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Avera Style Guide

Non-Discriminatory Language

Language can be a major vehicle for the expression of prejudice and discrimination, discriminatory values and practices in society. The aim of these guidelines is to increase awareness of discriminatory language in everyday use and to provide alternatives. Since it is not possible to cover every possible contingency, the examples given should not be considered exhaustive.

Language and Gender

Non-sexist or gender inclusive language ensures that bias is not expressed in favor of one gender over another.

Generics and Personal Pronouns

When at all possible, use generic terms. Examples include:

            Common                                  Preferred

manned                                   staffed

man-made                               handcrafted, artificial

manpower                               workforce

one-man                                  run by one person, one-person

sportsmanship                         fair play, sporting

tradesman                               tradesperson

Avoid using he, him, his to refer to people in general. Either recast the sentence in the plural, alternate between he and she in the text, use the he/she construction, or explain by a sentence in the text that you are using exclusively masculine or exclusively feminine forms to avoid the clumsy he/she construction.

Gender Role Stereotyping

Occupational terms or job titles that relate to only one gender are inaccurate and discriminatory, and should be replaced with neutral generic terms such as:

authoress                                author

businessman/woman            business executive

chairman                                 chair

girl Friday                               assistant

layman                                    non-specialist, lay person

Avoid irrelevant, gratuitous gender descriptions that imply deviation from the norm, such as a woman doctor or male nurse.

Patronizing Expressions and Stereotyped Images

The following are examples of stereotyped images that could be considered demeaning:

  • you think just like a man
  • you’re pretty smart for a woman
  • even a housewife can do that
  • boys in the storeroom
  • girls in the office

Word Order and Word Choice

Since men usually precede women in expressions such as “men and women” and “his and hers,” try reversing the order occasionally.

Language and Disability

Discriminatory language used to portray people with disabilities tends to emphasize the disability rather than the individual. Many words used to describe disability are outdated and inaccurate.  When it is necessary to portray people with disabilities, the following terms are preferred:

  • people with disabilities (not handicapped/disabled)
  • people with physical disabilities (not cripples)
  • people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (not mentally handicapped)
  • people with cerebral palsy (not spastics or CPs)

Other appropriate terminology includes:  “blind” or “vision-impaired” (depending on the disability), “deaf” or “hearing-impaired” (depending on the disability), and “mobility-impaired.”

Do not use the term normal or able-bodied in contrast. The terms victim or sufferer tend to dehumanize and emphasis powerlessness, e.g.

           Common                                             Preferred

an AIDS sufferer                                a person with AIDS

diabetic                                               a person with diabetes

polio victim                                         a person who had polio

Senior Citizens

Do not use the elderly to refer to those over age 65; elderly people and/or senior citizens are preferred. Avoid seniors, which may be confused with fourth-year high school students.

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Numbers

  • Spell out numbers from one to nine. Use figures for 10 and above. Exceptions to this rule are ages, addresses, percentages and dimensions/measurements (i.e. 5 inches, the 5-foot 6-inch man), which always use figures.

She has visited 41 states and will tour the other nine this fall.
At age 8, he had his concert debut in Carnegie Hall.
In the last election, 5 percent of the students did not vote.
They lived at 9 Chickweed Lane .

  • Spell out percent in narrative copy; use the % symbol in charts and tables.
  • Web only: For percentages used in statistical and scientific information, use numerals and follow with the % symbol rather than spelling out percent.

8% rather than 8 percent

  • Do not start a sentence with a numeral, except for years.

Six hundred people volunteer their time at Avera each year.
1976 was a very good year.

  • Spell out ordinals, i.e. fourth, not 4th, in text.

Do:  He is the couple’s fourth child.
Do Not:  He is the couple’s 4th child.

  • Write out first through ninth; use numerals thereafter.

That is your fifth slice of pie.
This is the festival’s 23rd year.

  • Spell out fractions less than one in text, using hyphens between the words. Use numerals for a fraction combined with a whole number, and use numerals in charts and tables.

two-thirds of the student body, four-fifths of every dollar
5 ½ or 5-1/2 (but spell out if the figure comes at the beginning of a sentence: Five and one-half…)

  • The parentheses around the area code are based on a format that telephone companies have agreed upon for domestic and international communication.

(203) 222-0000; 1 (800) 222-0000

  • The only exception to this rule is when including the telphone number of Avera's call center, which should be written as 1-877-AT-AVERA.
  • In legal documents, write out numbers; follow with numerals in parentheses.

twenty (20)

  • When writing dollar amounts, do not use decimals or zeros for whole dollar amounts.

$45 (not $45.00)
$39.87

  • Use a comma where appropriate in large numbers.

1,509
48,964

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Punctuation

Ampersand

  • Use the ampersand only when it is part of a company’s formal name, the name of a facility, or composition title:  House & Garden, Procter & Gamble, Wheeling & Lake Erie Railway, Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center .
  • Do not use an ampersand if it is not part of an entity’s formal name: Avera Brady Health and Rehab.
  • The ampersand should not otherwise be used in place of and, even in headlines.

