Editorial Guidelines

FAQs

Why isn't "center" capitalized when I'm referring to our organization? 

It's a common instinct — especially for those trained to capitalize all specific nouns — but in professional style guides (AP, Chicago), institutional shorthand is lowercase on second reference. Capitalization is reserved for the full proper name. So: "The Center for Global Health Equity recently launched a new initiative. The center will…"

When should "center" be capitalized? 

Only when it's part of the full name of the organization, or at the start of a sentence. In shorthand references, keep it lowercase (e.g., "the center recently launched…").

Can I use acronyms to shorten long names after the first mention? 

Generally, no. Even when an acronym seems helpful, it can create distance between the reader and the work. Readers outside our organization won't recognize most of our acronyms, and stringing them together makes content harder to scan. When a name is long and repeated frequently, look for a natural shorthand instead: "the center," "the program," "the initiative," "the fund."

Is "health care" one word or two? 

One word, following changes made to the AP style book in April 2026.

How do I handle job titles? 

Titles are lowercase when they follow a person's name (Smith, the director of infection prevention) and uppercase only when they are formal titles appearing before a name. As a general rule, put titles after the name, unless the title is very short, in which case leading with it is fine (U-M President Jane Jones).

Do I need to list all of a person's degrees and credentials after their name? 

No. In most external communications, less is more. Include only the credentials that are relevant to the context. For most mentions, a person's title and affiliation tell readers what they need to know. Listing every degree can actually obscure the most important information by burying it in a string of letters.

Job Titles 

For academic degrees, see Professional Credentials 

A person’s job title is always LOWERCASE when listed after the person’s name (Smith, the director of infection prevention) 

• It is also lowercase in any situation if it is merely a job description and not a formal title (i.e., nurse Jane Jones). 
• It is UPPERCASE only if it is a formal title and listed before a person’s name. When possible, put titles after a person’s name except when they are very short (U-M President Jane Jones) 

Capitalize proper nouns, such as Michigan Medicine (Jane Jones, chief of rheumatology at Michigan Medicine). 

When a faculty member holds a named professorship, give the full or shortened name of the professorship after the faculty member’s name. If using the full Regents-approved name, capitalize all major words; for a shortened name, only the surname associated with the professorship should be capitalized. 

• John Smith, MD, the Robert Brown Professor of Internal Medicine 
• John Smith, MD, who holds the Brown professorship of internal medicine

You can refer to faculty appointments in multiple ways, depending on the situation: 

• James Smith, MD, is an assistant professor of internal medicine in the University of Michigan Medical School, part of Michigan Medicine. (If the University of Michigan has already been mentioned in the text, it could be shortened to U-M here.) 
• James Smith, MD, is an assistant professor and cardiologist at Michigan Medicine. 
• Mary Jones, MD, is lead physician for the skin cancer team at University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center and an associate professor of dermatology in the U-M Medical School, both part of Michigan Medicine.
• James Lopez, PhD, is a biological chemistry professor at the University of Michigan Medical School. 

Other job title examples: 

• James Smith, MD, assistant professor of otolaryngology 
• Preeti Patel, Michigan Medicine’s chief quality officer … 
• Michigan Medicine’s Chief Quality Officer Preeti Patel … 

Acronyms

Spell out the full name of a group, program, product, etc., on first reference. Avoid using acronyms for named centers and programs on external communications. 

If you want to use an acronym that is not in common public use, avoid putting it in parentheses, instead use it shortly after the reference and then use the acronym on all future references. 

• Health Information Technology & Services, known widely as HITS, is rolling out new software. Some well-known organizations or acronyms don’t need to be spelled out on first reference. Among the nationally known ones would be FBI, CIA, CDC, NASA 

Some regulations, acts of Congress and laws are known by acronyms (ADA, ACA), use the full name on first reference. 

You should follow the preference of well-known organizations that no longer use the spelled-out versions of their original names (AARP, JDRF, NAACP) and then describe the organization afterward. 

Medical organizations should be spelled out and can be shortened on second reference: American Heart Association, American Medical Association, etc. 

Certain ailments can be referred to as an acronym on all references: AIDS, HIV. Other medical terms sufficient with an acronym on first reference: DNA, RNA, MRI and CT. 

• It is best practice to give enough information that someone who doesn’t know what a CT scan or MRI is could infer: “Smith had a CT scan of his head, which allowed doctors to look for signs of damage to his brain.” 

