...
On the basis of the above, 'chair' when referring to the chair of a meeting.
(UKHSA) Document change history, or Version control
Relatively small changes should go in the change note.
Avoid Version control-type layouts which, with all their names, are a form of vanity publishing.
If necessary to show how guidance has changed over time, consider this layout.
(UKHSA) Chapter
In text, when referring to Chapter 1, 2, 3 etc, use capitals because it's a proper noun (see Chapter 3).
...
- ‘Covid-19’ with only the first letter capitalised
- ‘covid-19’ lower case‘coronavirus’ as ‘COVID-19’ is the specific condition
(UKHSA) Sometimes we use COVID without 19, as in COVID-related.
critical worker
Lower case.
...
Treat as a singular noun: The data is stored on a secure server.
data centre
Not 'datacentre'.
(UKHSA) Tip: Search the document for ‘data are’, ‘data were’, ‘these data’. If you find them, chances are you'll have to check the whole document.
(UKHSA) Database
One word.
data centre
Not 'datacentre'.
data data set
Not 'dataset'.
data store
Not 'datastore'.
Dates
...
Use upper case for months: January, February.
...
Do not use a comma between the month and year: 4 June 2017.
...
When space is an issue - in tables or publication titles, for example - you can use truncated months: Jan, Feb.
...
We use ‘to’ in date ranges - not hyphens, en rules or em dashes. For example:
- tax year 2011 to 2012
- Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm (put different days on a new line, do not separate with a comma)
- 10 November to 21 December
- do not use 'quarter' for dates, use the months: ‘department expenses, Jan to Mar 2013’ when referring to today (as in a news article) include the date: ‘The minister announced today (14 June 2012) that…’
Years
Always convert partial years to full, so 2019/20, should at least be 2019 to 2020.
Ideally, replace / with 'to', but in some places this is impractical and gets too cluttered, as in: 2019/2020 to 2020/2021.
department
...
devolved administrations
Lower case.
director
Lower Like 'chair', lower case in text. Upper case only in titles: Spencer Tracy, Director, GDS.
...
Do not use the terms BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) and BME (black and minority ethnic). These terms emphasise certain ethnic minority groups (Asian and black) and exclude others (mixed, other and white ethnic minority groups).
...
euros, the euro
Lower case, if referring to the currency.
...
(UKHSA) See comprehensive guidance on how to publish accessible spreadsheets.
executive director
Lower Like chair and director, lower case in text. Upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Executive Director, GDS.
...
Upper case.
(UKHSA) Please
Do not use 'please' in instructions.
police
Lower case, even when referring to ‘the police’.
policy statement
Lower case.
PowerPoint
Upper case because PowerPoint is a brand name.
public health
Lower case.
Q
Quarter
GDS says do not use 'quarter' for dates, use the months: ‘department expenses, Jan to Mar 2013’.
(UKHSA) In some of our reports this is impractical and we have to use 'please' in instructions.
police
Lower case, even when referring to ‘the police’.
policy statement
Lower case.
PowerPoint
Upper case because PowerPoint is a brand name.
public health
Lower case.
...
Q1, Q2 and so on. Spell out the word quarter on its first appearance followed by Q, so: in quarter 1 (Q1)...'
Also on its first appearance, try to define what months the quarter refers to: 'in quarter 1 (Q1), January to March...'
Quotes and speech marks
In long passages of speech, open quotes for every new paragraph, but close quotes only at the end of the final paragraph.
...
If a document advises users to do something (lime like wash their hands) regularly, ask the authors to be more specific - how often?
...
(UKHSA) Delete ‘No.’ so that ‘EU Regulation No. 2073/2005’ becomes ‘EU Regulation 2073/2005’.
(UKHSA) Resistant
(UKHSA) Avoid hyphens, even in compound adjectives, unless absolutely necessary. So:
...
multidrug resistant
antibiotic resistant
(UKHSA) ReSST link text
NOT Access the ambulance syndromic surveillance bulletins here.
Write: Ambulance syndromic surveillance bulletins
S
Scientific names
Capitalise the first letter of the first part of the scientific name. Do not use italics.
...
Upper case because Irish Travellers are legally recognised as an ethnic group. New age travellers is lower case.
U
(UKHSA) UK
Never write United Kingdom. Always write just UK.
UK government
Never HM government.
...