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

Indiana University Style Guide

G–N

grade point average (GPA)

Do not hyphenate grade point average or put periods in its abbreviation, GPA. GPAs refer to numbers, not grades.

a GPA of 3.0, not a GPA of B

grades

When referring to a grade, use a capital letter; quotation marks should not be used around letter grades. Use an en dash to indicate a minus sign.

a B– average for the course, a P/F course, a grade of I (Incomplete)

Pluralize single letter grades with apostrophes.

She got mostly B’s and C’s all year.

See also capitalization.

Hispanic

Capitalize this term. Latina (feminine) and Latino (masculine) are also acceptable.

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hyphens

Many modifier-noun pairs such as high school are unhyphenated when used to modify another noun, especially if the pair is a familiar one.

high school students, not high-school students

overseas study opportunities, not overseas-study opportunities

This is true even when the first word in the pair is also a noun (such as the word grade in the expression grade point).

grade point average, not grade-point average

If the pair is very familiar, often it is closed up.

lowercase letters, not lower case letters or lower-case letters

On the other hand, the hyphen should still be inserted when it’s needed to prevent confusion.

general-education requirement, all-grade education, a heavy-ion physicist

A noun-modifier pair such as computer assisted is usually hyphenated when it comes before the noun, but not after it.

She directs the computer-assisted reference services.

but: Almost all of our services are computer assisted.

This is also generally true for modifying phrases containing prepositions.

She lives in off-campus housing.

but: Her home is off campus.

The same rule applies to terms ending in -time or -level.

He is a part-time Web designer.

but: He works here part time.

Those are graduate-level courses.

but: All of those courses are graduate level.

It’s also true for modifying pairs involving two modifiers.

He is a much-appreciated worker.

but: His diligence is much appreciated.

Do not hyphenate, however, when the first modifier ends in -ly. In this case, leave a space after the -ly word, wherever it occurs.

The highly organized administrative assistant was deeply respected.

Similarly, modifying phrases containing units of measure tend to be hyphenated before but not after the noun.

a three-hour tour, a 150,000-square-foot building, a five-year-old child (but: Sophie is five years old), a mid-twelfth-century relic

Exceptions to this rule occur when the modifying phrase involves money symbols, percentages, or credit hours, none of which have hyphens in any position.

a 9 percent increase in costs, a $2.5 million gift,

a 4 credit hour course

The prefix co- is hyphenated in words referring to someone’s occupation or status (e.g., co-author, co-host) in both noun and verb forms. Otherwise, it is usually closed up (e.g., cocurricular, corequisite).

Use a “suspended” hyphen when a base word such as year in the example below, or a suffix or prefix such as self, is doing double duty.

second- and third-year law students, self-initiated and -implemented projects

Use this construction even when the complete words, standing alone, would be closed up.

macro- and microeconomics

Do not “take a shortcut” when the first expression is ordinarily open.

applied linguistics and sociolinguistics, not applied and sociolinguistics

The suffix -wide is hyphenated only after a lengthy base word.

university-wide

but: campuswide, statewide

Many words beginning with common prefixes are closed up. Hyphens are not used in such familiar expressions as these:

extracurricular, interlibrary, midyear, minicomputer, multicultural, nondegree, postdoctoral, preenrollment, reevaluate, semicolon, socioeconomic

There are two types of exceptions, though:

Hyphenate if closing up the word would make it confusing, ambiguous, or difficult to read.

co-op (versus coop), anti-intellectual (versus antiintellectual)

Hyphenate, also, if the second element in the word begins with a capital letter or precedes a hyphenated phrase.

anti-American, non-degree-granting program

For guidance on hyphenating specific words, see individual entries in the preferred spelling/capitalization word list in this style guide or see Webster’s Eleventh. Also, The Chicago Manual of Style has a very useful compounds section at the end of its seventh chapter.

See also dashes.

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Inc.

Though we prefer to set off the term Inc. with commas, many corporations do not use this style. Treat corporate names in accordance with each corporation's preferences.

Indiana University

The following are the full names and abbreviated names of the university and its eight campuses (plus the center at Columbus) in the order in which they are usually listed. Note that at is not a part of any campus name (e.g., it’s Indiana University Kokomo, not Indiana University at Kokomo). In addition, an en dash, not a hyphen, is used in the spelled-out versions of IUPUI, IPFW, and IUPU Columbus.

Indiana University, IU (Note: Periods are not used in IU.)