If your audience is not likely to encounter the acronym in other settings, use a description rather than an acronym on second reference. 

•  Orphans and vulnerable children (rather than the public health acronym OVC)

Shorthands for the Center for Global Health Equity

Only capitalize “Center” (i.e. Center for Global Health Equity) when you are using the full name in text or capitalize C if it is that the beginning of the sentence. 

• It [after first full mention of the Center for Global Health Equity at the University of Michigan] John Doe, who is also member of the center, went on to explain…. 
• Center member Maria Lopez recognized for work in global health 
• Epidemiologist and member of the center Juan Menendez recently published…. 
• The center, which was established by a landmark gift, …. 

Avoid using the acronym CGHE, especially in content that will be disseminated to people who are not yet familiar with the organization.

Abbreviations for the University of Michigan and its campuses

The University of Michigan should be U-M on all second references, with the exception of second mentions of satellite campuses. 

• U-M (hyphen)
• UM-Ann Arbor (hyphen)
• UM-Dearborn (hyphen) 
• UM-Flint (hyphen) 

Note the use of hyphens in both the long and abbreviated forms. 

• The University of Michigan 
• The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor (hyphen) 
• The University of Michigan-Dearborn (hyphen) 
• The University of Michigan-Flint (hyphen) 

Unless it is the first word in a sentence or part of an official title, ‘the’ should not be capitalized in running text. 

• John attends the University of Michigan.

Date/Time/Location

Dates

If months are used with a specific date, you may abbreviate: January (Jan.), February (Feb.), August (Aug.), September (Sept.), October (Oct.), November (Nov.), December (Dec.). Never abbreviate March, April, May, June, or July. 

• Monday, Nov. 27 
• Tuesday, March 16 

If a month is used by itself or only with a year, always spell it out. 

• January 
• January 2018 
• Jan. 28, 2018 
• April 6, 2018 
• April 2018 

Never use “st” or “th,” etc., at the end of a date 

• Jan. 28th is incorrect 

If the date takes place in this calendar year, no year is necessary. If it takes place in any other year, include the year. 

• Jan. 28 if you’re referring to Jan. 28, 2021 
• Jan. 28, 2022 if referring to next year’s date

Times

Never include minutes if an event is happening on the hour; use minutes in every other scenario. For an event happening at noon, it can be helpful to specify "12 noon"

In external communications, be certain that ET is referenced. 

Internal communication should not refer to the time zone unless it is different from Eastern Time. 

Use lowercase letters with periods and no spaces when referring to a.m. and p.m. When giving a specific time followed by a.m. or p.m. it is not necessary to say “in the morning” or “in the evening”

• 9:15 a.m. 
• 10 p.m. (not 10:00 p.m. or 10:00 PM) 
• Noon 
• Midnight 

Location

Spell out state names when listed with cities. 

International cities need city and country. 

• The research team traveled to La Paz, Bolivia in 2019.

Grammar mechanics

Contractions

Contracting two words together (isn't, aren't, can't) is a more informal style. Avoid excessive use, though dictionary-listed contractions are acceptable in informal contexts or direct quotes.

First-person contractions (I'm, we're, I've) may also appear in letters, op-eds, or other attributed pieces where a personal voice is intentional. This is a style choice.

• Incorrect: Lee said the mRNA vaccines are very powerful and safe. He explains that they're based on a molecule called messenger RNA. 
• Correct: "They're based on a molecule called messenger RNA," he said. 
• Incorrect: Smith said women who are pregnant shouldn't hesitate to contact their provider's office. 
• Correct: Smith said women should not hesitate to contact their provider's office.

Punctuation

There is no Oxford comma in AP style. • The is no comma between “and” and the final item in a list (i.e., Sally likes diversity, equity and inclusion…)

If two words together are modifying a noun, they should be hyphenated. If those same two words do not directly modify a noun, they should not be hyphenated • “She plays a well-known character on The Good Place.” • “Her character on The Good Place is well known.”

Numbers

Spell out every number between one and nine (unless it is used as a percentage, i.e. -9%). Numbers 10 and above should always be referred to with digits.

The ONLY exception is when you begin a sentence with a number. The number needs to be spelled out entirely in that scenario (i.e., “Thirty-seven people read the curriculum story last month.”) 

