When you are creating content, please follow these style rules. They are required conventions for all content published on University of Maryland, Baltimore websites.

Acronyms

In most cases, follow a first reference with its acronym in parentheses when it is referred to later in the story.

Example: The Maryland Poison Center (MPC)

Addresses

Rules

  • Abbreviate numbered street addresses
  • Abbreviate Ave., Blvd., and St. with numbered street addresses
  • Spell out and capitalize unnumbered street addresses
  • Lowercase and spell out addresses with more than one street name
  • Always spell out alley, drive, road, and terrace

Examples of Correct Formatting

  • 620 W. Lombard St.
  • Davidge Hall is on Lombard Street
  • Davidge Hall is at the corner of Lombard and Greene streets

Ampersand

Its use is acceptable when part of a formal name (Baltimore & Ohio Railroad) or as a design element

  • Do not use in web page titles: URLs mirror page titles and ampersands are problematic in URLs
  • Do not use as a synonym for “and” in running text

Baltimore Locations

Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport – BWI on second reference

Fells Point (no apostrophe)

Hippodrome Theatre (part of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center)

M&T Bank Stadium (no spaces around ampersand)

Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Credits

Always use numerals

Example: He needs 6 credits to graduate.

Commas

Rules

Use the serial comma with “and” and “or”

Examples of Correct Formatting

  • lions, tigers, and bears
  • cats, dogs, or parrots

Dashes

In web copy use the mdash (—) with a space on either side, do not use ndashes or hyphens

Dates and Times

Rules

  • Do not use “th” or “st” with dates
  • Place periods between a.m. and p.m.
  • Spell out the word "to" instead of using a hyphen or dash
  • Spell out noon and midnight
  • Use an apostrophe for dropped numbers with the apostrophe pointed in the direction of the missing numbers
  • Use an “s” for plural numbers

Examples of Correct Formatting

  • Jan. 9
  • May 21
  • 9 a.m.
  • 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Noon to 1:30 p.m.
  • ’99
  • '90s or 2010s

Degrees and Titles

Rules

  • Abbreviate degrees without periods
  • Include degrees after the full name in the first reference for people affiliated with UMB — students, faculty, staff, or alumni
  • Lowercase name of degree in a general reference and use possessive apostrophe
  • Capitalize name of degree in formal reference
  • Titles should be included after degrees and not capitalized
  • Example: School of Nursing Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN

Examples of Correct Formatting

  • PhD
  • Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN
  • She earned a master’s degree in chemistry.
  • She earned a Master of Science degree.
  • Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing
  • School of Nursing Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN

Departments, Divisions, and Offices

Capitalize the name of departments, divisions, and offices only when you use the full, official name

  • Example: Department of Biomedical Sciences

Lowercase when the word department, division, or office comes after the name

  • Example: biomedical sciences department, communications and public affairs office, transplant surgery division

 

Dollar Amounts

Rules

  • Do not write out decimal points in dollar amounts
  • For $1 million and above, round to the nearest 100,000, unless the number is necessary for tabulation
    • $1,569,433 rounds to $1.6 million
  • Avoid the construction $1 to $3 million — that means one dollar to 3 million dollars; use $1 million to $3 million instead

Examples of Correct Formatting

  • $60
  • $1.6 million
  • $1 million to $3 million

Ellipses

  • Use only in quotations with a space before and after ( … ) to take the place of text left out in the middle of a sentence
  • If the ellipses comes at the end of the sentence, use a space before and after, and a period ( … .)
  • Do not use ellipses to signify a pause

Etc.

Avoid using etc.

Health care

Two words as noun and adjective; no hyphen

Holidays

Capitalize holidays.

  • Example: New Year’s Day, Hanukkah

Interdisciplinary and Interprofessional

  • Both are one word
  • Both can be used interchangeably with cross-disciplinary
  • Interprofessional is the broader term
  • Interdisciplinary refers to specialties within medicine in its strictest sense

Login, Logon, and Logoff

Noun: one word
Verb: two words

Months

Rules

  • Abbreviate all but March, April, May, June, and July when used with a date: Jan. 9
  • Spell out when used with a year: December 2013
  • A comma follows a complete date: May 15, 1972, was her birthday.
  • Abbreviations
    • January (Jan.)
    • February (Feb.)
    • August (Aug.)
    • September (Sept.)
    • October (Oct.)
    • November (Nov.)
    • December (Dec.)

Examples of Correct Formatting

  • Jan. 9
  • December 2013
  • May 15, 1972, was her birthday.

Percentages

  • Write out "percent" in text and use numerals (volunteer hours are up 4 percent)
  • Use "%" symbol in charts and graphics
  • For amounts smaller than 1 percent, use a zero before the decimal point (0.5 percent)

Semesters and Academic Periods

Do not capitalize semesters or academic periods

  • winter, spring, summer, fall
  • semester, orientation, registration

States

Rules

  • Spell out state names when used without a city in running text
  • Abbreviate state names when used with a city
  • Never abbreviate Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Alaska, and Hawaii
  • Do not use the post office’s abbreviations for states unless you also are using a complete address with a ZIP code

Examples of Correct Formatting

  • Tennessee is beautiful in the spring.
  • LaPlata, Md.
  • Accepted abbreviations are: Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kan., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Neb., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.M., N.Y., N.C., N.D., Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.D., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., and Wyo.
  • Eight state names are never abbreviated: Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Alaska, and Hawaii

University Locations

Southern Management Corporation Campus Center

  • First reference: Southern Management Corporation (SMC) Campus Center
  • Second reference: SMC Campus Center
  • In a quotation, “the Campus Center” is acceptable

Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center

University of Maryland School of Dentistry or School of Dentistry

  • Incorrect: University of Maryland Dental School, Dental School, and Baltimore College of Dental Surgery (unless it’s a historic piece on the school’s founding in 1840)

Health Sciences and Human Services Library

  • HSHSL on second reference

Health Sciences Research Facility I, II, and III

  • HSRF I, HSRF II, and HSRF III on second reference

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law

  • Incorrect: School of Law or University of Maryland School of Law
  • Second reference: The law school prefers Maryland Carey Law

the Lexington Building

houses the offices of:

  • School of Graduate Studies
  • Academic Affairs
  • Administration and Finance
  • Research and Development

R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center

  • (no period after R), Shock Trauma on second reference

the Saratoga Building

  • houses the Office of the President and other administrative offices

The Dr. Samuel D. Harris National Museum of Dentistry

  • National Museum of Dentistry on second reference

University of Maryland Medical Center

  • (hospital on Greene Street), UMMC or Medical Center on second reference

University of Maryland Medical System

  • (entire health system), UMMS on second reference

Westside

  • one word, upper W, for area around the University

University vs. Campus

Campuswide refers to the physical campus

  • Example: The UMB Police Department provides campuswide security.

University is preferred

  • Example: Police provide security to the University.

URLs, Web, Email, and Phone Numbers

Rules

  • Don’t use http:// or www. when writing URLs
  • Italicize urls
  • website and webpage are one word— lower w, unless starting a sentence
  • email is lowercase, unless starting a sentence
  • Phone numbers should appear as follows:
    • On campus: 6-XXXX
    • Off campus: 410-706-XXXX

Examples of Correct Formatting

  • umaryland.edu or elm.umaryland.edu
  • web copy, webpage, web tools
  • email
  • On-campus phone number: 6-XXXX
  • Off campus phone number: 410-706-XXXX