Style Guide

D

dash, hyphen

  • See appendix 2, punctuation.

 data, datum

  • Data is singular when it is used as a collective noun that represents a unit. This data is not logical.
  • Data is plural when it refers to individual items: The data are in line with the previous research.
  • Use datum in reference to a single bit of information.

 dates

  • Use the sequence of month, day and then year, placing a comma after the day of the month: School started on September 5, 2005.
  • If the day of the month is not provided, do not use commas: He got the award in December 1998.
  • Days of the week should precede the date and should be followed by a comma: He died on Tuesday, October 10, 2000.
  • Avoid superscript constructions such as January 15 th. Write as January 15.
  • Also see months.

 days of the week

  • Do not abbreviate days of the week in running text.
  • In tabular format where space is limited, abbreviate the days as follows, without periods: Sun, Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri, Sat.

 decades

  • Add the letter ‘s’ with no apostrophe: the 1990s, or use an apostrophe and write as: the ’90s. The important thing is to be consistent.
  • Always precede decades with the word ‘the.’

 degrees

  • See academic degrees.

 degrees with distinction

  • Lowercase cum laude (honors), magna cum laude (high honors), summa cum laude (highest honors). Do not italicize.

 departments

  • See academic departments.
  • See appendix 1 for a list of department names.

 dialogue

  • Not dialog (also dialoguing, dialogued).

 dimensions

  • Use figures and spell out centimeters, meters, inches, feet, yards to indicate height, length and width: 6 centimeters, 1 meter, 4 yards.

 directions

  • Lowercase when referring to a compass direction: Take the highway north.
  • Capitalize when referring to specific regions: the Far East, the North Coast, the Midwest, the Western Hemisphere or names of countries: Northern Ireland, South Korea.
  • Lowercase when directions describe a section of a state or country: western Texas, southern California.

 disk, diskette, disc

  • Use disk to refer to the hard disk on which computer data can be stored. Do not use as an abbreviation for diskette.
  • Diskette means floppy disk and is not interchangeable with disk.
  • Use disc to refer to laserdisc, videodisc.

 distinguished visiting professors

  • Capitalize when preceding a name: Distinguished Visiting Professor Maria Menocaul spoke about the art and architecture of Medieval Spain.
  • Lowercase when it comes after the name: Maria Menocaul, distinguished visiting professor of Spanish and Portugese at Yale University, gave a lecture yesterday.
  • Also lowercase when not associated with a name: He is a distinguished visiting professor of chemistry.
  • Use DVP on second reference.

 doctoral, doctorate, PhD

  • Doctoral is used as an adjective: He is a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He entered the doctoral program last year.
  • Doctorate or PhD is the degree that someone earns: She earned her doctorate after five years of hard work.
  • Capitalize honorary degrees: Doctorate of Science, Doctorate of Humane Letters. See honorary degrees.

 dollar

  • Put the $ sign before the figure, leaving no space: He earns $50 per week. Do not use $ before the amount and the word dollars after it.
  • Spell out as dollars lowercase when no figure is given: I lent her a dollar. His bank account is in dollars.
  • When the figure is in millions, spell out the word million and use numerals up to two decimal places: He won $5.75 million.
  • For specified amounts, the word takes a singular verb: The ransom they requested was $250,000.

 Dr.

  • Use for medical doctors or dentists, not people with doctorate degrees.
  • Capitalize and use before the name:Dr. Magdi Yacoub performed a sensitive heart surgery.

 dorm, dormitory

  • Capitalize Zamalek Dormitory, as it is the official name. Use hostel on second reference.
  • Could also refer to it as the dormitory, the AUC hostel or the Zamalek residence.
  • Avoid dorm (casual reference).

 drop/add

  • Do not capitalize. Separate with a slash, not a hyphen.
  • Do not use add/drop.