headline capitalization:
Capitalize the first word only, unless the headline contains a word that is capitalized in text (such as “English,” “African,” or “Earth”).
hyphenation of compound words:
Hyphenation of compound words generally follows Webster’s, so when in doubt, consult that reference. Here are some basic rules: Words formed with prefixes are not usually hyphenated:
- prewar
- prelaw
- premedicine
- nonprofit
- midyear
- childcare program; she needed more childcare (note that UC Santa Cruz style differs from AP in this usage; AP prefers the open compound “child care” as a noun and the hyphenated “child-care” as an adjective)
Exceptions: When the second element is capitalized, when the second element is a figure, to avoid letter duplication, or to distinguish homonyms:
- pre-Civil War
- pre-1960
- mid-June
- pre-enrollment
- pre-register, pre-registration
- re-enter, re-entry
- re-create, un-ionized
Many compounds that are spelled open as nouns are hyphenated as adjectives:
- field-study program; she conducted a field study (not fieldstudy)
- full-time or part-time job; he works part time
- health-care services; they lacked adequate health care (not healthcare)
- low-income family; the family had a low income
- lower-division course
- ninth-century manuscript
- off-campus housing; she lives off campus
Compounds that begin with adverbs ending in “-ly” are not hyphenated:
- highly complex species
- poorly organized paper
For compound hyphenation, use this form:
- two- to three-hour period
Preferred forms of some commonly used compounds and other terms:
- African American, Asian American, Mexican American, and similar compound words are not hyphenated when used as modifiers.
- bilingual
- campuswide, statewide
- coauthor
- copyedit (but copy editor)
- corequisite, prerequisite
- coursework
- cross-cultural (hyphenated in all uses)
- database
- decision making
- fieldwork
- fundraising, fundraiser
- groundbreaking
- high school physics; he attended high school (not high-school)
- home page
- Indigenous (in reference to original inhabitants of a place)
- interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary
- internet, the net
- long-range
- multicultural
- nonmajor
- nonprofit (adj.)
- nonrefundable (adj.)
- nonresident
- online, offline
- postdoctorate, postgraduate
- semiconductor
- socioeconomic
- underrepresented
- underway
- vice chancellor, vice president (not hyphenated)
- voicemail (not “voice-mail” or “voice mail”)
- wait list (n.); wait-listed (adj.)
- the web; web-based (adj.); website
- well-xxx (hyphenated before and after the noun: well-regarded, well-edited, etc.)
- well-being
- work-study
- year-round (adj.)