Editorial Style Guide

The intent of this Editorial Style Guide is to serve as an effective resource for communicators across the Brown campus to establish consistency in editorial style for websites, print publications, social media and more. Learn more about the Editorial Style Guide or download a PDF of the style guide.

ALPHABETICAL LISTING

# A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

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names

On first reference, refer to a person by his or her full name (Jane Doe). On subsequent references, use only the last name (Doe). 
Do not precede “Jr.” or “Sr.” with a comma.

  • Martin Luther King Jr.
  • the Stephen A. Ogden Jr. ’60 Memorial Lecture on International Affairs

Native American

Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown

on second reference: NAISAB

numbers

Spell out numbers one through nine in narrative text; use figures for 10 and above. Use a comma in numbers higher than 999. Do not use a zero after the decimal point.

  • There were seven people at the meeting.
  • There were 36 students in the class.
  • There were 1,250 incoming students this year.
  • A 2% increase.

 

Spell out general, nonspecific references to numbers in narrative text:

  • There are a thousand reasons.

 

When a number is the first word of a sentence, spell it out.

  • Thirty students registered for the class.