Punctuation and formatting
Ampersands (&)
Do not use ampersands. Use the word 'and'.
This is easier for people to read and understand.
Bold
Use bold sparingly. It will lose any meaning or emphasis if used too much.
Be aware of where else bold is already in use on the page you are working on.
Do not use bold for headings. This will conflict with heading styles.
Do not create large blocks of bold text. This is hard to read and can be jarring for some users.
Capitalisation
Use sentence case for headings.
Only capitalise words at the front of sentences and proper nouns.
Example:
‘Your account details’ not ‘Your Account Details’.
Colons and semicolons
Use a colon at the end of a lead-in line to introduce a quote or list.
Otherwise, avoid using colons or semicolons. If you think a sentence needs a colon or semicolon, break it down into shorter sentences.
Contractions
Using contractions can sometimes make your writing sound more human and personal.
You should use:
- you’re
- we’ll
- it’s (it is)
Do not use negative or conditional contractions as they are harder to understand for people who do not speak English as a first language.
You should not use:
- wouldn’t
- don’t
- haven’t
- can't
Dashes
Try to avoid using en (–) and em (—) dashes. They are usually not needed and can clutter up the text. You can almost always replace dashes with a comma and the sentence will work better.
Keep in mind that dashes are also often thought to be a sign that something was written by AI.
Exclamation marks
Use exclamation sparingly as they can be misinterpreted or create an odd tone.
Never use them for UX microcopy or functional text.
Hyphens
Only use a hyphen if a word is confusing without it.
Do not use hyphens to indicate a span or range. Instead use the word 'to'. This is clearer and makes it easier for assistive technology.
Monday to Friday not Monday-Friday.
Italics
Use italics sparingly to highlight specific terms such as journal titles within paragraph text. They will lose any meaning or emphasis if used too often.
Do not use for headings. This will conflict with heading styles.
Do not create large blocks of italicised text, such as long lists of journal titles. This is hard to read and can be jarring for some users.
Latin
Do not use Latin terms and abbreviations. They can sometimes be misunderstood or may be mispronounced by screen reading software.
| Instead of | Use |
|---|---|
| e.g., eg | for example such as |
| e.t.c., etc | including and so on |
| i.e., ie | that is in other words |
| via | by through using |
| corrigenda | corrections |
Quote marks
Single quotes
Use single quotes:
- for unusual terms
- when referring to user actions
- for manuscript or article names within emails
Example: Go to your profile page and select ‘Editorial dashboard’.
Double quotes
Use double quotes in body text for direct quotations.
Serial or 'Oxford' comma
Do not use the serial or 'Oxford' comma. If you feel a sentence will be confusing without one, rewrite the sentence to make the meaning clear.
Example
“Publishing in a book series offers a powerful way to amplify your book's reach, relevance, and impact.”
The comma before ‘and’ at the end of the list is the ‘Oxford comma’. It is not needed and makes the sentence sound odd.
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