Percentages are always given as a number and percent sign, except at the start of a sentence. When a range of percentage is given use the percent sign or word after each percentage. 

• In all, 10% of older adults said they do not watch television 
• Forty-seven percent of young adults use Instagram
• Depending on how the question was asked, 17% to 21% of teens said they slept enough. 

Phone numbers should be listed with digits and hyphens, but no parentheses (i.e., “For more information, Jones can be reached at 734-555-1212.”) 

Round large numbers, and numbers ending in decimals, up to the nearest round number for general audiences. 

The AP Style Guide has an extensive entry on numbers; email [email protected] for further guidance.

Words to avoid and some alternatives

Many terms in the global health sector have evolved over time, as they have been critiqued for perpetuating stereotypes, colonial attitudes, or misrepresentations. Here is a list of terms that have been identified as problematic and should be avoided, or carefully explained so as to avoid negative connotations, in center communications. This list is continually evolving. 

Africa Treating Africa as a monolithic entity can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and overlook the complexities of individual nations. Instead, reference specific regions or countries whenever possible.

Afflicted Suggests a lack of agency or that a condition is the only defining factor for an individual or community. Try "impacted by" instead.

Battle / Fight / War (against a disease) While these words convey urgency, they can imply that those who die or don't recover "lost" or didn't "fight" hard enough. Try "significant challenge" or "urgent challenge" instead.

Beneficiaries Implies passive receipt of aid rather than active participation. Try "partners" or "participants" instead.

Developing Countries Overly broad and implies that countries labeled as such are inferior or backward. Try "low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)" or other specific descriptors instead.

Disadvantaged / Underprivileged Can feel paternalistic. Try "low-income," "marginalized," or "persons facing economic challenges" instead. When possible, describe the systemic issues causing inequality rather than labeling people by their hardships.

Endemic Populations In public-facing materials, this can read as defining all people in a population by the disease or challenge they face. Try "regions where [disease] is endemic" instead.

Failed State Dismissive and doesn't recognize a state's potential for recovery or its people's resilience. See guidance on "Developing Countries."

Global North / Global South Rooted in Cold War-era distinctions, this language can reinforce outdated ways of thinking about global affairs. Try "high poverty contexts," "low- or high-income countries," or "low-resourced" instead.

Handouts Trivializes aid and implies a lack of agency on the part of recipients. Try "financial support" or "assistance" instead.

High-Risk Groups Can inadvertently stigmatize certain populations. Use more specific terms instead, such as "men who have sex with men" or "intravenous drug users."

Infested A problematic way to label areas facing challenges (as in "disease-infested" or "crime-infested"). Try "communities experiencing high levels of [challenge]" instead.

Lead / Leader / Leaders / Leaders & Best Leadership language isn't inherently problematic, but we want to avoid elevating our role above that of our collaborators and partners, particularly those from low- and middle-income countries. Try "collaborate," "co-lead," or other language that emphasizes partnership instead.

Native Can be misused to generalize diverse indigenous populations. Try "indigenous" or "local communities" instead. See also: Tribal.

Non-compliant Places blame on the patient for not following medical recommendations and overlooks the complex factors contributing to non-adherence. Instead, describe the specific barriers to treatment, such as transportation, poverty, or community stigma.

Patient Zero Can assign blame or stigma to an individual. Try "index case" (with a plain-language definition) instead.

Poverty-stricken Portrays communities purely through the lens of what they lack. Try "low-income," "high poverty contexts," or "under-resourced" instead.

Research Due to negative connotations and historical abuses associated with this term — particularly in colonial and post-colonial health contexts — use with care. Try "scholarship" instead when appropriate.

Rescue / Save Phrases like "rescuing children from poverty" or "saving Africa" reinforce a savior complex when describing the actions of well-resourced outsiders in challenged communities. See guidance on "Lead."

Slums Considered derogatory and oversimplifying. Try "informal settlements" instead.

Third World Originally a Cold War term, now seen as pejorative and reductionist. Try "low- and middle-income countries" instead.

Tribal Often used to pejoratively or overly simplistically describe diverse indigenous populations. Try "indigenous" or "local communities" instead. See also: Native.

Underdeveloped Countries See guidance on "Third World."

Vulnerable Populations While sometimes accurate, it's better to name the specific groups you mean — for example, "children under five," "people without access to health care," or "people who use intravenous drugs."