AAP Editorial Style Guide

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This guide is intended for anyone producing communications material (print or electronic) representing Cornell AAP that is distributed to internal and external audiences.

The college uses the following publications as the reference for its editorial style:

The Office of Communications recommends installing the Grammarly extension on your computer; Grammarly is very helpful for identifying typos, extra spaces, and other common errors. It is not infallible and will sometimes recommend changes that are not consistent with this style guide, so please use your best judgement when excepting changes.

This guide includes both AAP styles that supersede those found in CMOS and commonly used items that still follow CMOS recommendations. For the most part, these styles apply to both electronic and print communication.

Clarification and instructions are included in [brackets], and examples are bulleted. (Please note that different style rules may apply to specific publications as required by design and layout.)

Approved logos and other guidelines for use of visual assets can be found on the Brand Guidelines page on the AAP website.

AAP Editorial Style Cheat Sheet

Always use straight quotes. (vs. smart “curly” quotes). eg. writer's, (B.F.A. '27), etc. [straight quotes can be set as a default in preferences in both MS Word and Google Docs, Grammarly can also correct this.]

Always use serial commas. [When a conjunction joins the last two elements in a series of three or more, a comma should appear before the conjunction.]

  • The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
  • Their wartime rations included cabbage, turnips, and bread. [comma after turnips]
  • Paul put the kettle on, Don fetched the teapot, and I made tea. [comma after teapot]

advisor [not adviser]

African American, Asian American, etc.  [noun and adjective, no hyphen]

multicollege [not multi-college or multi college]

Italicize and capitalize the complete title of books, periodicals, etc., (e.g., The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker.) 

Caption and credit format 

  • Name(s) (Deg.'XX), Title of Work (year), an optional short description of context, materials, medium, 11" x 11". image / name (B.F.A. '27) [note: period ends the caption, credit follows, no period after image credit, all straight quotes]

Please refer to this complete list of degree names and their correct abbreviations. 

Hyphens (-) are for compound words, en dashes (–) are for time/date, page spans, and em dashes (—) are used to introduce an extra clause for emphasis or additional information in a compound sentence.

  • PC: en dash = ALT/0150; em dash = ALT/0151
  • Mac: en dash = option/hyphen; em dash = option/shift/hyphen

Refer to Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary for common compound words and hyphen usage, especially commonly used co-. (eg., cochaired, co-coordinators, cocurator, codirector, coedited, cofounder, co-organizers, coprincipal investigator, co-PI, co-taught, etc.) [note: if not found, and the new word has important case-specific usage, okay to keep hyphen]. 

 

College-Specific Terminology and Usage

  • artmaking [not art making or art-making]
  • campuswide [no hyphen]
  • course work [two words]
  • Black [capitalized when referring to a group of people]
  • exhibition [not exhibit]
  • fieldwork, field trip
  • Global South [capitalize both words]
  • Indigenous
  • interim [in between] vs. acting [temporary]
  • land use, but land-use planning
  • Latinx [capitalized when referring to a group of people]
  • makerspace [one word]
  • multicollege [no hyphen]
  • mixed-use
  • on sabbatical, on sabbatical leave, on sabbatic leave [do not use on sabbatic]
  • pin-up, crit [shorthand is okay]
  • "talk back" session [in quotes, two words, lowercase]
  • tenure-track [adjective], on a tenure track [noun], nontenured
  • well-being [not wellbeing]

 

** We use straight quotes rather than smart (curly) quotes across all Cornell AAP pages and media with almost no exceptions **

Numbers, Dates, Times

Numbers:

Spell one through nine (cardinal and ordinal); use numerals for 10 and higher.

Always spell out numbers when beginning a sentence.

  • Twenty years ago, I earned a master's degree.

For partial numbers use fractions, not decimals.

  • The painting is 15-1/2" x 14" long. [do not use superscript or smaller text for fractions]

When referring to class credits, use numerals.

  • 8 credits, 120 credits
  • 4-credit class
  • two semesters of 4-credit classes

10,000-square-foot building [spell out square foot, note hyphen usage]

second [not 2nd]

for a three-year term

2D, 3D [not 3-D; use with technical jargon; three dimensional okay in other uses]

Dates:

the '60s, the 1960s [both are okay; okay to combine] [not 1960's]

  • During the 1960s and '70s, the population shrank.

