{"id":521,"date":"2025-08-23T17:56:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T17:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/?post_type=docs&p=521"},"modified":"2025-08-23T18:36:51","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T18:36:51","password":"","slug":"ap-editorial-style-guide","status":"publish","type":"docs","link":"https:\/\/www.unlvhelpdesk.test.sites.unlv.edu\/?docs=ap-editorial-style-guide","title":{"rendered":"AP Editorial Style Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The UNLV campus has developed a system to keep professional and consistent communication across the campus. The university follows Associated Press (AP) Style<\/strong> in it’s writing. The following is here to clear up some common issues with style that are unique to the university. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
B<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
C<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
D<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
E<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
F<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
G<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
H<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
I<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
J<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
K<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
L<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
M<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
N<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
O<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
P<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
R<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
S<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
T<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
U<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
W<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

A<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Academic Degrees<\/strong>
(Also see “Class Notes<\/a>” entry)
Use “Dr.” before an individual’s name only for those people who have earned a doctor of dental surgery, doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, or doctor of podiatric medicine degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes it is not necessary to indicate whether a person has earned a doctoral degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it is necessary and the person holds a doctoral degree in something other than one of the fields mentioned above, place that information after the name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example: Laura Hunt, who has a doctorate in psychology, will lead the discussion.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In non-story formats (lists, etc.), abbreviations are permissible. Check the following list to determine which ones do not require periods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B.A.<\/td>bachelor of arts<\/td><\/tr>
B.S.<\/td>bachelor of science<\/td><\/tr>
Ed.D.<\/td>doctorate of education<\/td><\/tr>
M.A.<\/td>master of arts<\/td><\/tr>
M.S.<\/td>master of science<\/td><\/tr>
Ph.D.<\/td>doctorate of philosophy<\/td><\/tr>
MBA<\/td>master of business administration<\/td><\/tr>
EMBA<\/td>executive master of business administration<\/td><\/tr>
MFA<\/td>master of fine arts<\/td><\/tr>
M. Arch.<\/td>master of architecture<\/td><\/tr>
J.D.<\/td>juris doctorate<\/td><\/tr>
D.D.S<\/td>doctor of dental surgery<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Also note: It is bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctoral degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example: Wilson, who has both a master’s and a doctoral degree,\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Acronyms<\/strong>
Avoid the use of acronyms when possible unless the acronyms are incredibly well known (“FBI,” for example. And, for our audiences, we hope, “UNLV”.) If you are going to refer to something more than once in an article and want to use an acronym, use the full name followed by the acronym in () the first time. In subsequent references, use the acronym.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you absolutely must use the acronym the first time (for instance, a 7-word organization that would bog down your lead) be sure to use the full name followed by the acronym in () the second time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rare organization is so well known that using the full name is not necessary. FBI would be an example. Check the AP Style Guide for these exceptions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adviser\/Advisor<\/strong>
Use “advisor” in all instances. This differs from AP style.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All right<\/strong>
This is an easy one. It\u2019s always all right<\/em>. Alright<\/em> is NOT a word. It does not exist, so don\u2019t use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alum, Alumna, Alumnus<\/strong>
Alumna<\/em> refers to a woman who has graduated from an institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumnae<\/em> is the plural of alumna and refers to a group of female graduates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumnus<\/em> refers to one man who has graduated from an institution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumni<\/em>  is the plural of alumnus. It is used both for a group of graduates who are men and for a group of graduates that includes both men and women.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alum<\/em> is permissible in casual uses, including stories that aim for a familiar or friendly tone. For any formal document, use the full Latin words. Some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Alumnae Jane Doe graduated with honors.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark McPherson is an alumnus of the UNLV College of Fine Arts.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alumni from all over the world attended the event.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ampersand<\/strong>
Use only when it is part of the formal name of a company, organization<\/a>, or building<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example: The Thomas & Mack Center<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Do not use in text to replace \u201cand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artist-in-residence<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Athletics<\/strong>
It is the UNLV department of athletics \u2014 with an “s.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

B<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Baccalaureate<\/strong>
Do not capitalize baccalaureate. It is synonymous with bachelor’s degree. (It also can mean a farewell sermon for a graduating class.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black<\/strong>
Capitalize Black in a racial, ethnic, or cultural sense, conveying an essential and shared sense of history, identity and community among people who identify as Black, including those in the African diaspora and within Africa. The lowercase black is a color, not a person. Continue to lowercase the term white in racial, ethnic, and cultural senses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buildings<\/strong>
When referring to UNLV buildings, keep your audience in mind. For most on-campus audiences, the Dungan Humanities building, for example, is fine in a story. (In certain lists for on-campus audiences, even FDH would be fine.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you are writing for an off-campus audience use the full name, Flora Dungan Humanities building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For both on- and off-campus audiences, provide more information when two buildings are named after people with the same last name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example for on-campus audience: Frank and Estella Beam Hall and the Beam Engineering Complex.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Example for off-campus audience: Frank and Estella Beam Hall and the Thomas T. Beam Engineering Complex.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

