Buckinghamshire New University style guide

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worthwhile

When we became Buckinghamshire 

New University in October 2007, a 

new corporate identity was drawn up 

to reflect the University’s vibrancy 

and dynamism. This should be used 

consistently throughout our written 

and online publications and 

materials. 

Our writing style should also reflect 

the ethos of the University. We need 

to write in a way that engages the 

reader and gives the best 

impression. The reader should be 

able to understand a document at 

first reading and in the same sense 

that the writer meant it to be 

understood. 

introduction 

General writing tips 

Aim to be as clear and concise as possible. Using plain English does not mean 

you are dumbing down your text, rather that you are simply delivering your 

message in the clearest way possible. This will help you create the greatest 

impact. Remember that you are writing for a mixed audience – English may not be 

the first language of many of your readers. 

Keep it positive 

Our courses are definitely not traditional. They are designed to ensure that 

graduates hit the ground running when they embark on their working lives. Try and 

reflect this when writing about the University and its courses. 

Aim to attract your reader’s attention from the beginning. Keep sentences short. 

When writing for the web in particular, break your text into paragraphs two or 

three sentences long. Be direct, and when you need to impart more detailed 

information do so clearly and without using jargon. 

Example: 

Foundation degrees are exciting, vocational degrees, designed to give you a 

flying start towards your chosen career. If you’re already in work, they can 

provide you with extra skills to enhance your promotion prospects. Once you 

achieve the award, you’re able to add the letters FDA or FDSc after your 

name. You can also progress to an honours degree or to professional 

qualifications. 

2 Buckinghamshire New University Style Guide

Keep it as natural as possible 

Writing he or she, he/she or (s)he can look clumsy. Use ‘they’ to cover both 

genders, just as you would if you were speaking. 

Example: 

Before a student comes to an interview, they [not he or she] may find it 

helpful to visit our website for directions. 

introduction 

Examples of poor written English 

1 "I would not ever want to say 

there are not people on our 

campus that at first in the 

classroom are not hard to 

understand, at least until 

students get used to them," 

Watkins said. 

Keep it friendly 

It is quite acceptable to use the second person, especially when communicating 

with students. Call readers you, even if there are lots of them. For the University or 

your directorate, use we. 

Example: 

We have an exciting new portfolio of courses starting in January. You will find 

more details on our website. 

When you are writing formal reports or documents, you may need to be more 

formal, and use the University or the Dean, for example, rather than we. 

2 Operationally, teaching 

effectiveness is measured by 

assessing the levels of 

agreement between the 

perceptions of instructors and 

students on the rated ability of 

specific instructional behaviour 

attributes which were employed 

during course instruction. 

3 In our endeavour to ensure 

guest safety at all times, can 

visitors please note that fire bell 

testing is carried out every 

Monday at 9.30am. 

See page 41 for suggested 

improvements. 

Buckinghamshire New University Style Guide 3


4 Reclamation of the site will involve 

the identification and remediation 

of any pollution and contamination 

which may be present on the site 

together with the removal or 

treatment of hazardous features 

such as unstable ground and 

mineshafts etc. 

5 The department is required to 

make savings of £13m next year 

and this objective will be achieved 

by efficiency savings. An 

evaluation of cash collection 

methods and procedures and 

identification of potential savings 

in this area have been conducted 

by senior management and 

determined to be part of this 

overall process. 


improvements. 

introduction 

16 tips on writing plain English 

1 Consider carefully your purpose and message before starting to write – clear 

writing and clear thinking go hand in hand. 

2 Wear the reader’s shoes – how would you feel in their position? 

3 Plan a structure that will help the reader, perhaps with headings, bullet-points, 

and a pithy summary of key points at the start. 

4 In letters and emails, tell the reader clearly, concisely and courteously what has 

happened, how the situation stands, and what they can expect next. 

5 Match your writing to the needs and knowledge of the readers – some of them 

may be baffled by official jargon and procedures. 

6 Write sentences that average 15–20 words. 

7 Keep the word order simple. In most sentences, put the ‘doer’ early and follow it 

with an active-voice verb. 

8 Take pride in using everyday English, correct grammar and accurate punctuation. 

9 Where appropriate, use I, we and you to make the writing more personal. 

10 Maintain the flow by starting some of your sentences with connectors like 

however and so. 

11 Use commands when writing instructions. 

12 Cut unnecessary words. 

13 Check that the facts and judgement are right. Nothing compensates for 

inaccuracy or illogicality. 

14 Ask someone else to read your documents before they are issued. 

15 Apply common sense to all guidance about writing. 

16 If you are asking someone to do something, put your request towards the start of 

the email or document. 


Accessibility and dyslexia 

When preparing support material for students with accessibility issues (for 

example dyslexia) here are some points that you should bear in mind: 

• text should be left aligned 

• use Arial at 12 point or greater, wherever possible 

• keep a clear uncluttered layout 

• ensure words are not split between lines 

• avoid large blocks of capital letters 

• avoid italics 

• avoid underlining words 

• keep the use of punctuation such as commas, semi-colons and full stops 

to a minimum 

• make sure text is not placed over the top of an image or texture 

• ensure good contrast between the text and background 

• do not convey information solely through the use of images, diagrams or colour 

• maintain adequate spacing. 

All publications should contain the following statement: 

This publication is available in alternative formats if required. 

introduction 


6 LSC and HEFCE announced 

today that they were launching a 

joint FE/HE funding initiative. 

One of the fundamental building 

blocks of this scheme is a joined 

up approach to creating a ladder 

of educational opportunity for 

learners of all ages. 

7 In order to take ownership of the 

problem and impact the 

situation, going forward, I would 

like to encourage dialogue 

between all my colleagues and 

myself. Bring along to my office 

your shopping lists for action. 


improvements. 

Don’t forget to ask whether participants have special requirements (physical or 

dietary) when you are organising a meeting or event. 