Year spans use an en dash or from and to

  • 2010–11 [note en dash; don't repeat 20]
  • 1992–2002
  • from 1992 to 2002 [use to when preceded by from]
  • between 1992 and [use and when preceded by between]

20th century [not twentieth], 75th anniversary [not seventy-fifth, no superscript]

April 24 [not April 24th]

April 24, 2009

I could meet you on the 24th. [th is not superscript]

fall, spring [lowercase unless starting a sentence or the name of an official document or headline]

Do not include the year for recent, one-time events.

  • August 1 [not August 1, 2018] [exception is web event postings, which always include year]

Times:

  • 5 p.m. [not 5 pm; not 5:00 pm; not 5:00 p.m.]
  • The lecture is from 5 to 7:30 p.m. [use to after from; only use p.m. at the end]
  • April 24, 5–7:30 p.m. [note en dash]

Office Hours:

In sentences:

  • We're open Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

In contact pages and boxes (W):

  • Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. [note en dashes]
  • Monday and Wednesday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m. [note en dash]

Abbreviations (excluding degree programs)

Generally, no period for states, territories, or their affiliate entities. No periods in any abbreviation with two or more capital letters. [Note exception for degree programs]

When a noun, spell out the United States. When an adjective, use US. [US involvement, US Department of Labor, US president]

Spell out the full name of states e.g., Los Angeles, California, in running text; two-letter postal abbreviations without periods for states in lists, addresses, captions, eg., Seattle, WA; Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA.

Washington, DC should be spelled out in full, with a comma. [second use in the same text can be DC]

 

Hyphen, En Dash, Em Dash

En Dash: range of years and pages; specific state campus [–]

  • 2010–11
  • January–February
  • University of California–Berkeley [but SUNY Buffalo because of abbreviation of SUNY]

Em Dash: setting off ideas [—]

  • He moved his chairs — all six of them — to the kitchen.

Shortcuts to type en and em dashes:

  • PC: en dash = ALT/0150; em dash = ALT/0151
  • Mac: en dash = option/hyphen; em dash = option/shift/hyphen

Digital Technology Terms

  • 2D, 3D [not 3-D]
  • 3D-printed
  • email
  • homepage
  • inkjet [one word, no hyphen]
  • internet
  • log in (verb) e.g., Log in to Drupal to begin working.
  • login (noun or adjective) e.g., Use your login information to access Drupal.
  • Livestream [uppercase L when referring to the company]
  • live stream [noun], live-streamed event [adjective]
  • makerspace
  • NetID [no spaces, capital N, I, D]
  • online
  • pageview [noun, one word]
  • podcast
  • real time (adjective, noun) e.g. The data was analyzed in real time. 
  • real-time (compound adjective) e.g. The program performed real-time data analysis. 
  • website, the Web, webcast, webpage, World Wide Web
  • Wi-Fi

All caps, no period for all computer file types except .doc [.doc, JPG, PDF, PNG, TIFF, XLS]

Web addresses should be shortened and/or simplified whenever possible, (e.g., aap.cornell.edu, aap.cornell.edu/arch)

Locations, Addresses, Contact Information

Locations

Only include state or country names after lesser-known cities.

I hope to move to Detroit. [well known]

My new job is in Troy, New York. [not well known]

I studied in Berlin. [well known]

My brother is teaching in Swansea, Wales. [not well known]

New York City [not New York; not NYC; exception: AAP NYC]

New York state [note lowercase s]

State of New York

Upstate New York

lower Manhattan's Financial District 

The following schools can be referred to by initials at first use:

  • Columbia GSAPP
  • Harvard GSD
  • MIT
  • RISD
  • SUNY Buffalo [or any other SUNY, no hyphen between SUNY and name of school]
  • The Cooper Union [note capital T in The]
  • UCLA

Addresses

Abbreviate state names (no periods) in lists, addresses, and captions. [NY, not N.Y.]

Spell out state names in running text (e.g., He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.).

