Stanford Graduate School of Business Writing and Editing Style Guide

The purpose of a style guide is to provide professional consistency and aesthetic appeal. To verify that this is the latest version, please contact News & Publications at 723.3157 or look online at www.gsb.stanford.edu/styleguide. This copy was last changed on March 1, 2010.

This style guide is produced by the GSB News and Publications Office. If you find errors or have suggestions, contact gsb_info@gsb.stanford.edu or call Kathy OToole at 7251939.

Contents
Introduction Abbreviations and Acronyms
Punctuation in Abbreviations Capitalization in Abbreviation and Acronyms

4 5

Alphabetization (also see Lists) Bias-Free Language

Overview Gender Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality: General Rules Race, Ethnicity, and Nationality: Commonly Used Terms

7 8

Bibliographic Citations (print and web styles) Capitalization

Capitalize Do Not Capitalize

11 12

GrammarFrequently Raised Questions

Singular vs. Collective Nouns Fewer vs. Less Splitting Infinitives and Verb Phrases That vs. Which Try and vs. Try to

13

Lists
Bulleted Lists

15 16

Names and Titles

Company Names Geographical Names GSB Names (see GSB Dictionary in Words, Words, Words section) Personal Names and Titles Trademarks

Numbers Punctuation
Apostrophe Colon Comma Dash (en and em dash) Diagonal (slant, virgule) Ellipsis Points Exclamation Point Hyphen Parentheses and Brackets Punctuation with Quotation Marks Quotation Marks or Italics for Emphasis Quotation Marks or Italics Semicolon

18 20

Tech Talk Words, Words, Words

GSB Dictionary Troublesome Words

26 27

Proofreaders Marks

32
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Introduction
Why does the Stanford Graduate School of Business need a style? Organizations adopt a publication style for two primary reasonsprofessional consistency and aesthetic appeal. Consistency needs little explanation. A publication that is consistent in its usage looks planned and professional. And a publication that looks professional reflects the professional care of the organization that produced it. The aesthetic effect of a style is harder to explain but easy to illustrate. Consider the three admonitions below:

Try not to start a sentence with a number. If you must, spell it out. Avoid excessive acronyms and abbreviations on a page. Avoid excessive use of word combinations using the diagonal /as in either/or, and/or, alumni/ae.

Now, ignore all three of them in a single sentence: 14

gsb gmp/pmp alumni/ae talked about their careers at nasdaq during an mtc sponsored by the cmc.

Not only does it look awful, its unreadable. Your message just got lost. Is this style guide the last word? The English language evolves at high speed. Business terms that sound smart today are tomorrows clichs. Words that are overused lose their meaning. Rules of grammar are overruled by extensive usage. Whatever else computers have done to the language, they have allowed this guide to evolve with the language it describes. If you need more detail, this guide is based on:

The Associated Press Stylebook, 2009 edition. This guide notes where we take exception to the most recent edition of that guide. The first reference for spelling, style, usage, and foreign geographic names for the Associated Press Stylebookand therefore for this guideis Websters New World College Dictionary, 4th edition. Second reference for spelling, style, and usage is Websters Third New International Dictionary. The second reference for foreign geographic names is the National Geographic Atlas of the World. For the names of businesses, the reference is Standard & Poors Register of Corporations, Directors, and Executives, although the quickest authoritative reference to tap may be the company profile accessible through Jackson Librarys abi/inform Global database. Websters New Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Business Style and Usage, 2003 edition American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition Association of American University Presses Guidelines for Bias-Free Writing, 1995 edition Copy Editors Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications, 2005 edition Woe Is I, 1998 edition Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation, 2003 edition

Other useful references include:

For sensible guides to current usage try:

The gsbs Information Technology department also has a web publishing style guide that deals with more technical aspects of publishing materials on the Schools website. It is at https://wesley.stanford.edu/styleguide/

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Abbreviations and Acronyms

Dictionaries disagree on the definition of acronym. For the purposes of this style guide, we include initializations that are not pronounced as a word, for example, dna.

Abbreviations and acronyms are shortcuts that help authors save space. By uncluttering space, they sometimes aid readers comprehension, especially when dealing with long scientific terms, such as dna. However, in many more cases, shortcuts impede comprehension.

As a general guideline, avoid using abbreviations and acronyms that your readers would not quickly recognize.
This means shunning the alphabet soup of your normal office conversation unless you are writing a memo to your officemates. Recognize that alumni/ae, applicants, and even the people down the hall may not recognize many of the acronyms and professional terms you use daily. The Associated Press Stylebook notes that a few universally recognized abbreviations are required in some circumstances. Examples include Ms., a.m., b.c. Some others are acceptable depending on the context.

But in general, avoid alphabet soup.

The Copy Editors Handbook suggests a guideline for deciding which shortcuts are familiar enough to use with a general audience. Acronyms that appear in the alphabetical section of a standard dictionarye.g., dna, vcrneed not be introduced or spelled out, even on first mention in the document. This principle also applies to acronyms of extremely well-known organizationse.g., fbi, nato, irs. Nonetheless, if the intended audience includes readers in other countries, it is preferable to spell out acronyms on first use.

The watchword is When in doubt, spell it out. Because most of our schools publications are distributed globally, our default mode should be to spell out on first reference and avoid repeated use of acronyms on later references.
However, here are examples to illustrate the importance of considering context:

students, but many alumni/ae knew the job search and placement office by a different name. Still others have forgotten most of the acronyms that were routinely used in their student days.

gsb may be an appropriate acronym in a letter to alumni/ae of this school but not in one to corporate recruiters, some of whom might have never heard of any gsb. cmc may be understood by all current

Even when the acronym is appropriate, a document peppered with gsbs and cmcs looks messy, bureaucratic, and uninviting. In later references to these organizations, consider writing the school or the center. (For more on the capitalization of gsb names, see the Words, Words, Words section of this document or go to www.gsb.stanford.edu/styleguide.) Some organizations have decided to change their legal names to their initials. We now have aaa, aarp, ibm, 3m, and bp. In some cases, you may wish to help your readers along by writing bp, formerly known as British Petroleum, (This is not unlike offering a brief description of a new companys business because many readers will not know the company.) If you are dealing with lists or unusual typographic situations, abbreviations or acronyms may be more appropriate. However, keep in mind your readers comfort at least as much as the authors preferences. Also be aware that inconsistent treatment of like people or entities can be jarring to readers and makes your organization look sloppynaacp vs. Daughters of the American Revolution.

