University Editorial Style Guide — The Basics

Clemson University produces thousands of promotional and marketing materials that describe our programs to various audiences. Because these materials convey our image and message to millions of people, maintaining a high standard of accuracy and consistency is essential to exhibiting a positive, professional reflection of the University.

As a service to the University community, the Office of Creative Services has created the Clemson University Editorial Style Guide, a nonacademic, in-house reference source that includes entries related specifically to Clemson University. It was created to give writers and editors of promotional and marketing materials answers to questions about style and usage. While the guide applies to all material processed by the Office of Creative Services, it does not attempt to address the style for other kinds of writing (academic papers, memorandums, personal correspondence, etc.).

The guide uses The Associated Press Stylebook as the preferred style source and Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition, as the preferred dictionary. The Chicago Manual of Style is used for issues not addressed by AP.

Go to Creative Services Editorial Guide for the complete editorial style guide.