Editorial Style and Usage Guide
This guide is the established editorial style for e-mail announcements, the Colgate Scene, colgate.edu pages and stories, brochures, newsletters, letters, and more.
Have a suggestion for the style guide? Contact Rebecca Costello at
rcostello@colgate.edu
For answers to common questions, see our Quick Tips
NOTE: All entries, in bold type, indicate lower case or capitalization as appropriate
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Punctuation - Helpful references - Proofreading tips
Proofreading tips
- Read through several times. With each pass, look for a specific set of criteria: grammar and spelling; dates, page numbers, and factual accuracy; and fonts, tabs, spacing, and other layout concerns.
- Read aloud to yourself.
- Don’t just read the text; compare it to your original version or source materials, if available.
- Grab a partner. Read the original version and intended changes aloud to the other person, who should be looking at the updated version. Spell out proper names and say punctuation aloud.
- Find fresh eyes. If you have originated a document, ask someone else who is not familiar with the material to proofread it for you.
- Read the entire document backwards; you’d be surprised at the mistakes you can catch!
Checklist
Following are the items that the communications staff asks clients to have verified and checked before turning copy over for editorial review.
- People and proper names — spelling, job titles
- Class years
- Proprietary facts or data (information known primarily or exclusively by your office)
- Dates
- Addresses
- Phone numbers