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punctuation in abbreviations In general in American English: Abbreviations for a word have a period at the endDr., Jr., Inc., Corp.but initializations do notceo, aarp.

Common Latin phrasese.g.take periods. For u.s. states used in conjunction with the name of a city, use standard abbreviations with an ending period, not postal-code abbreviationsCalif., not ca.
The state abbreviation list is under state names in the Associated Press Stylebook.

If you are writing a full street address, use the postal code for the state. If you are referring just to the state, California, do not abbreviate.
Also, see datelines in the Associated Press Stylebook for an explanation of when to use the state or country after a place name. A few big cities in the world do not need the state or country name attached, and smaller cities that are local to your readership do not need the added identification. In a listing where inconsistencies are more obvious, you may want to treat all localities the same to avoid the appearance of bias.

We choose to go without periods for academic degrees (overrules Associated Press Stylebook) primarily because mba, phd, ms, etc., are well understood and used frequently in university writing. In other words, we treat them the same as we treat ceo, vp, ipo. In phd, the h should be set as a smaller cap, two points smaller than the p and d, because it is part of the abbreviation for the word philosophy. The abbreviations u.s., u.n., and u.k. take periodsno periods in the three-letter usa, however. In running text, these initializations should be used only as adjectives unless they are part of a direct quotation. Write: the u.s. population but the population of the United States.
Because speakers so frequently use the abbreviation as a noun, we believe the full name sounds too formal in direct quotations.

capitalization in abbreviations and acronyms In general: Use small caps for acronyms, rather than lowercase or standard uppercase because the acronyms will look less jarring on the pagebmw, nafta, tiaa-cref. A small cap can be created in one of two ways: 1) use a small cap font, e.g., Sabon SC, and type the word in lowercase and 2 points larger than the rest of your textveritas, or 2) use the same font for all of your text but type the word in uppercase letters and downsize them 2 points from the rest of the typeVERITAS.
This is different from some journalistic style guides that advise to initial-cap acronyms that are pronounced as a word and capitalize all letters of those that arent. The rule in that case would produce BMW, Nafta, and TIAA-Cref. Note that some pronounceable acronyms eventually become words with no capital letters. Examples are laser and radar. Remember that your audience usually is international, and many acronyms (not even the irs!) are understood outside the United States. Page 6

Use standard upper and lowercase for abbreviationsInc., Dr., Ms.

exceptions:

Initializations that spell a common word should be treated as a wordSun Microsystems (tradition tells us sun stood for Stanford University Network). Use a.m. and p.m., not am, a.m., or am in running text. Small caps without periods may be appropriate in a list such as a conference schedule or invitation, but be sure to be consistent within the document. In cases where a numeral is part of an abbreviationsuch as y2k, or Year Two Thousanduse sparingly. If the numeral is not accurate when spelled outc4c, or Challenge Four Charity; w2w, or Welfare Two Workdo not use. As of this writing, most printed style guides advise against using 9/11 as a shortcut for the terrorist events of Sept. 11, 2001. The designation is widely used, however, in headlines and text and frequently in articles that also use the more formal date as well. A workable rule is to use the full date in contexts where it makes sense as a date. In other contexts, consider whether 9/11 is an adequate term for what is being communicated. It probably works better in a direct quotation or on a second reference than on a first reference. In general, we recommend that months be abbreviated when used with a specific date and spelled out when not. This is the trend in American printed media, and therefore, it is easier to obtain consistency in your documents with this ruleJanuary 1972 was a cold month but Jan. 8 was the coldest day of the month.

See the Associated Press Stylebook for more guidance if needed. People write dates a great many ways, so you need to check each proof of your document for consistency.

Alphabetization

Alphabetize letter-by-letter:
Mc or Mac follows normal letter orderMacintosh, Madsen, McMahan. Names with apostrophe like OToole: Ignore apostrophe. Company names that start with numbers should be alphabetized according to the number as spoken 3com would be placed as if it were Threecom. Company names should be alphabetized by the first initial; do not Hutton, E.F.

not invert using last nameE.F. Hutton,

In dealing with persons from many countries, be sure you understand which name for each individual is to be used to alphabetize.

exception

Abbreviations such as St. should be alphabetized according to the word as spokenSaint.

Drop the word The from all alpha listings for company namesWall Street Journal (not The Wall Street Journal), David and Lucile Packard Foundation (not The David and Lucile Packard Foundation).
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Bias-Free Language
overview
Writing for multiple readers in todays world requires shunning descriptive identifications that may be considered offensive or that perpetuate prejudices and stereotypes. No longer can we assume the audience for publications is primarily American. Good taste and sensitivity often are violated when unwarranted, unfair, or imprecise references are made to characteristics such as age, dialect, disabilities, nationality, race, religious affiliation, political beliefs, gender, and sexual preferences. Certain identifications may be common and acceptable among some cultures, but considered offensive and unwarranted among others. For example, people in some cultures consider it insensitive to identify family members as half-brother, half-sister, or stepmother, etc. Such family relationships should not be specified except when germane to your subject or specified by the persons involved. At issue are both the perceptions of the readers and the preferences of the person who is written about. This guide gives some specific guidance on how to avoid biased language, but the purpose is to encourage thought, awareness, and precisionrather than to prescribe words that work well in all circumstances. It is ultimately the responsibility of writers and their editors to make sound language judgments based on their common sense but also on their willingness to ask people how they wish to be identified and to think about communication from the perspectives of multiple readers from differing backgrounds. A person living in Palo Alto, Calif., might be expected to use u.s.-centric language in conversation, and a person working at the Stanford Graduate School of Business is likely to use current gsb-centric language in hallway conversations. In writing for readers who are not their neighbors and colleagues, these people would wisely avoid speaking of foreign students or in the alphabet soup of csi, cmc, pmp, etc. Stereotypic characterizations are poor substitutes for more precision in writing, which also will make the writing more interesting to read. Referring to someone as an energetic 70-year-old may wrongly suggest that elderly people normally are lethargic. (In this case a more precise word such as exuberant might better describe an elderly person who is more energetic than most.) Using common descriptive words or phrases for a particular racial or ethnic group (well-organized, natural athlete, intelligent, hard-working, festive, nattily dressed) may unintentionally suggest that such descriptions are out of the ordinary. If truly extraordinary conditions exist, more precise descriptions may be in order. Careful writers should choose words for their accuracy and their likely impact. The careful editor should be similarly sensitive. It is possible to use bias-free language without being overbearingly politically correct. You neednt make up -person wordslike mailperson or waitpersonor -impaired wordslike height-impaired or calorie-impairedin order to show respect for your readers. (In fact, you sound a little intelligence-impaired when you do.)

gender The goal is to use language to acknowledge that most groups include both males and females. At the same time, think about what effect gender-aware language will have on the reader.

