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Hamilton College Web Style Guide

This document is a guide to creating Web pages for Hamilton College.

 

Reference Dictionaries and Stylebooks

Official Hamilton College publications, such as Web pages, conform to Associated Press style.  Consult the Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law for topics not covered in this document.

 

Usage 

Commas

Avoid using a comma to separate the final two elements in a simple series.  For example, you would not place a comma after "Minor" in the following simple series: "Major, Minor and McIntosh are adjacent to Minor Field." 

Ellipses

Use a space before ellipses; e.g., "More ..."

Links

Links should follow the guidelines outlined in the Fonts/Typefaces section (see below) and should be used whenever it is necessary to direct the reader to other content.  Avoid embedding excessive links in paragraphs of text designed to be read on screen, because links slow down the reading process and distract the reader. 

Link valuable text whenever possible and avoid using empty phrases as links.  For example, never write "Click here for information about Hamilton Web style guidelines."  Rather, write "Learn more about Hamilton Web style guidelines."  That way, people scanning the page can find the information they need quickly.  Do not include terminal punctuation in a link.

Phone Numbers

When displaying phone numbers, separate the area code from the prefix with parentheses and a space; separate the prefix and the suffix by just a hyphen; e.g., (315) 859-4000.  Never include a "1" before the area code.

When displaying phone numbers strictly for on-campus use, avoid designating the extension with a simple "x" or "ext.," as in "x4000."  Visually impaired Web site visitors, using software that reads Web pages aloud, would hear those abbreviations as in "ex four zero zero zero" or "ext four zero zero zero."  Instead, spell out the word "extension" before the four-digit suffix of the phone number so that the page is understandable to all.

 

Word List and Glossary 

Hamilton College Terms

When writing, you should refer to Hamilton College as "Hamilton College," "Hamilton" or "the College" (note that the "C" in "College" should always be capitalized when referring to Hamilton College in official publications). 

Internet Terms

Refer to the following list for terms related to the Internet:
  • e-mail (always hyphenated; capitalize the "e" only if it begins a sentence);
  • Internet (a proper noun, always capitalized)
  • Web (short for "World Wide Web," a proper noun)

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