.A., B.S., Ph.D.

For states use the abbreviated form of the U.S. Postal system.

AL, (Alaska, AK), (American Samoa, AS), AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA,

(Guam, GU), HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE,

NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, PR, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA,

VI, WA, WV, WI, WY

ACT, American College Testing

Consider the value of including this statement in publications:

accreditation The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education—Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Social Work Program has been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The teacher education sequence has been approved by the New Jersey Department of Education and the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification. The Nursing Program has been accredited by the New Jersey Board of Nursing and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The Chemistry Program offers a B.S. track accredited by the American Chemical Society. The Physical Therapy Program has been accredited by the American Physical

Therapy Association. The Environmental Health Track of the Public Health Program has been accredited by the National Environmental Health Sciences and Protection Accreditation Council, and that program‘s Health Administration Track has been accredited by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration. The Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA).

acreage 2,000-acre campus

acronyms

These are usually set in full caps with no periods.

ACT (American College Testing)

EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund)

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

GED (general equivalency diploma)

MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)

RN (registered nurse)

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

WLFR, 91.7 FM (campus radio [Lake Fred Radio])

-------------------------------------------------------------

Commonly Used Acronyms at The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Program Schools

ARHU Arts and Humanities

GENS General Studies

GRAD Graduate Studies

NAMS Natural Sciences and Math

PROS Professional Studies

SOBL Social and Behavioral Sciences

EDUC Education

BSNS Business

Undergraduate Course Acronyms

ACCT Accounting

ANTH Anthropology

ARTP Performing Arts

ARTV Visual Arts

BASK Basic Skills

BIOL Biology

Biochemistry/Molecular Biology

BSNS Business

CHEM Chemistry

COMM Communications

Computational Science

CRIM Criminal Justice

CSIS Computer Science Information/Systems

ECON Economics

EDUC Educational Studies

ENGN Engineering

ENVL Environmental Sciences

FINA Finances

GAH General Arts and Humanities

GEN General Interdisciplinary Skills/Topics

GEOL Geology

GERO Gerontology

GIS General Integration and Synthesis

GNM General Natural Science and Math

GSS General Social and Behavioral Sciences

HIST Historical Studies

HOSP Hospitality Management

INTL International Studies

Languages & Cultural Studies

LANG Romance and Classical Languages and Literature

Liberal Studies

LITT Literature

MARS Marine Science

MATH Mathematics

MGMT Management

MKTG Marketing

NURS Nursing

PHIL Philosophy and Religion

PHTH Physical Therapy

PHYS Physics

PLAW Public Law

POLS Political Science

PSYC Psychology

PUBH Public Health

SOCY Sociology

Sociology & Anthropology

SOWK Social Work

SPAD Speech Pathology and Audiology

Studies on the Arts

Graduate Program Course Acronyms

ACCT Accounting

BSNS Business Administration

CRIM Criminal Justice

EDUC Education

FINA Finance

HOSP Hospitality Management

INTC Instructional Technology

MAHG Holocaust and Genocide Studies

MGMT Management

NURS Nursing

OCTH Occupational Therapy

PHTH Physical Therapy

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advisor

Rather than adviser

afterward

Not afterwards

Alumni year of graduation

Do not include a comma between the alumni name and the year of graduation.

Joe Smith ‗03

Americans with Disabilities Act / Accessibility

Invitations to campus or to an event should include the following text:

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is committed to providing equal access to its

programs and facilities for persons with disabilities. Those persons with special needs should

notify [telephone number and/or name of the College organization] at least 14 days before

the event you will attend.

among/between

Two entities, use between

More than two entities, use among.

application deadlines

Undergraduate: Fall term, May 1 for freshmen [first-year students], June 1 for transfers and

readmits, March 15 for international students

Spring term, December 1 for freshmen [first-year students], transfers and readmits

associate degree

Not associate‘s degree

assure

To put a person‘s mind to rest (e.g., I assured her of my cooking skills.).