Keep it simple. Speakers at a womens conference are likely to be female, but a group of ceos is not necessarily all male. Alumni, alumnus, alumnae, alumna, alum, and alumni/ae: Do not use alumni or alumnae to include both male and female graduates except in proper names such as the Stanford Business School Alumni Association or where it is obvious from the context that the group is predominantly of one genderalumni in the business school class of 1953, and alumnae in the Women in Management group. In cases where both genders are meant, you can use both wordsalumni and alumnaeor alumni/ae or, if informality is appropriate to your publication, use the shortened formalums. For aesthetic reasons, do not use alumni/ae excessively. Try to recast sentences to avoid excessive gender-sensitive language.

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not: Each alumnus/a presented his or her case to an audience of other alumni/ae. rather: Individuals presented their cases to an audience of other alumni/ae.
Recurring university publications may adopt more detailed style rules based on their needs or audience sensitivities.

When referring to a graduate or group of graduates of a single gender, be specific: one alumnus or two alumni (male); one alumna or two alumnae (female). Avoid using the generic he. not: Every student should hand in his homework. rather: Every student should hand in the homework. Although it is increasingly used in conversation, do not mix singular and plural in writingEvery student should hand in their homework. The easiest way to avoid this is to make both pluralAll students should hand in their homework. The gsb Case Writing Style Guidelines say, If unavoidable, use s/he (rather than he/she).

race, ethnicity, and nationality: general rules

Do not identify the nationality or race of individuals unless those identifications are necessary to the context. When such an identification is included, all persons, not a select few, should be identified. Do not hyphenate American when referring to a personJapanese American.
Some style guides recommend hyphenation but it has been a politically sensitive issue in the United States and perhaps in other countries composed of multiple ethnic or religious groups. (President Woodrow Wilson once labeled the hyphen as the most un-American thing in the world because of its use with American.)

American citizens, whatever their ethnic background, are simply Americans when ancestry is not pertinent. When distinctions are important, Americans of Portuguese ancestry should be called Portuguese Americans, spelled as two words. Do not capitalize black or white when referring to racial origin, and consider if the terms are appropriate to your purpose.
American racial definitions are not the same as elsewhere in the world, and race is not a scientific category.

Be as specific as possible. For example, Mexican American and Peruvian American are preferable to Chicano or Hispanic American.

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race, ethnicity, and nationality: commonly used terms No clear lines can be drawn between which terms are acceptable and which are considered derogatory. The disparity of consensus is compounded by gaps of generation, geography, social stature, and politics. The point is to recognize that no one term is clearly correct or incorrect, acceptable or unacceptable, for an entire group of people; at best, the terms used should be the most acceptable and least offensive given the conditions and context. First and foremost, writers should be cognizant of the terms used by their subject(s). For instance, Japanese American and Chinese American are preferred terms. But if an individual or group insists on using the term Orientalunacceptable to most but preferred by somethat term might be appropriate in a direct reference to the individual or group. Sometimes offenses occur at very subtle levels. Simply using the before a word may carry a derogatory connotation of separatism, such as the blacks or the Jews.
African (n.): a citizen or legal resident of an African nation. Not all Africans are black. African American or black (n., adj.): Use interchangeably when referring to black Americans, but remember that not all people referred to as black are African Americans. Asian (adj.): people of Asian ancestry. Asian American (n., adj.): American of Asian descent. Precision is preferred when possibleChinese American, Filipino American, etc. Black (n., adj.): refers to any nationality; generally avoid use as a noun. A black American, Hispanic (n., adj.): Spanish-speaking or descended from Spanish-speaking people. Hispanic American (n., adj.): American of Spanish or Latin American descent. Latin American, Latino (n., adj.): a person from a Latin American country; American of Mexican, Caribbean, South, or Central American heritage (sometimes excludes Mexican Americans). Latina (n., adj.): a woman or girl from a Latin American country, or a female of Latin American birth or ancestry. Best reserved for cases of self-identification. International students: Be aware that this term, as it is used by people in universities, is both imprecise and u.s.-centric. Users may be referring to both first-generation American immigrants and people who are nationals of other countries. It is now possible for u.s. citizens to carry dual citizenship, which adds to the confusion. When distinctions are necessary and you are dealing with individuals, ask them how to describe their nationality or residency, whichever is more appropriate to the context. When dealing with statistical groups, try for the maximum precision possible. Indian (n., adj.): person from India. (In many contexts, you may need to rewrite your sentence to make sure your readers know you do not mean American Indian.) Indian American (n., adj.): American of (Asian) Indian descent. Native American, American Indian (n., adj.): Either is acceptable; both are capitalized. However, a (lowercase) native American is a person of any color or racial background who was born in the United States. Precision is preferred. Subjects should be asked if they prefer to use the name of their tribe and how they spell it. Oriental (n., adj.): not generally preferred. Person or people of color: preferable to nonwhite. White (adj.): Do not capitalize black or white. Be sure to identify people as white in a story where some of the people are identified as people of color. The assumption by some writers and editors that only people of color need to be identified by their so-called race is offensive to those who are sensitized to the unconscious racism involved.

not a black.

Chicano, Chicana (n., adj.): an American of Mexican ancestry. Mexican American is preferable.

