Numbers and Symbols
two-thirds not two thirds (same for all fractions)
per cent or % or percentage not percent (% can be used in tables and their sub-headings. Do not mix styles in the same document)
8,000 not 8000
25 million not 25M or 25m
Spell out numbers up to nine, except for percentages, which are always in figures. Spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence.
Fifty per cent of Saint Mary’s students…”
Numbers in the same category should be written in the same way within the same context:
“There were nine students present at the meeting, but on average there are usually twelve or thirteen.”
June 3, 1992 not 3 June, 1992 or June 3rd, 1992
1994-95* not 1994/5
winter not Winter (same for all seasons)
Do not use 1st, 2nd, 3rd but rather first, second and third
Nineteenth-century (noun) nineteenth-century (adjective) not 19th Century or 19th-century
Do not use apostrophes in decades when all numerals are included (e.g., 1990s), but spell out or use an apostrophe before the numeral in decades that have been shortened (e.g., the fifties and sixties or the ‘50s and ‘60s).
*Write dates in full in headings, labels, captions, books/article titles, and figure/table titles:
Suffrage in Canada, 1900-1920
9 a.m. not 9 am
9 a.m. not 9:00 a.m.
9–10:30 a.m. not 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
1 hour 20 minutes not one hour twenty minutes or 1 hour and 20 minutes
Avoid using 12:00 with a.m. or p.m. Indicate midnight or noon.
Times of day in even, half, and quarter hours can be spelled out in text when the time is not meant to be exact
Example:
The meeting will begin at half-past one.
Daylight Savings Time is from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November so during these time frames use ADT.
Standard Time is from the first Sunday in November to the second Sunday in March so during these time frames use AST.
Canada Post standard should be used for postal products including letters. Please refer to their site for common street abbreviations.
If you are inserting an address to a webpage or in a letter, Canadian Press Style should be used:
Line 1 – The addressee: Margaret Murphy
Line 2 – Additional delivery: Vice-President, External Affairs, Saint Mary’s University
Line 3 – Civic Address: 923 Robie St.
Line 4 – Municipality, Province and Postal Code: Halifax NS B3H 3C3
Use hyphens, not brackets, spaces or periods to break up phone numbers. A best practice example is 902-555-1212. Use the international dial code when appropriate. Remember we have an international audience online.
Office, Extension
Cell (cell phone or mobile phone)
Fax
Email
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Twitter: @SMUHalifax