A 

A words 

accommodation 

advice (noun), to advise (verb) 

adviser (not advisor) 

affect (make a difference to) 

ageing (not aging) 

A-level 

all right (your answers are all right) 

alright (are you alright?) 

alumni (plural) 

alumnus/alumna (singular) 

alumnae (plural female) 

amend, amendment 

among, not amongst 

analyse 

AS-level 

audio-visual 

autumn, spring, summer, winter 

A–Z guide 

Accents 

Only use accents on foreign words, and don’t do so if the word has been 

anglicised, eg cafe, fiance. 

Exceptions: 

Précis 

Exposé (to distinguish from expose) 

To insert accents in Word documents go to the Insert menu and choose Symbol. 

Acronyms and abbreviations 

Peppering your documents with capitals and abbreviations can be confusing to 

your readers. Don’t assume everyone knows what the initials stand for – unless 

the organisation concerned is commonly referred to in its abbreviated form, for 

example BBC, RAC. 

Write out the full name the first time you use it, followed by the shortened version 

in brackets. After that, just use the abbreviation. (If you only use the term once, 

then you don’t need to add the abbreviation in brackets unless it is a useful piece 

of information.) 

Example: 

The School of Design, Craft & Visual Arts (DCVA) offers a wide range of 

courses in the creative industries. DCVA offers an exciting range of vocational 

programmes. 

Note: When using initials, plurals do not take an apostrophe and the ‘s’ is lower 

case, eg LAs. 


Addresses 

When writing addresses, avoid unnecessary punctuation. The address should not 

contain: 

• full stops at the end of addresses 

• a comma between the number and the street name 

• abbreviated forms of Road, Street or Avenue 

• a comma between the town/county and postcode. 

The postcode should appear after the town or city on the next line. Both 

Buckinghamshire and Bucks are acceptable. 

Example: 

Strategic Marketing & Communications Directorate 

Buckinghamshire New University 

Queen Alexandra Road 

High Wycombe 

Bucks 

HP11 2JZ 

Occasional variations may be permitted, in order to comply with computer 

systems already in use. 


Awards 

A-level 

BA (Hons) 

BEng (Hons) 

BSc (Hons) 

FDA 

FDSc 

GCSE 

MA 

MPhil 

PGCert 

PGCE 

PGDip 

PhD 

A 

American English 

Beware American usage of words and spelling, for instance, capitalizing (rather 

than the English capitalising), or gum (glue), trunk (boot of a car), color, favorite, 

theater etc. You can change the default language settings in Word to UK English. 


A 

Abbreviations 

ext 

fax 

tel 


Ampersand 

The ampersand (&) is used in our faculty, school and directorate titles. 

Examples: 

Faculty of Design, Media & Management. 

Welcome to the School of Advanced & Continuing Practice, which is located 

in the Faculty of Society & Health. 

Apostrophes 

Apostrophes have a variety of uses: 

• omissive - when you’re contracting two words, eg: don’t, shouldn’t, couldn’t 

• when you are describing a period of time, eg: two years’ experience, four 

months’ work, 48 hours’ training 

• possessive - when something belongs to somebody/thing, eg: Judith’s book, 

the University’s mission, the world’s resources 

• words and names ending in s also take a singular s eg: James’s, Bucks’s 

• plural nouns take a singular apostrophe, eg: children’s games, old folk’s home. 

Don’t use an apostrophe to form a plural with numbers and letters: 

• 1990s not 1990’s 

• three As at A-level 

• CDs (not CD’s) 

Don’t use an apostrophe in the contraction its (belonging to it) eg: Its CD drive is 

broken. 

Audience 

Think about who you are writing for. Most of our writing style guidelines will apply 

to the majority of audiences, but you may need to change the tone for different 

audiences and in different circumstances, for instance if you are writing a formal 

letter or academic paper. 


Branding 

Our new corporate identity is designed to reflect not only our new name, but what 

we stand for as an institution. More information can be found in our Brand 

Guidelines or at bucks.ac.uk/branding. Please note that you must read the Brand 

Guidelines before downloading University logos, and that all usage must be 

approved by the Strategic Marketing & Communications Directorate. Incorrect 

usage will detract from the strength of the branding. 


The full name should be used on formal documents, such as certificates, 

contracts, transcripts, letters and governing body materials. We use the shorter 

form Bucks New University as an alternative in some circumstances, for instance 

in marketing materials. 


B words 

BA (Hons) 

bachelor’s degree 

benefit, benefited, benefiting 

BEng (Hons) 

BSc (Hons) 

budgeted 

B 

‘Bucks’ is used as the abbreviated form of our name provided there is no 

likelihood of confusion with the county name. BNU is not an acceptable 

abbreviation of the University name; we use bucks.ac.uk as our web address, and 

use bucks in our email addresses. Use the full name in the first instance, followed 

by a shorter form. 

Example: 

Buckinghamshire New University (Bucks) has been ranked number one in an 

index designed to measure the quality of life of academic staff at 121 higher 

education institutions in the UK. 

Bucks Students’ Union 

This is the full name of our Students’ Union. 


B 


Bullet points (see also lists, presentations and numbering of paragraphs) 

Where the list consists of single words or brief phrases that relate to the previous 

sentence all initial letters should be lower case. Punctuate as follows: 

Example: 

The open day programme includes: 

• tours of the University 

• visits to halls of residence 

• talks on finance 

• visits to academic departments. 

Where the list consists of short sentences or phrases related to the previous 

sentence initial letters should be lower case. Punctuate as follows: 

Example: 

The course was designed to: 

• introduce students to basic concepts; 

• familiarise students with the terminology; 

• provide basic relevant statistics. 

Where the list consists of longer, complete sentences, punctuate as for normal 

sentences: 

Example: 

Here’s some information you may find of interest: 

• Bucks had nearly 7,000 students on all levels of study in 2007-08, including 

5,224 students on undergraduate courses. 

