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Editorial style guide
Here’s a fast guide to university style. This guide covers basic questions of capitalization, K-State references, and other topics.
Why follow a standard style? In a word—consistency. When students surf through a website and encounter a jumble of logos, looks, office references, writing styles, and organizational frameworks, it’s confusing. We need to create some editorial consistency to show that we are all at the same university and working toward the same goal: serving our students.
These basic style rules can save you time. You won’t have to take an office poll on whether to capitalize fax, and you won’t lie awake at night pondering the use of homepage as one word. Here are some basics:
K-State or KSU: what’s the difference?
K-State is our brand name. That is how most people know us. So avoid Kansas State or KSU except when they’re part of a proper name. In text, it’s common to use Kansas State University on first reference, then K-State on all later references.
What’s the correct way to refer to the Salina campus?
Use K-State at Salina, not K-State-Salina or KSU/S.
What’s the correct style for addresses?
Address elements should appear in the following order:
| Name | Lisa Harper | |
| Title | Director of Circumlocution | |
| Office | Department of Verbose Studies | |
| University | Kansas State University | |
| Address | 5 Anderson Hall | |
| City/state/zip | Manhattan, KS 66506–0118 |
Important: the second line from the bottom must contain the room number followed by a full building name to match the U.S. Postal Service database. Mail that doesn’t match this format moves slower.
10 Holton Hall, not Holton Hall 10
1 Holton Hall, not One Holton Hall
10 Holton Hall, not 010 Holton Hall
All addresses need a room number.
Is it fax or FAX?
- Lowercase as fax in text, but use Fax on business cards or other instances where it begins a line.
- Never use all caps. Fax is a shortened form of facsimile, not an acronym.
What’s the preferred style for phone numbers?
- Write phone numbers without parentheses, as in 785-532-6419, not (785) 532-6419.
- Use hyphens for toll-free numbers, as in 1-800-532-6419.
How should I list times?
- Use 8 a.m., not 8:00 a.m.
- Use to instead of a hyphen. (8 to 9 a.m.)
Have more questions?
Check out the complete university style guide maintained by University Publications.