stylemanual

GRC Manual of Style

Introduction

This document serves as a style guide when formulating and writing documents associated with
GRCSchema.org.

This document may be used in whole or in part as the foundation for other style guides, as long as attribution
is given. This guide is wholly derived from the following Authority Documents that serve as the backbone of
most US legislative drafting guidelines:

Indiana General Assembly, Form and Style Manual for Legislative Measures, Sep 23, 1999
US Congress, House Legislative Counsel's Manual on Drafting Style, 104th Congress, 1st Session
Maine State Legislature, Maine Legislative Drafting Manual, 1st Edition

Many of the headlines within this document are derived directly from a Common Control, mapped by the
UCF team, pointing back to the Citations and Mandates found within the documents listed above. Each
headline that has a UCF Common Control ID associated with it will have that Common Control listed after it.
The Common Controls can be found online by changing the “XXX” in the URL that follows to the CC ID
associated with the headline.

https://www.unifiedcompliance.com/products/search-controls/?search-controls=XXXX

If you have any questions about the usage of this document, please feel free to conduct the staff at
[email protected]. We sincerely hope that this document helps foster better writing in your
organization.

Overarching styles
Introduction

The guidance that follows should be applied to any elements within the schema. In later sections, we will
provide individual elements with more specific information. However, these rules should be applied across
all elements unless otherwise specified.

Defining the use of styled text

Headings
Headings identify the content, context, and sections within any given written piece.

General usage

All headings must be both descriptive and concise. If there is only one main idea, use only the first level
heading.

Do not add blank lines above or below headings. Ensure that the text that follows a heading is on the same
page or column as the heading (in other words, do not allow a page break or column break to separate the
heading from the following text).

In general, there should be at least 100 words below a specified level. If you find that you don’t have that
much information, instead use a bold font (described below) in place of the level heading.

Levels

Use a maximum of five levels of headings.

1. The highest, and main level is to be used to designate chapters of books, the main topic of a research
paper, or the main heading of a web page. If only one topic is being presented, use the level heading
once.
Never begin a work with the heading “Introduction” as that heading is superfluous.
2. If the content presents several topics, themes, subsections, or main points of consideration, use level
two when denoting those. If only one topic, theme, or main point is being presented, do not use a level
two heading.
3. -6. These levels represent supporting points to be made. Each incremented level is used as a
supporting header for the level above it.

Formatting of levels

In general, formatting should visually represent subservience of lower level headings to those above them.

Formatting (bold, underline, italic)

In general, bold and italic formatting should be included within the style guide for headings, link formats, and
other named items within a CSS style guide.

Underline

Because most text can be written to leverage hyperlinks, only use underline formatting to denote
hyperlinked text. And only underline the text to be used as the display text for the link. Example:

Click HERE for the style guide.

Bold

Bold should be used very sparingly as a strong emphasis for an idea, such as when you want to use bold
text as a substitute for a heading level.

Bold text should also be used in a serial list when the list presents an idea, term, etc. followed by the
definition or explanation of that text. Example:

Chicago Style – tells you to ignore using bold unless absolutely necessary.

APA Style – doesn’t cover bold at all.

Always bold the header row of tables, as shown below.

This is a header And so is this

This is not a header, it is content. And content should not be bolded in a table.

Otherwise, use italic (see below).

Never use bold formatting in any form of punctuation after a bolded term.

Italic

There are two reasons to use italic formatting: as a stylized reference and for emphasis. And just like
refraining from bolding punctuation, never use italic formatting for any form of punctuation after an italicized
term.

Italics as stylized references

Here are the cases and examples of when to use italics in references.

Case Example

Compliance as Code gives us the schemas, APIs

First use of key terms or phrases, often tools, and methodologies to simultaneously read,
accompanied by a definition interpret, and output compliance requirements in
human and machine-readable formats.

Titles of books, reports, webpages, and other stand- GRCschema Style Guide: A writing guide for
alone works standardization, clarity, precision, and inclusion

Titles of periodicals and periodical volume numbers Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure
(but not the comma between them) Cybersecurity, v1.1, § ID.BE.

English letters used as statistical symbols or

algebraic variables M, SD, t, Cohen’s d
 ranged from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent)

Anchors of a scale (but not the associated number) a Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree to 5 = strongly
agree)

First use of words, phrases, or abbreviations from

another language when readers may not be familiar
Their favorite term of endearment was mon petit
with them; however, if the term appears in a
chou.
dictionary for the language in which you are writing,
do not italicize it

Italics for emphasis

While it is always better to write for emphasis (important words being placed at the beginning or ending of a
sentence instead of the middle, breaking long sentences into several shorter ones), use italics as we just did
– to ensure that a point being made is visually discrete.

When adding emphasis to quoted text, always add “[emphasis added]” after the italicized text in the quote.
Example:

With the Trump presidency, H.L. Mencken's 1920 prediction that one day the White House “will be adorned
by a downright moron [emphasis added]” has now come true.

Capitalization

These are the rules of capitalization. The general rule is pretty simple. Do not use a capital letter unless it is
absolutely required.

Common Conventions
There are certain capitalization conventions that are used throughout this document. Those conventions are
defined here:

Capitalize

When this document states to capitalize something without further definition, we mean that each word in the
string should begin with a capital letter.

Capitalize n words

When capitalize is followed by a further descriptor, this descriptor enunciates which words should be
capitalized and which shouldn’t.

Rule Example
 Capitalize the first word English language

Lowercase the if it precedes a title then capitalize

the Bible
the title

Capitalize dates but lowercase prepositions in

Fourth of July
them

Title Case

Title case is the most common form of title and headline capitalization and is found in all four major title
capitalization styles (Chicago style, APA style, MLA style, and AP style). Title case is also commonly used
for book titles, movie titles, song names, plays, honorifics, etc. In general, the following capitalization rules
apply across the four styles in title case:

Capitalize the first word in the title

Capitalize the last word in the title

Capitalize the important words in the title

Important words in that last bullet generally refer to:

Adjectives (tiny, large, etc.)

Adverbs (quietly, smoothly, etc.)
Nouns (tablet, kitchen, book)

Pronouns (they, she, he)

Subordinating conjunctions (when fewer than 5 letters)

Verbs (write, type, create)

While the above words are generally capitalized in titles regardless of style, there are some words that are
generally not capitalized when using title case.

Articles (a, an, the)

Coordinating Conjunctions (and, but, for)
Short (fewer than 4 letters)

Prepositions (at, by, to, etc.)

Sentence case

The other major type of title capitalization standard is sentence case. Sentence case simply means you
capitalize the first letter of a sentence, proper nouns, and nothing else as opposed to capitalizing almost
every first letter in title case. It is the same across all four styles.
When to Capitalize

Here are the rules for when to capitalize terms.

