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Indiana University
IU Brand

Web style quick guide

Writing for IU websites requires a different approach than print (or even other digital) projects. Here is a quick overview of our standards for numbers, lists, and capitalization in the web environment. Consult the complete IU Editorial Style guide for deeper information.

Words and phrases

Online terms

  • Use internet, website, webcam, webcast, webmaster, webpage.
  • Use web address, web browser instead of “website address.”
  • Use email without a hyphen.
  • Use hyphens with e-terms: e-book, e-business, e-commerce.
  • Do not include "http://" or "https://" when spelling out web addresses.
  • Avoid hyperlinking “click here.” Instead, use descriptive text: Example: Visit IU School of Medicine.

Titles and credentials

  • Capitalize formal titles before a name, but lowercase when following:
    • Example: IU School of Medicine Dean Jay L. Hess issued a statement.
    • Example: Jay L. Hess, dean of IU School of Medicine, issued a statement.
  • Lowercase “professor” when not part of a title.
  • Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, master’s degree but not in Bachelor of Science.
  • Do not use periods in degree abbreviations: MD, PhD.

By following these guidelines, we ensure that web content is clear, accessible, and aligned with our brand identity.

Punctuation and capitalization

Composition titles

  • Capitalize principal words in book titles, academic papers, journal articles, and lecture titles.
  • Capitalize prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.
  • Capitalize articles (the, a, an) only if they are the first or last word in a title.
  • Enclose titles in quotation marks.

Apostrophes and quotes

Use curly quotation marks and apostrophes instead of straight.

Commas

  • Use the serial (Oxford) comma in lists: Example: red, white, and blue ribbons.
  • Use semicolons for complex lists: Example: The letters are dated August 7, 1989; May 15, 1990; and January 4, 1991.
  • Place a comma before and after qualifiers like PhD and MD: Example: Valerie P. Jackson, MD, set the tone for the conference.
  • Do not use commas for Jr., Sr., or III: Example: Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Use commas to set off geographical names: Example: Bloomington, Indiana, is home to the university.

Dashes

  • En dashes (–): Used in ranges (e.g., 2010–2020) and between university names (e.g., Indiana University–Purdue University).
  • Em dashes (—): Used for parenthetical phrases, without spaces: Example: The event—our largest yet—was a success.

Capitalization

  • Use sentence case for web headings: Example: The ideal college experience, two centuries in the making.
  • Capitalize official names but lowercase informal references: Example: The School of Medicine; the medical school.
  • Capitalize course titles: Example: E 201 Introduction to Microeconomics.
  • Capitalize official policy names: Example: Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity.
  • Capitalize holidays and named events but lowercase seasons and academic terms: Example: Thanksgiving, Spring Break; winter term, fall semester.
  • Personal titles before names are capitalized, but lowercase when following: Example: Professor John Doe; John Doe, assistant professor of history.
  • Named academic positions remain capitalized: Example: The Lawrence D. Glaubinger Professor of Business Administration.
  • Do not capitalize a qualifying word that precedes a title: Example: former Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Thomas Gieryn.

Numbers and lists

Numbers

  • Use numerals for 10 and above, spell out one through nine.
  • Use million/billion for large round numbers: Example: 2 million; 2.8 billion.
  • Spell out first through ninth; use numerals for 10th and above.
  • Use numbers for percentages and dates: Example: 5 percent; March 14, 2024.
  • Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence: Example: Sixteen credit hours are required.

Times, dates, and places

  • Use figures except for noon and midnight: Example: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 9–11 a.m.
  • Do not use the year unless referring to a date more than a year in the past or future.
  • Spell out numbered streets nine and under: Example: 5 Sixth Ave.; 340 West 10th St.
  • Use abbreviations (Ave., Blvd., St.) only with a numbered address: Example: 1120 South Dr.
  • Spell out and capitalize street names when not used with a number: Example: South Drive.
  • Always spell out Indiana instead of abbreviating it as “IN” or “Ind.”
  • Use healthcare instead of health care.

Lists

  • Capitalize the first word of each item.
  • End each item with a period if at least one is a full sentence.

Learn more about writing for the web at IU