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.

Use acronyms only after spelling them out in first reference to eliminate confusion, and use the acronym in parentheses on first reference. Use the acronym without parentheses on second reference.

I am a student at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). NEOMED has great faculty and staff.

Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address. Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number. Always spell out all similar words (alley, drive, road, etc.):

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Pennsylvania Avenue

Lowercase and spell out when use alone or with more than one street name:

Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues

Always use figures for an address number:

9 Morningdale Circle

Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used in a street name; use fi gures with two letters for 10th and above:

7 Fifth Ave.

100 21st St.

Abbreviate compass points used to indicate directional ends of a street on quadrants of a city in a numbered address; do not abbreviate if the number is omitted.

222 E. 42nd St.

600 K St. NW

West 43rd St.

K St. Southeast

Use periods in the abbreviation P.O. for P.O. Box numbers

Rule 1

Use effect when you mean bring about or brought about, cause or caused ― e.g., He effected a commotion in the crowd. Meaning: He caused a commotion in the crowd.

Rule 2

Use effect when you mean result ― e.g., What effect did that speech have?

Rule 3

Also use effect whenever any of these words precede it: a, an, any, the, take, into, no.

NOTE: These words may be separated from effect by an adjective. Examples: That book had a long-lasting effect on my thinking. Has the medicine produced any noticeable effects?

Rule 4

Use the verb affect when you mean to infl uence rather than to cause ― e.g., How do the budget cuts affect your staffing?

Rule 5

Affect is used as a noun to mean emotional expression ― e.g., She showed little affect when told she had won the lottery.

Both “African-American” and “black” are acceptable, though not necessarily interchangeable.

Follow a person’s preference.

Use numerals.

When the context does not require years or years old, the figure is presumed to be years.

Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as a substitute for a noun:

She has a 5-year-old boy.

The girl is 15 years old.

The woman is in her 30s. (no apostrophe)

The woman, 26, has a son, 2 months old.

Jim Snow (26), Carrie Webb (25), Sarah James (24) and Jesse White (24) all work here.

Between is used to show the relationship between two entities; among is used when more than two are involved.

An event cannot be described as annual unless it has been held in at least two successive years; do not use the term first annual, instead, note that the sponsors plan to hold the event annually.

A person of Asian birth or descent who lives in the U.S. When possible, refer to a person’s country of origin. For example: Filipino-American or Indian-American. Follow the person’s preference.

Both “black” and “African-American” are acceptable.

A general rule is that official names are capitalized; unofficial, informal, shortened or generic names are not. This rule applies to names of offices, buildings, schools, departments, programs, centers, institutes, etc.

Capitalize official names of bulletins, forms, conventions, conferences, symposia, etc.

Names of seasons, one-time events are generally not capitalized:

autumn 2011

prologue

registration

commencement

For historical or documentary accuracy, follow the capitalization of original texts.

Lowercase, spell out numbers less than 10: the first century; the 21st century. Do not hyphenate:

This was a 21st century addition to the College.

Use caps and ampersands as the official company name dictates. Abbreviate Co. and Corp., unless doing so makes the name confusing.

Complement is something that completes or enhances; compliment is an expression of respect or admiration.

Capitalize U.S. Congress and Congress when referring to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. Although Congress sometimes is used as a substitute for the House, it properly is reserved for reference to both the Senate and House.

Capitalize Congress also if referring to a foreign body that uses the term, or its equivalent in a foreign language, as part of its formal name: the Argentine Congress, the Congress.

Lowercase when used as a synonym for convention or in second reference to an organization that uses the word as part of its formal name: the Congress of Racial Equality, the congress.

Preferred reference to University publics; use in place of stakeholders.

Do not capitalize general course names; capitalize proper names and specific course names:

I am taking biology, you are taking Brain, Mind and Behavior.

Spell out months when used alone or with the year only:

This has been a hot August.

He joined the faculty in September 2008.

Except for March, April, May, June and July, abbreviate the month when used with a specific day.

She started working here on Sept. 2, 2011.

Do not use a comma between the month and year when no specific day is mentioned.

The same rule applies to seasons:

He joined the faculty in September 2008.