• We welcome significant numbers of mature students, with more than a third 

of the population being over the age of 25. 


Bullet points (continued) 

Bullet points can help to break up text and make it easier to read and digest. 

Solid round bullet points should be used. If you need to use secondary bullet 

points, you should use open round bullet points. 

When using bullet points in presentations, remember: 

• the bullet point should be a short summary of a key point, not an entire 

sentence; 

• bullet points should follow a consistent style; 

• as a guideline, slides should not have more than six bullet points and each 

bullet should be no more than six words; 

• bullet points alone can be boring – add pictures, diagrams, audio clips or videos. 

Campuses 

From September 2009, we have two distinct campuses: 

• High Wycombe Campus is a short walk from the bus and train stations in High 

Wycombe on Queen Alexandra Road. 

• Our Uxbridge Campus allows Nursing students to be close to the clinical areas 

where they undertake their placements. 

Example: 

There will be a shuttle bus service from our High Wycombe Campus to the 

student accommodation in Hughenden. 


C words 

cafe 

capitalise, capitalising 

CD-ROM 

childcare 

competence, competences 

(National Vocational 

Qualifications; functional skills) 

competency, competencies 

(behavioural trait; functional and 

behavioural skills combined) 

complement (that which 

completes or fills up) 

compliment (expression of 

admiration) 

B-C 

computer-aided design 

continuous (without interruption) 

continual (happening frequently) 

cooperate, cooperation, 

cooperative 

coordinate, coordinator 

council (an administrative or 

advisory body) 

counsel (advise/guidance) 

coursework 


C 


Capitals 

Keep your use of capitals to a minimum. Capital letters interrupt the flow of the 

eye across the page. Think about why you use them. Would you leave your House 

in the morning to go to your Job? No. So why should a student leave their Hall of 

Residence to meet a Tutor? You don’t need to capitalise when referring to 

something in general. 

Example: 

The University’s academic structure is now built around two faculties, which 

are sub-divided into schools. 

Subject disciplines should not be capitalised, but course titles should: 

• MEng Mechanical Engineering Design 

• the programme includes lectures in history of art, computing and geography. 

But, if you are using official titles, use capitals. 

Examples: 

The School of Design, Craft & Visual Arts in the Faculty of Design, Media & 

Management can provide you with an awareness of cultural issues, as well as 

a strong grasp of marketing and communication principles. 

The School of Applied Management & Law has an excellent reputation. 

Don’t use capital letters in headings, except at the beginning and for proper 

nouns. 

Examples: 

Sports students stage tag rugby festival 

Sports Management and Rugby Studies students from Buckinghamshire New 

University staged a tag rugby festival at the home of London Wasps. 


Capitalising job titles (see job titles) 

Capitalising historical periods and events 

Capitalise names of widely recognised epochs in anthropology, archaeology, 

geology and history, for example the Bronze Age, the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, 

the Renaissance, the Victorian era, the Enlightenment, the Third Reich. Also 

capitalise periods named after specific dynasties or people, for example the 

Tudors, Elizabethan. Use lower case for medieval, baroque. 


C 

Art movements: 

Art Deco, Art Nouveau, Cubism, Dadaism, Gothic, Impressionism, Pop Art, 

Rococo, Surrealism, Arts and Crafts movement etc. 

War: 

First World War, Second World War; Crimean/Boer/Vietnam/Gulf War; Hundred 

Years War. 

Capitalising proper nouns 

Names of people, places, countries and organisations should take capital letters. 

Examples: 

John Smith, High Wycombe, Missenden Abbey Conference Centre 

Commas 

It is acceptable to put a comma before and, particularly in longer sentences or 

lists. 


C 

Copyright 

Creative work such as books, 

poems, pictures, drawings, music, 

and films, may be protected by 

copyright. If you are uncertain about 

whether you are able to use a piece 

of writing, diagram or picture, you 

should seek the express permission 

of the originator. If you don't have 

permission, then you shouldn't use 

that piece of work. 

For further information, and guidance 

on copyright relating to your own 

work, read the IPR and Copyright 

Policy which can be found on the 

Bucks website at bucks.ac.uk. 


Committees 

Committee minutes and associated papers are a record of the business and 

academic decision-making of the University, and are written in a formal style. 

The Quality Unit in the Student & Academic Services Directorate is responsible for 

many University committees and is able to give advice and training. If you are 

writing a paper for the University Council, you may also wish to seek guidance 

from the Senior Registrar (Governance) in the University Secretary's Office. 

The University provides training in minute-writing and servicing committees. 

Standard templates for committees are available on our website. Further advice 

for both officers and members of committees can be found in the formal 

documents section of the Bucks website. 

Course 

A course is a programme of study. 

Course titles 

Write BA (Honours) Human Resources Management or BSc (Hons) Police Studies. 

Note that there is a space between BA/BSc and (Honours). 

Capitalise course titles, but don’t capitalise academic terminology. 

Below are some examples of the usage of Degree/degree: 

Examples: 

A programme of studies leading to a degree in Police Studies gives you the 

opportunity to find out what contemporary policing is all about, and the tools 

to investigate its complex nature. 

Buckinghamshire New University's Foundation Degree Retail Management 

(Dreams) was selected as one of five case studies (from 66 submissions) 

to be showcased at the launch of a national business engagement network, 

The Training Gateway. 


Dash 

The en-dash – is longer than a hyphen, and has a different function. It is used 

without spaces when there is a distinction in meaning between two words, for 

example Conservative–Liberal Democrat alliance. It is also used to replace to in 

numerical phrases, such as students aged 18–60 or pages 2–12. 

You can use en-dashes in the same way that you’d use brackets to indicate 

parenthesis. When you use them in this way, leave a space either side of each 

dash. 