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Bibliographic Citations
print and web styles A bibliographys purpose is to clearly describe the source material so the reader can identify it. Every effort should be made to reduce duplication and clutter. This style guide modifies recommendations of the Chicago Manual of Style in Sect. 16.72.
For recommendations on alphabetizing citations, see Chicago Manual of Style, Sect. 16.81.

Basic short form:

To Live and Die in

la, John Smith, Journal of Mortuary Science (Vol. 1, No. 3), 2004.

Economics for Beginners (2nd edition), M. Allan Smith, Addison-Wesley, 2005. Advanced Financial Theory, Charles James Jr., Robert Jones, and Claire Wilson, Jossey Bass, 2005. Managing Power, Margaret S. Watson, Modern Workforce, ed. William R. Morrow, Free Press, 2004. Womens Careers: The Impact of Sex and Gender Identity on Career Attainment, Olivia A. ONeill and Charles A. OReilly III, Stanford Graduate School of Business Working Paper No. 1775, 2004. (Do not italicize a working paper series because working papers are not published and can be changed.)

Using url links in citations: In printed prose, url links should appear in italics. Cite the name of the host site if applicable:
Iowa Electronic Markets, University of Iowa, www.biz.uiowa.edu/iem/archive/historicaldata.html

For the web: A different style of citation seems to be easier to read online. You may follow the above form or use the following with shorter line lengths:
Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything Guy Kawasaki Portfolio, 2004 Rewarding Hard Work Anne A. Small Journal of Economics, June 23, 2004 The Dynamics of Pricing Tickets for Broadway Shows Mary Smith, New York Times, January 13, 2005
(If this is linked to the article itself, it will follow the webpage style for color and font.)

Capitalize in titles:
First and last words and all nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and subordinating conjunctions (if, because, as, that, etc.). All elements of a hyphenated compoundTwentieth-Century Playwrights; Bigger-Than-Life Murals. Prepositions containing five or more lettersThrough, After; all prepositions used as first or last words; all that are part of a verbAdding Up Our Losses.

Do not capitalize in titles:

Articlesa, an, the unless they begin a subtitle preceded by a colon, semicolon, or dash. The to in infinitives.

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Capitalization
capitalize

Formal names of degrees such as Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Management

exception Do not capitalize doctorate, bachelors, masters

Committees only if proper names, such as the House Appropriations Committee but the school housing committee Proper nouns for specific regions such as the East, West, Middle West, Midwest, West Coast, East Coast

exception Do not capitalize directionsgo west, young manor the adjectives western, far western,
middle western

Well-known areasEast Side, North Shore, Silicon Valley Titles when they precede names, but not when they follow or are used alone: President Smith but the president of the United States Admissions Director John Doe but the director of admissions Professor Jane Doe but Jane Doe, professor of finance

exceptions

Chaired professorships because they are proper nounsJane Doe, the Bloomingdale Professor of Finance. Dont use the in lists or display type. Chair names are very hard to understand when they are placed before the holders name in prose. If you must use the full title, put it after the name.

Titles and headings in publications:

First and last words and all nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and subordinating conjunctions if, because, as, that, etc.

exceptions

Headlines and subheads in periodicals and other publications usually have a consistent style designed for the publication. Some styles call for using sentence case or lower case in display type. Articlesa, an, the; coordinating conjunctionsand, but, or, for, nor; and prepositionsunless they fall within the capitalization rule above

All elements of a hyphenated compoundTwentieth-Century Playwrights, Bigger-Than-Life Murals

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 Prepositions containing five or more lettersThrough, After; prepositions used as first or last word of the title or headingStepping Out; or part of the verbAdding Up Our Losses

exception

The to in infinitives

do not capitalize

university, or school when used alone referring to Stanford University or the Stanford Graduate School of Business. center, program, or other units of the school when used alone The Center for Global Business and the Economy sponsored the event. But: The center supports a calendar of similar kinds of events. The MBA Program includes required international work experience. But: The program admits students in three different rounds each year.

The seasons or academic quarterswinter, spring, summer, fall.

The words state, federal, city, government, universityexcept when referring to Stanford or campus, except as part of a titleThe material belonged to the City of Palo Alto but The material belonged to the city. The the in newspaper, magazine titles, or company namesthe New York Times, the Economist, the Gap.

Grammar
frequently raised questions singular vs. collective nouns

Words that are plural sometimes become singular over time. There are no general rules in this area except to consult widely.
Listen to Patricia OConnor (Woe Is I) on the subject of one particularly troublesome word that keeps popping up in academic writing. Its time to admit that data has joined agenda, erotica, insignia, opera, and other technically plural Latin and Greek words that have become thoroughly Anglicized as singular nouns taking singular verbs. No plural form is necessary, and the old singular form, datum, can be left to the Romans. (Media, it seems, is going the same way though its not there yet. Ask me again in a few years.) In other words, data is accumulating while media are proliferating. Another troublesome noun is faculty, which can be either singular or plural, depending on whether you are speaking of a single body of individuals or of the individuals who make it up. For example, the faculty is generally content although many faculty are holding out for higher pay. In the latter case, try calling them faculty members.

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fewer vs. less

Use less for quantity and fewer for numberThe building has less floor space than the Empire State, yet it contains no fewer than 1,200 offices. An oddity about fewer: Whereas it is fine to write, The Liberals won three fewer seats than in the previous election, you run into idiom trouble if you reduce the number to one; you cannot say one fewer seats, nor can you say one fewer seat. The only escape hatch is one seat fewer. A problem with fewer is to distinguish whether it refers to a quantity or a number. For instance, Not many of these buildings are fewer than 30 years old. The thought here is not of individual years but of a period of time; therefore, it should be less than 30 years old.

splitting infinitives and verb phrases

Splitting an infinitive is acceptable if moving the modifier would make the sentence sound awkward or change its meaningHe seems to really want the puppy. not He really seems to want the puppy. It is fine for the adverb to break a multiple-word verb if the sentence reads better or if in a quote it sounds more like the spoken wordRoy had been properly warned about the permit.

that vs. which

Use that in restrictive clauses (i.e., clauses that are necessary to the sentence for it to make sense)The course that demands the least time is the one to take. [note: The sentence does not have a comma.] Use which in nonrestrictive clauses (i.e., clauses that can be taken out of the sentence and the sentence will still make sense)Cost Accounting, which demands a great deal of time, is one of the best courses in the School. [note: The clause is set off by commas.] Use commas around nonrestrictive clauses without whichMy fiance, a second-year student, is arriving tomorrow. This type of clause also is known as an apposition and should be considered by writers and editors when trying to find the most readable way to include a persons lengthy professional titleJohn Smith, professor of human resources, is easier to read than Professor of Human Resources John Smith.

try and vs. try to

Try and in the place of the standard try to is generally acknowledged to be characteristic of spoken languagecolloquial. The try and idiom is substandard and illogical.