Athletics and Recreation

The College is a Division III member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Eastern

Collegiate Athletic Conference and the New Jersey Athletic Conference.

Fall

Men's Soccer

Women's Soccer

Volleyball

Cross Country

Women's Tennis

Field Hockey

Ice Hockey

Winter

Men's Basketball

Women's Basketball

Indoor Track and Field

Cheerleading

Spring

Lacrosse

Baseball

Softball

Women's Rowing and Field

Outdoor Track & Field

B

baccalaureate

C

capitalization

Avoid capitalization of generic terms (e.g., master‘s degree, college, and program).

When referring to The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, ―College‖ is capitalized.

Offices, Committees, the Board of Trustees, Divisions

The formal names of offices, programs, committees, divisions and institutions are

capitalized; informal names and incomplete designations are not.

Program in Criminal Justice; criminal justice program; the program

College Technology and Media Committee; technology committee; the

committee

Office of Admissions; the admissions office; the office

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey Board of Trustees; the board of

trustees; the trustees; the board

Division of Student Affairs, the student affairs division

Events

The formal names of special events are capitalized.

Stay on Campus Weekend; Instant Decisions Days; Spring Commencement;

registration (is not capitalized because it‘s a description of a specific period of

time, not a special event).

EXCEPTION: Titles of People within the Stockton Community

Titles should be consistently capitalized.

President Saatkamp;

Dr. Herman J. Saatkamp Jr., President of The Richard Stockton College of

New Jersey; the President

NOTE: Avoid use of comma before Jr. in Dr. Saatkamp‘s name. (Or, if

commas are used, use a pair of commas around Jr.)

Vice President Joe Smith, Ph.D.

Dr. Joe Smith, Vice President for Student Affairs

Places

The formal names of buildings, places, and centers are capitalized:

Ann F. Townsend Residential Life Center

Townsend Residential Life Center (TRLC)

Carnegie Library Center

Center for Academic Advising

Center for Instructional Media and Technology

College Center

Commons Building

Elizabeth B. Alton Auditorium

Free To Be Child Care Center

Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming, Hospitality and Tourism

Mainland Division of the Atlantic City Medical Center

Performing Arts Center

Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center

Southern Regional Institute and Educational Technology Training Center

SRI and ETTC

Sports Center

StockMarket

Stockton Center on Successful Aging

The Lodge at Lakeside

The Richard Stockton Coastal Research Center

Coastal Research Center

William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy

Tests

The formal names of standardized tests are capitalized.

Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT)

American College Testing (ACT)

Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

co-chair

coeducation

commas

Avoid the serial comma. In a series consisting of three or more elements, commas do not

separate the second and third elements, except in those instances when it provides clarity

to the reader.

computer addresses (URLs)

Avoid breaking the address at the end of a line. If it must be broken, do not hyphenate the

broken address.

consistency (important rule of thumb)

Be consistent in use of style throughout document for all elements, such as presentation of

URLs, use of commas (serial vs. non-serial), use of capitalization, etc.

course work

Two words

D

dash

An ―em‖ dash is used to indicate a sudden break in thought that causes an abrupt

change in sentence structure (e.g., ―I want to go to the store—I need a new dress—

before the end of the day.).

En-dash is used to connect numbers or dates (ranges); e.g., 1971–2004.

degrees

The word degree should not follow an abbreviation.

wrong: She has a B.A. degree in English.

right: She has a B.A. in English.

She has a bachelor‘s degree in English.

When referring to degrees in general, the type of degree is lowercased.

They all earned master‘s degrees.

She has a bachelor‘s degree.

Formal names of degree programs should be used upon first reference.