B1 W. Sibley Hall [not B-1] [in an address]

B1 West Sibley Hall, West Sibley Hall, or W Sibley Hall if no numbers [in text] [not just Sibley or West Sibley, always use Hall]

340D E. Sibley Hall [no space between 340 and D]

John Hartell Gallery, Sibley Dome

Events in Rome or New York City should use this format:

Gensler Family AAP NYC Center [on first use]

AAP NYC [shortened after first use in running text]

26 Broadway, 20th Floor, New York City 10004 [no comma between city and zip, don't include state: exception is Washington, DC]

Palazzo Santacroce
Piazza Benedetto Cairoli 6, 00186 Rome, Italy

US phone numbers use parentheses and dashes.

(607) 255-2341 [note space after area code parentheses]

+39 06 689 7070 [Rome: note plus sign and spaces, no hyphens]

 

Named Events and Facilities

Lecture series and symposia (italics vs. regular text):

  • Edgar A. Tafel Architecture Lecture Series
  • FXCollaborative Lecture for Sustainability, Urbanism, and Design
  • Glanzer-Curtis Family Lecture Series
  • Gensler Visiting Critic Lecture
  • John A. Cooper Visiting Artist Lecture Series
  • L. Michael Goldsmith Lecture Series
  • Peter Eisenman Lecture Series endowed by Elise Jaffe + Jeffrey Brown
  • Preston H. Thomas Memorial Lecture Series
  • Preston H. Thomas Memorial Symposium
  • Preston H. Thomas Memorial Exhibition
  • Strauch Visiting Critic in Sustainable Design Lecture
  • Thomas J. Baird Visiting Critic Lecture
  • Work Weekend [note capitals]

Buildings:

  • Gensler Family AAP NYC Center
  • The Foundry [cap T in The for all uses]
  • Milstein Hall [not just Milstein]
  • Mui Ho Fine Arts Library (FAL) [first mention; FAL on subsequent mentions]
  • Olive Tjaden Hall or Tjaden Hall [not just Tjaden]
  • Rand Hall [not just Rand]
  • Sibley Hall [not just Sibley]
  • Tata Innovation Center
  • Tjaden and Rand Halls

Galleries, auditoriums, and other spaces:

  • Abby and Howard Milstein Auditorium
  • Bibliowicz Family Gallery [preferred] Bibliowicz Family Gallery and Garden [formal name]
  • Duane and Dalia Stiller Arcade
  • Experimental Gallery
  • Fabrication Shops [not the Shops, but the shops is okay]
  • Frances Shloss Studio [no the in front]
  • Green Dragon cafe [lowercase C in cafe]
  • Jack Squier Sculpture Studio
  • Jason and Clara Seley Sculpture Court
  • John Hartell Gallery [or Hartell Gallery after first use; no the in front]
  • Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art [first reference]; Johnson Museum of Art [subsequent references] [F. Johnson shouldn't be broken onto separate lines.
  • Ho Family Bridge
  • Lim Family Lobby
  • L. P. Kwee Studios [note space between initials; not the plate]
  • Milstein Hall Dome [note uppercase D]
  • Olive Tjaden Gallery [or Tjaden Gallery]
  • Rand Hall Shops
  • Stepped Auditorium, Milstein Hall
  • West Plaza
  • wood floor in L. P. Kwee Studios [can be abbreviated to just wood floor; use sparingly]

College, Departments, Disciplines

College of Architecture, Art, and Planning [no ampersand]; AAP; Cornell AAP; Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; or the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning at Cornell University 

[Note: For internal publications and websites, the college name can appear as AAP at first mention; for external pieces, like press releases, the college name should be spelled out on first use.]

College and program names

Official college and university programs are capitalized, except for the p in program when it comes at the end of the name.

  • Gensler Family AAP NYC Center
  • AAP NYC
  • AAP NYC studio and classroom facility 
  • AAP's New York City program, located at the Gensler Family AAP NYC Center, known as AAP NYC
  • Clarence S. Stein Institute for Urban and Landscape Studies [first mention, Stein Institute for subsequent uses]
  • Cornell Baker Program in Real Estate [first mention, Baker Program for subsequent uses]
  • Cornell in Rome
  • Cornell University [but university, lowercase, when used without Cornell or another school's name]
  • Historic Preservation Planning program
  • History of Architecture and Urban Development program
  • Teiger Mentor in the Arts Program [exception: note capital P]

Department and unit names

Official department, office, and unit names are capitalized. See the "Contact" page on the AAP website for official names.