Capitalize the first word in a sentence. CC_ID 06165

The first word in a sentence and the first word in tabulated items in the listing style.

Capitalize geographic names. CC_ID 06166

Examples:

Ohio River

Marion County
Hoosier National Forest

Capitalize the months and the weekdays. CC_ID 06167

Examples:

January
February

Monday
Tuesday

Capitalize street names, road names, park names, and building names. CC_ID 06168

Examples:

the White House

U.S. Route 50
Garfield Park

Capitalize the names of nationalities and languages. CC_ID 06169

Examples:

Spanish-speaking people
English language

Capitalize political parties and religious denominations. CC_ID 06170

Examples:
 the Democratic party
the Republican party

the Methodist church

Capitalize an organization's name and institution's name. CC_ID 06171

Examples:

Associated Press

Indiana University

Indiana State Medical Association

Capitalize the names of any federal entity and international entity. CC_ID 06172

Always use the correct name of an entity, and do not use acronyms as abbreviations. Examples:

United States Department of the Interior

United States House of Representatives

United States Senate

Federal Bureau of Investigation
World Bank

United Nations

Capitalize titles of specific acts, laws, and other official document titles. CC_ID 06173

Examples:

Equal Rights Amendment

Internal Revenue Code; Social Security Act
the Constitution of the United States

the Constitution of the State of Indiana

Rules of Trial Procedure

Capitalize titles of honor and respect, if they precede the person's name. CC_ID 06174

Examples:

Governor Frank O'Bannon

State Senator Robert D. Garton
State Representative John Gregg
Senator Richard Lugar (but, senator of Indiana)

Queen Elizabeth (but, queen of England)

Capitalize titles of honor at the state level and national level, if a proper name is not used. CC_ID
06186

Capitalize “President” when referring to the President of a nation regardless of whether the name is
included. Capitalize both words of “Vice-President” when referring to the Vice-President of a nation.

Capitalize holidays, religious days, and historic events. CC_ID 06175

Examples:

Fourth of July

Thanksgiving Day

Passover

Capitalize book titles, magazine names, newspaper names, and periodical names. CC_ID 06176

Examples:

the Indianapolis Star

the Indiana Register

Capitalize the second word of hyphenated titles. CC_ID 06177

Example:

Community-Board

When to use Lowercase

Here are the rules when not to capitalize terms.

Use lowercase for directional parts of states and directional parts of counties. CC_ID 06178

Examples:

northern Indiana
central Tippecanoe County

midwestern states

Use lowercase for general designations of buildings. CC_ID 06179

Examples:
 library in Fort Wayne (but, the Fort Wayne Library)

the county courthouse

the Indianapolis post offices

Use lowercase for the words government or federal. CC_ID 06180

This applies except when “federal” is a part of the name of the agency or statute). However, use “United
States” instead of “federal” when referring to a specific entity that does not have “federal” in the name.
Always use the correct name of an agency. Examples:

United States government;

federal agencies (but, Federal Bureau of Investigation)

Use lowercase for the name of any legislative body, judiciary body, administrative body or
government department unless specifically instructed to capitalize them. CC_ID 06181

This applies unless the name refers to a federal body, department, etc. Examples:

Indiana general assembly;

Indiana senate;
department of state revenue;

Congress of the United States;

Supreme Court of the United States

Use lowercase for official titles of state, official titles of county, or official titles of municipal officers,
commissions, committees, or official titles of funds unless specifically instructed to capitalize them.
CC_ID 06182

Examples:

clerk of the circuit court;

board of county commissioners;
public employees' retirement fund;
commission on the aging and aged;

legislative services agency;

state general fund

Use lowercase for substitutes for official titles if a person's name is not used. CC_ID 06183

Examples:

the governor;
 the commissioner;
the speaker of the house

Use lowercase for references to laws on a particular subject. CC_ID 06184

Examples:

motor vehicle laws;

federal election laws;

federal tax laws (but, Internal Revenue Code)

Use lowercase for season names. CC_ID 06185

Examples:

spring;
summer session

Use lowercase for email addresses and URLs

RFC 2822 specifies that all email addresses and URLs are case sensitive. Therefore, always use
lowercase for both email addresses and URLs.

Examples:

[email protected]
www.snortblat.com

Use lowercase following a defined term in a list

Examples:

Chicago Style – tells you to ignore using bold unless absolutely necessary.

APA Style – doesn’t cover bold at all.

Sentence Structure

Use simple sentences. CC_ID 06099

Use short, simple sentences. A simple sentence is easier to understand than a complex or compound
sentence. Avoid the use of dependent clauses, parallel clauses, compound sentences, and other complex
sentence structures. This is because each of these complex sentence structures potentially denotes multiple
controls within the guidance (and should be considered as a signal for such).
Break up complex sentences and compound sentences. CC_ID 06100

If the meaning of a complex sentence can be precisely stated in two or more simple sentences, use simple
sentences. Most complex and compound sentences should be broken into 2 or more sentences.

Define the use of the sentence action in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06157

The action directs the subject to act in a particular manner, describing the particular act permitted, required,
limited or prohibited. The verb directs, limits or permits action or inaction. Often, the greatest problem for the
drafter is selecting the proper verb form.

Sometimes the activity is a single verb, such as when “establish” is used alone. Sometimes two action
words, such as “establish” and “maintain”, have to be used together; this happens when the control can be
effective only if both actions are taken. Example:

Establish personal data information collection limitation boundaries. Establish and maintain clear zones
around any secured facilities.

Define the use of the sentence subject in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06132

The subject identifies the person required or permitted to do something or prohibited from doing something.
The description of the subject determines the person to whom the control will apply and should, therefore,
be precise. Unless it is clear from the context, use as the subject of each sentence the person or entity to
whom a power, right, or privilege is granted or upon whom a duty, obligation, or prohibition is imposed.

Define the limitations on the application of a control in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID
06133

If there is a limitation on a control’s application, it should be expressed as either the “case” to which the
action is confined or as a “condition” upon which it will operate. Limitations or exceptions to the coverage of
the control or conditions placed on its application should be described in the first part of the measure -- i.e. at
the beginning of the title, article, chapter, section, or non-code provision.

Define the use of prohibited language in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06152

Use positive language whenever possible to express ideas. Compliance and governance documents,
however, are frequently prohibitive or restrictive in nature. Use care in wording these sections.