She enrolled in fall 2000.

When referring to a month, day and year, place a comma between the day and year.

Place a comma after the year when a phrase with a month, day and year is used in a sentence:

She was born Dec. 5, 1945.

Feb. 21, 1987, was the target date.

Do not use “on” with dates unless its absence would lead to confusion:

Correct: The program ends Dec. 15.

Incorrect: The program ends on Dec. 15.

To indicate sequences or inclusive dates, use an en dash:

Apply here May 5-9.

Do not use “st,” “nd,” “rd” or “th” with dates:

Correct: Stop by on Oct. 14.

Incorrect: Stop by on Oct. 14th.

Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc., to indicate depth, height, length and width.

Hyphenate adjectival forms before nouns:

He is 5 feet 6 inches tall, the 5-foot-6-inch man, the 5-foot man, the basketball team signed a 7-footer.

Do not describe an individual as disabled or handicapped. If a description must be used, try to be specific:

An ad featuring actor Michael J. Fox swaying noticeably from the effects of

Parkinson’s disease drew nationwide attention.

Avoid descriptions that connote pity, such as “afflicted with” or “suffers from” and instead say the person has the condition.

Do not capitalize general diseases or conditions such as arthritis, emphysema, leukemia,
pneumonia, etc.

When a disease is known by the name of a person identified with it, capitalize only the
individual’s name:

Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, etc.

Avoid such expressions as “He is battling cancer” or “She is a stroke victim.” Use neutral and precise descriptions: He has cancer. She is a stroke patient.

Because the word drugs has come to be used as a synonym for narcotics in recent years, “prescriptions” or “medicine” is frequently the better word to specify that an individual is taking medication.

Use numerals like $3 rather than 3 dollars except in casual references or amounts without a figure.

For amounts of more than $1 million, use the $ and up to two decimal places.

Meaning for example, it is always followed by a comma.

One word, lower case, no hyphen. Acceptable in all references for electronic mail:

My email address is jsmith@neomed.edu.

Not the same as retired.

The titles emeritus (male) or emerita (female) are bestowed on many, but not all, retiring faculty.

When used, emeritus follows the formal title:

professor emeritus of biology

president emeritus

dean emerita of medicine

When it’s all-male or a mixed group, the correct term is professors emeriti.

Farther refers to physical distance. Further refers to an extension of time or degree.

Fewer applies to numbers and modifies a plural noun. Less applies to quantities and modifies a singular noun:

She now eats fewer meals and less candy.

The phrase “international students” is preferred.

Spell out amounts less than one, using hyphens: two-thirds, seven-sixteenths. Use figures for precise amounts larger than one, converting to decimals whenever practical.

In tabular material, use figures exclusively.

One word in all cases.

Used to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual except in clinical contexts referencing sexual activity. Sexual orientation is not synonymous with gender.

Capitalize the full proper names of governmental agencies, departments and offices:

The U.S. Department of State, the Georgia Department of Human Resources, the Boston City Council, the Chicago Fire Department

All words that are capitalized when part of a proper name should be lowercased when they are used in the plural or do not refer to a specific, existing body:

All states except Nebraska have a state senate. The town does not have a fire department.

The bill requires city councils to provide matching funds. The president will address the lower houses of the New York and New Jersey legislatures.

Acceptable in all references for grade-point average.

A person from ― or whose ancestors were from ― a Spanish-speaking land or culture. Latino and Latina are sometimes preferred. Follow the person’s preference. Use a more specific identification when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican or Mexican-American.

(See Latino.)

One word when referring to a website.

Capitalize when referring to a specific governmental body:

The U.S. House of Representatives; the Massachusetts House of Representatives.

Capitalize shortened references that delete the words “of Representatives”:

The U.S. House; the Massachusetts House.

Lowercase plural uses:

The Massachusetts and Rhode Island houses.

Abbreviation for the Latin word id est or that is (to say) and is always followed by a comma.

Abbreviate when part of a name; do not set off with commas.

Generally, avoid using middle initials. When two initials are used together, omit the space in the middle:

T.S. Elliot

The phrase “international students” is preferable to “foreign students.”