C<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Campus<\/strong>
Do not capitalize. Some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The campus on Maryland Parkway is the main campus. Please note that \u201cmain\u201d is not capitalized.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campus downtown in the medical district is properly referred to as the Shadow Lane campus.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Campuswide<\/strong>
One word<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Capitalization<\/strong>
When in doubt, do not capitalize.
Some specific word guidelines are listed alphabetically. See AP Style rules for further guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Centers<\/strong>
Capitalize the names of centers on campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The UNLV Writing Center.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Chair<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use instead of \u201cchairman.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example: chair of the anthropology department.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

ChatGPT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer. ChatGPT is acceptable as a first reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Class Notes
<\/strong>Because the repeated use of periods in degree abbreviations can be cumbersome in a Class Notes section, the style for these entries differs somewhat from the preferred style of abbreviating academic degrees. Degree information should follow a person’s name and be set off in commas in this order: the year of graduation, degree conferred (no periods), and major (spelled out). Some examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joe Jones, ’95 BA Psychology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Jones, ’95 BA Psychology and ’87 MA Counseling (two degrees)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Jones, ’95 BA Psychology and Women’s Studies (two majors)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Joe Jones, ’02 MBA\/MS Hotel Administration (dual master’s degrees)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Note: including a major for some degrees would be unnecessary (master of architecture, juris doctorate). Using only the abbreviation is fine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Joe Jones, ’05 DDS.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For alums who indicate that they went by a different name (a maiden name, for instance) when attending, both former and current names should be included in the entry:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jane Smith Jones<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Colleges<\/strong>
When referring to a particular college, capitalize the name when using more than just the word “college.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When referring to the Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering, it would be:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering (full name on first reference), and then on subsequent references:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

College of Engineering,
Engineering College,
or the college<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lowercase college when referring to a type of college rather than to a particular college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Example: He said he plans to attend engineering college.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Comma<\/strong>
Use the Oxford comma, also known as the last comma in a series of three or more things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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He brought his baseball, glove, and cap to practice.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

All students should wear a jacket, sweater, or sweatshirt.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

It helps avoid confusion in a sentence like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Her office is decorated with photos of her children, Charlie and Sting. This could mean that her children are named Charlie and Sting. <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Continual or continuous<\/strong>
\u201cContinual\u201d means \u201cover and over\u201d or \u201crepeated steadily.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cContinuous\u201d means \u201cunbroken\u201d or \u201csteady.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The lack of parking was a continual annoyance to staff members.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The students walking across Maryland Parkway formed a continuous stream.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Coursework<\/strong>
One word.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courtesy Titles
<\/strong>Refer to both men and women by first and last name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Susan Smith
Robert Smith<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Do not use titles such as Mr., Mrs., Miss unless in a direct quotation or in other special situations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When it is necessary to distinguish between two people who use the same last name. For married couples, brothers and sisters, etc. use a courtesy title for a woman if her preference is known, or identify her by first and last name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In cases where a person’s gender is not clear from the first name or from the story’s context, indicate the gender by using he or she in subsequent reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back to top<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

D<\/strong><\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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Example: UNLV Libraries recently acquired the Century of Science database.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Dashes<\/strong>
Em dashes (\u2014) may be used for material that amplifies, explains, or digresses, but avoid using them when commas would do just as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Database<\/strong>
When a database has been given a proper name, capitalize that name, but do not italicize it or place it inside quote marks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dates<\/strong>
Use a hyphen to show a range of dates and do not repeat 20<\/em> (2012-13, not<\/em> 2012-2013).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, to<\/em>, not a dash, should be used when from<\/em> introduces a range of dates (from 2012 to 2013, not<\/em> from 2012-13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If the day of the month appears, use a comma before and after the year (by the Oct. 15, 2018, deadline).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not use a comma between the month and the year without a date (by the January 2018 deadline).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Use the year with the month only if it\u2019s not the current year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not use st<\/em>, nd<\/em>, rd<\/em>, th<\/em>, even if dates are adjectives (March 1 event, not March 1st event).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Times come before days and dates (at 4 p.m. Friday; at 9 a.m. Monday, June 7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Months are not abbreviated unless they are used with a date. If used with a date, only these months are abbreviated:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n