University Relations, including Web Services and Editorial Services, use the Associated Press Stylebook. In addition to AP's recommendations, we have additional guidelines specific to our print publications and website. Below highlights some of the common errors, as well as 51视频 specifications. The university also has a Marketing and Branding guide, which governs the use of logos and university messaging.


Faculty and Staff Titles

Titles that precede a name are capitalized. Titles that follow a name are written in lower case.听

Examples:听

  • Prof. James Brown (James Brown, professor of biological sciences)
  • Athletics Director Jane Brown (Jane Brown, director of Athletics)
  • James Brown, Ph.D.
  • Do NOT use courtesy titles (Mr., Miss, Mrs., Dr.), unless in a direct quotation听

Abbreviations

The following are our standard faculty abbreviations:听Prof. Smith,听Asst. Prof. Smith,听Assoc. Prof. Smith
But spell out听University Professor听and听Emeritus Professor.听Otherwise:听
  • Abbreviate months when referring to specific dates (e.g.听Sept.听12), but spell out the month otherwise (e.g. the听September听meeting, in听September听1998).
  • Don鈥檛 abbreviate months that are easy to spell:听March, April, May, June听and听July.听
  • Don鈥檛 abbreviate days of the week, except in the preparation of calendars and other such specialized assignments.
  • Always听spell out 鈥�department.鈥澨齆ever abbreviate it as 鈥渄ept.鈥�
  • For dates, write听Jan. 10, or March 1,听or听June 2听 (not Jan. 10th,听March 1st听 or June 2nd).听In other words,听don鈥檛 use 鈥渢h,鈥� 鈥渟t鈥� or 鈥渘d鈥� with dates.
  • Use standard state abbreviations (Mass., R.I., N.H., Vt., Conn., etc.). Use the postal abbreviations (MA, RI, NH, VT, CT)听 for mailing addresses only.

Academic 51视频s

  • Use an apostrophe and lower case听bachelor's degree, a听master's, but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.
  • Use abbreviations after a full name, not just last name, James Brown, Ph.D.听
  • Do not use courtesy titles, such as Dr.听James Brown.
  • Do not use a title with an academic degree, James Brown, Ph.D. (Not Dr. James Brown, Ph.D.).

Who Are We?

We refer to ourselves as听51视频, the university, Lowell听or the听Lowell campus. In instances where it seems necessary, such as formal partnerships,听we can use the听University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Things With Numbers

  • Write听$1.听(Not $1.00)
  • Write听听3 p.m.,听or听9 a.m.听(Not 3:00 p.m., or 9:00 a.m.)
  • Write听Noon.听(Not 12:00, and not听12 noon. What else could it be?)
  • Write听978-934-5000. Don鈥檛 use periods, 978.934.5000, parentheses (978)934-5000, or other punctuation.
  • Write听John Smith 鈥�76.(Space after the name; no comma; reverse apostrophe; no parentheses)
  • For whole numbers听one听through听nine,听spell out听the number. For numbers听10 and over,听use听numerals/figures.

Capitalization and Spelling

  • academic degrees 鈥� bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees (possessive), and doctorate (all not capitalized), Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science, Doctor of Psychology (capitalized, not possessive), B.A., Ph.D., M.S., Ed. D. We do not use the prefix of Doctor for faculty with Ph.D.s
  • advisor, not adviser (as of 2017)
  • campus-wide (adj. hyphenated before a noun), campus wide (other uses)
  • classes听 - The names of classes such as Economics I, Organic Chemistry II and Criminological Theory are capitalized because they are proper nouns.
  • department听 鈥� The word department is not capitalized unless it is part of a proper noun : Department of Physical Therapy.
  • email (one word, no hyphen)
  • everyday (adj.), every day (other uses)
  • Internet (capitalized noun)
  • full/part-time (adj. hyphenated before a noun), full/part time (two words other uses)
  • fundraising (one word)
  • login (noun), log in (verb)
  • off/on-campus (adj. hyphenated before a noun), off campus (other uses)
  • online (one word)
  • North, South and East Campuses are capitalized.
  • regard - In the phrase in regard to, the word regard is not plural. In the phrase, send my regards, the word regard is plural.
  • sitemap (one word)
  • slideshow (one word)
  • student-athlete (hyphenated always)
  • subjects听 - Subjects, except languages, are not capitalized. So math, history, and chemistry are not capitalized, but English, Spanish and French are.听
  • university (not capitalized, except when part of a name: University of Massachusetts Lowell)
  • waitlist (noun, adj.), wait-list (verb)
  • Web (capitalized noun), web (adj.)
  • website (one word)

Commas

Do not use the听serial comma.听When listing items in a series (three or more),听don't听include a comma before "and." It's unnecessary.听(Write: 鈥淐onference听attendees included听Smith, Jones and Brown.鈥� and "The Campus Bookstore sells听notebooks, pencils and sweatshirts.")

Body Content

  • Content is听single spaced. Subheadings are听bolded. Use听hard returns听between paragraphs. Use the word "and" and not the "&" sign.
  • Make sure the text is Verdana font. If not,听select all听(control/a) and click "Clear Formatting," on the lower right corner of the screen.
  • Page Title听should reflect department or topic.听Remember that individual pages can be pulled up via a search, so it's important that users听know what site they're on.听
    • Examples:
      • Nursing 51视频 Pathway (instead of just 51视频 Pathway); Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Advisory Board (instead of just Advisory Board).听
  • External links听link to department pages as necessary. Link the words and do not include the actual URL address wherever possible (e.g. link to 鈥淧sychology Department鈥� instead of saying, "See more courses at www.uml.edu/Dept/psychology/")
    • Also,听all external links should open a "new window." This option is available in a drop-down box when creating a new link.听
  • Internal links听鈥� link to pages within the university's website as necessary. Also,听all internal links should open in the "current window."听This option is the default option available in a drop-down box when creating a new link.听
  • Anchors听鈥� use for long text with a lot of subheadings. Anchors link to other parts of the same webpage.

  • All听external links听should open a new browser window. This is done by selecting "new window" on the drop down menu in the dialogue box, when using the insert "link" icon. Link the words and do not include the actual URL address wherever possible (e.g. link to 鈥淧sychology Department鈥� instead of saying, "See more courses at听www.uml.edu/Dept/psychology/."
  • All听internal links听鈥� link to pages within the undergraduate and graduate catalogs as necessary. Change wording like, "refer to the 'xx' section in the Graduate Catalog" to 鈥渞efer to 'xx' in the Graduate Catalog." Also,听all internal links should open in the "current or same window."听This option is the default option available in a drop-down box when creating a new link.
  • Links should be created using text that makes sense when read out of context. For example, avoid "click here." Words that are linked have higher weight for search engines 鈥� so linking text that is relevant to the link improves the likelihood of that information being found on search as well.
  • Anchors听鈥� use for long text with a lot of subheadings and add "Top" anchors to pages with long text听

Photos

  • Print: 300 dpi, high resolution, saved as tiff, .jpg, or .eps
  • Web - Hero Images: 72 dpi, 1400x800, optimized for web, saved as .jpg听
  • Web - Faculty Bios.: 72 dpi, 800x1400 for image on individual bio page, optimized for web, saved as .jpg