Examples: 

Our sites – High Wycombe and Uxbridge – both have their own catering 

facilities. 


D words 

dependant (noun) 

dependent (adjective) 

disc (computers) 

dissertation 

dotcom 

driving licence 

D 

Our Senior Management Team – the Vice Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellors, 

University Secretary and Clerk to the Council, and Executive Deans – meet 

weekly. 

Dates (see also time) 

Use numerals for numbers above ten. Use English date formations, ie day, month, 

year. 

1 January 2009 

1920s, 1930s (not 1920’s) 

The 19th century 

The first century 

Example: 

Our next University Open Day will be on Saturday 1 October 2011. 


D 

Further disability guidance 

For further guidance, consult the 

Disability Service on 01494 603 098 

or email 

disabilityadvisorstaffdev@bucks.ac.uk 


Degree classifications 

Degree classifications are: First, 2:1, 2:2 or 3rd. Never use 1st. Use a capital when 

referring to a First, but a lower case initial letter for first-class degree. Never use 

first degree, as this can be confused with an undergraduate degree. On degree 

certificates, and in references, the classification should be written in full, eg 

Second Class Honours (Lower Division). 

Examples: 

She was awarded a First in Mobile Computing 

He was awarded a 2:1 in Air Transport with Commercial Pilot Training. 

She was awarded a first-class honours degree in Audio and Music Production. 

Directorates 

The correct usage of Directorate is at the end, for example Strategic Marketing & 

Communications Directorate. Directorate names may be abbreviated if they are 

long and provided they have been mentioned in full in the first instance, for 

example SMC. 

Disability 

Avoid outdated terms that stereotype or stigmatise. If you need to refer to 

disability, try to structure sentences in a positive way. 

Examples: 

John Smith, who has muscular dystrophy, is a first year student … (not suffers 

from, or is a victim of) 

John Smith, who is a wheelchair user, studies … (not wheelchair bound, in a 

wheelchair) 

John Smith, who has a hearing impairment … (not is deaf) 

Refer to disabled people (not the disabled) and somebody who is visually 

impaired (not blind). 

16 Buckinghamshire New University Style Guide 

Dyslexia (and accessibility, see page five)

eg 

The abbreviation eg comes from the Latin exempli gratia, and indicates that one 

or more examples follow. Use a comma before eg. Don’t use a full stop 

afterwards. Like ie, ergo and et al, eg is rarely used outside formal academic 

writing. In marketing copy, eg can often be replaced by for example, or such as. 

Do not confuse eg with ie. You do not need to include full stops in eg. 

Example: 

We offer part-time courses in a wide range of subjects, such as upholstery 

and Adobe Photoshop. 

Ellipses 

If you are using an ellipsis at the end of a sentence there should be a space 

beforehand. 

Example: 

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Ruth Farwell, said … 


E words 

E 

earth, the 

east 

e-commerce 

effect (a result/bring about a result) 

eg 

e-learning 

email 

euro, euros 

ext 

If you are using an ellipsis in mid sentence to signify an omission, there should be 

spaces before and after the ellipses. 

Example: 

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Ruth Farwell, said: “I’m delighted that … students 

have joined us this year.” 


E 


Email 

Emails should follow the main points in this guide. If you are writing an email to 

someone outside the University or to someone you don’t know, your email should 

be written with the formality of a letter, but should not be overly long. Your email 

signature should follow the format laid out in our Brand Guidelines. 

When writing emails, make sure that you: 

• are concise and to the point 

• use a proper structure and layout, including short paragraphs and blank lines 

between each paragraph 

• avoid long sentences 

• use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation 

• are clear about what you are asking or telling people and what you want them 

to do 

• avoid writing in CAPITALS – they imply that you are shouting 

• always enter a subject: and make it meaningful to the recipient 

• avoid using urgent or important in the subject heading, unless the message is 

absolutely critical 

• avoid abbreviations and emoticons and never use text language 

• answer all questions to pre-empt further emails 

• avoid copying emails to people who don’t really need to receive them, and 

only use ‘Reply to all’ if you are certain everyone needs to see the response 

• avoid attaching unnecessary files. Direct people to the file location, whenever 

possible 

• send plain text rather than HTML messages, unless there is a particular reason 

for requiring extra formatting 

• read the email before you send it and run the spellcheck 

• answer within 24 hours, if possible, but don’t let email take over your life! 

• set key points in the day for checking emails, for instance first thing in the 

morning, at midday and at the end of the day 

• use the ‘Out of office’ tool when you are going to be away from the office. 


Email (continued) 

Think before you send. You should wait before sending an email, if you are angry 

or annoyed about something. Come back to it after a break, reread it, and 

reassess whether it is appropriate to send it. Remember that the tone of a 

message can be lost in email and the sender may not have intended the message 

to be interpreted in the way you read it. 


E 

Likewise, a recipient of an email may misinterpret an email sent in haste or anger. 

In an extreme case, the recipient may claim harassment or libel in response to an 

angry or defamatory email. Drafting an email without the recipient’s address will 

avoid sending an email before you are certain that it is ready to be sent. 

Don't forward spam emails, hoaxes or chain letters. 

Don’t use email if you don’t need to. Using the telephone or speaking to someone 

face-to-face is often quicker and helps build relationships. 

For further guidance visit emailreplies.com and see the University’s email policy 

on our website. 


E 


Etc 

Try to avoid adding etc to the end of sentences. Rather than etc, try using 

including. 

Example: 

This course looks at the key issues facing the music industry today, including 

intellectual property, the digital revolution and changing business models. 

Ethnicity 

Please make sure that all written text is inclusive of all races and creeds. 

Exam papers 

There are standard templates for cover sheets which can be edited and adapted by 

school for both exams and time constrained assessments (TCAs). Material should 

be in plain English with clear, unambiguous and precise instructions. Keep 

formatting to a minimum. The exams team provide a proofreading service and read 

every exam paper in advance, so that they can advise invigilators of the exam 

requirements. (See dyslexia and accessibility for further guidance.) 