Do not use “shall not”. Use “may not” to prohibit an action. “May not” is broader than “shall not”, because
“may not” negates the authority to perform an action and prohibits the action itself. Correlative expressions to
“shall not” and “may not” are “no person shall” and “no person may”. A void “no person may” and never use
“no person shall”. Literally, “no person shall” means “no person has a duty to”. If a prohibition is intended, put
the prohibition in the verb (rather than in the subject).

Correct Incorrect

A person may not submit an application after… No person may submit an application after…
Define the use of case limitations or event limitations in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06134

The case sets out the facts that confine the controls scope or application. Normally, stating the case at the
beginning of a sentence immediately notifies the reader of the rule's limited application. However, the target
audience for controls needs to be able to quickly identify the actions of the controls. So, the sentence
structure must allow a more specific control to be subjugated to a more general control, that is, tell them what
to do and then throw in the condition that applies. Many of the case limitations will be based upon triggering
events happening, as in the examples shown below.

Action Case

Document erroneous messages when spam is sent accidentally.

Update all associated documentation when a change occurs.

Use “when” to introduce a case, not “in cases where”, “in the event”, or “where”.

Define the use of condition limitations in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06135

Until fulfilled, a condition suspends the operation of a rule and can apply to a rule of general application or to
one restricted to certain cases. Place the condition after the action.

Action Condition

if it does not contain a functioning return e-mail

Do not send commercial e-mail to a third party
address that is clearly visible.

When adding a conditional limitation where a case also exists, the condition must be placed after both the
action and the case.

Action Case Condition

Waive parental consent for

when responding to additional if the contact does not go
collecting information from
requests beyond the scope of the reques
children

Never use the future tense of a verb to state a condition.

When the legal action is stated affirmatively, introduce a condition with if” or “until.”.

Define the use of exceptions limitations in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06136

Generally, an exception is used to exempt from the application of a law some matter that otherwise would be
within its scope. Exceptions should not be drafted in the form of a case or condition, because this will lead to
a complicated and unintelligible document. Do not use the phrase “provided that”. You can accomplish the
same thing with greater clarity by using “if”, “except”, or a new sentence or clause.
 Action Condition
Scan the system to verify modems are disabled or
except for ones that have been explicitly approved
removed

Use the present tense in sentences. CC_ID 06101

Example (Control): Establish and maintain an instant messaging standard for acceptable usage, if instant
messaging is allowed. (versus using “will be” allowed)

However, when it is necessary to express a time relationship (such as when there is a condition precedent
to the operation of the control), state the facts that are concurrent with the operation of the control as present
facts and the facts precedent to its operation as past facts. Example (Citation):

Once the organization has been alerted to the event, the organization will…

When the future tense is appropriate, use the verb “will”. Example (Citation):

The organization will test its continuity plan every…

Language and Voice

Use brevity of language. CC_ID 06137

Brief, concise drafting usually leads to clear, understandable language. Clarity should not, how-ever, be
sacrificed for the sake of brevity. Generally, short words are preferable to long words. Omit unnecessary
words. If a word has the same meaning as a phrase, use the word. Use the shortest sentence that conveys
the intended meaning.

Define the use of voice in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06141

Use the active voice whenever possible. However, in rare instances, the passive voice may be used, such
as when the subject of the sentence is the focus of some action to be implicitly taken by another person or
organization. Example: Establish and maintain a policy regarding management of third party services.

Standardize Word Usage

Standardize word usage. CC_ID 06104

Do be consistent in the use of language throughout compliance and governance documents. Do not use the
same word or phrase to convey different meanings. Do not use different language to convey the same
meaning. Be consistent in the arrangement of comparable provisions.

If you have found the right word, don't be afraid to use it again and again. In other words, don't show your
pedantry by an ostentatious parade of synonyms. Although the generous use of synonyms is fundamental to
most types of writing, it is particularly ill-suited for drafting legislation. When a word is used more than once
in a suite of mandates, a presumption arises that the word or phrase has the same meaning throughout,
unless a contrary intent is clear
If you are unsure of the meaning of a term or phrase, turn to the Compliance Dictionary for appropriate
definitions.

Do be consistent in the arrangement of comparable provisions in other controls. Do arrange sections

containing similar material in the same way.

Don't sway from these rules.

Define the use of abbreviations in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06138

Avoid all abbreviations except for “i.e.”, “e.g.”, and “etc.” in citation guidance. When writing controls, never
use abbreviations. When referencing a specific Authority Document, do the following:

Article

Shorten the word “Article” to “Art” with no period at the end. If you refer to any section(s) within that article,
place them immediately after the initial citation (e.g., Art 12, Art 12.2(a), Art 12.2.1).

Schedule

Shorten the word “Schedule” to “Sched” with no period at the end. If you refer to any sections within that
schedule, place them immediately after the initial reference (e.g., Sched 1, Sched 1(a), Sched 1.2.1).

Chapter

Shorten the word “Chapter” to “Ch” with no period at the end. If the citation is referring to a section within the
chapter, then place the section symbol after the “Ch” and before the section in the chapter (e.g., Ch 12 § 5.6).

Appendix

Shorten the word “Appendix” to “App” with no section symbol (§) (e.g., App 2). If the citation is referring to a
section within the Appendix, then place the section symbol after the “App” and before the section in the
appendix (e.g., App A § 5.6).

Attachment

The word “Attachment” should be shortened to “Attach” with no section symbol (§) (e.g., Attach 2). If the
citation is referring to a section within the Attachment, then the section symbol should come after “Attach”
and before the section in the attachment (e.g., Attach A § 5.6).

Page

When used in a citation reference within the UCF Citation field, shorten the word “Page” to “Pg” with no
period at the end.
Section

When used in a citation reference, replace the word “Section” with the section symbol (§).

Paragraph

When used in a citation reference, replace the word “Paragraph” with the paragraph symbol (¶).

Define the use of acronyms in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06139

Do not use acronyms within control titles. When citing an Authority Document and providing a paraphrased
text reference to it, if the Authority Document uses an acronym, ensure that you cross-reference that usage of
the acronym within the UCF's Dictionary and update the Dictionary first, as necessary. Then, include within
the citation the Dictionary reference followed by the acronym, which you should place within parentheses.
Example:

Another Damned Acronym (ADA)

Use action words. CC_ID 06103

Seek out words that suggest action. For this, verbs are usually better than nouns and adjectives.

Select words carefully. CC_ID 06102

Choose words carefully. To find that word, use the dictionary and bounce words and drafts off any member of
the office who will listen. What a word means to you may not be what it means to the next person.

Define the use of keywords in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06159

All ready, already

“Already” denotes something that happened in the past, while “all ready” denotes that all of something is
ready. “When you pick up the backup tapes, the form must already be filled out before the tapes are all ready
to go off-site.”