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Lists

In lists of names, use alphabetical order unless there is a reason to do otherwise. In lists of places, do not mix cities, countries, continents; keep the geographic units parallelwrong: He went to Munich, Russia, and South America. right: He traveled to Germany, Russia, and Argentina. All items in a list should be syntactically alike; that is, all should be noun forms, phrases, full sentenceswhatever the context requires.

bulleted lists

Introduce the list with a colon. Start each item with an uppercase letter. If items are complete sentences, end each item with a period. If the list completes a sentence begun in an introductory element, that is, if the items are syntactically part of the sentence, use appropriate end punctuationseparate items in the list by commas or semicolons, as appropriate, and end with a period.
To complete the certificate, students must:

Take the designated core courses, Pass an oral examination, and Complete a practicum.

When a list is introduced by a complete grammatical sentence, followed by a colon, items carry no closing punctuation unless they consist of complete sentences.
Rooms include the following furnishings:

Desk Chair Extra-long twin bed Utility table Refrigerator

Names and Titles

company names We follow the guidelines in the Associated Press Stylebook on most matters of company identification.
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For correct spelling of company names in text use Standard & Poors Register of Corporations as the primary source. It is available in the reference area of Jackson Library or online at www.netadvantage.standardandpoors.com. In cases where s&p has no listing, see the companys annual report. Jackson Library also has company profiles available online through the abi/inform Global database.

Generally follow the spelling and capitalization preferred by the companyeBaybut capitalize the first letter if it begins a sentence. Use small caps instead of full-size capital letters in the names of companies or other organizations that use more than one capital letter per word. A small cap can be created in one of two ways: 1) use a small cap font, e.g., Sabon SC, type the word in lowercase, and make it 2 points larger than the rest of your textveritas, or 2) use the same font for all of your text but type the word in uppercase letters and downsize them 2 points from the rest of the typeVERITAS. Do not use a comma before Inc., llc, plc, or Ltd. following the company name. Omit Inc. or Ltd. following the word Company or Corporation or its abbreviation. For company designations in other countries, use the foreign company designations section of the Wall Street Journal Essential Guide to Business Style and Usage. Do not use symbols such as exclamation points, plus signs, or asterisks that form contrived spellings. Use an ampersand only if it is part of the companys formal name.

geographical names

Use the Geographical Names section of Websters New World College Dictionary, 4th edition, or Websters Third New International Dictionary for spelling, but be aware of name changes that may have occurred recently in countries with changing politics. Check Merriam Websters Dictionary at www.m-w.com. Use American spellings when more than one version is offered. For u.s. states used in conjunction with the name of a city, use standard abbreviations with an ending period, not postal-code abbreviations. Use Calif., not ca. The state abbreviation list is under state names in the Associated Press Stylebook. If you are writing a full street address, use the postal-code abbreviation for the state. If you are referring just to the state, California, do not abbreviate.
Also, see datelines in the Associated Press Stylebook for an explanation of when to use the state or country after a place name. A few big cities in the world do not need the state or country name attached, and smaller cities that are local to your readership do not need the added identification. In a listing where inconsistencies are more obvious, you may want to treat all localities the same to avoid the appearance of bias.

gsb names
See Words, Words, Words section for guidance specific to this School. Page 16

personal names and titles

Do not use courtesy titlesBarry Bonds, Bonds on subsequent mention, not Mr. Bonds; Joe Jones, professor of marketing, Jones on subsequent mention, not Professor Jones. Also, be wary of writers who, on second reference, use first names for young adults and women. All names should be treated in comparable style to the way you would treat Bill Gates, the ceo of Microsoft. The only exception is if you have two people with the same last name. Initials should not be separated by a spaceG.H. Henry, C.P.E. Bach. Jr., Sr., etc., are not set off by a commaLeland Stanford Jr. and John D. Rockefeller Sr. A nickname should be used in place of a persons given name only when it is the way the individual prefers to be known: Jimmy Carter. When a nickname is inserted into the identification of an individual, use quotation marks: Hayagreeva Huggy Rao. Titles: Follow Associated Press Stylebook under these headings:
Courtesy, formal, abbreviated, royal, nobility, past and future, unique titles: p. 248 Doctor: page 76 Legislative titles: p. 143 Military titles: p. 158 Religious titles: p. 214 Academic titles: p. 5 (see exceptions in this guide for

mba, phd, etc.)

In general, help your readers digest information by putting long titles behind the names of the people to whom they refer. Professor Margaret Neale is easy to read, but if you must use her formal title, write: Margaret Neale, the John G. McCoyBanc One Corporation Professor of Organizations and Dispute Resolution. Capitalize brand names and other trademarked words or use a substitute, such as photocopy for Xerox or adhesive bandage for Band-Aid. Do not use the symbols or . For the correct spelling of individual trademarks, consult the checklist at the website of the International Trademark Association (inta.org).

trademarks

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Numbers

Spell out one to nine in most cases. See below for exceptions. Use figures for 10 to ... . Use figures for reunions, anniversaries25th reunion. Spell out decadessixtiesor use 1960s (no apostrophe). Use figures for ages9-year-old daughter, 23-year-old son. Numbers used as units of measure are not spelled out1,300 square feet; 5 pounds, 6 ounces; 18 inches; 4-unit course. [note: do spell out the words square feet, etc., rather than using the abbreviation sq. ft., except in tables or lists. The exception is use the symbol % for percent figures.] Try not to begin a sentence with a figure; if you must, spell it out. Ideally, it is best to rewrite the sentence. exceptions (to the 7 points above): When two or more numbers are near each other in the same sentence, use numerals for all (e.g.,
1 week and every 10 years) unless one number starts the sentence. (This is an exception to the Associated Press Stylebook.) If two numbers occur next to each other, spell out one and use digits for the other (four 3-cent pieces) unless they are separated by punctuation (out of 100, 75 golfers will par the hole).

