Hyphens connect words and prefixes so meaning is clear. Refer to your organisation’s preferred dictionary when you are not sure if you need to use a hyphen for spelling.
Hyphens clarify meaning by connecting words and parts of words into a single unit of meaning. Use hyphens to avoid ambiguity.
Colons draw attention to the text that follows. Only add colons that are essential. Use them to introduce examples, contrasts, lists and block quotes.
Use a colon only if you are sure it is needed. Incorrect use creates confusion for users.
Use a colon to:
Medical terms have specific meanings. Introduce scientific terms and common names if that helps users, but always use the correct spelling and style.
Use an initial capital letter for medical terms only if the term is a proper noun or adjective, or if it is the name of a genus. Otherwise don’t use initial capitals for the names of:
Names for plants and animals come from classification systems. The right style for the classification conveys meaning to people reading the content.
The genus and species form the definitive name of a plant or animal. By convention:
Backhousia citriodora is the scientific name of the lemon myrtle.
Treat terms for climate and weather events with consistent style. It helps users scan content for keywords and supports readability.
Follow the rules of capitalisation for most natural phenomena:
Do not use italics.
Write generic terms for climate and weather in lower case. This rule applies to many compound nouns.
Use protective markings for government information. Follow your organisation’s procedures to add them.
If you are working with government information, follow organisational procedures to assess and apply protective markings to sensitive and classified information.
The protective marking will usually be in all capitals at the top and bottom of a page.
Information is assessed and given protective marking to identify if it is sensitive or security classified.
Shortened forms are used in referencing to help people quickly identify sources. Unlike other shortened forms, some Latin shortened forms retain full stops.
In referencing, present shortened forms in roman type (not italics). Always start them with a lower case letter, even when they are derived from Latin words.
Only some Latin shortened forms and ‘n.d.’ take full stops.
Use English rather than Latin shortened forms, except in some cases. People will prefer the English equivalent unless the context requires special use.
Use Latin forms only in limited situations – for example:
Getting personal names right is respectful. It also helps users avoid any confusion. Check that you’ve used the correct spelling, punctuation and capitalisation.
When you write to or about people, always use the form of personal name that the person uses. If you can, ask the person which name they prefer. Otherwise, consult reputable sources for:
Brands and model names are protected by law. Unless using common names, write trade mark names and use symbols so people can understand legal status.
Use initial capitals for trade marks, brands and business names.
An exception to using initial capitals is where the business itself uses an unusual mix of spacing, capitals and lower case letters. In this case, write it the way the business writes it.