All together, altogether

“Altogether” denotes something is whole or complete, while “all together” means something will happen
simultaneously. “Once you have the tape boxes altogether, they should be taken off-site all together.”

Alter, altar

Because a person worships at an “altar”, and that isn't something most IT people write about, you should
know that when you “alter” something you are changing it. “Don't alter the forms once I've signed them.”
And, or

“And”, in this context, of course, means together with, in addition to. “Or” is a little trickier. An ambiguity
occurs with “or” where it is not clear whether the inclusive “or” (A or B, or both) or the exclusive “or” (A or B,
but not both) is intended. To avoid this ambiguity, write the following, as appropriate:

“A or B, or both” where the inclusive is intended or where jointly or severally is intended.

“A or B” where the exclusive is intended.

Assure, ensure, insure

People often get the meaning of these transitive verbs confused, so we'll make it crystal clear here. If you
want to make certain of something then you are going to “ensure” it. If you worry about your business going
Kablooey! in a disaster, you might want to “insure” it against loss. “Assure” distinctively implies the removal
of suspense and doubt, as in to re-assure a frightened boss when the basement floods and your servers are
swimming in it and a bit of overflow from the sewer system. (True story.)

Besides, beside

The difference between something being on the side of (i.e., next to) and something “in addition” is found
within the added s in the two words – the addition of the s makes the word mean in addition. “Besides the
tape container, please take the spare cables, which are beside the backup server.”

Biannual, biennial

“Biannual” means twice a year. “Biennial” means once every two years. It's that simple.

Dual, duel

Because you don't want to cause a fight, ensure that you are talking about two of something by using “dual”.
“If you don't want to duel with the pickup driver, make sure that you have dual copies of the off-site forms
ready.”

Everyday, every day

If you want to talk about something being routine, then you will use “everyday”, because “every day” means
every single day, including weekends.

“Your procedure review process should become an everyday item in your mind, so that you practice it every
day at work.”

Fewer, less

Pair “less” with mass nouns, such as clutter, and “fewer” with nouns you can count, like pencils. “I'd have
less clutter on my desk, if I had fewer pens all over it.”

Good, well
When talking about high quality or a measure of correctness you must use “well”, because “good” is an
adjective and not an adverb “If the policies are written well the auditor's report will be good ”

In, into

When you are going from the outside into the inside the correct word is “into”, because “in” means something
is within something else. “Put the tapes into the box, which is in the library.”

Including, including but not limited to, including without limitation

If your list of items is a part of whatever is being considered, the list is “including” the items that follow. If your
list of items is an incomplete set of examples, or something may have been left out, the list is “including, but
not limited to” the items that follow. (However, since ''includes'' and its derivatives are not exhaustive,
following it with '', but is not limited to,'' is redundant and invites misinterpretations elsewhere, unless used
consistently.) If your list is complete, but each item in the list is to be read as expansively as possible, you
are “including without limitation” (a concept that is not often found in policy writing). “There are many
consequences to poor policy writing, including, but not limited to, compliance deficiencies, fines, and loss of
employment (yours!).”

Irregardless

Just don't go there. The proper word is “regardless”. “Regardless of what anyone tells you, 'irregardless' is
considered a non-standard or erroneous word.”

Loose, lose

Not being able to find something has nothing to do with it not being tight, which is what “loose” means. “You
will lose your job writing policies, if your grammar continues to be loose.” (It's all about coherence,
remember?)

Organization, not company

Never write about companies, always about organizations. Companies do not include hospitals, religious
organizations, or the government. Therefore, always refrain from mentioning an organization as a company
unless you are specifically naming a known company.

Principal, principle

If you're talking about the primary or most important thing, then “principal” is your adjective (and it needs a
noun to modify). On the other hand, if you're referring to your organization's tenants, beliefs, or code of
conduct, you're talking about “principles”. To round it out, “principal” the noun means that scary person
whose office you avoided in grade school or the amount you owe on your mortgage before interest. “Being
the principal policy writer for your organization makes you responsible for articulating the principles for
behavior and compliance.”

Real, really, very

If you are talking about something in reality or that exists, then “really” is your word. If you want to denote that
something is true or actual, you should pick “real” as your word. However, most of the time you probably
mean “very”, because it means “exceedingly”. “I'm very glad you finished the documentation, because now
our plan is real, and we are really ready.”

Set, sit

People and animals can “sit”, but objects, such as backup tapes, cannot, so when you want to talk about
placing something, putting something, the act of setting something, or determining something you'll want to
use “set”. “Set the alarm code on the door and set your coffee on the table, before you sit down at your desk.”

Such, said

Use the articles “a”, “an”, and “the” instead of the words “such” or “said”. (Do not write, “said setting was…” or
“such papers are…” It is appropriate to use “such as” to express an example. Example:

The commission may take steps to provide compliance, such as ordering the applicant to submit a verified
statement.

Do not use “any”, “each”, “every”, “all”, or “some”, if “a”, “an”, or “the” can be used with the same result.

Than, then

If you are comparing something, the correct word is “than”, because “then” means next or at that time.
“Because tape is less expensive than are disks, we will use tape. When the price falls, then we will switch to
disks.”

That, which, who

Place a comma before “which” and use it to introduce a nonrestrictive clause. A nonrestrictive clause is a
clause that is not needed to clarify the meaning of the word that it modifies. Example:

The application, which need not be verified, must be signed by the applicant.

Use “that” to introduce a restrictive clause modifying the nearest antecedent. A restrictive clause is a clause
that is needed to make clear the meaning of the word that it modifies. Example:

An application to renew a license that has been revoked must be signed by the applicant.

Use “who” to refer to people.

Example:

The security administrator, who wrote the procedures that we must follow, determines the anti-virus software
that we must use.”

Try and, try to

None of us “try and” do anything; however we all “try to” do most things. In other words, just don't combine
“try and” in your writing at all. “Please try to find all backup tapes going off site. If you do not have a total of
six, the night shift operator will help you try to find six, and you should keep looking.”

You're, your
You're most often going to see this mistake as the result of poor proofreading of your document.

Establish and maintain a list of complex terms to be simplified. CC_ID 06163

Complex term Simplified Term

at the place where

at the same time when

at the time when

attempt (as a verb) try

cause it to be done have it done

cease stop

commence, institute start, begin

conceal hide

consequence result

constitute and appoint appoint

contiguous to next to

do and perform do

does not operate to does not

donate give

during such time as while

during the course of during

endeavor (as a verb) try

enter into a contract with to contract with

evidence, documentary and otherwise evidence

Avoid utraquistic subterfuges. CC_ID 06105

Do not use the same word in 2 different ways in the same draft. Think of it this way: If your divorce papers
say that your ex must forfeit funds you generously set aside for her in your divorce and that they must
immediately go to the children if she remarries, and your divorce attorney didn't define the word “remarry” in
your settlement papers to mean to marry someone else, your kids may have to support you if you decided to
remarry your ex.
Define the terms being used. CC_ID 06106

Within compliance and governance documents, provide direct Dictionary references to all specific or
technical words, or provide a link to the organization's Dictionary and acronyms list.