Exclamation marks 

The exclamation mark is used after true exclamations, which express surprise, 

fear, or some other emotion, eg: What a magnificent dissertation! 

Occasionally an exclamation mark may be enclosed in parentheses to indicate 

irony: 

After a long and careful (!) search the student found his library book. 

Exclamation marks should always be used with restraint, and you should never use 

more than one together. 


Faculty 

The University has two faculties. Faculty only has a capital F when it is part of the 

faculty’s title: 

Example: 

The Faculty of Design, Media & Management is located on our High 

Wycombe Campus. 

The academic staff in the faculty are based at our High Wycombe Campus. 

Fewer (see also less) 

The basic rule of thumb is if you can count it, use fewer. Fewer means not as 

many, whereas less means not as much. However, use less if you are referring to 

a period of time. 

Examples: 

A shower uses less water than a bath, so you should take fewer baths. 

She will be finishing her course in less than six weeks. 

There are fewer people taking part this year. 


F words 

fax 

FDA 

FDSc 

fiance 

focus, focused, focusing 

forum, forums 

formula, formulas 

foundation degree 

freephone 

full stop 

full-time 

F 

File referencing (see also headers and footers) 

A document should contain in the footer: the job title of the person who 

created the document; the date it was created; the drafting history; and 

the location of the file. 

Example: 

Prepared by Conferment Manager 

12 June 2011, First draft 

K:\acserv\Registry\General information\Templates\Extra style guide text.doc 


F 


Fonts 

Our Brand Guidelines show us what our documents should look like. Every 

newspaper and magazine uses a limited number of typefaces (fonts) in a restricted 

number of sizes and styles. Here at Bucks our marketing materials will always use 

Flux Regular for headings and Helvetica Neue for text. On the web, we use 

Verdana for text. 

Additional font styles may be used occasionally for specific purposes, at the 

discretion of the Strategic Marketing & Communications Directorate. 

For letters, documents such as reports, minutes, faxes and memos, spreadsheets 

and presentations, use Arial as the default font. 

More information can be found in our Brand Guidelines or at bucks.ac.uk/branding. 

Formal documents (also see committees) 

Formal documents should follow this guide. Templates for formal committee 

documents, memos and faxes can be found on our website. Formal documents will 

normally have forced justification (be fully justified). 

Full stops (full points) 

Leave a single space after a full stop. 


Gender 

Use non-discriminatory language and write in a non-gender specific manner. 

Avoid terms which imply gender stereotyping in work, eg cleaning lady, best man 

for the job. Use Chair, not Chairman, Chairwoman or Chairperson. 

Geography 

Capitalise defined geographical areas, such as, the North, Black Country, East 

Anglia, Lake District, Midlands, Peak District or West Country. Areas referred to by 

compass points are written in lower case, for example, north, south-east, 

south-west. 


G words 

GCSE 

goings-on 

graduand (one who is about to 

receive a degree) 

graduate (one who has been 

awarded a degree) 

G 


H 

H words 

headteacher (not headmaster or 

headmistress) 

health care, health care professionals 

higher education 

honorary award 

honorary doctorate 

honorary fellow 

honours (lower case unless part of 

a specific degree) 


Headers and footers in documents 

In most document templates the headers and footers are set up already. 

In multi-page documents you should always remember to: 

• Include the University name in the header. 

• Where relevant include the faculty, school or directorate name in the footer. 

• Use page numbering. It is useful to the reader if you select page 1 of 2, which is 

available through the header/footer autotext. 

• At the end of the document include the authors (generally job titles only), the 

date created, drafting history, and file location. 

Headings 

Headings should be in bold, never underlined. Underlined headings look like 

hyperlinks to web pages. More information on headings, subheadings and body 

copy can be found in the Brand Guidelines or at bucks.ac.uk/branding and 

templates can be found on our website. 

High Wycombe 

High Wycombe should be used in preference to Wycombe. 

Honours/hons 

If it is part of a degree title, honours should be written, in the abbreviated form eg 

BSc (Hons) Games Development. Include a space between the subject title and 

Hons. Honours should be written in the lower case if referred to within a general 

sentence. 

Example: 

John Smith left Bucks New University with an honours degree in Furniture: 

Contemporary Design. 


Hyphenation (see also dash) 

The hyphen (-) looks like a short dash, but the hyphen and the dash are very 

different; whereas the hyphen unites, the dash separates (except when it is used to 

elide). 

Certain words and phrases tend to evolve from separation to linkage. The trend in 

English is for frequently used word combinations to grow together from two words 

to one, sometimes passing through a hyphenated stage, for example from 

electronic mail through e-mail to email. 


H 

The following principles are useful to know: 

• Two or more adjectives before a noun that act as one idea (one-thought 

adjectives) are connected with a hyphen. 

Example: 

This is a low-budget film. 

• Use a hyphen in expressions where words have become linked by usage to 

express one idea. 

Examples: 

mother-in-law, top-notch, fine-tune, X-ray. 

• When written as words, fractions and cardinal numbers consisting of two words 

are hyphenated. 

Examples: 

one-fourth, two-thirds. 

• Hyphenate words prefixed by ex-, self-, or all-, and some words prefixed by 

cross-. 

Examples: 

ex-wife, self-evident, all-inclusive, cross-reference. 


I 

I words 

ie 

install 

instalment 

International Baccalaureate 

inter-cultural 

internet 

inter-relationship 


ie (see also eg) 

The abbreviation ie comes from the Latin id est meaning that is. As with eg, no full 

stop is necessary. Use a comma before ie but try to avoid using it if possible. Do 

not use ie when you should use eg. 

Initials 

Do not add punctuation to the initials of names, such as JK Rowling, WH Smith. 