Apostrophes

  • Apostrophes are used to show possession. Most singular nouns take a simple ’s.

the girl’s dress
the president’s speech

  • Also add ’s for possession if a singular common noun ends in s. The exception is if the next word also starts with an s.

The judge didn’t allow the witness’s testimony.
The jury didn’t believe the witness’ story.

  • In the case of proper nouns ending in s, use only an apostrophe.

Achilles’ heel
Moses’ law
Tennessee Williams’ play

  • With plural nouns ending in s, add only an apostrophe.

Water ruined the girls’ drawings.

  • With plural nouns not ending in s, add ’s:

I hope you’re in favor of women’s rights.
We care for children at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center .

  • Pronouns need no apostrophes in the possessive form: hers, theirs, yours, ours, its.

After signing the agreement, the house was theirs.

NOTE: It’s is a contraction meaning “it is.” Do not use an apostrophe when you are writing about something that belongs to “it.”

She put the book back in its place. It’s on the third shelf.

  • Apostrophes are not used with figures, with plurals of acronyms or with multiple letters.

Interest rates were high in the 1980s.
The airline has two 747s.
Temperatures will be in the 60s.
She knows her ABCs.

  • However, apostrophes are used with the plural of single letters.

The Oakland A’s won the pennant.
She brought home four A’s and two B’s.

Bullets

  • Capitalize the first words in bulleted lists. If you choose to use phrases or one-word format in a set of bulleted items, be sure all bullets are phrases or one-word entities.

          Example:  The following items were discussed:

  • Employees must follow dress code.
  • Volunteers have a separate dress code based on their duties.
  • Parking lots must be lighted.
  • Do not use periods at the end of a bulleted list of items or a bulleted list of phrases unless the bulleted item is a full sentence. If you choose to use a complete-sentence format for one bullet, be sure all bullets in that particular list are complete sentences.

Example:  The following items were discussed:

  • Employee dress code
  • Volunteer dress code
  • Parking

Bulleted List

Example of a bulleted list that forms a complete sentence (note, do not use periods):

An individualized treatment and therapy program will help to:

• Maximize motor function

• Promote increased signals to the brain

• Minimize development of deformity

Commas

  • Set off Inc. and Ltd. With commas in a company name where the comma is part of the official company name. (Exception to AP style)

    J.C. Penney Co., Inc., announced…

  • Use commas to create slight pauses in sentences or to set apart parenthetical thoughts.

Her mother, however, didn’t agree.
The company, as you may have heard, plans to sponsor the marathon.

  • Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before and or or in a simple series.

The flag is red, white and blue. (NOT: The flag is red, white, and blue.)
He would nominate Tom, Dick or Harry. (NOT: He would nominate Tom, Dick, or Harry.)

  • However, put a comma before the concluding and or or in a series if a key element of the series uses and or or.

I had orange juice, ham and eggs, and toast for breakfast.

  • Also use a comma before the concluding phrase in a complex series of phrases.

The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the training, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.

  • Use commas to separate a series of adjectives equal in importance. If the commas could be replaced by the word and without changing the meaning, the adjectives are equal.

a thoughtful, precise manner (a thoughtful and precise manner)
a dark, dangerous street (a dark and dangerous street)

  • Do not use a comma when the adjective immediately before the noun is an integral element of a noun phrase, and therefore the equivalent of a single noun.

a fake fur coat (“fur coat” could be considered a noun phrase)

  • Do not use a comma to set off an essential phrase from the rest of the sentence. An essential phrase is a word or group of words critical to the reader’s understanding of what the writer means.

They ate lunch with their friend Julie.

(NOT:  . . .their friend, Julie. Because they have more than one friend, Julie’s name is critical to the reader’s understanding. Therefore, friend and Julie should not be separated by a comma.)

  • Use commas to set off nonessential phrases. A nonessential phrase provides additional information. Although it may be helpful to the reader’s comprehension, the reader would not be misled if the information were not there.

You can see Roy Rogers’ famous horse, Trigger, in a museum.

(NOT:   . . .horse Trigger. Because Roy Rogers had only one famous horse, its name is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.)

Dashes

  • Use dashes, surrounded by spaces,   to denote an abrupt change in thought or an emphatic pause.

We will fly to France in July – if we have enough money.
Johnson offered a plan – it was unprecedented – to reform the health care system.

  • When a phrase that otherwise would be set off by commas contains a series of words that must be separated by commas, use dashes to set off the full phrase.

He listed the qualities – intelligence, education, experience – that he looks for in employees.

  • Web only: Use two hyphens for a dash, with a space before and a space after the set of hyphens.

He listed the qualities -- intelligence, education, experience -- that he looks for in employees.

