The Web Office recommends The Associated Press Stylebook as the preferred editorial style for web content.

We also use Emory Creative Group's Style Manual and Services Guide (PDF 1.7MB) for Emory-related specifics.

This list highlights notable site preferences.

academic degrees
Feel free to use abbreviations of academic degrees with a person’s name, typically on first reference.

addresses
Do not use periods in compass directions included in addresses.
Use state, not postal, abbreviations.
References to "Atlanta" do not need to include "Georgia."

African American
Preferred reference to Americans of African heritage.
           
ages
Follow AP style for numbers: spell out ages up to nine, and use figures starting with 10, for living beings. Spell out all ages for things.

a.m., p.m.
Do not use :00 with even hours.

ampersand
Avoid using ampersands when possible. They can become garbled in HTML display and may even cause errors.

capitalization
In headlines and titles, capitalize the first letters of all major words throughout.

chair
Preferred to chairman/chairwoman for most campus-based references. Otherwise, use a person's formal title.

comma
Follow AP guidelines. This includes not using a serial comma in a simple list.

computer terms
email
home page
the web, website

cross country
No hyphen.

doctor
Use Dr. for people with PhDs, as well as medical degrees.

Emory University
For simplicity, use lowercase "university" on second reference.

fund-raiser (noun), fund-raising (noun), fund-raising (adj.)
Use hyphens.

graduation year
For Emory degrees, do not use an apostrophe when abbreviating the two-digit year, and do not use a space between the year and the school initial.
Examples: John Doe, 08C; James W. Dooley, 1836Ox

hyphen v. dash
Long dash characters can become garbled online. To avoid this, use hyphens or double hyphens -- with spaces on either side.

initials
Do not add spaces between initials in a name.

italics
For visual clarity, minimize the use of italics online, especially in small font sizes.

months
Abbreviate months and days for listing dates. It’s also fine to spell out these words, if preferred.

numbers
Follow AP style. Most notably: "Spell out whole numbers below 10, use figures for 10 and above."

OK
Preferred to okay.

publication names
Follow the publication's preference, and italicize. This includes articles.

quotation marks
Try to use "straight" quotation marks. “Smart” or “curly” quotes can become garbled online. (This preference can be set in Microsoft Word > Tools > AutoCorrect > AutoFormat as you type.)

ratio
Use figures with hyphens.
Example: 100-to-1

regions
Capitalize regional designations, such as Southern and Eastern.

TV
Acceptable as a noun and adjective. Spelling out television is also OK.

U.S.
Acceptable as a noun and adjective. Use periods.

website v. web page
"website" refers to a collection of web pages sharing a domain name or design
"web page" refers to a single page within a web site, or to a one-page site
"home page" refers to a site's first or primary page

www.emory.edu
The preferred url reference to the main Emory University site; "emory.edu," though commonly used, is technically incorrect.