Currency:

Generally, amounts of foreign money should be converted to U.S. dollars. If it is necessary to mention the foreign currency, provide the dollar equivalent in parentheses. In contexts where the symbol $ may refer to non-U.S. currencies, these currencies should be clearly identified; where the context makes clear what currency is meant, the dollar sign is enough. Can$300, NZ$200, A$29.95, Arg$29.95, Mex$300 [respectively, Canadian, New Zealand, Australian dollars; Argentine, Mexican pesos]

Most non-$ currencies are formatted similarly to U.S. currency, with a decimal point between the currency and subsidiary unit. Separate letter abbreviations from the numeral. EUR 10.20 [10 euro, 20 cent] or 40 [40 euro]; SwF 35.50 [35.50 Swiss francs]; 15 [15 pounds]; 800 [800 yen];

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For a list of currency abbreviations, consult foreign money under useful tables in the U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual: http://frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate.cgi?WAISdocID=24546538577+4+0+0&WAISaction= retrieve

Use closed parentheses with figures(1). Phone and fax numbers: 650-723-3152 or 650.723.3152 (Do not use parentheses.) For web publishing: 650.723.3152 (Use periods to separate numbers.) Use a comma in 4-figure numbers1,000. Use 3.5 million, not 3
1/2

million.

Use 1 million, but 999,000. Use $3 million, not three million dollars. Use less when describing an amountless than 10 percent. Use fewer when describing a numberfewer than 60 students.

If you are looking for other guidance about numbers, try the numerals section of the Associated Press Stylebook.

Punctuation general rule: We use punctuation to clarify, to emphasize, or to give the reader an
opportunity to take a (mental) breath before proceeding. Many editors say that when in doubt, use less punctuation rather than more. Keep in mind, however, that if everyone who is writing and reviewing your material has different doubts, you will waste resources putting commas and hyphens in and taking them out. If you see this happening repeatedly, it may be time to give everyone a cheat sheet of rules specific for your publication. What follows are general guidelines for all gsb publications.

apostrophe

Do not use for making plurals of abbreviations without periods1960s, mbas, phds. (This is a rule broken by many American writers and publications, including the New York Times.)

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Singular proper names or nouns ending in s use only an apostropheAchilles heel, Agnes son, Ceres rites, Descartes theories, Dickens novels, Tennessee Williams plays.

exception

A formal place name that uses s, for example, St. Jamess Place. Add s to singular, common nouns ending in sgrasss color. [note: We have opted for the simplest rule given in other style guides. A discussion of more complex rules on when to add s can be found in the Chicago Manual of Style, sections 7.17-7.23.]

colon

Use before lists, tabulations, and textsThe recipe included the following ingredients: herbs, garlic, rabbit. Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. (See more details on lists in the Lists section.) Do not use immediately after the verb to be (is, are, am)The main things to bring are books, papers, and calculators. Use before an explanationThey didnt answer the door: They were out. Use before long quotes and dialogueShe said: I think manufacturing ...

comma Use a comma:

In a series: a hat, pen, and cloak (The comma before the and is an exception to the Associated Press Stylebook.) After specific dates and place namesIt was in Portsmouth, England, that ... but It was in England that . To set off titles or degreesMarie Winters, md, a prominent surgeon . After initial adverbsthus, however, therefore, nonetheless, consequently, etc. After dependent adverbial clauses (clauses beginning with the coordinating conjunctions because, since, when, while, before, after, until, and if)When we arrived at the Business School, Dean Joss... [note: After adverbial clauses but not before them, so it depends on the position within the sentence.]

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Between coordinate adjectives if the word and logically could be read between them The company is committed to hiring intelligent, aggressive people. (intelligent and aggressive) In compound sentences, before the conjunctions and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yetAre we really interested in preserving law and order, or are we only interested in preserving our own privileges? [note: To be a compound sentence, each part must have a separate subject.] With nonrestrictive clauses that begin with which.

Do not use a comma:

Before Co., Corp., Ltd., Inc. Before dependent adverbial clauses that begin with the coordinating conjunctions because, since, when, while, before, after, until, and if. To separate an adjective from a word groupEdie eyed the group of bored office workers. (not bored and office) To separate an adjective from the noun it modifiesIt was an endangered white rhino. With single subject and complex verbsHe has earned a bachelors degree and a masters degree and has published two books. If clauses are short and closely relatedCharles played the guitar and Betty sang. With a restrictive clause that begins with that.

dash (en and em) Em dash (so called because it is about the width of the letter M):

Use an em () dash to substitute and give more emphasis than a comma. Use as an alternative to parentheses. Use sparingly for an uncluttered look. In Microsoft Word, the em dash is located under: Insert Symbol Special Characters.
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The Associated Press Stylebook says to put a space on either side of an em dash (page 330). Some art directors may disagree. Be consistent within your publication. Note: if material will be used online, add a space before and after an em dash to improve readability.

En dash (so called because it is about the width of the letter N):

Use an en dash () in place of a hyphen (-) to indicate continuing or inclusive page numbers, times or dates, and references196872, MayJune 1967, pp. 3845. Do not use in place of from to or between andfrom 1968 to 1972, from May to June 1967, between 1968 and 1970 Use in place of a hyphen if one word in a compound adjective consists of two words or a hyphenated wordNew YorkLondon flight, postCivil War period. In Microsoft Word, the en dash is located under: Insert Symbol Special Characters.

diagonal (slant, virgule)

To reduce a cluttered look, avoid excessive use of word combinations using the diagonal /as in either/or, and/or, alumni/ae.

ellipsis points ()

Treat an ellipsis as a word; that is, it is accordingly preceded and followed by a space. If the words that precede an ellipsis constitute a grammatically complete sentence, place a period at the end of the last word before the ellipsis, then follow it with a space and an ellipsisWe havent found any evidence of theft. We are keeping an eye on things, though. When the grammatical sense calls for some other punctuation mark, the sequence is the sameDo we have any suspects? I cant comment. It is not necessary to use ellipsis points at the beginning or end of a quoted phrase, sentence, or longer passage. Readers understand that the quotes are excerpts from longer material. Ellipsis points may be used at the end of a sentence to indicate an incomplete sentence There is nothing there but ... (three dots) The punctuation guide in the Associated Press Stylebook says, Ellipsis should generally be avoided when possibleand it usually is.