Periods

  • Use one space after a period at the end of a sentence for Web content and for designed print items such as brochures, newsletters, etc.

Exclamation Points

  • Limit the use of exclamation points. A strong, precise word should be powerful enough by itself.
  • Save exclamation points for genuinely emphatic expressions that convey strong emotions.

Wow!
The officer barked out his command: “Halt!”

  • Do not use a comma or period immediately after an exclamation mark.

“What a fabulous show!” she cried.
(NOT: “What a fabulous show!,” she cried.)

Hyphens

  • Hyphens are joiners. Use them to avoid confusion or to form a single idea from two or more words.

well-being

  • At the beginning of a sentence, capitalize the first element in the hyphenated word but not other elements unless they are proper nouns or adjectives. Within a sentence, capitalize only those elements of a hyphenated word that are proper nouns or proper adjectives. In a heading or title, capitalize all the elements except articles, short prepositions, and short conjunctions.

At the beginning of a sentence:
Up-to-date
High-risk newborns benefit when they receive care at specialized hospitals.

Within a sentence:
up-to-date
A child or teen was killed in a firearm-related accident or suicide every eight hours in 2001.

In a headline:
Up-to-Date
Teach Problem-Solving

  • When a compound modifier – two or more words that express a single concept – precedes a noun, use hyphens to link the words in the modifier.

a full-time job                                     a first-quarter report

a well-known woman                          a know-it-all attitude

an up-to-date assessment               a face-to-face interview

a one-to-one session

  • Some combinations of words are commonly read as a unit. When these combinations come into common use, the hyphen tends to be omitted. Examples include:

bone marrow transplant                     open heart surgery

health care system                             primary care physician

inner ear disorder                               public health officials

medical school students                   urinary tract infection

  • Exceptions include the word very and all words ending in -ly:

a very good time
an easily remembered rule
a wholly owned subsidiary

  • Most words that begin with common prefixes are not hyphenated.

nonaffiliated, nonbinding, prenatal, pretax, subcommittee, subdivision, multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary

  • Use hyphens with prefixes only in certain cases, such as when the word that follows the prefix is capitalized, or when the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel.

pre-Columbian, sub-Saharan
pre-election, pre-empt, co-opt
(Of course, there are exceptions. Cooperate and coordinate do not take hyphens.)

NOTE: When in doubt, consult Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition, which has extensive word listings under each prefix.

Quotation Marks

  • Use quotation marks to set off dialogue and unusual phrases. Periods and commas belong inside quotation marks.

“I’m going to see a movie,” she said.
She was having what she called “a case of the blahs.”

  • Other punctuation marks such as question marks, exclamation points and semicolons go inside quotation marks when they apply only to the quoted material, not the entire sentence.

I asked her, “Why didn’t you like the movie?”
“Oklahoma !” was a Broadway play and a movie.

  • Question marks, exclamation points and semicolons go outside the quotation marks when they apply to the entire sentence.

I was astounded when he bragged about having “the right stuff”!
My answer is still “no”; the situation remains unchanged.

  • For a quote within a quote, or for a quote in a headline, use single quotation marks.

“I think ‘My dog ate it’ is a poor excuse for failing to turn in the assignment,” she replied.
“And when he said it was ‘in the bag,’ I knew I had the job,” said Jarrett.

  • Avoid setting apart ordinary phrases with quotation marks.

WRONG: He pleaded “innocent.”
RIGHT: When he entered his plea of innocence, he claimed he was “100 percent not guilty.” (That’s a direct quote worth reporting.)

Semicolons and Colons

  • Use a semicolon when thoughts are closely related and you want less emphasis than a period. Semicolons separate independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction such as and or but.

The package was mailed before Christmas; it didn’t arrive until Easter.

  • That’s a little more dramatic than the alternatives, though there would be nothing wrong with either of these:

The package was mailed before Christmas, but it didn’t arrive until Easter.
The package was mailed before Christmas. It didn’t arrive until Easter.

  • The most common use for a colon is to introduce a list at the end of a sentence. Usually the listed items are separated by commas.

The relief group needs many essential supplies: bottled water, cooking fuel, canned food, clothes and blankets.

  • If the listed items are phrases, separate each item with a semicolon.

The relief group needs many essential supplies: purified water that can be trucked in; fuel for cooking, transportation and heating; canned and boxed foods; and clothing of all sizes.

  • Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. Otherwise, use lowercase.

One trend is clear: Our earnings are increasing dramatically.

He had only one hobby: eating.

  • In text, use one space after a colon or a semi-colon.
  • Web only: Do not put colons at the end of section headings/subheads.

WRONG: Overview:
RIGHT: Overview

Slash Marks

  • Web only: Use a space before and after slash marks that separate two words.

and / or
faculty / staff

Underlining

  • Web only: Do not underline text on the Web. Only hyperlinks should be underlined.

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