Lowercase “internet,” “the net” and “the web” when referring to the internet. Also, lowercase “web” when used with another word to form a compound noun or adjective: website.

Microsoft Corp.’s Web browser.

Use IPad when the word starts a sentence or headline. Use the generic tablet unless specifically referring to the iPad.

Use IPhone when the word starts a sentence or headline.

Use IPod when the word starts a sentence or headline.

Abbreviate as Jr. and Sr. only with full names of persons. Do not precede by a comma:

Martin Luther King Jr.

The notation II may be used if it is the individual’s preference. Note, however, that II is not necessarily the equivalent of junior. It is often used by a grandson or nephew. To distinguish between father and son in second reference, use the elder Smith or the younger Smith.

Spell out as part of an official name or in first reference. Lab is acceptable as a second reference.

Capitalize the main words in the official names of campus landmarks.

A person who hails from or whose family background is in Mexico, Central America, parts of the West Indies or South America, where Spanish, Portuguese and French are the official languages derived from Latin.

Often the preferred term for a person from — or whose ancestors were from — a Spanish speaking land or culture or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form. Follow the person’s preference. Use a more specific identification when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian or Mexican-American. Latino and Hispanic should not be used interchangeably.

Capitalize when preceded by the name of a state:

The Kansas Legislature

Retain capitalization when the state name is dropped but the reference is specifically to that state’s legislature.

See gay

Acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer. In quotations and the formal names of organizations and events, other forms such as LGBTQIA and other variations are also acceptable with the other letters explained. I generally stands for intersex, and A can stand for asexual (a person who doesn’t experience sexual attraction), ally (a person who is not LGBT but who actively supports the LGBT community) or both. Queer is acceptable for people and organizations that use the term to identify themselves. Do not use it when intended as a slur.

Lie means a state of reclining (lie, lay, lain, lying). It can mean an untruth (lie, lied, lying).

Lay means an action is being taken, and it requires an object (lay, laid, laying).

Capitalize the initial letters of the name but do not place it in quotes. Lowercase the word magazine unless it is part of the publication’s formal title:

Harper’s Magazine

Newsweek magazine

The federal health care insurance program for people aged 65 and over, and for the disabled.

Eligibility is based mainly on eligibility for Social Security.

Medicare helps pay charges for hospitalization, for stays in skilled nursing facilities, for physician’s charges and for some associated health costs.

In Canada, Medicare refers to the nation’s national health insurance program.

A federal-state program that helps pay for health care for the needy, aged, blind and disabled, and for low-income families with children.

A state determines eligibility and which health services are covered. The federal government reimburses a percentage of the state’s expenditures.

The federal health care insurance program for people aged 65 and over, and for the disabled.

Eligibility is based mainly on eligibility for Social Security.

Medicare helps pay charges for hospitalization, for stays in skilled nursing facilities, for physician’s charges and for some associated health costs.

In Canada, Medicare refers to the nation’s national health insurance program.

The basic unit of length in the metric system.

It is equal to approximately 39.37 inches, which may be rounded off to 39.5 inches in most comparisons.

It takes 100 centimeters to make a meter; it takes 1,000 meters to make a kilometer.

To convert to inches, multiply by 39.37 (5 meters x 39.37 = 196.85 inches); to convert to yards, multiply by 1.1 (5 meters x 1.1 = 5.5 yards).

Use a hyphen only when a capitalized word follows or when connecting a word with a numeral:

mid-America

midterm

mid-70s

The geographic region Midwest is capitalized.

Use according to a person’s preference.

Include middle initials in stories where they help identify a specific individual. A middle initial may be dropped if a person does not use one or is publicly known without it:

Mickey Mantle (not Mickey C.), the Rev. Billy Graham (not Billy F.).

Use them only with people who are publicly known that way (James Earl Jones), or to prevent confusion with people of the same name.

As defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, the region includes Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

One-thousandth of a gram; equal to approximately one-twenty-eight-thousandth of an ounce.

To convert to ounces, multiply by 0.000035 (140 milligrams x 0.000035 equals 0.0049 ounce).

One-thousandth of a liter; equal to approximately one-fifth of a teaspoon.

Thirty milliliters equals 1 fluid ounce.

