This list helps clarify the spelling and formatting of words and terms that may be used on the GlobalScot platform. It’s an edited version of the Government Digital Service A-Z style guide, refined to include only the relevant words.
adviser
For example, special adviser. Not advisor, but advisory is the correct adjective.
board
Always lower case unless it’s part of a proper title: so upper case for the Judicial Executive Board, but lower case for a business’s advisory board.
Brand names
Always spell and format brand names the way the brand spells and formats them.
Avoid using branded or trademarked names if you don’t need to - for example, use ‘You can complete this form on a tablet’ rather than ‘You can complete this form on an iPad.’
Brexit
Not ‘EU Exit’.
“No-deal Brexit” rather than “No deal Brexit”.
Britain, British
Use UK and United Kingdom in preference to Britain and British (UK business, UK foreign policy, ambassador and high commissioner). But British embassy, not UK embassy.
Business member
Within the network, business members are users who have joined to access support from our GlobalScots. They should not be referred to as ‘Non-GlobalScots’. They should also not be referred to as ‘businesses’ - business members register as individuals and may have more than one business associated with their profile.
chair of governors
Lower case.
chairman, chairwoman, chairperson
Lower case in text. Upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Chairman, GDS.
checkbox
Not “check box”.
click
Don’t use “click” when talking about user interfaces because not all users click. Use “select”.
community feed
Lower case. Refers to the community feed feature on the platform. Once introduced as the ‘community feed’, you can refer to it as simply the feed. ‘Welcome to our community feed. On the feed you’ll find….’
Corporation Tax
Upper case.
countries and territories
When referring to a country or territory, use the names listed in the country register or territory register.
Customs Duty
Upper case.
customs union
Lower case. Only use upper case when part of the title of a specific customs union: the European Union Customs Union, for example.
data
Treat as a singular noun: The data is stored on a secure server.
data set
Not “dataset”.
defence
Lower case even when referring to the defence team at the MOD.
department
Lower case except when in the title: the Department of Health and Social Care.
Department for International Development (DFID)
Capitalised
Department for International Trade (DIT)
Capitalised
director
Lower case in text. Upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Director, GDS.
One word.
Email addresses
Write email addresses in full, in lower case and as active links. Do not include any other words in the link text.
European Economic Area (EEA)
Avoid using as it is not widely understood. Say ‘the EU, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein’.
When rules covering the EEA also cover Switzerland, say ‘the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein’.
European Union vs European Community
Use EU when you mean EU member states: EU countries, EU businesses, EU consumers, goods exported from the EU, EU VAT numbers.
EC should be used when it’s EC directives, EC Sales List.
euros, the euro
Lower case.
executive director
Lower case in text. Upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Executive Director, GDS.
funding agreement
Lower case.
GlobalScot, GlobalScots
Capital ‘G’, capital ‘S’, all one word. Refers only to the people in the network who offer business support to the businesses in the network.
government
Lower case unless it’s a full title. For example: ‘UK government’, but ‘Her Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland’.
Also ‘Welsh Government’, as it’s the full title.
Group
Upper case for names of groups, directorates and organisations: Knowledge and Innovation Group.
Lower case when a group has a very generic title like working group or research team.
Help request
Avoid using this phrase. Instead, use a verb form. For example, say ‘Request help from this GlobalScot’ instead of ‘Submit a help request to this GlobalScot’.
ID
In technical writing, don’t write ‘identification’ or ‘identifier’, unless it’s part of a standard abbreviation. For example, ‘unique identifier (UID)’.
Import Control System
Upper case.
IP
When used in the technical context (for example ‘internet protocol’), there’s no need to explain the acronym.
If using to mean intellectual property, always spell it out in full first. If you think there’s likely to be any confusion - for example if you’re talking about an IP address and intellectual property in the same article, make sure to spell it out in full.
life cycle
Not “lifecycle” or “life-cycle”. For example, ‘product life cycle’.
member states of the EU
Lower case.
Middle East
Upper case.
minister
Use upper case for the full title, like Minister for Overseas Development, or when used with a name, as a title, like Health Minister Norman Lamb.
When used without the name, shortened titles are lower case: The health minister welcomed the research team.
multilingual
One word.
N/A
Separate with a slash. Only use in tables.
the network
When referring to the GlobalScot network, the network refers to the people within the network. The network includes GlobalScots, business members, staff and partners. ‘The platform’ refers to the website itself.
‘post a question to the network’ vs ‘how to use the platform’
non-executive director
Lower case in text, upper case in titles: Spencer Tracy, Non-executive Director, GDS.
online
One word.
or
Do not use slashes instead of “or”. For example, “Do this 3/4 times”.
Organisations
Use the singular verb form when referring to organisations by name. Use ‘they’ when replacing an organisation name with a pronoun.
For example: ‘HMPO is the sole issuer of UK passports. They will send your new passport within 3 weeks’.
The definite article can be used when referring to the organisation by its full name, but should not be used with the organisation’s acronym: ‘You should contact the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency if…’ but ‘You should contact DVSA if…’
Upper case. No need to explain the acronym.
Per cent
Use per cent not percent. Percentage is one word. Always use % with a number.
the platform
Refers to the website itself, rather than the people in it. ‘The network’ should be used when talking about the people within the GlobalScot network.
‘how to use the platform’ vs ‘post a question to the network’
programme
Lower case: Troubled Families programme, Sure Start programme.
projects
Lower case, even when referring to the projects feature on the platform.
public sector
Lower case.
regulations
Upper case in the full title: Licensing of Animal Dealers (Scotland) Regulations 2009. (No comma before the date.) Lower case when referring to them: the licensing of animal dealers regulations.
Scottish Development International (SDI)
Capitalise first use, can abbreviate for subsequent uses
self-employment
Hyphenate this noun.
sign in or log in
Use sign in rather than log in (verb) for calls-to-action where users enter their details to access a service.
Do not use login as a noun - say what the user actually needs to enter (like username, password, National Insurance number).
SMEs
This acronym means small and medium-sized enterprises. Use SME for the singular.
Spotlight
Upper case. This is the only feature that should start with a capital letter, and this is to clarify it’s a specific feature, rather than using the term more generally.
Should not be used as a verb i.e Spotlighted. Instead use something like ‘Featured in our December Spotlight’.
strategy
Lower case. Do not capitalise a named strategy: national health and welfare strategy.
team
Lower case: youth offending team, Behavioural Insights team.
transition period
The period of time between 1 February and 31 December 2020 during which the UK and EU are negotiating their future relationship. Not ‘transition phase’, ‘implementation phase’ or ‘implementation period’.
UK government
Never HM government.
umbrella trust
Lower case.
university
Lower case unless part of a title – the University of Glasgow. ‘After finishing university…’
white paper
Lower case.