Define a new word if no existing word works. CC_ID 06107

If there is no right word, or if the available words carry with them too much baggage, invent a word or term
and define it. So far there are two terms that the Unified Compliance Framework team has defined that did
not exist previously:

Authority Documents is the term the UCF team gives the collection of bills, laws, regulations, safe harbors,
best practice guidelines, audit guides, etc., that get mapped for reasons of compliance.

Compliance Documents is the term the UCF team gives the collection of organizational policies, standards,
procedures, checklists, etc., that need to be established and maintained.

Define the use of singular versus plural in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06142

When writing of compliance documents, such as policies and procedures, if the control is specifically about
a single type of record, specific organization, or single document, then use the single version of the word.
When writing about a class of things (policies, procedures, requirements, services), then use the plural.
Examples:

Ensure an independent third party retains documentation in escrow.

Ensure third-party providers have established personnel security requirements.

Define the use of command language and mood language in the sentence structure guidelines.
CC_ID 06140

There is a lot of banter about the various meanings of modal verbs. Modal verbs are special verbs that
behave differently from normal verbs in that they inflect conditions upon which an action is to take place.

First, let's make it clear that modal verbs should never be used in controls.

Now, the word “will” is the first of the modal verbs we are tackling herein. “Will” inflects the future intent of an
act happening. Only use the word “will” when speaking of the future intent of a person or organization to do
something. Otherwise, rewrite the sentence to describe the action taking place. Examples:

The organization will collect Form A beginning two weeks from now. (future)
The organization collects Form A as a part of input processing. (present)

The word “will” is never to be used as a compliance or governance directive, because its inflective intent is
not to convey authority or duty to act. Replace it with must, shall, or should, as appropriate.

The word “can” is only to be used when speaking of the ability to do something. It is not to be confused with
“may”, “should”, or “shall”. Example:
 Define different ways a data subjects can give their consent. (the ability)
Define different ways a data subjects may give their consent. (the option)

As a general rule of thumb, use the following command language structures:

To create a condition precedent, use “must”.

To create a duty, use “shall”.

To create a right, use “is entitled to”.

To create discretionary authority, use “may”.

To create a non-mandatory suggestion, best practice, or audit guideline, use “should”.
To negate a duty or a condition precedent, use “is not required to”.

To create a duty not to act, use “shall not”.

To negate a right, use “is not entitled to”.

To negate discretionary authority, use “may not”.
To create a non-mandatory suggestion, best practice, or audit guideline not to act, use “should not”.

To create discretionary authority, use “may”.

To create a non-mandatory suggestion, best practice, or audit guideline, use “should”.

To negate discretionary authority, use “may not”.

To create a non-mandatory suggestion, best practice, or audit guideline not to act, use “should not”.

Define the use of judgment in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06156

Use ''considers'' rather than ''deems'' to indicate an exercise of judgment. Use ''shall treat'' or ''is deemed'' for
legal fictions.

Avoid the usage of gender-related words in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06188

To the extent possible, avoid words importing gender.

Define Number Formatting

In general, write out the numbers one through nine and use figures for 10 and above. Integers, dollar
amounts, percentages, and fractions (except dates, times, and numbers within the text of congressional bill
digests or resolutions) should be expressed in words followed by figures in parentheses.

Define the use of the word one in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06121

When “one” is used as a pronoun, it should not be followed by a numeral in parentheses. Example:
 He was the only one to attend the meeting.

However, when “one” is used as a number, it should be followed by a numeral in parentheses. Example:

The precinct shall nominate one (1) delegate.

Define the styles for numbers expressed in words in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06117

Use Arabic numbers instead of words to express cardinal numbers. However, if words are to be used, then
follow the word-expressed number with the cardinal number in parentheses. Examples:

twenty-four (24)

one hundred ten (110)

eight hundred ninety-eight (898)

one thousand six hundred fifty (1,650)
eighty-four thousand (84,000)

Numbers may be expressed in figures, if their length would prohibit expressing them in both words and
figures, especially in tables. Examples:

County government share ..................... $15

State government share ..........................$34

Define the styles for ordinals in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06120

Always use Arabic numbers followed by the appropriate letters (versus spelling out “first”, “second”, “third”,
etc.). You may italicize or superscript the letters following the Arabic numbers. Examples:

1st
2nd
3rd

180th

Define the styles for fractions in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06118

Percentages are preferred to fractions whenever practicable.

Correct Incorrect

fifty percent (50%) one-half (1/2)

seventy-five percent (75%) three-fourths (3/4)

Compound fractions should be expressed as follows:

 three and one-half (3 1/2)
four and three-eighths (4 3/8)

Define the styles for percentages in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06119

Decimals are preferred (over fractions) in the form of percentages whenever practicable. Examples:

one-tenth of one percent (0.1%)

sixty-two and one-half percent (62.5%)

Define the styles for dates in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06122

Use figures for the number of years, except within quotations: 2 years or “It took him two years.”

When a date includes month, day, and year, the year is set off by commas, but when the date includes only
the month and year, no comma is used. Examples:

June 30; October 30, 1978, and the sentence continues…

June 1984; April, May, and June 1985

Define the styles for time in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06123

Generally, time should be expressed in figures. Avoid using terms such as “local time” and “prevailing local
time”, and avoid referring to time zones, because compliance and governance content is not location
specific. It is not necessary to use “midnight” as the expiration time for a term or license, because these will
automatically expire at midnight, unless some other time is indicated. Examples:

6 a.m.; 4:30 p.m.

midnight (NOT 12:00 midnight)
noon (NOT 12:00 noon)

When referring to an activity required or permitted during a period after or before some stated event, use the
word “not later than” in combination with “after” or “no earlier than” in combination with “before” instead of
“within”.

Correct Incorrect

Not later than 30 days after X event Within 30 days of X event

No earlier than 30 days before X event ​

The “within” creates uncertainty about whether the activity is to precede or follow X event, or both.

Define the styles for date and datetime fields.

Within the various database structures, both date fields and datetime fields are necessary. All fields that are
associated with the database must be added in Universal Time Code (UTC) format following ISO 8601
guidance, according to W3C guidelines found HERE.