To convert to teaspoons, multiply by 0.2 (5 milliliters x 0.2 equals 1 teaspoon).

One-thousandth of a meter.

It takes 10 millimeters to make a centimeter.

To convert to inches, multiply by 0.04 (5 millimeters x 0.04 is 0.2 of an inch).

May be abbreviated as mm when used with a numeral in first or subsequent references to film or weapons: 35 mm film, 105 mm artillery piece. (Note space after numeral.)

Use figures with million or billion in all except casual uses:

I’d like to make a billion dollars.

I need $7 billion.

Decimals are preferred to fractions where practical; do not go beyond two decimal places.

Do not drop the word million or billion in the first figure of a range:

He is worth from $2 million to $4 million. (Not $2 to $4 million, unless you really mean $2.00.)

A hyphen is not used to join the figures and the word million and billion:

The president submitted a $300 billion budget.

Capitalize names in all uses.

When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

Spell out when using alone or with a year alone:

On Wednesday, Aug. 10, the accident occurred.

Jan. 2 was the coldest day of the month.

September 1992 was a cold month.

Either is acceptable in all uses to indicate greater numerical value: Salaries went up more than $20 a week. Salaries went up over $20 a week.

Magnetic resonance imaging, a noninvasive diagnostic procedure used to render images of the inside of an object. It is primarily used in medical imaging to demonstrate pathological or other physiological alterations of living tissues. MRI is acceptable on first reference and in all uses.

In general, use only last names on second reference unless the individual holds a doctoral degree. If this is the case, use that title on second reference.

When it is necessary to distinguish between two people who use the same last name, as in married couples or brothers and sisters, use the first and last name.

Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, races, tribes, etc.

Arab, Arabic, African, American, Caucasian, Cherokee, Chinese (both singular and plural), Eskimo (plural Eskimos), French Canadian, Japanese (singular and plural), Jew, Jewish, Nordic, Sioux, Swede, etc.

One word.

Acceptable for those in the U.S. Follow the person’s preference. Where possible, be precise and use the name of the tribe.

Capitalize the word the in a newspaper’s name if that is the way the publication prefers to be known. Do not place the name in quotes. Italicize the name of the newspaper.

Do not use a hyphen when non is used as a prefix to create a compound that does not have a special meaning and can be understood if the word not is used:

Nonprofit

Nonentity

Use a hyphen before proper nouns or in awkward combinations:

Non-nuclear

Use a hyphen before proper nouns and in awkward constructions:

non-English speaking people; non-nuclear submarine.

Usually means no single one. When used in this sense, it always takes singular verbs
and pronouns:

None of the seats was in its right place.

Use a plural verb only if the sense is no two or no amount.

One word.

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:

They had three sons and two daughters.

They had a fleet of 10 cars and two busses.

They had 10 dogs, six cats and nine hamsters.

Spell out the word first, etc. Do not use 1st.

In running text, when referring to dollar amounts in millions, use the numeral and million, rather than zeros:

$6 million (not $6,000,000)

In text, express years in four numbers except when casually referencing someone’s year of graduation:

1985, not ‘85

John Smith (‘85)

Use No. with a figure to show rank:

The department ranked No. 3 in the nation this year.

Acceptable in all references for obstetrics and gynecology, a medical specialty.

One word, lower case.

Capitalize the full names of organizations and institutions:

the American Medical Association; First Presbyterian Church; General Motors Co.; Harvard University, Harvard University Medical School; the Procrastinators Club; the Society of Professional Journalists.

Retain capitalization if Co., Corp. or a similar word is deleted from the full proper name.

One word, spelled out. It takes a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an of construction. Use figures for percent and percentages:

The professor said 60 percent was a failing grade.

He said 50 percent of the membership was there.

1 percent

For amounts less than 1 percent, precede the decimal with a zero

The cost of living rose 0.6 percent.

Lowercase with periods. Avoid redundancy

She arrived at 10 a.m. (not: She arrived at 10 a.m. this morning.)

Use noon or midnight rather than 12 p.m. or 12 a.m.

