• IU Style Guide
• Preferred Spellings & Capitalizations
• Recommended References
• Guide to Hard-Copy Editing

Indiana University Style Guide

D–F

dashes

The two dashes most commonly used by typesetters are the em dash and the en dash. The em dash is what is usually meant by the word dash—a long mark with no space on either side. The en dash is shorter than an em dash; it is simply a specialized, slightly elongated hyphen that looks like this: –.

Dashes separate; hyphens join. The distinction usually holds true for em versus en dashes, too.

Em dashes are frequently used to set off parenthetical phrases, especially long or complex ones where something stronger than a comma is called for. If the parenthetical phrase comes at the end of a sentence, only one dash is needed to set it off—like this. If it is inserted into the middle of the sentence—like this—you need dashes on both sides.

The building—one of our oldest—will be reroofed.

not: The building—one of our oldest, will be reroofed.

Em dashes are occasionally used to join elements in certain institutional titles.

Sarah studied at Brigham Young University—Hawaii.

Do not substitute a hyphen with a space on each side of it or an en dash with a space on each side of it for an em dash.

En dashes are often used in place of hyphens to join two elements when at least one element contains two or more unjoined words.

a non–English speaker, post–high school, the Pre–Dental Hygiene Program

Inclusive dates and other number sequences may be printed with en dashes, rather than with hyphens.

2007–08, chapters 12–17, pages 3–10, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

An en dash is also used to indicate the minus sign in a grade.

A grade of C–

Note: Word processing programs can create dashes. In Microsoft Word, for example, you can use the “Insert” menu to add dashes to your documents.

See also hyphens.

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dates

Spell out months and days of the week; use numerals for years. Use no punctuation if listing just the month (or the season) and the year, but set the year off with commas if using the day of the month as well.

May 2005; spring 2004; a February 5, 2006, deadline

Join us on Thursday, April 28, for a celebration.

In consideration of your readers, it is important to include publication dates on all your printed and electronic materials.

decades

Decades can be referred to with any of the following styles:

the 1990s, the ’90s, the nineties

degrees

Capitalization in names of degrees conferred at Indiana University should match the IU registrar’s official degree list. Note that in degree names containing the words of Science, the discipline (radiography, physics, anatomy) is part of the official degree name and is therefore capitalized.

Associate of Science in Radiography, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in Physics, Master of Arts, Master of Science in Anatomy, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Education

In many cases where of Science is not part of the degree name, the discipline is not part of the official degree name and is therefore not capitalized.

Bachelor of Arts in computer science, Doctor of Philosophy in mass communications, Master of Arts in applied linguistics

exception: Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (official name)

Note also the following types of degree names:

Bachelor of Arts in English (English is a proper noun and is therefore capitalized.)

Master of Arts in Germanic studies (Germanic is a proper adjective and is therefore capitalized; studies is not capitalized.)

Many degree names, such as those below, do not follow the patterns previously discussed. Consult the registrar for verification.

Associate of Arts in General Studies, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Public Affairs

Note: The word bachelor’s is preferred over baccalaureate. When referring to degrees in a general way, do not capitalize them. Note that while bachelor’s and master’s end in ’s, the other generic words for degrees do not.

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.

Caryn earned her Master of Music degree last spring.

Use periods when abbreviating degrees.

A.S., B.A., B.A.J., B.S., B.F.A., B.S.N., M.A., M.B.A., Ph.D., Ed.D.

Pluralize abbreviations of degrees with ’s.

Ph.D.’s, J.D.’s

Degrees conferred at institutions other than Indiana University may not conform to IU style. For example, some universities abbreviate bachelor of arts as A.B. (from the Latin Artium Baccalaurens). You should verify these degree names in order to preserve the correct capitalization, abbreviation, and punctuation style.

IU grants the following honorary degrees:

D.F.A., Doctor of Fine Arts
D.Mus., Doctor of Music
D.Sc., Doctor of Science
L.H.D., Doctor of Humane Letters
LL.D., Doctor of Laws

See also abbreviations.

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department names

See addresses and capitalization.

disability statement

See Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

display type versus running copy

Display type refers to elements of a printed or electronic publication such as headlines, photo captions, text on an invitation or a poster, and other messages that often are not composed of complete sentences.

