Writing style guide

Acronyms and initialisms (common)

There is no need to spell out acronyms or initialisms that are commonly understood. For example: DOB, FAQ, Anzac.

Acronyms and initialisms (category specific)

Spell out any acronym in first reference with the abbreviated form in brackets following the word, then use the shortened version only in second and subsequent references.
For example: Disaster Relief Australia has 10 Disaster Relief Teams (DRTs) across the country. Made up of local volunteers, DRTs are on the ground and ready to assist.

DRA specific

For the first mention of Disaster Relief Australia in each document or communication, spell out the full name and include the initialism in brackets on first mention, as in Disaster Relief Australia (DRA). After that, use DRA consistently throughout.

While this is the general rule, the audience, touchpoint, and nature of the communication should guide your decision to either spell out the full name or use the initialism.

For example, if the audience is already familiar with DRA or the communication is more informal (emails, social posts), you may opt to use DRA immediately without introducing the full name first. Equally, in formal or media communications aimed at building brand awareness, or in cases where direct quotes may be extracted, you may choose to use the full organisational name at each mention.

Bullet points

Use bullet points to list items or information in a clear, easy-to-read format. Bullet points should always begin with a capital letter, but should only end with a full stop when they are complete sentences.

For example:

Capitalisation

Capitalisation (general)

Capitalise proper nouns and the first letter of sentences. Do not capitalise general terms.

For example:

• Correct: We specialise in disaster recovery.
• Incorrect: We specialise in Disaster Recovery.

Capitalising headlines

Use sentence case for headings, section headings, and blog articles.

For example: Keno marks fifth year of supporting Disaster Relief Australia

Capitalising job titles

Titles should be capitalised when they refer to a specific person, or could refer to a specific person. Do not capitalise job titles when they are general and do not refer to a specific person.

For example:

We spoke to Chief Operations Officer Jane Smith (specific person)
The role of chief operating officer is important (general term)
DRA’s Chief Operating Officer gave a speech (specific person)

Colons

Use colons only when you are confident it is needed. Colon misuse creates confusion for readers. In general, colons can be used to introduce a list, explanation, quote, or connect sentence fragments. Don’t use a capital letter after the colon unless it’s preceding a complete sentence or question, proper noun, or bullet point list item.

Commas

Our preference is to use the Oxford comma.

Currency

In general text, money should be written in the following formats:

• Whole dollar amounts: $60
• Amounts with cents: $10.65
• Amounts less than a dollar, spell out ‘cents’ e.g. 50 cents
• For thousands: $10,000
• For millions: $1.75 million
• For currency specification: AU$20, US$20

Dashes

Em dashes

Use an em dash (—) to signal emphasis, interruption, or a sudden change in thought within a sentence. When using an em dash, don’t add a space on either side of it. The spaced em dash creates too great a gap in text, which interrupts flow. Unlike en dashes and hyphens, em dashes are allowed to break over a line. An em dash can end or begin a line of text.

For example: It’s about more than recovery—it’s about rebuilding hope.

Use these keyboard shortcuts:

• Mac: Shift+Option+Hyphen (-)
• Windows: Ctrl+Alt+Hyphen (-)

En dashes

Use an en dash (–) to indicate a range or a span between numbers, dates, or times. Avoid breaking an en dash over a line.

For example: 2001–2005, Pages 1–4.

En dashes may also be used to indicate a relationship between two concepts.

For example:

• The Brisbane–Perth flight
• Employer–employee relationship
• Cost–benefit ratio

Use these keyboard shortcuts:

• Mac: Option+Hyphen (-)
• Windows: Ctrl+Hyphen (-)

Hyphens

Use hyphens to connect two or more words that together describe a noun, but only when these words directly precede the noun. Avoid using hyphens when the compound adjective comes after the noun or includes an adverb ending in “-ly”. Avoid using hanging hyphens. While hyphens are essential for clarity in certain instances, excessive use can disrupt flow. Exercise care to maintain readability.

Dates

Dates should be written as day, month, and year with no comma.

Decades should be written as follows: the 1990s, the mid-1990s, the late 1990s. Do not include an apostrophe before the ‘s’.

Ellipses

An ellipsis should be avoided where possible in general brand writing, but may be used to show that you’ve removed words from a quote. Put a space either side of an ellipsis.

For example:

• Correct: “I’ve been volunteering with DRA for years, and every time we go out to help … it’s just amazing.”
• Incorrect: “I’ve been volunteering with DRA for years, and every time we go out to help…it’s just amazing.”

Exclamation marks

Avoid using exclamation marks in formal communications to maintain a professional tone. If used in informal communications, do so sparingly. 
Limit the use to one exclamation mark per communication and never use multiple exclamation points in succession.

Quotes

Always capitalise the first letter of a quote. Use double quotation marks to denote direct speech or words. Single quotes should be used for quotes within quotes.

For example:

• “I’m excited to begin this next chapter,” he said.
• The CEO said, “When I arrived at the scene, a resident told me, ‘The volunteers from DRA were a lifeline for our community.’ That really
stuck with me.”

Services and initiatives

For services and initiatives that are unique to DRA, capitalise the first letter as you would a proper noun. General terms and nouns should always be
in lowercase.

Websites

For printed publications, format URLs in bold black text, without underlining. Do not include ‘https://’.