‘ise’ 

Use ‘ise’ rather than ‘ize’ at the end of a word (except capsize and size). 

Italics 

The following are generally italicised: titles of books, periodicals, TV programmes, 

films, plays, operas, song titles, names of ships and aircraft. Also italicise foreign 

(including Latin) phrases not yet naturalised and scientific names of plants and 

animals. 

Do not use italics to add emphasis. Do not italicise titles of chapters, articles, or 

sections, which take single quotes. (For details of the use of italics in referencing 

using the Harvard System see the Guide to Referencing Using the Harvard System 

on the Bucks website at bucks.ac.uk/referencing). 


It’s and its 

Be careful to check your punctuation. It's means it is. Its means belonging to it. 

Example: 

The University is located in the centre of High Wycombe; its main campus is a 

short walk from the railway station, but it’s also easy to catch a bus. 


I 

IT terms 

Commonly used IT terms include: 

• CD-ROM, CD-ROMs, CDs (no apostrophes) 

• CD-ROM (read only), CD-RW (read and write), CD-I (interactive) 

• cyberspace 

• email (no hyphen) but e-commerce 

• hard disk, but compact disc or optical disc, (disc = round!) 

• internet (lower case initial letter) 

• PCs, Macs 

• software program. 


J 


Jargon (see also acronyms) 

If you’re writing for an external audience avoid jargon, acronyms and hyperbole. 

For an internal audience terms specific to the higher education sector, such as 

RAE or HEFCE, are hard to avoid, but should be written in full in the first instance. 

Job titles 

Use the title in full at the beginning of your document. 

The Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire New University, 

Prof Ruth Farwell, said … 

The use of capital letters for job titles is largely a matter of convention – there are 

no hard and fast rules. However, professional editorial practice suggests that 

unnecessary capitalisation should be avoided – it makes the text look dated and 

makes it more difficult to read. 

Where company or brand names appear in logos in capital letters or lower case, 

they should be typeset to match, for example easyjet, innocent, British Airways. 

In general: 

• Jobs: all lower case: copywriter, graphic designer, editor of The Times 

• Titles: use upper case when the job becomes a title: Queen Elizabeth, President 

Bush, Professor Jones and for impersonal titles such as the Queen or the Lord 

Chancellor. 

Example: 

The University appointed a new vice chancellor in 2006. Vice Chancellor Prof 

Ruth Farwell joined us from London South Bank University. 

Justification (see also accessibility and dyslexia, and formal documents) 

Marketing materials will normally be left aligned. 


Latin plurals 

Some Latin plurals are so common that we don’t realise they are plurals, for 

example alumni and data. 

However, many plural forms look pedantic and put the reader off, for example: 

• fora – use forums 

• formulae – use formulas 

• syllabi – use syllabuses. 

Less (see also fewer) 

The basic rule of thumb is if you can’t count it, use less. 

Levels (see also years) 

Avoid referring to levels in marketing materials unless directly relevant to the 

content of the course. Refer to the first year, second year or third year, but be 

careful if you are referring to part-time courses. In internal or formal documents 

where it is necessary to refer to levels in a general sense use lower case. When 

referring to specific levels use an upper case L and the relevant number, for 

example Level 4. However, remember that levels do not necessarily equate to 

years of courses. For example, the first year of a postgraduate programme will be 

at Level 7. 


L words 

liaison 

licence (noun), to license (verb) 

lifelong 

long-standing 

L 

Examples: 

Students at these levels will be expected to complete an extended project. 

There are now 50 students studying the course at Level 4. 

Lists (see also bullet points) 

Punctuate short lists with commas, and larger lists or phrases with semi-colons. 

Preface the list with a colon. Put lists of names or courses in alphabetical order, in 

order to avoid implying a hierarchy, unless there is a particular reason for 

choosing a different order. 


M 

M words 

MA (Master of Arts – an MA, 

not a MA) 

marketplace 

master’s degree(s) 

medieval 

MPhil (Master of Philosophy) 

MSc (Master of Sciences) 

multicultural 

multidisciplinary 

multimedia 

multinational 

multiprofessional 


Measurements 

Use standard abbreviations (km, lb, etc) but whenever possible use litre, mile and 

million in full to avoid confusion. There is no need to add a full stop after a unit of 

measurement. There are no plurals and there is no gap between the numeral and 

the unit of measurement. 

Examples: 

£10–20, 5–6K 

1 mile 

1 metre, 1m, 2m, 3m 

£1 million, £1M, £2M, £3M 

£20,000–30,000 not £20–30,000 unless you mean £20 to £30,000 

Modules 

Module titles should be written out in full and take upper case initial letters. When 

writing a list of modules, divide with semi-colons. 


Numbers 

• Thousands: 1,000, 10,000 and 1,000,000. 

• Spell out numbers one to ten. Use numerals for numbers over ten, and where 

attached to a percentage sign, a unit or sum of money. 

• Also apply this to cardinal numbers eg fifth century, 12 th century. 

• Never use numerals at the beginning of a sentence; rearrange the order of words 

so that the number is not at the beginning, but ensuring that the sentence still 

makes sense. 

• Fractions: three-quarters, one-third, two-and-a-half. 

• Do not mix decimals and fractions. 

• Elide as much as possible, eg 4–8, 115–116. 


N words 

national curriculum 

no-one 

north, north-west 

N-0 

Examples: 

5%, 8cm, £3, $4, €6. 

To access a euro sign, PC users should press AltGr + 4 on the main keypad, and 

Mac users should press alt + 2 on the main keypad. 

Numbering of paragraphs 

You should only need to number paragraphs used in formal documents, such as 

reports, regulations, policy documents and minutes. Paragraphs should be 

numbered 1, 2, 3 and so on. 