Running copy or running text refers to the sentences and paragraphs that form the “body” of a book chapter, a magazine article, a brochure, etc.

Style decisions applied to display type often differ from those applied to running copy. For example, headlines usually lack end punctuation; sentences within running copy never do.

Dr.

Avoid use of the honorific title Dr. in reference to an academic who has earned a doctorate, unless it’s in a direct quote. Dr. may be used in reference to a medical doctor.

drop/add

Lowercase references to the drop/add procedure.

ellipsis points

Ellipsis means omission, and ellipsis points are three-period sequences used to indicate that something has been left out of a sentence or passage. Leave a space before and after each period. If a sentence ends (or is cut off) right before the ellipsis, you should also leave in the period that would have ended the sentence; this period will have a space after it but no space before it. You can leave in other punctuation that comes just before or after an ellipsis if it will make things clearer, but this is not required.

Ellipsis points are . . . used to indicate that something has been left out of a sentence or passage. . . . If a sentence ends (or is cut off) right before the ellipsis, you should also leave in the period that would have ended the sentence. . . . You can leave in other punctuation . . . , but this is not required.

Always reread text after trimming it this way to make sure the cuts haven’t distorted the author’s meaning. Note that ellipsis points are not used at the beginning of a block quote—nor, usually, at the beginning of a quotation used in running text—even when you’ve dropped some words from the original beginning. If a block quote or a run-in quote closes with a complete sentence (even if it’s been shortened), you need not add ellipsis points at the end, either.

e-mail

We favor lowercasing the e of e-mail, and we prefer the hyphenated style of this term. When listing e-mail addresses in external publications, use the full e-mail address (e.g., ocs@indiana.edu), written in lowercase letters.

emerita, emeritae, emeriti, emeritus

Note that emeritus is the singular, masculine form; for references to women, use emerita (singular) or emeritae (plural). Emeriti serves as the plural for a group that is composed of men only or of men and women together. These terms are not synonyms for retired. The titles represent a special status conferred on some faculty members at retirement upon recommendation by the dean of the school with approval by the campus administrator (provost or chancellor) and reported to the Trustees of Indiana University. Some retirees from administrative posts also receive this status (e.g., dean emeritus). All references follow the noun.

professor emerita of music, professors emeriti, faculty emeriti

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Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action policy of Indiana University

See Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity statements.

faculty

Verifying faculty titles is tricky; no central resource currently exists. When in doubt, consult the faculty member.

fall, fall term, fall semester

Lowercase references to seasons and academic periods.

fax

Don’t capitalize fax or write it in all capital letters. It’s not an acronym; it’s simply derived from the word facsimile.

fee courtesy

The term fee courtesy refers to tuition discounts at IU given to IU faculty and staff and their spouses/domestic partners and children.

fee scholarship

Use this term rather than fee remission; the distinction is important at tax time.

first semester, first-semester courses, first term, first-term courses

Hyphenate such phrases as first year and second semester only if they are used as adjectival phrases.

Keiko’s first-semester GPA was 3.5. Her GPA improved to 3.6 after the second semester.

foreign words and phrases

Commonly used foreign expressions and their abbreviations are not italicized.

e.g., i.e., ex officio, et al., vis-à-vis, cum laude, in vivo, in vitro

Less common foreign terms are italicized.

dies irae (day of wrath)

If a term you’re unsure of is listed in the Webster’s “Foreign Words and Phrases” section, it should be italicized. If it’s in the regular listing, don’t italicize it.

forms and documents

Full names of official forms and documents are capitalized but are not italicized or put between quotation marks.

Federal Income Tax Return, Declaration of Independence

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Founders Day

Note the lack of an apostrophe in the word Founders.

See also possessives.

freshman

Although freshmen is the plural, it’s freshman courses, freshman year, etc. (You wouldn't use sophomores courses.)

full time

Hyphenate as an adjective before the noun; otherwise, leave as two words.

Jamal has a full-time job.

but: Jamal works full time.

fund raising, fundraising

Two styles for this term and its variations exist at IU. Because the IU Foundation uses fundraising, we prefer that style. The Fund Raising School, associated with the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, uses the two-word style in its name, however.

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