BACHELOR OF ARTS

1. Applied Physics

2. Biology 3. Business Studies 4. Chemistry

5. Communications 6. Computational Science

7. Computer Science and Information Systems 8. Criminal Justice 9. Economics

10.Environmental Studies 11.Geology

12.Historical Studies 13.Liberal Studies 14.Literature

15.Marine Science 16.Mathematics

17.Philosophy and Religion 18.Political Science

19.Psychology

20.Romance and Classical Languages 21.Sociology and Anthropology

22.Studies in the Arts 23.Teacher Education

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

24.Applied Physics 25.Biochemistry/Molecular Biology 26.Biology

27.Business Studies 28.Chemistry

29.Computer Science and Information Systems 30.Environmental Studies 31.Geology

32.Marine Science 33.Mathematics

34.Psychology 35.Public Health 36.Social Work

37.Speech Pathology and Audiology 38.Nursing (B.S.N.)

GRADUATE PROGRAMS

1. Master of Science in Computational Science 2. Master of Arts in Criminal Justice 3. Master of Arts in Education 4. Master of Arts in Educational Leadership 5. Master of Science in Environmental Science 6. Master of Arts in Holocaust and Genocide Studies 7. Master of Arts in Instructional Technology 8. Master of Business Administration 9. Master of Science in Nursing 10. Master of Science in Occupational Therapy 11. Master of Social Work 12. Post-Baccalaureate Paralegal Certificate Program (PARA) 13. Post-Master's Certificate: New Jersey Standard Supervisor Endorsement

DOCTORAL PROGRAM

1. Doctor of Physical Therapy 2. Post-Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy

domain name

Excludes the leading http:// unless the URL does not begin with the standard www.

E

e-mail

Use as a noun; also acceptable as a verb.

Ensure (See insure.)

To guarantee or to make certain of.

EOF, Educational Opportunity Fund

Equity in Athletics Act

This statement appears annually in Signals:

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey abides by all policies and procedures

identified by the NCAA regarding the Equity in Athletics Act. Please know that all

pertinent records relating to Stockton‘s student-athletes are on file with the Office

of Athletics and Recreation, Sports Center, Room 303.

Equal Opportunity Statement

This statement—or it‘s shortened version (see guidelines online) should appear in

all print publications.

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is an equal opportunity college. It does

not discriminate in admission or access to its programs and activities or in

treatment or employment of individuals on the basis of race, gender, national origin

or ancestry, age, religion, disability, affectional or sexual orientation, marital status,

familial status, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information,

and/or liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States.

extracurricular

experiential

F

faculty

As a singular noun, represents all of the instructors of the College (or one of its

programs); takes a singular verb.

FAFSA, Free Application for Federal Student Aid

FAQs

No apostrophe.

fax

Use as noun or verb.

first-come, first-served basis

Note use of hyphens

freshman

There‘s a trend toward the use of the term first-year student, but freshman is acceptable

full-time, full time

He is a full-time student and he works full time.

G

GMAT, Graduate Management Admission Test

grade point average (GPA)

No hyphens, open compound, uppercase GPA

GRE, Graduate Record Examination

H

headlines

Titles: Capitalize the first word, last word and all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs,

adverbs and subordinating conjunctions. Articles, coordinating conjunctions, and

prepositions are lowercased.

hyphenation

Use to create compound modifiers in some, but not all, cases.

co-chair

coeducational

co-ops (but cooperative education)

extracurricular

field trip

first-come, first-served basis

full-time faculty (but students attend full time)

grade point average

healthcare

interdisciplinary

laptop

multidisciplinary

non-refundable deposit

off-campus apartment (but some students reside off campus)

post-master‘s certificate

pre-career student

pre-medical students

pre-professional student

upper-division courses

Web-based education

Web-enhanced courses (but courses are Web enhanced)

well-rounded student (but the student is well rounded)

work-study programs

home page

Two words.

I

ID

inclusive (nonsexist) language

Use nonsexist language.

Avoid gender-specific titles or terms:

instead of ... write

chairman ... chair

businessman ... business executive, manager

cameraman ... camera operator

coed ... student, woman student

congressman ... representative, senator

fireman ... firefighter

forefathers ... ancestors

foreman ... supervisor

mailman ... mail carrier

insure (See ensure.)

Guarantee against risk; insurance.

interdisciplinary

Internet

With a capital I.

intranet

With a lower case i.