  • The Department of Architecture (Department of Architecture, Architecture Department, Architecture)
  • The Department of Art (Department of Art, Art Department, Art)
  • The Department of City and Regional Planning (Department of City and Regional Planning, CRP, Planning Department, Planning) 
  • The Paul Rubacha Department of Real Estate (Use full, formal name on first reference, Department of Real Estate, Real Estate Department, Real Estate)*
  • The Department of Design Tech (Design Tech Department, Design Tech)*
  • The Mui Ho Center For Cities (Center for Cities, the center)

*Supplemental language often required on first reference: Paul Rubacha Department of Real Estate, jointly led with the SC Johnson College of Business; and the multicollege Department of Design Tech led by the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) with Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science (Bowers CIS), Cornell Human Ecology (CHE), Cornell Engineering, and Cornell Tech in New York City.

*When faculty from these college's are named, we mention their home college with their title, and reference their affiliation with AAP second. eg. François Guimbretière, Professor of Information Science at Cornell Bowers CIS and inaugural Design Tech faculty member

  • Office of Admissions
  • Office of Alumni Affairs and Development (AAD)
  • Office of the Dean
  • Office of Diversity + Inclusion
  • Office of Student Services 

Lowercase for general reference to offices, e.g., the admissions office, diversity and inclusion programming, the dean's office. 

Lowercase for university, college, and center when not used in full. eg. At Cornell AAP, the college and center commit to advancing the priorities we share with the university. [note, here, the college is short for the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning; the center is short for the Mui Ho Center for Cities; the university is short for Cornell University].

Programs

Spell out all degree programs (see degree programs section for complete list) on first use followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, e.g., Master of Architecture (M.Arch.), Master of Regional Planning (M.R.P.), Master of Regional Planning in Historic Preservation Planning (M.R.P. HPP). Programs with areas specified can be shortened to program abbreviation (e.g., HPP) if referenced again in running text. No need to include parenthetical abbreviations if the program is not referenced again. 

Disciplines and fields are lowercase.

  • e.g., The lecture by Denise Scott Brown, a leader in the study, discourse, and practice of architecture, was attended by artists, designers, urban planners, and a few professors of English literature. [note exception for fields that include proper nouns such as English literature, or Italian history]

Names, Titles, Degrees

Use full name in the first mention; subsequent mentions in running text use the last name only [not first name, unless direct quote]. 

Standard academic titles [applies to lists and sentence use]

  • AAP Dean 
  • Dean of Architecture, Art, and Planning
  • Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
  • AAP Dean J. Meejin Yoon will give opening remarks. 
  • J. Meejin Yoon, architect and Dean of the College of Architecture, Art, and Planning, will give opening remarks.
  • Professor Ann Anderson
  • Professor of Art Ann Anderson
  • Art Professor Ann Anderson
  • Ann Anderson, Professor of Art, has an exhibition in New York City. 
  • Ann Anderson, a professor of art and practicing artist, has an exhibition in New York City. 
  • Associate Professor James Jamison
  • Associate Professor of Architecture James Jamison
  • Architecture Associate Professor James Jamison
  • Associate Professor James Jamison, architecture, is speaking in Rome. 
  • James Jamison, Associate Professor of Architecture, is speaking in Rome. 
  • James Jamison, an associate professor of architecture and practicing architect, is speaking in Rome. 
  • Director of Facilities Lane Landers
  • Lane Landers, Director of Facilities at AAP, led the project. 
  • Lane Landers, facilities director, led the project. 

Speakers visiting campus to give a lecture should be referred to as visiting speakers, guest lecturers, visiting artists, etc. Visiting Lecturer is an official university title. 

Professor Emerita (f), Professor Emeritus (m), Professor Emerit (n), Professors Emeriti (p)

 

Named professorships, chairs, and other titles

  • Arthur L. and Isabel B. Wiesenberger Professor in Architecture
  • Barclay Jones Visiting Lecturer
  • C. Bradley Olson Real Estate Faculty Fellow
  • Edgar A. Tafel Professor of Architecture
  • Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of Architecture, Art, and Planning 
  • J. Meejin Yoon, Gale and Ira Drukier Dean of Architecture, Art, and Planning
  • Gensler Family Sesquicentennial Executive Director
  • Gensler Visiting Critic
  • Strauch Visiting Critic in Sustainable Design*
  • Michael A. McCarthy Professor of Architectural Theory
  • Nathaniel and Margaret Owings Distinguished Alumni Memorial Professor in Architecture
  • Teiger Mentor in the Arts

Order of use: use official faculty title, administrative title, name, followed by named position. 