Date fields are formatted as

Format Entry

YYYY-MM-DD 1961-10-20

and

Datetime fields are formatted as

Format Entry

YYYY-MM-DD hh:mm:ss 1961-10-20 05:47:32

Where

Designator Content

YYYY four-digit year

MM two-digit month (01=January, etc.)

DD two-digit day of month (01 through 31)

two digits of hour (00 through 23) (am/pm NOT

hh
allowed)

mm two digits of minute (00 through 59)

ss two digits of second (00 through 59)

Define the styles for telephone number fields.

All telephone number fields will follow international ITU-T E.164 international phone number formatting of [+]
[country code] [area code] [local phone number]. Where:

+ - plus sign

country code - international country code

area code/national destination code - code without leading 0

phone number - local phone number

Examples:

Country Local phone number E.164 formatted number

 USA 415 123 1234 +14151231234

UK 020 1234 1234 +442012341234

Lithuania 8 601 12345 +37060112345

Define the styles for temperatures in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06124

Temperatures are expressed in words followed by figures in parentheses and then the measurement scale
being used (Fahrenheit or Celsius). Examples:

one hundred sixty (160) degrees Fahrenheit

ninety (90) degrees Celsius

Define the styles for money in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06125

Monetary amounts should be expressed as written words followed by a local currency sign and figures in
parentheses. Dollar amounts that are whole do not need decimal points followed by zeroes. Examples:

one dollar ($1)

ninety-seven dollars ($97)
two hundred dollars ($200)

three thousand five hundred dollars ($3,500)

When expressing dollars and cents, use the word “and” and a decimal point to separate dollars and cents.
Examples:

eighty-five cents ($0.85)

five hundred twenty-five dollars and fifty cents ($525.50)
six hundred seventy-five thousand nine hundred eighty-two dollars and eleven cents ($675,982.11)

Define the styles for age in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06126

Use “at least,” “less than,” and “years of age” when referring to age. Examples:

An applicant must be at least fifteen (15) years of age but less than eighteen (18) years of age.
A person who is at least sixty-five (65) years of age is entitled to a pension.

Define the styles for fiscal year in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06127

When referring to the state fiscal year, use “beginning July 1” and “ending June 30”. Example:

The appropriation covers the state fiscal year beginning July 1, 2000, and ending June 30, 2001.
Define Tabulation Formatting

Define tabulation formatting and tabulation usage in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06128

The purpose of tabulation is to break down the elements of a sentence into readily identifiable components
as an aid to understanding. Break a sentence into its parts and present them in tabular form, only if this
makes the meaning substantially clearer. Note that if the tabulation includes multiple control activities, these
should never be included in the same citation. Instead, break the reference into multiple citations, because
multiple activities indicate multiple controls. There are two basic types of tabulation: listing and sentence
tabulations. It is important to remember, however, that no matter which style is used, the introductory
language preceding the tabulated material must apply to all of the elements because those elements are a
part of the whole thought. Often, it is possible to use either style of tabulation. Use the style that works best
within the context.

Define a list tabulation style in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06129

The first style of tabulation is known as a listing. As the name implies, each element is listed after the
introductory clause and begins with a capital letter and ends with a period. When a listing is used, the
introductory language must include the words “as follows” or “the following”, followed by a colon. Example:

The application must include the following information:

The applicant's name.

The name of the sponsoring agency.

The name of the city in which the event is to take place.

Each listed element can have sub-elements, but each element must end with a period, even if it has
sub-elements.

Define a sentence tabulation style in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06130

The second style of tabulation is known as sentence style. This style is best envisioned by thinking of a
sentence with a series of elements, where each element has some type of designation before it, such as
numbers, and where the commas are replaced with semicolons. Use the following sentence as an example:
“To be entitled to vote, a person must be (1) a resident of Indiana, (2) at least eighteen (18) years of age, and
(3) registered with the county election board.” When this sentence is tabulated as follows, it is easier for the
reader to quickly identify the three qualifying elements. Example:

To be entitled to vote, a person must be:

1. a resident of state;
2. at least eighteen (18) years of age; and
3. registered with the county election board.

Note that the conjunction always follows the next to last element in the tabulation and that the only
permissible conjunctions are “and” or “or”. The conjunction, however, applies to each element in the
tabulation and not only to the last two elements. Do not use “and/or”. When there is a situation in which more
than one but not all of the elements are required, convey this in the lead-in sentence. For example, “The
person must show three of five of the following proofs of personal identification:”.

Define Punctuation Usage

Define the use of Quotation Marks and Apostrophes

Define the use of quotation marks in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06145

Use quotation marks in writing compliance and governance documents to show the reader the exact words
used by a person, found in documentation, or found in a dialog box. This is called a direct quotation. You
can convey the same meaning without the use of the quotation marks by paraphrasing the original
statement.

Direct: The warning label states, "Do not handle without gloves."

Indirect: You must wear gloves, if the warning label states not to handle without them.

Guideline 1

When using quotation marks, always put the closing quotation mark at the very end of what you are quoting,
not at the end of every sentence or paragraph you are quoting.

Guideline 2

You should put quotation marks around all jargon or other expressions your readers normally don't use. Do
not put quotation marks around all technical terms; instead, add them to your dictionary or terms list.

Guideline 3

When inserting quoted material, any punctuation that is to be included at the end of (and as a part of) the
quoted material should appear within the quotes. Any punctuation after the quoted material that is a part of
the amending sentence (and not a part of the quoted material itself) should appear after the closing
quotation marks.

Optional exception

If the quoted material ends with a period (and the amending sentence goes no further), it is correct either to
place another period after the closing quotation marks as the final punctuation mark of the amending
sentence or to let the period within the quotes serve as the final period of the amending sentence, as well.

Define the use of apostrophes in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06146
Apostrophes are not used to indicate the plural. They are used in contractions, and they are used to indicate
possession.

Contractions

You may use contractions within Controls. A contraction indicates that a letter has been omitted from a word.
The contraction "doesn't" stands for "does not". The contraction "won't" stands for "will not". Some common
contractions are as follows:

Contraction Term

can't cannot

he's he is

isn't is not

she'll she will

you've you have

Possession

Possession means that one thing belongs to another. For instance, the CIO's beer bottle denotes that the
beer bottle in the sentence belongs to the CIO. There are three guidelines to help you place this apostrophe.

Guideline 1

For singular nouns, the possession should be written as 's. "The administrator's logbook." Follow this rule,
even if the singular noun already ends in an s. "Fred Jones's logbook."

Guideline 2

For plural nouns that end in s, the apostrophe should be added as the last character. "The administrators'
logbooks."

