This style guide has been developed to promote consistency in all communications that include technology and reference technology at the university. The guide focuses on IT services, resources, and terminology typically used in communicating about technology. For inclusive IT language, please refer to the bias-free communication guidelines from Microsoft and the inclusive documentation guide from Google.
Acronyms
- Avoid overusing acronyms.
- Acceptable on second and subsequent references; place the acronym in parentheses on the first reference. For example: “IT Solutions (ITS) recently upgraded this service.”
Antivirus
Backup and Back Up
One word as a noun. Two words as a verb.
Computer Labs
Dates and Times
- Dates
- Days of the week: do not abbreviate.
- Months: do not abbreviate when using alone, or when using with a year and no specific date. Abbreviate the following months when used with a specific date: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec.
Examples: Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, September 2017, September 12 (not 12th).
- Times
- Use numerals except for noon (12 p.m.) and midnight (12 a.m.).
- Use a colon to separate hours from minutes: 11:15 a.m., 3:25 p.m.
- Do not use :00 if the time is on the hour: 10 p.m.
D2L Brightspace
Always reference D2L Brightspace on first reference; thereafter, it may be referred to as D2L.
EDUCAUSE
All caps.
eduroam
All lowercase.
Ethernet
Capitalized.
Email
One word, no spaces or dashes.
Episerver
This refers to the legacy web content management system. Episerver is now called Optimizley, use the new name or if needed, refer to it as Optimizley, formerly Episerver.
File Name
Two words.
GB, Gbps, and GBps
No space needed between a number and the abbreviation: 5Gbps.
- GB = gigabyte
- Gbps = gigabits per second
- GBps = gigabytes per second
Help Desk
Refer to this as IT Solutions Center, not Help Desk.
IT Solutions (ITS)
University-wide communications should reference IT Solutions rather than the names of teams or areas of work within ITS.
- Recommended: IT Solutions will be installing new Zoom phones in your building on July 1.
- Not recommended: The ITS networking team will be installing new Zoom phones in your building on July 1.
Internet
Not capitalized unless first word of a sentence.
- Recommended: Connect to the internet.
- Not recommended: Connect to the Internet.
iOS
Jargon
Be attentive to language that has a specific meaning for IT people and an entirely different meaning for non-IT people, such as audit, client, domain, machine, package, tenant, and many others. Additionally, many technical terms, such as endpoints, SSID, and others, are not familiar to a non-technical audience; use other terms or define the terms you’re using, when applicable.
KB, Kbps, and KBps
Knowledge Base
Knowledge Article
LAN
Abbreviation for local area network. LAN is acceptable on the first reference for a technical audience.
Learning Management System (LMS)
Spell out on the first reference.
Links
Link text should describe the information users will view when they click. Avoid using "Click here." Avoid displaying URLs unless there’s an obvious reason to do so.
- Recommended: Having trouble installing Office? Read our tips for installing Microsoft Office for help.
- Not recommended: Click here for tips on how to install Microsoft Office.
- Not recommended: You can learn more about downloading Microsoft Office at URLallspelledouthere.
Login and Log In
Use login as a noun (or sometimes an adjective) and log in as a verb, as in these examples:
- Use your StarID login to sign up for the service.
- The login page was updated to reflect changes in the service.
- Please log in using your StarID.
Logout and Log Out
Use logout as a noun and log out as a verb.
macOS
MB, Mbps, and MBps
MavAPPS
Mav Life
Two words with a space inbetween. Refers to the University mobile app for students.
MavMAIL
One word, MAIL all caps. Refers to the official email and calendar system for the university. When referencing MavMAIL always include a reference to Outlook, MavMAIL (Outlook).
Microsoft 365
On-board and Onboarding
Optimizley
Optimizely is the content management system (CMS) that powers the university website. Optimizely was formerly called Episerver.
Outlook
The official email system/software of the university. Always reference MavMail when referencing Outlook, Outlook (MavMAIL).
Personal Device
Any device brought to campus or being used on a campus network that is not a state-owned device.
Policies vs. Guidelines or Procedures
In general, the word “policy” should be reserved for official MSU policies. Use other terms (guidelines, procedures, protocols) for documents outlining standards, processes, etc.
Proofreading
Use spell check. Ask for others to read your work.
Punctuation
“Commas and periods go inside quotation marks, in the standard American style, despite it being inconsistent with the way things are done in code, and inconsistent with the standard British style,” as noted in the Google Developer Documentation Style Guide.
Qualtrics
ResNet
Role
Avoid using terms such as “student role” in communications for end users, as these terms are not widely understood and may lead to confusion.
- Recommended: In the outage, some students lost access to a variety of IT services due to issues with a student database.
- Not recommended: In the outage, some students lost their student role and were not able to access IT services.
Rollout vs. Roll Out
Use rollout as a noun, roll out as a verb.
Service Portal
Spacing
Leave only one space between sentences.
StarID
One word, ID all caps. Refers to the username for each student and employee used at all the institutions within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
State-Owned Device
Any device purchased with state funds, sometimes referred to as an "asset tagged device", that is not the preferred term.
TDx
Refers to the ticketing application portion of TeamDynamix. Do not refer to TeamDynamix as TDx unless referring to the ticketing system specifically, which is usually only used in internal language/conversations.
TeamDynamix
There is no space between Team and Dynamix; capitalize both the T and D.
University
Do not capitalize unless it is used as part of a formal name.
- Recommended: Before you share data, ask how that action could adversely affect you and/or the university.
- Not recommended: Software is available to members of the University.
Username
Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Wi-Fi
Hyphenate and capitalize both the W and F.