  • e.g., Professor and Chair of the Department of Design Tech, Jenny Sabin, the Arthur L. and Isabel B. Wiesenberger Professor in Architecture, also directs Sabin Lab and the Master of Science in Design Technology (M.S. DT) program. 
  • Professor and Chair of Art, Paul Ramírez Jonas, will co-curate an exhibition this fall. 

*Often requires supplemental language when referenced: The Strauch Visiting Critic in Sustainable Design was established by Hans (B.Arch. '80) and Roger '78 Strauch to ensure that Cornell Department of Architecture students and faculty are supported in their efforts to advance research and innovative design solutions associated with consequences of global climate change.

 

Students and alumni names and degrees

For AAP students and alumni, parenthetically identify degree and year of graduation, anticipated graduation, or preferred year (per Alumni Affairs and Development). For students with preferred first name, use preferred only unless otherwise specified. 

  • Jen Jenkins (M.F.A. '99)

Students with same degree and grad year in a list can be combined, e.g., Jen Jenkins, Sam Samuelson, Will Wilson (all M.F.A. '99) 

For program-specific degrees, identify the specific program.

  • Arthur Ableson (Ph.D. HAUD '98)
  • Gabriel Garcia (B.S. URS '15)

Tip: if a graduation date isn't available, write around it, e.g., Sara Singletary, graduate student in the history of architecture…Thomas Thompson, an alum with a degree in planning

The following alumni should be listed as such

  • Peter Eisenman (B.Arch. '54)
  • M. Arthur Gensler (B.Arch. '57) [note M. at the beginning]
  • Ratan Tata ('59, B.Arch. '62)

For students and alumni with two Cornell degrees

John Johnson ('88, M.Arch. '92) [one AAP, one at Cornell outside of the college)

James Jamison (B.Arch. '78, M.Arch. '81) [two degrees, both conferred by AAP, degrees are listed chronologically]

Lane Landers (B.F.A./B.S. '84) [concurrent degrees both conferred by AAP, degrees ordered alphabetically]

Laura Glenn (M.Arch./J.D. '98) [concurrent degree not conferred by AAP lists AAP degree first regardless of alpha]

For alumni couples with a shared last name

  • Jane (M.Arch. '92) and John (M.Arch. '92) Johnson or Jane ('88) and John (M.Arch. '92) Johnson

For parents of current students

Parent first name, parent last name, "parent of [student name and year]"

  • Jane Johnson, parent of Joe Johnson (B.S. URS '92)

Alumna (f), Alumnus (m), Alum (n), Alumni (p)

Tip: if a graduation date isn't available, write around it, e.g., Sara Singletary, graduate student in the history of architecture; Thomas Thompson, an alum with a degree in planning...

For Cornell alumni with a degree from a college outside of AAP: 

David Delany ('88)

Notes

John Doe Jr. or John Doe III [no commas]

Erik den Breejen, but Den Breejen at the beginning of a sentence

For students with preferred names, use preferred name only unless otherwise specified. Check with the Office of Student Services if questionable. 

For well-known alumni, check with AAD for their preferred graduation year.

 

Degree Names

For use in story and page titles and lists:

List of degrees offered by Cornell AAP
Department Degree Abbreviation
Architecture Bachelor of Architecture B.Arch.
  Bachelor of Science in History of Architecture* B.S. HA
  Bachelor of Fine Arts in Architecture* B.F.A. Architecture
  Professional Master of Architecture M.Arch.
  Professional Master of Architecture II (until 2018) M.Arch. II
  Post-professional Master of Science, Advanced Architectural Design M.S. AAD
  Post-professional Master of Science, Advanced Urban Design M.S. AUD
  Master of Science, Matter Design Computation* M.S. MDC
  Doctor of Philosophy in History of Architecture and Urban Development Ph.D. HAUD
Art Bachelor of Fine Arts B.F.A.
  Master of Fine Arts in Creative Visual Arts M.F.A. 
  Master of Fine Arts in Image Text M.F.A. Image Text
CRP Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies B.S. URS
  Master of Arts in Historic Preservation Planning M.A. HPP
  Master of Professional Studies in Real Estate M.P.S. RE
  Master of Science in Regional Science M.S. RS
  Master of Arts in Regional Science* M.A. RS
  Master of Regional Planning M.R.P.
  Doctor of Philosophy in City and Regional Planning Ph.D. CRP
  Doctor of Philosophy in Regional Science Ph.D. RS
Design Tech Master of Science, Design Technology M.S. DT
Concurrent Degrees Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts* B.F.A./B.S. or B.A./B.F.A.
  Bachelor of Science in urban and regional studies and Bachelor of Arts* B.A./B.S. URS
Dual Degrees Master of Regional Planning and Master of Landscape Architecture M.R.P./M.L.A.
  Master of Regional Planning and Master of Professional Studies, Real Estate M.R.P./M.P.S. RE

 

* Degree no longer offered

  • He earned his Bachelor of Arts at Hamilton College.
  • He holds a B.Arch. from Cornell.

Shorthand degree names are acceptable in most instances and should be lowercase.

  • master's degree, bachelor's degree, master of science

Examples of architecture degrees in text

  • Students with a Bachelor of Architecture are eligible.
  • Students with a B.Arch. are eligible.
  • The professional Master of Architecture program seeks qualified students. [professional is not capitalized] [preferred]
  • The post-professional Master of Science, Advanced Architectural Design program seeks qualified students. [post-professional is not capitalized]
  • The M.S. AAD program is open to applicants possessing B.Arch. or M.Arch. degrees.
  • The History of Architecture and Urban Development program offers both Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

Semesters, Classes, Studio Names

  • He will repeat the class in the spring semester. [note season capitalization]

Class names are title case, no formatting, no quotes, no colon after class number

  • Structural Concepts
  • ARCH 101 Structure of the Outhouse

Courses of Study [note capitalization]

fall course and time roster [note capitalization]

First-Year Writing Seminar [note capitalization]

In/Out-of-College Elective, Out-of-Department Elective, Departmental Elective [note capitalization]

Study Period [note capitalization]

Spring Break [note capitalization]

Artwork, Competitions, Conferences, Events, Exhibitions

Work attribution captions

Most important are: First Last Name(s) (Deg.'XX), Title of Work (year). media/credit name

Basic caption variations with credit information examples (see image/photo credits)

Jada Johnson (B.Arch. '57), Hands (2000). photo / Johnson (B.Arch. '57)

Jada Johnson (B.Arch. '57), Hands (2000), acrylic, size variable, from Bodyparts exhibition, installation view. photo / Johnson (B.Arch. '57)

Hands (2000), acrylic, size variable, from Bodyparts exhibition, installation view. photo / Johnson (B.Arch. '57) [when attribution is clear in headline]
 

Guidelines for caption information

Use x (not × [multiplication sign])

Use -1/2" not .5"; run 1/2 at normal text size (not superscripted or otherwise smaller)

Works listed as untitled or untitled (description); don't italicize untitled. Keep lowercase unless it starts the caption.

Sam Samuelson, untitled (blue) (2000), acrylic, 38" x 51". image / provided

Italicize the titles of

  • Artworks, installations
  • Blog titles
  • Book titles
  • Contest entries
  • Exhibitions
  • Journal, magazine, and periodical titles [special titles of individual journal issues should be set in quotes]
    • Cornell Journal of Architecture volume 10, "Spirits"
  • Movie and TV show titles [TV episodes should be set in quotes]
  • Podcasts
  • Proposals, projects, and reports

Follow capitalization and punctuation of works of art, exhibitions, installations, and projects as established by author/artist. [for body text only; see Article Headlines]

Set in Roman, title case, within quotes:

  • Articles
  • Conferences with a specific name
    • The "Transit-Oriented Development in the Nation's Capital" conference begins on Tuesday.
  • Conference poster and panel titles
  • Dissertation and paper titles
  • Lecture titles
  • Symposia with specific name
    • "Matter Design Computation," the Preston H. Thomas Memorial Symposium

Set in Roman, title case:

  • Awards
  • Nobel Prize
  • Competition names
  • Conferences and symposia that recur
    • Preston H. Thomas Memorial Symposium
  • American Collegiate Schools of Architecture conference
  • Grants
    • Official names are title case [Engaged Cornell Opportunity Seed Grant]
    • Generic names are title case [Engaged Cornell grant]
  • Lecture series
    • L. Michael Goldsmith Lecture
  • Names of buildings
    • Fallingwater, Empire State Building
  • Venice Biennale: [year] Venice Biennale of [Art or Architecture] [All other similar events are biennial not biennale]
    • 2016 Venice Biennale of Architecture
  • Workshops

Photo Captions and Credits, Bylines, Headlines

Photo captions and credits

Always include year and degree for AAP-affiliated photo subjects and photographer, even if included in story.

Photo credits should be styled as photographer / organization [note spaces on either side of slash]

  • Lindsay France / University Photography [staff photographer]
  • Anson Wigner / AAP
  • Jane Jenson (B.Arch.'25) / AAP

If no organization, then use photo / photographer

  • photo / Laura Glenn
  • photo / Laura Glenn (B.F.A. '14) 
  • photo / provided [if photographer/author name unknown]

Note: photo can be replaced with rendering, drawing, etc.

Identifying people in captions: From left:, Clockwise from left:, (at right), are all okay depending on flow and context.

Bylines

Writers should be credited in the masthead. 

  • By Dave Davis, Cornell Chronicle [link to news.cornell.edu]
  • By Lane Landers
  • AAP Communications

Article headlines and citations

Title case and Roman for all media. [no italics, no all-caps, no special characters]

Check CMOS section 8.157 for more headline information.

To create citations (web or print), we recommend citefast.com.

In paragraph form, after book titles, publisher and year appear parenthetically and with comma, no location.

  • Lines of Control (Random House, 2011)

Appendix: Web Accessibility

"Accessible websites are designed to be usable by anyone, regardless of device, language, culture, location, or physical or mental ability. Specifically, web accessibility is a set of practices, choices, and standards aimed at making websites that people with a diverse range of hearing, movement, sight, and cognitive abilities can easily navigate and use."

~Cornell University

Alt text and title tags:

  • Alt text describes in literal terms the contents of a picture. Every image uploaded to the website needs alt text — photos, drawings, logos, renderings, etc.
    • Do not use image of or picture of in the alt text. Rendering of or painting of is OK, as it explains in more detail what is included in the photo.
    • Do not use quote marks in alt text
    • If you use null alt text, do not include a title tag
    • Example of alt text: Group of women and children playing in a fountain in Central Park in the summer
  • Title tags are what appears when you hover your mouse over an image. The title can be shorter and less descriptive than the alt text and include the official name of the work displayed, the artist/author. Editorials and events, copy and paste title.
    • If you use a null alt tag, do not include a title tag
    • Example of a title tag, specific image: Central Park by Annie Liebovitz
    • Example of a title tag for editorial: Looking Ahead, Fall 2022 Highlights

Headings:

Headings should be used in order when formatting text on a web page. H1 is the name of the page; use H2, H3, H4, etc. as you would in creating a document outline to indicate the hierarchical order of information.

Links:

Be sure that linked text clearly defines where a link will go.

Text and special characters:

All caps may only be used for acronyms, not word emphasis.

  • AAP is ok; PLANNING is not.

Special characters are not allowed when a word can be used.

  • Architecture and Discourse, not Architecture + Discourse

PDFs:

PDFs must be accessible and creating or remediating them is time- and skill-intensive. The only documents that should be loaded as a PDF are those that have to be printed in an exact format (legal documents requiring an exact replica, for example) and these documents will need to be remediated. The university has selected Onix as a remediation vendor.

For all other information consider:

  • HTML page for text and basic images
  • Web forms

Appendix: Web Style

Use straight quotes and apostrophes, not curly.

  • "I don't want to go to school," he said.

Links:

Title case if link is going to a page with the same name.

Sentence case if using descriptive copy.

Related links should be in title case.

Include PDF in parenthesis in link with document title [follow style on page six for file types]

  • View Style Guide (PDF) [note that PDF is not underlined; file types do not follow link style]

Link to faculty profiles from body text should only include faculty member's name and not title.

Pull-quotes or introductory quotes: H3 followed by em dash and author

 

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