Roman numerals should not be used. Avoid subsections if possible, but if you must 

use them, number them 1.1, 1.2, 1.3 and so on. If these sections need dividing use 

letters, eg: 

Example: 

1 This is an example of a paragraph. 

1.1 This is an example of a subsection. 

1.2 This is an example of the next subsection. 

a This is an example of a subsection division. 

b This is an example of the next subsection division. 

O words 

O-levels 

official (relating to an authority 

or having the approval of an 

authority) 

officious (asserting authority) 

online 

organise, organising 


P 

P words 

part-time 

per cent, percentage 

PGCert 

PGCE 

PGDip 

PhD 

postcode 

postdoctoral 

postgraduate 

post-qualification 

postmodern 

postwar, prewar 

practice (noun), practise (verb) 

pre-qualification 

pre-registration 

prescribe (issue a prescription 

or recommend with authority) 

presentation 

principal (first in importance) 

principle (rule) 

proactive 

program (computers) 

programme (of study) 

proscribe (condemn or forbid) 

Pro Vice Chancellor 


Percentage 

Write per cent out in full in general text. Use % in tables. 

Example: 

52 per cent of the student population is female and 48 per cent male, although 

there is wide variation between courses. 

Point size (see also accessibility and dyslexia) 

The standard size for internal use is 10 point. Documents should be produced in 

larger print sizes or alternative formats if requested. 

Presentations (see also bullet points) 

Programme 

A programme can be a brochure, prospectus or syllabus: a course is a 

programme of study. Capitalise programme only when it is part of a full course 

title. A program is a piece of software. 

Example: 

All international exchange students are enrolled on the modular scheme to 

follow the International Exchange Programme. This programme uses existing 

modules to provide an educational experience that is both relevant and 

stimulating. 


Quotation marks 

Check that quotation marks are curly not straight when they are printed. 

Use double speech marks for reported speech. 

The Executive Dean of the Faculty of Society & Health said: “We welcome all new 

students.” 


Q 

Quotes within quotes 

Try to avoid quotes within quotes, however when used, use double quote marks 

for the outer quote and single quote marks for the inner. 

The Vice Chancellor quoted Oscar Wilde in her speech: “I don’t believe that 

‘nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.’” 

If the quote is a full sentence, put the closing punctuation inside the quote marks: 

“I’m delighted that student numbers are up this year.” 

If the quote is a full sentence that falls at the end of another full sentence, 

introduce it with a colon: 

She stated: “I’m delighted that student numbers are up this year.” 

If the quote is a full sentence that falls at the beginning of the sentence, conclude 

with a comma (or, if relevant, an exclamation or question mark) inside the inverted 

commas: 

“I’m delighted that student numbers are up this year,” she stated. 

“I’m over the moon!” she stated. 

If the quote isn’t a full sentence put the punctuation outside the quote marks: 

She tells us that student numbers are ‘up this year’. 


S 

S words 

semi-colon 

south, south-west 

state-of-the-art 

stationary (not moving) 

stationery (writing materials) 

Students’ Union 

syllabus, syllabuses 


Saint 

For names of towns, churches etc abbreviate to St, eg St Andrew’s Church, 

High Wycombe. 

School 

Titles of academic schools should begin with a capital S. 

Examples: 

We would like to welcome you to the School of Design, Craft & Visual Arts 

and hope that the landmark programmes we offer will be useful to your 

decision-making.. 

The School has developed a diverse range of exciting courses where it has 

been at the forefront of educational innovation. 

Do not use a capital S when talking about schools more generally. 

Example: 

The Faculty of Society & Health is divided into three schools. 

Sentence construction 

Construct sentences so that they say what you mean. 

Example: 

Not: Walking onto campus, a duck flew into me. (This suggests that the duck 

was walking onto campus.) 

But: A duck flew into me as I was walking onto campus. 


Telephone numbers 

Do not include hyphens and include a space between the area codes, the main 

number and the third digit of the main number, eg 01494 522 141. 

Treat mobile phone numbers as having five-figure area codes: 07769 920 035. 

Use international numbers on stationery and adverts in publications that may be 

seen overseas, eg +44 (0) 1494 522 141, but only the national codes in other 

instances. 

Use tel, ext and fax in abbreviated form, without a full stop. Make sure you check 

all telephone numbers before a document is published. 

Templates (see also committees) 

A range of document templates are available on our website. 


T words 

target 

targeted 

targeting 

tel 

T 

Time (see also dates) 

To express an academic year, or range of years, use the following format: 

2000–01, or 2001–2002, using an en-dash 

Do not use 2000-1 or 2000/1 

Use am and pm, not the 24-hour clock. Use full stops not colons as separators. 

3pm not 3.00pm 

9.30am not 09:30 

5pm 

11.30pm not 23:30 

noon (not 12 noon) 

midnight (not 12 midnight) 

Note there is no space between the number and am or pm. 


T 


Titles (see also job titles) 

Refer to a person using their first name and family name and any title. Only use 

Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms in correspondence and avoid using initials. 

Professor Ruth Farwell, Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive 

Professor Trevor Nicholls, Pro Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean, Campus & Facilities 

Professor Derek Godfrey, Deputy Vice Chancellor 

Titles, newspapers and magazines (see also italics) 

Do not capitalise ‘the’ unless it is part of the title: the Daily Telegraph, the Mail on 

Sunday, the Financial Times, but The Times, The Independent, The Guardian, The 

Economist. 


Underlining 

Don’t underline unnecessarily. Headings should not be underlined because 

readers may think they are hyperlinks. Use bold for emphasis. 

United Kingdom 

The United Kingdom consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, 

and is synonymous with Britain. Great Britain refers only to the mainland. Beware 

of using England when you mean Britain, or vice versa. 


U 

University 

We refer to the University as: 

• Buckinghamshire New University (our formal name, used in contracts and on 

certificates, for example) 

• Bucks New University (used informally and in internal and external marketing 

materials for example) 

• Bucks (be aware of possible confusion with the county) 

• BNU is not an acceptable abbreviation of the University name. 