Guideline 3

For collective nouns and plural words that do not end in s, the possession should be written as 's. "The IT
staff's logbooks."

Define the use of Colons, Semicolons, and Commas

Define the use of colons and semicolons in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06147

Use a colon to introduce a series. Begin each series with a capital letter. Example:

The organization should implement the 10 Generally Accepted Privacy Principles:

 1. The organization is accountable for its privacy policy and procedures;

2. The organization provides a privacy policy that identifies the personal information that is collected and
discloses how it is used; and

3. The organization obtains consent for collecting and using the personal information.

Use a colon if it is part of the name of an item, asset, record, etc. Example:

Configure the "DCOM: Machine Access Restrictions in Security Descriptor Definition Language
(SDDL)" setting.

Use semicolons for sentence style tabulations.

You also may use semicolons when they are a named part of something. Example:

Configure the "Automatic Query Refresh (Prompt for all workbooks | Do not prompt; do not allow auto
refresh | Do not prompt; allow auto refresh)" setting properly.

Define the use of commas in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06149

If a sentence consists of two independent clauses, each with subject and predicate, use a comma before the
conjunction. Example:

The commission shall submit a report, and the governor shall review the report.

If a sentence has a compound predicate, a comma is unnecessary, unless it's required for clarity. Example:

The treasurer shall file the report before June 30 and shall submit copies of the report to each member of
the commission.

Use a comma to set off a nonrestrictive adjective clause. Example:

The director, who may not have other employment, is entitled to receive a salary.

Do not use a comma to set off a restrictive clause. Example:

The registrar shall assign a student identification number to each student who enters Purdue University.

Enclose a parenthetical phrase or clause with two commas. Example:

The treasurer shall, before June 30 of each fiscal year, submit copies of the report to each member of the
commission.

Use commas to separate words, short phrases, or short clauses in a series of three. Use a comma before the
conjunction connecting the last two members of a series. Example:

The report shall be filed with the auditor of state, the treasurer of state, and the state board of tax
 commissioners. The report must contain all debits, credits, and profits of the corporation.
Use semicolons in place of commas when there are three or more parts to a series, long phases are used in
a series, or when clauses appear within the series. Example:

Each mapper was seated at a separate desk and given the following equipment: a laptop, which had
either a 10-inch screen or a 15-inch screen; a pad and pencil, which the mapper may or may not use;
and a bottle of wine, which may or may not help get the job done.

Use commas to set off adverbial phrases, introductory participial phrases, and introductory, long subordinate
clauses. Example:

Because of the need for a more effective welfare program, the chairman ordered an extensive study of
the present program. Until further notice is given, the present rules remain in effect

Use commas when there is a condition. Example:

The organization should disable all unnecessary connections, unless otherwise noted in an exceptions
rule.

Define the use of Parentheses and Brackets

Define the use of parentheses in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06150

Avoid parentheses, except when they are more reliable than commas in setting off a phrase where there is
possible uncertainty as to how the ideas that follow the phrase are linked to the ideas that precede it.
Example:

Define the key recovery point when back-up operations (and their subsequent restoration operations)
will occur.

Parentheses should be used to set off an internal reference to the citation where a term is defined. Example:

Do not send communications (phone calls, e-mails, physical mail) after a subject has opted out of
communications.

Always precede an acronym with the full dictionary term followed by the acronym in parentheses. Example:

Establish and maintain Service Level Agreements (SLAs) with each service provider.

Define the use of brackets “[ ]”, “{ }”, and “< >” in the sentence structure guidelines. CC_ID 06151

There are two types of brackets that we've seen in policies standards and procedures.

The first set of brackets, the square brackets, have been in use for quite some time within conventional
writing. These should be used when clarifying a quote from someone, "place the tapes the ones you just
took out of the tape library into the container and seal it before shipping", or something (say directions from
China on how to put together shelves that you don't want your neighbor, who purchased the same shelves,
to suffer through). In the example, the brackets help clarify which tapes need to go into the container.

The newest type of brackets are the diagonal ones “< >”, which used to be simply mathematics symbols for
less than and greater than, respectively. However, the usage we see most often is that of enclosing a URL.
Hence, in this context these brackets are denoting everything that must be copied in order for the URL to
function correctly.

Define the use of Hyphenation

Define the use of hyphenation in the sentence structure

guidelines. CC_ID 06187

Avoid using hyphens, because many words that once were hyphenated are now written as one word or as
two words without a hyphen. To check whether a compound noun is two words, one word, or hyphenated,
you may need to look it up in the dictionary. If you can't find the word in the dictionary, treat the noun as
separate words. With that said, there are a few rules you can follow (actually there's a bunch you need to
know if you don't want to just look up the words, which is easier).

General Rule 1: Compound verbs

Compound verbs are either hyphenated or appear as one word. If you do not find the verb in the dictionary,
hyphenate it. Again, because it doesn't seem that there's a rhyme or reason, look to an authoritative
dictionary for the correct example.

Correct Incorrect

rollout roll-out

time-sharing timesharing

opt-out opt out

web hosting web-hosting

General Rule 2: Two or more adjectives before a noun

Generally, hyphenate between two or more adjectives when they come before a noun and act as a single
idea. Note the second example in this scenario and the last example in the previous scenario. This time the
term is hyphenated because it comes before the noun and acts as a single idea. Example:

make-available production
web-hosting company
General Rule 3: Two or more adverbs describing a noun
When adverbs not ending in -ly are used as compound words in front of a noun, hyphenate. When the
combination of words is used after the noun, do not hyphenate.

Correct Incorrect

well-known attack pattern the attack pattern was well known

General hyphens with prefixes rule

The general rule is to do away with unnecessary hyphens. Therefore, attach most prefixes and suffixes onto
root words without a hyphen. Examples:

noncompliance
copayment

Of course, where would we be without exceptions?

Hyphen prefix special rule 1: Hyphenate before a proper noun

Proper nouns (nouns that are capitalized) and acronyms should always be hyphenated, if they have a prefix.
Examples:

anti-British
de-NIST

Hyphen Prefix Special Rule 2: Double e, o, a, and i

Prefixes and root words that result in double e's and double o's are usually combined to form one word. On
the other hand, hyphenate prefixes ending in an a or i only when the root word begins with the same letter.

Correct Incorrect

preemployment pre-employment

coordinate co-ordinate

semiautomatic semi-automatic

semi-invalid semi invalid

Hyphen Prefix Special Rule 3: Re and ex.

Hyphenate when adding the prefix ex meaning former. Examples:

ex-CIO
 ex-client

Use the hyphen with the prefix re only when the re means again AND omitting the hyphen would cause
confusion with another word. This is almost painful to try to think through on a regular basis.