Indiana University Bloomington, IU Bloomington (no dash or hyphen; not an official campus name but may be necessary for clarity)

Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis, IUPUI

Indiana University East, IU East

Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, IPFW

Indiana University Kokomo, IU Kokomo

Indiana University Northwest, IU Northwest

Indiana University South Bend, IU South Bend

Indiana University Southeast, IU Southeast

Indiana University–Purdue University Columbus, IUPU Columbus

Indiana University Art Museum

This is the official name of the museum on the Bloomington campus; IU Art Museum is acceptable as well. It should not be called the Fine Arts Museum, although there is a School of Fine Arts (SoFA) Gallery in the adjacent Henry Radford Hope School of Fine Arts.

international students

The phrase international students is preferable to foreign students.

Internet

This term is capitalized. It should not be used interchangeably with World Wide Web.

italics

See foreign words and phrases, quotation marks, and titles of works.

IU

Do not use periods.

Jr., Sr., II

No punctuation precedes these.

Clarence W. Boone Sr. and Anthony P. Filomena II

but: Boone, Clarence W., Sr., and Filomena, Anthony P., II

Latina, Latino

These terms are considered to be English and are therefore not italicized as foreign words. Hispanic (italicized here because the term is being discussed) is also acceptable.

libraries

Following are the official names of some of the most frequently mentioned IU libraries:

IU Libraries (the entire eight-campus system of libraries)

Herman B Wells Library (the main library at IU Bloomington, which contains the Undergraduate Library, the Research Collections, Media and Reserve Services, Government Publications, and the Kent Cooper Periodicals Reading Room)

Lilly Library (the rare book and manuscript collection at IU Bloomington)

University Library (the main library at IUPUI)

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links

Punctuation is not usually part of a link. Links in parentheses or quotation marks are the exception to this rule, as they become part of the entity of the link. This applies to links found in a list or as part of running text.

 

Links in a list:

Webby Awards (International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences)

Creative Services and University Marketing

Official Honoree in the yearly "Best of the Web" competition: Indiana University's Science Olympiad National Tournament

Creative Services

Nomination for Best Web Site in the “School” Category (one of five nominated internationally): “IU is Red Hot”

Links in running text:

Our resources include more than 12,000 square feet of research and teaching laboratories, and nearly 275,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor sport and fitness facilities, including our award-winning recreation centers, aquatics centers, and acreage that includes Bradford Woods and Hilltop Garden and Nature Center.

 

Note, though, that sometimes punctuation is part of the actual link. For example, in the text below, “Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies” is the full name of the program, so the commas are part of the link, but not the period marking the end of the sentence.

 

We have more than 2,500 students and almost 17,000 living alumni, with undergraduate and advanced degree programs in Applied Health Science, Kinesiology, and Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies.

lists

Determine the most logical order of the items listed. It often makes sense to alphabetize the entries, but other ordering principles are possible, such as according to importance, size, cost, rarity, or position in space and time. If the items are ordered by some logic not immediately apparent to the reader, explain the order.

Students may earn certificates in the following areas:
African studies
Criminal justice
Environmental studies

Cast (in order of appearance):
LaShawna Sanders
George Arthur
Sandra Herrera

Avoid unnecessary use of numbers or letters with lists. If the elements in a vertical list need to be set off, bullets often suffice.

Benefits of the program:

• Gaining experience
• Meeting people
• Developing leadership skills

If the items in a list are numbered or lettered, however, each number or letter should be followed by a period, not a parenthesis.

1. Write a check for the outstanding amount.
   1. Be sure to sign and date your check.
   2. Write your account number on the check.
2. Place the check and invoice in the envelope with the mailing address showing.
3. Seal and stamp the envelope.

If you need to number the elements of a list in running text, the numbers should be placed in parentheses with no periods after them.

To be eligible for the job, you must (1) be at least 18 years of age, (2) be a citizen of the United States, (3) possess a valid driver’s license, and (4) have no criminal record.

Maintain parallelism in listed items, so that each item begins with a verb (as in the following example), a noun phrase, or some other similar construction.

Follow these steps for intercampus transfer:

1. Meet with your home campus advisor to discuss academic preparation, grades, and other eligibility issues.
2. Consult the intercampus transfer office at the proposed new campus if academic or eligibility questions remain.
3. Talk to the financial aid officers at the present and proposed campuses.
4. Visit the new campus.
5. Complete the intercampus transfer form

In running text, colons are often used to introduce a list or series, but should not be used to separate a verb from its object (or—in general—to separate the complement or object of an element from the introductory statement).

Required courses include the following:
ENG-W 131, MATH-M 118, and PSY-P 101.