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exclamation point

Use only to indicate emotionally laden imperatives or surprise. Do not overuse Attention! Wow!

hyphen The Associated Press Stylebook Guide to Punctuation says, The hyphen is not a grammatical imperative. Within broad limits, its use is optionalleft to the writers taste, judgment, and stylistic sense. Oxford University Press once noted, If you take the hyphen seriously, you will surely go mad. Copy Editors Handbook and other authorities on punctuation note that todays dictionaries try to stay up with fast-changing trends. The result is both arbitrariness within a reference work and disagreement among them about whether two words should be linked by a hyphen, closed up into one word, or treated as two separate words. For example, Merriam Websters Collegiate shows crossbones, cross-purpose, and cross section; break-in, breakout, breakup; walk-on, walkout, walk-up. Given the lack of agreement or logic from outside experts, this guide offers minimal general rules. When considering how to handle noun combinations or adjectivenoun combinations, writers and editors are advised to base their decisions on their understanding of what they are trying to communicate and to whom. In the Words, Words, Words section of this guide, we suggest a few hyphenation rules for combinations of words that are used very frequently at the Business School. There may be other combinations used so often by your office that you need to set a hyphenation rule for consistency, but in general, writers choose to hyphenate or not and, unless they are inconsistent within a written piece, copy editors should think twice before overriding writers decisions. Here are a few specific rules on hyphens:

Hyphenate almost all compounds that begin with these prefixes: all, self, ex, half, wide all-important, self-confident, ex-president, wide-ranging, half-truth. Hyphenate prefixes and suffixes, to avoid doubling vowels or tripling consonants anti-inflation, bell-like, pre-entertainment, co-op. (With double consonants, make exceptions for very common words, such as coordination, cooperation, reexamine.) Hyphenate when forming nouns, adjectives, or verbs that indicate occupation or status co-captain, co-conspirator, co-curator, co-heir, and co-star. (This rule from the Associated Press Stylebook brings some sanity to a situation that is almost bizarre in Merriam Websters Collegiate, says the Copy Editors Handbook.)

exception

Because they are so common, we suggest closing up: codirector, coauthor, cofounder, and coworker.

Hyphenate compounds when the second word begins with a capital or is a number un-American, pre-1914.
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Hyphenate an adjective connected to a noun with ed at the endfull-bodied. Hyphenate homonyms to prevent misreadingre-cover, re-create, un-ionized. Do not hyphenate adverbs ending in ly followed by an adjectivebadly written essay. Do not hyphenate most compounds formed with prefixes and suffixes unless they have double vowels or triple consonantsshell-like, anti-isolationist, nonessential, precondition, infrastructure.

parentheses and brackets Parentheses are used to set off parenthetical expressions.

Within quotations, do not use parentheses to set off a speakers parenthetical remarks, rather set off with commas or dashes. Set off editorial interpretations, collections, or clarifications with square brackets. Use a period inside the closing parenthesis or bracket of an independent sentenceThe paper is due Tuesday. (I heard that from Irene.) Use a period after the closing parenthesis or bracket if the enclosure is not an independent sentenceThe paper is due Tuesday (or so Irene told me). Do not capitalize the first word of a sentence within parentheses if within another sentenceThe paper (its to be about accounting standards) is due Tuesday. In general, this construction is hard to read and rewriting is a better alternative.

punctuation with quotation marks

Inside or outside? In American usage, commas and periods always go inside quotation marks; exclamation points or question marks may go either before or after. Normally, these two, as well as the dash and the semicolon, go outside the quotation, unless they are part of the quoted statement.
Didnt Shakespeare have Mark Anthony say, I have come to bury Caesar, not to praise him? (Outside because the question mark applies to the whole sentence.) Gertrude Stein once asked, What is the question? (Inside because the question mark applies to the quote, not to the entire sentence.)

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Note about smart quotes: Microsoft Word uses smart quotes differentiate between the opening and closing quote. When text prepared in Microsoft Word is copied directly into a webpage, be aware that the smart quotes will show up as hollow boxes or other disruptive symbols in many web applications and must be replaced with standard quotes after the material is in HTML format. quotation marks or italics for emphasis Writers can use either italics or quotation marks for emphasis. In the case of articles where it is critical to indicate the source of terminology, writers usually opt for quotation marks to send a signal to the reader about the source. Editors should respect these nuances of meaning. When the writer simply intends to emphasize a commonly used word or phrase, italics is more appropriate. However, italics is next-to-invisible when it is used for a single, short word in body text in a printed publication or on the web. Add to that the fact that it is often lost in copying documents to different formats and you see why writers have a tendency to prefer quotation marks. Quotation marks may be less technically correct for book publishing standards, but they may actually work better in many situations. Work for consistency within a document. quotation marks or italics

Use italics for book titles, course titles, newspaper titles, radio and television series, movies, plays, and magazines. This includes online newspapers and magazines like Slate and Hotwired. Use italics for web and email addresses in prose. Do not use italics if the web and email addresses are simple listings. Use italics for foreign words that are not accepted American usage. Consult a dictionary for guidance; debut (Roman), but fait accompli (Italics). Use italics for Americanismswords and phrases that have become part of the English language as spoken in the United States but are not generally part of Englishbling. They are listed with a star in Websters New World Dictionary. Do not use italics for an initial The when newspapers and periodicals are mentioned in textShe reads the New York Times every morning. Use quotation marks for songs, poems, articles, essays, conferences, short stories, episodes or programs in a radio or television series. Do not use italics or quotation marks for the names of software programs. Treat them as brand names and capitalizeMicrosoft Wordunless the brand itself uses lowercase.

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semicolon

Use to break two sentences that are linkedHe asked for it; he got it. Use in place of commas in complicated lists, especially if items within the list contain commasThe company has offices in Portland, Maine; Springfield, Illinois; and Savannah, Georgia.

