Skip to main content
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Browse the editorial styleguide A–Z

p.m., a.m.
see times
page numbers
use numerals for all page numbers (even 1), no matter where they appear
Pail and Shovel Party
student-government party during the late 1970s and early 1980s known for its pranks; it was led by Jim Mallon '79 and Leon Varjian
Parent and Family Program
formerly the Parent Program
part time (adverb), part-time (adjective)
open when used as an adverb; hyphenated when used as an adjective
pass/fail
lowercase, with a forward slash
PEOPLE
all caps; stands for Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence; adding program after PEOPLE is redundant
people of color
The term is acceptable when necessary in broad references to multiple races other than white: We will hire more people of color. Nine playwrights of color collaborated on the script. Be aware, however, that many people of various races object to the term for various reasons, including that it lumps together into one monolithic group anyone who isn't white. Be specific whenever possible by referring to, for instance, Black Americans, Chinese Americans, or members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida. (Source: AP Stylebook)
people’s titles
see titles of people
percentages
use numerals and spell out the word percent: 1 percent, 3 percent, 89 percent; do not hyphenate the numeral and percent when they function as a compound adjective: 4 percent jump; the symbol % is acceptable in lists, tables, and charts, but not in running text except in scientific, mathematical, and highly technical contexts; see also CMS 9.18
photo captions
see captions
photo credits
use something like this, with colons and semicolons: Front cover (3): John Brown; inside right: Larry Holmes; inside left (2): Jeff Miller; back cover, top: Paula Abdul; back cover (left center, right center, bottom): Harry Reasoner
photo references/identification
use parentheses, not phrases to identify people in photos: Jason Brown '86 (left) and Martin Nelson '87, not Jason Brown '86 on the left, and Martin Nelson '87; see also captions
policy-making
noun and adjective; see policymaker
policymaker
one word
political affiliations/parties
Put D, R, or I (for Independent) in parentheses, followed by a hyphen, followed by the two-letter state code in national references or the city name in state references: John Smith (D-WI), Matt Johnson (R-MA), Jack Johnson (I-Wauwatosa)
Posse
not an acronym; use an initial cap (but not all caps) in references to the Posse Foundation
PowerPoint
one word, capitalize the internal P
pre and post
most compound words using these prefixes do not take a hyphen: postdoctoral, postsecondary, preprofessional, preenrollment, but post mortem; see also prefixes
precollege
do not hyphenate
prefixes
many words are moving from open to hyphenated to closed, so consult the dictionary
pregame
do not hyphenate
presale
do not hyphenate
president
UW System president Jane Doe; president of the UW System; the president (even when referring to the president of the United States)
president-elect
hyphenate
prizes
see awards, prizes
problem solving (noun), problem-solving (adjective)
open when used as a noun; hyphenated when used as an adjective.
pronouns (use of)
Use the pronoun that matches the person’s authentic gender. A person who identifies as a certain gender, whether or not that person has taken hormones or undergone surgery, should be referred to using the pronouns appropriate for that gender. If you are not certain which pronoun to use, ask the person, “What pronouns do you use?” (Source: GLAAD Media Reference Guide) If a person uses pronouns that are not familiar to most readers (such as xe or ze) or may grammatically confuse readers (such as they/them/theirs), include an explanation on first reference if you plan to use the pronouns in subsequent references. For example: Joe Smith, who uses they/them/theirs pronouns ...  When listing preferred pronouns, separate them with a forward slash and no spaces: he/him/his, she/her/hers, they/them/theirs
provost
Provost John Doe; the provost; the provost's office; Office of the Provost
pull quotes
put quotation marks around material if it is a quotation within the article; do not use quotation marks if the material is merely pulled text; do not use brackets for inserted material because they create clutter
punctuation
use the Chicago Manual of Style for nonnews material; use the Associated Press Stylebook for news releases and Inside UW–Madison
Pyle Center, the
lowercase the in running text; in stacked information (e.g., in invitations), use just Pyle Center (not The Pyle Center)