Required courses include ENG-W 131, MATH-M 118, and PSY-P 101.

The first four IU presidents: Wylie, Ryors, Daily, Lathrop.

The first four IU presidents were Wylie, Ryors, Daily, and Lathrop.

The rule about colon usage is optional for vertical lists; that is, a colon may be used even when the phrase introducing a list is not a complete sentence or independent clause.

The IUPUI Office of Campus and Community Life (CCL) provides many opportunities for students to become involved in campus activities. CCL strives to do the following:

• help students connect to each other and the campus in meaningful ways
• offer programs and events that enable students to build leadership skills
• promote diversity as a value for the campus community

The IUPUI Office of Campus and Community Life (CCL) provides many opportunities for students to become involved in campus activities. CCL strives to

• help students connect to each other and the campus in meaningful ways
• offer programs and events that enable students to build leadership skills
• promote diversity as a value for the campus community

In the preceding example, it would also have been acceptable to add a colon after the phrase strives to (right before the second bulleted list). Just keep your usage consistent throughout your printed or electronic publication.

If one or more of the items in a vertical list is a complete sentence, each item ends with a period. Otherwise the period is optional, even when the list items complete the partial sentence that introduces the list (as in the previous two examples).

See also colons and semicolons and display type versus running copy.

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major

Terminology is evolving at IU, but the term major is still acceptable, as are newer terms (e.g., plan of study).

McRobbie, Michael A.

In first references to IU’s eighteenth president, Michael A. McRobbie, use the middle initial. President McRobbie is a professor of cognitive science, computer science, informatics, and philosophy and an adjunct professor of library and information science at IU Bloomington. He is also a professor of computer technology in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology and professor of philosophy, both at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).

His wife is Laurie Burns McRobbie. She is an adjunct faculty member in IU’s School of Informatics and Computing.

Midwest, Midwestern

Capitalize references to the Midwest of the United States. Note also that these terms are not hyphenated.

months

Months are not abbreviated in running text; do not use a comma if just the month and year are stated.

October 1994, not October, 1994

See also dates.

Native American

Note that this term is not hyphenated. American Indian is also acceptable. In many cases, the tribal affiliation is the most appropriate term.

See also American Indian.

Netherlands, the

Don’t capitalize the article the before Netherlands in running text.

a semester program in the Netherlands

nondegree

This term is one word unless non- modifies a hyphenated phrase.

nondegree student

but: non-degree-granting program

nondiscrimination statement

See Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity statements.

numbers

Use numerals for 10 or more; spell out fractions and numbers that are less than 10. For round figures greater than 999,999, use million or billion after the initial numeral(s). For more precise numbers, use all numerals. Use commas in 1,000 and above.

two; two-thirds; 20; 200; 2,000; 23,456; 200,000; 2 million; $2.8 billion; 234,500,000

exception: SAT scores; e.g., a combined score of 1200

In general, spell out ordinals, space permitting. Always spell out ordinals from first to ninth. Spell out numbered streets from First Street through Twelfth Street; numerals are usually used for streets with higher numbers. Ordinals in course titles are usually spelled out as well.

Third Street, Tenth Street, 17th Street, twentieth century, Topics in Nineteenth-Century Literature, one hundred seventy-fifth Commencement

Maintain consistency among items of the same category within each sentence. Generally, if any number of the group has a value of 10 or more, use all numerals.

She read 4 of the 14 required books in just two weeks.

Often, however, it's more congenial to spell out the number one.

We're one of the top 15 schools in that ranking.

Use numerals when referring to credit hours; page, volume, or chapter numbers; percentages; dates; or telephone numbers.

a course worth 1 credit hour; two 3 credit hour courses; page 4; 5 percent; 0.66 percent; a May 7, 2004, deadline; (219) 555-3333

For inclusive numbers, abbreviate the second number by changing just those digits that are different from the first number.

pages 200–1, 200–11, 35–7; lines 106–7

An exception exists when discussing years, in which case the last two digits of the year are always shown.

2001–03, 1901–94

Spell out all numbers that begin a sentence, or reword the sentence.

Six credit hours of composition were required for a degree in liberal arts.

A liberal arts degree required 6 credit hours of composition.

Miscellaneous examples:

table 1, act 2, scene 3, step 4, chapter 5, item 6, the 1980s, class of ’95, a 5–4 score, a two-year-old child, a 54-million-year-old fossil, a $3 million gift, from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., 100-level courses, three and one-half (or three and a half) years, 90 years old

He is five feet nine inches tall.

See also credit hours, dashes, hyphens, phone numbers, and times.

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