Tech Talk

Write as one word and lowercase (unless beginning a sentence):

blog database email homepage internet intranet login (n.) (write as two words in verb form) logoff (n.) (write as two words in verb form) logon (n.) (write as two words in verb form) net (the net) online podcast voicemail web (the web) weblog webpage website

The transition from World Wide Web Site to Web site to website seems to have progressed as rapidly as the technology itself. The development of website as a single uncapitalized word mirrors the development of other technological expressions which have tended to evolve into unhyphenated forms as they become more familiar. Thus email has been gaining ground over the forms E-mail and e-mail, especially in texts that are more technologically oriented. Similarly, there has been an increasing preference for closed forms like homepage, online, and printout. (American Heritage Dictionary, p. 1949)

Use italics for web and email addresses when used in prose both in print and on the web. Do not use http:// in a web address unless it is unclear that it is a web address. In most cases you also can eliminate the www in web addresses. You can test the address by calling the page up yourself but be aware that our users may be accessing the site using browsers other than Internet Explorer and Netscape, or it may be cached on your computer.

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Do not use italics or quotation marks for the names of software programs. Treat them as brand names and capitalizeMicrosoft Word. Use italics for online newspapers and magazinesSlate and SFGate.

Words, Words, Words

gsb dictionary (usage specific to the stanford graduate school of business)

Stanford Graduate School of Business (official name)

Stanford Graduate School of Business is the official name, not Stanford Business School. It must be used on first reference in all documents. Subsequent references may use GSB, Stanford GSB, the school, or the business school. Be aware that not everyone in the non-GSB world recognizes what GSB stands for so use the abbreviation sparingly. Note that school and business school are lower case when used alone without the full name.

The formal names of centers, departments, and programs should be capitalized on first reference. A list of the formal names of school units and some from the University is provided below. Acronyms frequently used in conversations at the school should never be used on first reference in school publications and should be used sparingly. Readers find it easier to read about a center or program if, on second reference, it is called the center or the program, than if they are asked to remember alphabet soup. Publications also appear more accessible if capitalization is kept to a minimum. Preferred Subsequent references in same text
the Alliance the Alumni Office, but office alone should be lowercase (see usage note below)* the award the Advisory Council the Management Board the Trust the center the Global Center the center the center Deans Office (Dean is singular) the program

First Reference
Academic Administration Academic Operations Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing Alumni Consulting Team Alumni Relations Alumni Relations Lifelong Learning Arbuckle Award Behavioral Lab Business School Advisory Council Business School Management Board Business School Trust Center for Entrepreneurial Studies Center for Global Business and the Economy Center for Leadership Development and Research Center for Social Innovation Office of the Dean Development Office Executive Education Program Facilities Faculty Services and Operations

Minimize Initials

aim act

ces cgbe cldr csi

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Faculty Support Finance The Farm (when in reference to the Stanford campus) Financial Aid Global Management Program Global Supply Chain Management Forum Human Resources Information Technology Jackson Library Knight Management Center (not the Knight Campus) Management Communication Program mba Admissions mba Career Management Center mba Program Media Services News and Publications Partnership for Diversity fellowship program

the program the forum

gmp hr it

the library the program the center the program kmc mcp cmc

(The program gives Partnership for Diversity fellowships to Bonini Fellows)

phd Program
Process of Change Lab Public Management Program Schwab Residential Center Stanford Board of Trustees Stanford Business magazine Stanford Sloan Masters Program Stanford Sloan Fellow Stanford Social Innovation Review Student Life Office

the program the program (official name, see usage note below)** the Trustees the program ssir the office pmp

*usage note: Lifelong Learning is a program of the Alumni Relations office, which serves as staff to the Stanford Business School Alumni Association, which is different from the Stanford University Alumni Association. **usage note: Never use the Schwab Center. Schwab Residential Center is the official name. Use the official name upon first mention in text and then use the Center.

First reference to building namesGSB South building, Littlefield building, Knight building.

troublesome words Disagreements with the Associated Press Stylebook are noted below as (overrules ap).
advisor (not adviser) (overrules AP) biannual (twice a year) biennial (every two years) Carnegie Mellon (no hyphen) coauthor Page 28

 codirector cofounder coursework coworker database decision making (n.) decision-making (adj.) different from (usually correct; see usage note in American Heritage Dictionary) different than (correct only when followed by a subject and verb; see usage note in American Heritage Dictionary) dot-com e-commerce email (overrules AP) European Union, EU on second reference euro farther (physical distance) further (additional) fundraise, fundraiser, fundraising freelance full time (adv. as in he works full time) full-time (adj. as in she is a full-time employee) full-timer global (involving most of the world, health care (n. and adj.) high technology/high tech (n.) high-technology/high-tech (adj.) homepage (overrules AP) human resource (adj.) human resource management (no s at the end of resource except in two endowed chair titles: Jack Steele Parker Professor of Human Resources Management and Economics; Frank E. Buck Professor of Human Resources Management and Organizational Behavior) human resources (n., ends in s) in-house (adj. and adv.) international (involving two or more nations; internet, the net (overrules AP) intranet (lowercase) lifestyle login (n.) log in (v.) logoff (n.) log off (v.) logon (n.) log on (v.) Page 29

not synonym for international)

not synonym for global)

 mergers and acquisitions, what it means.) net (the net)

m&a (Use m&a sparingly as first reference. Many readers will not know

nonprofit (no hyphen); but for-profit when used as an adjective online percent (spell out, unless in a chart) playoff (n. and adj.) plus (use only with numbers, not as a synonym for and; try as well as or in addition to) (Stanford Business magazine disagrees because it uses plus as a signal on coverlines.) problem solving (n.) problem-solving (adj.) reengineering (overrules AP) reentry (overrules AP) research and development, r&d (Use familiar with the shorthand.) resume (n., no accents) slowdown (n.) startup (n.) start-up (adj.) start up (v.) toward (not towards) trade-off (n.) trade off (v.)

r&d sparingly as first reference. Some audiences may not be

u.s. (adj.) vc (Use vc sparingly.)

United States (n.) venture capital, voicemail World Wide Web (rarely used these days) web (the web) webpage website workforce workplace

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