Follow Webster’s New World College Dictionary. Hyphenate if not listed there:

Postdoctoral

Postelection

Postgraduate

Postoperative

Post-mortem

Post-Baccalaureate

Identification by race is pertinent:

― In biographical and announcement stories that involve a feat or appointment not routinely associated with members of a particular race.

― When it provides the reader with a substantial insight into conflicting emotions known or likely to be involved in a demonstration or similar event.

In some stories that involve a conflict, it is equally important to specify that an issue cuts across racial lines. If, for example, a demonstration by supporters of busing to achieve racial balance in schools includes a substantial number of whites, that fact should be noted.

Do not use a hyphen when referring to a “top 10” or “top 25” program.

The abbreviation for the French respondez s’il vous plait, it means please reply. Therefore, it not necessary to use the word please with RSVP.

Abbreviate states in a dateline when they appear in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base. EXCEPTIONS: Do not abbreviate Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah.

Spell out the names of the states in the body of the story whether they appear alone or in conjunction with the name of a city, town, village or military base.

Whenever full addresses are used, abbreviate all states using postal code abbreviations.

Use figures for all except zero. Use a word, not a minus sign, to indicate temperatures below zero.

Use figures except for noon and midnight. Only use a colon when you have both hours and minutes: 3:30 p.m.

11 a.m. and 1 p.m. are correct; 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. should not be used.

Use a dash when time range is in the same time of day: 9-11 a.m.

Use “to” when a time range crosses time periods: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Use that and which in referring to inanimate objects and to animals without a name. Use that for essential clauses, important to the meaning of a sentence, and without commas:

I remember the day that we met.

Use which for nonessential clauses, where the pronoun is less necessary, and use commas:

The team, which finished last a year ago, is in first place.

Tip: If you can drop the clause and not lose the meaning of the sentence, use which; otherwise, use that. A which clause is surrounded by commas; no commas are used with that clauses.

Capitalized, no hyphen.

There are three types:

A short ton is equal to 2,000 pounds.

A long ton, also known as a British ton, is equal to 2,240 pounds.

A metric ton is equal to 1,000 kilograms, or approximately 2,204.62 pounds.

Describes people whose gender identity does not match the sex or gender they were identified as having at birth. Does not require what are often known as sex reassignment or gender confirmation procedures. Identify people as transgender only if pertinent and use the name by which they live publicly. Generally, avoid references to a transgender person being born a boy or girl, since describing someone as transgender speaks for itself and doesn’t take intersex babies into account.

The shorthand trans is acceptable on second reference and in headlines:

Grammys add first man and first trans woman as trophy handlers.

Do not use as a noun or refer to someone as a transgender or use the term transgendered. Not synonymous with terms like cross-dresser or drag queen, which do not have to do with gender identity. Do not use the outdated term transsexual. Do not use a derogatory term such as tranny except in extremely rare circumstances – only in a quote when it is crucial to the story or the understanding of a news event.

Use T-shirt; not T shirt, t-shirt, or tee shirt.

Use United States as the proper noun, U.S. as the adjective.

Uniform Resource Locator, an Internet address.

http://politics.ap.org/states/mi.html

http: is the protocol, or method of transfer

// indicates a computer name follows

politics is the server

ap.org is the domain

/states is the folder

/mi.html indicates a file (.html is the file type)

When the URL does not fit entirely on one line, break it into two or more lines without adding a hyphen or other punctuation mark.

The URL should always be the last line on a story.

Abbreviate as vs. in all uses.

To save space, do not include http:// if followed by www. If the URL does not fall under www, the http:// is necessary to avoid confusion.

Always include a period at the end of a sentence even if a web address or email address appears at the end.

One word, lowercase.

For the wireless networking standards.

Who is grammatically the subject (never the object) of a sentence:

The person who is in charge.

Whom is used when someone is the object of a verb or preposition:

Whom do you wish to see?

Who’s is a contraction for who is, not a possessive: Who’s there?

Whose is the possessive: I do not know whose coat it is.

Use numerals and an apostrophe when abbreviating to indicate class year or place in parenthesis after the name

Class of ’63 (note capital C) or (’63)

Use all-caps ZIP for Zone Improvement Plan, but always lowercase the word code.