J

K

L

M

MCAT, Medical College Admission Test

N

non

Generally use without hyphen.

numbers

Spell out numbers one through nine. Numbers 10 and higher can be written as a

number (except when referring to the number of credits in a course (e.g., 4

credits).

There were six students in the classroom.

There are 12 squirrels on that tree.

There were 21 people in the cafeteria.

There are 6,000 full-time students.

But,

There are a thousand excuses.

All numbers beginning a sentence are written out.

Use commas for numbers 1,000 and above.

O

off-campus, off campus

The hyphen is used when off-campus is used as a compound modifier and without the

hyphen when, it is used as a prepositional phrase.

Example: Even though he wanted to live on campus, he ended up living in off-

campus housing. (In this instance, on campus is a prepositional phrase, off-campus

is modifying housing.)

on-campus, on campus

The hyphen is used when on-campus is used as a compound modifier and without the

hyphen, when it is used as a prepositional phrase.

Example: There‘s always something happening off campus, but I prefer on-campus

events. (In this instance, off campus is a prepositional phrase, on-campus is

modifying events.)

online

one word, no hyphen

P

As per Chicago Manual of Style, 9.19, percentages are given in numerals. In

standard text, the word percent is used, unless many percentages are included, in

which case the symbol % can be used.

PIN

Acronym for personal identification number

Q

quotation marks

Commas and periods go inside quotation marks. Semicolons and colons go outside quotation marks.

R ranges

Write out ―to‖ and ―through‖ when using ranges or spans in text (instead of an en

dash).

The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Use the full name on first reference and the short name ―Stockton College‖ is

acceptable there after; also ―Stockton‖ and ―College.‖

S

seasons (see terms)

The names of the four seasons are lowercased, unless personified.

spring Father Winter (as a person)

fall

self-

A hyphen follows the prefix.

semi colon

Marks stronger breaks in a sentence flow than that represented by a comma.

Social Security number

Note capitalization.

Special Words List

database

e-journal

e-mail

e-newsletter

e-portfolio

E-zine

FTP

Internet

online

PDF

URL

Web

advisor

baccalaureate degree

cable TV

capstone course

coeducational

course load

course work

faculty (singular noun)

home page

Internet intramural sports

Stockton Now

Web site

World Wide Web

SSTV

Stockton Student Television

T

telephone numbers

When publishing a telephone number, call the number to make sure it is correct. Avoid

breaking telephone numbers in text. Maintain area code presentation throughout document;

either (609) or 609-//be consistent

terms (see seasons)

fall term, fall 2004, and spring term, spring 2005; avoid use of uppercase, unless

used at the beginning of a sentence or as part of a specific title.

that or which

―That‖ introduces a restrictive clause and ―which‖ introduces a nonrestrictive

clause. As per Chicago Manual of Style, 5.202, ―In polished American prose, that is

used restrictively to narrow a category or identify a particular item being talked

about {any building that is taller must be outside the state}; which is used

nonrestrictively—not to narrow…but to add something about an item already

identified {alongside the officer trotted a toy poodle, which is hardly a typical police

dog}.‖

time

Set abbreviations for divisions of the day in lowercase: 4 p.m., 3:36 a.m.

TOEFL, Test of English as a Foreign Language

toward

Not towards

U

ULTRA

Undergraduate Learning Training and Awareness Program

upward Not upwards

V

W

Web

Note capitalization.

web based

In or around the World Wide Web; to function within the World Wide Web.

web enhanced

As an adjective to be understood as being supported or amplified by the World Wide Web.

To function interactively with the World Wide Web.

Web page Note capitalization. A single file on the World Wide Web, providing text, graphical images,

etc.

Web site

Note capitalization. A location on the World Wide Web, consisting of one or more Web pages

accessible at a single address.

which or that

See that or which.

WLRF

workstation

One word

worldwide

World Wide Web URL: http://www.stockton.edu; otherwise use domain name, www.stockton.edu.

X

Y

Z

ZIP code Note capitalization of ZIP