Why a University Style Guide?

This online version of the University Publications Editorial Style Guide contains several revisions and additions, which we indicate throughout with a symbol for easy reference.

Some of these changes address issues specific to Web content and are indicated with a symbol.

We first published the Editorial Style Guide in March 1996 to provide consistency among members of our own department and among the many offices throughout the University. We also wanted to advise our clients of the rules we would apply when editing copy submitted to this office.

There are available many guides to writing style, so why couldn’t we simply choose one of those? As with any organization, there are certain language conventions that are specific to the University of South Carolina. A single document that contains these conventions enables every unit of every campus to properly and consistently represent its parent organization—the University of South Carolina.

As we developed the guide, it also became clear that many grammatical issues arise every day and that a quick reference to these would be helpful. For answers to other questions of style and spelling, we consult the Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual, the American Heritage Dictionary, and Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary.

Of course, matters of style and usage continue to evolve, and as they do we will continue to review and update the guide. We encourage you to become familiar with the Editorial Style Guide and to apply its rules to any text you write on behalf of the University. Please contact us with your comments or any matters you feel should be addressed in future editions.

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