Capitalise titles, eg Buckinghamshire New University, but use lower case for 

general use, for example: There are two universities in Buckinghamshire. 

Always capitalise when talking about Bucks New University, eg the University’s 

football team. 

Do not confuse the University's (belonging to the University) with universities 

(more than one university). 


U-V 

V words 

Vice Chancellor (or VC) 

vocational A-level 


Upper case 

Avoid putting words in upper case - it appears as if you are shouting at your 

readers and interrupts the flow of words. 

US 

Use US as the abbreviation for the United States, not USA. There is no need to 

spell out the words even at first mention. America is also acceptable (but don't 

use America where ambiguity could occur with Canada or Latin America). 


Web addresses 

Only precede web addresses with ‘http://’ if the address doesn’t start with ‘www’. 

In printed publications to remove hyperlink underscores right click on your mouse. 

Always remove the ‘www’ before a web address, and if an address comes at the 

end of a sentence it’s fine to use a full stop. 

All web addresses should be checked before a document is published. When 

linking from one web page to another make sure the hyperlink makes sense to the 

reader; don’t just say ‘click here’. 

Example: 

Find out more about the University’s faculties. 

Work-based learning 

Capitalise only when referring to a specific course. 

Example: 

Certificate in Work-based Learning 

Foundation degrees are distinctive because they are designed by employers 

and lecturers together – leading to work-based skills that are really valued. 

They also combine work-based learning and work-related learning with 

traditional academic teaching. 


W words 

website 

wellbeing 

west 

who’s (a contraction of who is 

or who has) 

whose (whose book is this?) 

workplace 

work-placement year 

world class 

worldwide 

worthwhile 

W 


Y 

Y words 

you’re (you are) 

your (is this your book?) 


Years (see also levels) 

Wherever possible, use years in place of levels; readers may not understand the 

levels. 

Example: 

In the final year the modules for both courses are the same. 

The four-year mode includes a work placement undertaken in the third year. 


Examples of poor written English - possible improvements 

1 Watkins said: "Some employees are hard to understand, at least until the 

students get used to them." 

2 We measure the effectiveness of our teaching by comparing the views of 

instructors and students on the instructions given. 

3 We test the fire bell every Monday at 9.30am. 

4 In reclaiming the site, we will: 

• identify and clean up any pollution and contamination; and 

• make safe or remove hazards such as unstable ground and mineshafts. 

5 We must save £13m next year and will do so by improving efficiency. Senior 

managers have studied our cash-collection methods and found them to be a 

possible source of savings. 

6 The Learning and Skills Council, and the Higher Education Funding Council for 

England, will be funding a new Further/Higher Education initiative. They will work 

together to create opportunities for progression for learners of all ages. 

7 Please discuss any ideas with me so that I can resolve the problem. 


42 Buckinghamshire New University Style Guide 

notes

This guide is designed to be as comprehensive as possible, but is not exhaustive. 

This guide was produced by Buckinghamshire New University in 2008 and revised 

in 2011, and is accurate at the time of going to press. We reserve the right to 

amend information within this guide without prior notice. 

Other useful publications and websites include: 

• askoxford.com 

• Bucks New University branding (bucks.ac.uk/branding) 

• Bucks New University formal documents (bucks.ac.uk/formal) 

• Bucks New University referencing (buck.ac.uk/referencing) 

• British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk) 

• Copy-editing: The Cambridge Handbook (Judith Butcher, Cambridge 

University Press) 

• The Concise Oxford English Dictionary (Oxford University Press) 

• emailreplies.com 

• The Guardian Style Guide (guardian.co.uk/styleguide) 

• The King’s English (bartelby.com) 

• Online dictionary (dictionary.com) 

• plainenglish.co.uk for very useful advice on writing simply and clearly. 

contact 

Please read the style guide 

carefully and consult the Strategic 

Marketing & Communications 

Directorate if you have any 

queries. 

For further information contact: 

Strategic Marketing & 

Communications Directorate 


High Wycombe Campus 

Queen Alexandra Road 

High Wycombe 

Buckinghamshire 

HP11 2JZ 

Tel: 01494 522 141 

Fax: 01494 605 023 

Email: branding@bucks.ac.uk 

To download our logo, templates, 

or a copy of this guide as a pdf 

please go to 

bucks.ac.uk/branding 

We will consider any requests for 

accessible formats. Please let us 

know what you need. 

Designed and produced by 

JubileeGreenwood Press Ltd 

jubileegreenwood.co.uk 

© Buckinghamshire New University 2008-11.

-level audio-visual BEng (Hons) BSc (Hons) CD-ROM childcare competence computer 

ided design cooperate coordinate coursework dependent disk dissertation dotcom drivi 

icence e-learning email euro freephone focus full stop full-time GCSE goings-on 

eadteacher health care professionals higher education honours install instalment 

nternational Baccalaureate internet inter-cultural inter-relationship liaison licence lifelong 

ong standing marketplace master's degree medieval multicultural multidisciplinary multim 

ultiprofessional national curriculum no-one O-levels online part-time PGCert PGDip P 


ostmodern postwar prewar practice principal principle program programme semi-co 


ebsite workplace work-placement year world class worldwide worthwhile A-level aud 

isual BEng (Hons) BSc (Hons) CD-ROM childcare competence computer-aided design 

ooperate coordinate coursework dependent disk dissertation dotcom driving licence e- 

earning email euro freephone focus full stop full-time GCSE goings-on headteacher 

ealth care professionals higher education honours install instalment International 

accalaureate internet inter-cultural inter-relationship liaison licence lifelong long stand 

arketplace master's degree medieval multicultural multidisciplinary multimedia 



ostmodern postwar prewar practice principal principle program programme semicol 


ebsite workplace work-placement year world class worldwide 

worthwhile

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