Hyphen Prefix: Special Rule 4 e-

When using e as a prefix to describe something that exists in electronic form that also exists in non-
electronic form, hyphenate the prefix.

Correct Incorrect

e-discovery ediscovery

e-mail email

Prefixes that shouldn't be hyphenated

Here's a list of prefixes that should not be hyphenated (but usually are):

anti- bi- co- contra- counter- cyber- de- extra- infra- inter- intra- micro- mid- multi- non- over- peri- post- pre-
pro- proto- pseudo- re- semi- sub- super- supra- trans- tri- ultra- un- under- whole-

Manual of Style API calls

The Unified Compliance Framework team have developed Application Programming Interface (API) calls to
aid, and standardize, portions of this Manual of Style. These API calls can be found online HERE. We will
define their properties and use herein.

naming-standard
Given a term, this endpoint processes that term and suggests the standard way it should be entered into the
UCF system according to a suite of rules in the ruleset. A number from 1-8 indicates which ruleset is to be
applied:

naming Rule 1

Sentence case, plural, allow acronyms, allow lists: We have found that the following rules apply to UNSPSC
Asset Categories through Types.

naming Rule 2

Title case, plural, allow acronyms, allow lists: We have found that the following rules apply to UNSPSC
Asset Segments.
naming Rule 3

Title case, singular, allow acronyms: We have found that the following rules apply to UNSPSC Products,
Services, and Product Versions. Note that there are no spell checks for these terms as sometimes non-
standard spelling in product and service names is undertaken by the product or service vendor on purpose.

naming Rule 4

Lower case, singular, present tense, disallow acronyms: These rules are to be used for common verbs,
nouns, adjectives, etc. Note that we are replacing all special characters with ASCII values (if at all possible)
to aid the user in searching for these terms without having to learn special characters such as À or Æ.

naming Rule 5

Lower case URL, disallow acronyms: These rules are to be used when entering URLs. Because URLs can
be about anything, there are no rules for lemmatization or spelling.

naming Rule 6

CPE names: These are specialized names that follow the Common Product Enumeration guide-lines set by
the US’ National Institute of Standards and Technology.

naming Rule 7

Roles, Group Names, and Titles: When entering an individual’s title, the name of a group, or a role that can
be assigned to someone, follow these rules.

lemma
This endpoint returns the base lemma for the entered term or phrase. Lemmatizing just the last word in a
phrase is also possible.

grammar
This endpoint will check the grammar and spelling of text and return suggestions of improvements or fixes.

Individual Schema Styles

Styles for the Person Schema
The Person schema is defined online HERE. It mainly consists of a person’s name(s), address(es), and
email address(es).

PersonName and AdditionalNames

The schema stores each person’s name as a suite of fields:

name_prefix

first_name

middle_initial

last_name
name_suffix

As such, each field's style will be defined, and then collectively the various formats of presentation will be
defined.

name_prefix

Name prefixes are, for the most part, titles of honor and respect. Therefore, follow title case for capitalization
rules for creating the abbreviated version, as the abbreviated version is preferred. Because name prefixes
should be standardized, a list of common prefixes follows:

Prefix As Entered

Abbot Abbot

Admiral Adm.

Ambassador Amb.

Baron Baron

Baroness Brnss.

Bishop Bishop

Brigadier General BG

Brother Br.

Captain (Army) CPT

Captain (Navy) Capt.

Chancellor Chan.

Chaplain Chapln.
Chief Petty Officer CPO

Commander Cmdr.

Colonel COL

Colonel (Retired) COL (Ret.)

Corporal CPL

Count Count

Countess Cntss.
first_name and last_name

All names should be entered using the upper/lowercase letters, punctuation and spacing as indicated by the
individual with one exception. Use the full legal spelling and format of the first name if the individual uses
only the initial of their first name or prefer their middle name.

Hyphenation may be used to separate double names.

Examples:

first_name last_name

Federico de la Cruz

Abu El-Haj

Mary-Jane Mitchell Green

Stephanie a’Court

Donald StantonBaker

middle_initial

This should always be capitalized and followed by a period.

name_suffix

Suffixes, like prefixes, are to be entered from a standardized list using the abbreviated version. What follows
is a list of common suffixes:

Abbreviation Name suffix

II Second

III Third

IV Fourth

AC Companion of the Order of Australia

AK/AD Knight/Dame of the Order of Australia

AM Member of the Order or Australian

AO Officer of the Order of Australia

BEM British Empire Medal

BM Bravery Medal

CH Companion of Honour

COMDC Commissioner of Declarations

CPA Certified Public Accountant

CV Cross of Valour

DDS Doctor of Dental Medicine

DFM Distinguished Flying Medal

DO Doctor of Osteopathy

DSC Distinguished Service Cross

DSM Distinguished Service Medal

ESQ Esquire
PersonEmail and AdditionalEmails

Both of these are to be entered in lowercase.

PostalAddress and AdditionalPostalAddresses

All information is entered as title case.

Address1 and Address2

Capitalize street names, road names, park names, and building names. (CC_ID 06168)

Secondary Address Unit Designators - If the address is multi-unit apartment or building, place the room,
suite, or apartment number in the Address2 field. If the secondary unit designator is not provided and only a
pound sign (#) along with the number is provided, i.e., 3454 N. Jones #4, then remove the (#) and replace it
with the abbreviation for number (“No”).

Code Description Example Address1

 Apt Apartment 102 Main St Apt 101

Bldg Building 1600 Central Pl Bldg 14

Dept Department Florida Tech Accounting Dept

Fl Floor 2700 College Blvd 4 th Fl

Rm Room 55 Sylvan Blvd Rm 18

Sp Space 454 N Jones Rd Sp 6

Ste Suite 1356 Executive Dr Ste 202

No Number 4170 Cherry La No 26

Numeric Street Names - When the street name is a number, add an abbreviated ending in lower case
letters. Examples:

2nd Avenue
23rd Street
40th Avenue

Rural Routes - The following addressing format is used for rural routes address: RR____, BOX____. Do
not use the words ‘RURAL,’ ‘RUTA RURAL,’ ‘RFD,’ ‘BUZON,’ OR ‘BZN.’ A leading zero before the route
number is not necessary. Examples:

Incorrect Correct

Ruta Rural 3 Buzon 12000 RR 3 BOX 12000

RR02 Box 9800 RR 2 BOX 9800

RFD 1 Bzn 17-A RR 1 BOX 17A

City and StateTerritoryProvince

Capitalize city, state, territory, and province names.

Country

The country will always be provided via a drop-down menu and will follow ISO 3166.

zipcode

The zipcode will always be entered as the five-digit number.