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IEEE COMPUTER SOCIETY
STYLE GUIDE

Style Guide version October 2016

Table of Contents
Introduction





Mission statement
General information
Resolving differences with authors
Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Acronyms and Abbreviated Terms
Authors and Affiliations
Best Practices











Abstracts
Acknowledgments
Article titles
Figures
File and folder conventions
Main text
Sidebars
Tables
URLs

Biographical Sketches
Capitalization




Internal capitals
Titles
Department names

Copyrights, Trademarks, US Government Work, and Image
Permissions 14
File Extensions and Their Meanings
Lists

Locations



Standard and postal abbreviations: US states and Canadian provinces
Postal code placement

Mathematical Expressions




Miscellaneous math style issues
Equation formatting guidelines
Math guidelines

Non-English Words and Phrases
Numbers and Symbols





Colons
Ellipses
Em dashes
En dashes
Quotation marks
Slashes (virgules)

References



Punctuation
Capitalization
Tokens in text

Punctuation







Dates
Numerals
Symbols and signs
Telephone and fax numbers

Program Code




Sample formats
General style

Alphabetical Listing

Usages not identified or adequately defined in accepted external sources

Introduction
Mission statement
The IEEE Computer Society Style Guide Committee’s mission is to clarify the editorial styles
and standards that the Society’s publications use. We maintain and periodically update a style
guide to clarify those usages not adequately defined in accepted external sources. Our purpose is
to promote coherence, consistency, and identity of style, making it easier for CS editors and our
authors to produce quality submissions and publications that communicate clearly to all our
readers.

General information
This revised (October 2016) edition of the IEEE Computer Society Style Guide complements
these primary references:


Preferred dictionary: Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., 2003.



General style guide: The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed., 2010 (called CMS in this style
guide).

The CS style guide defines and explains unique IEEE Computer Society usages, particularly
where they differ from other usages. It also defines specialized terms to help editors determine
proper usage and phraseology.
Entries in the alphabetical listing include commonly used acronyms, definitions, and brief remarks on points of style. Entries for terms are listed with their initial letter in lowercase, unless
the term is a proper name or conventionally appears with an initial capital letter. A keyword given
in italics denotes entries for remarks on style. Where topics can’t be covered by short explanations, they’re presented in the special sections listed in the Table of Contents.
An * denotes entries in the alphabetical listing that can be used as acronyms on first
reference. An individual magazine’s editorial staff can make determinations about applying this
designation to other acronyms on the list. Because some terms look like acronyms and some
acronyms look like terms, the style guide provides overlapping entries to make it easier to use.
Likewise, the listings include cross-references where necessary.
This style guide will be updated as required. An electronic version is available at
www.computer.org/web/publications/styleguide.
The Style Guide Committee is a permanent body with a mandate to rule on questions of style and
to provide guidelines where none exist. If you have a question to pose, or you find an entry that
needs to be added or changed, please send your request by e-mail to style@computer.org. The
committee will endeavor to reply within 30 days.

Style Guide version October 2016

Resolving differences with authors
The Style Guide Committee’s goal is to direct editors to published works and offer guidelines that
they should consider and follow, except when they have good reasons to do otherwise. We
recognize that each CS publication has its own minor style variations. Moreover, a good editor
knows when to bend a good rule in order to maintain clarity of meaning within a written passage.
Authors provide the technical content for Computer Society publications and, together with
referees, bear the major responsibility for ensuring technical accuracy. The editor’s job is to
present the material in the most effective manner possible, consistent with established CS
publishing practices.
Computer Society style isn’t intended to alienate authors, universities, or corporations; its goal is
to achieve professionalism and consistency while treating all firms, organizations, and individuals
equally. This house style is generally supported by US trademark law.
Occasional author–editor disagreements can be expected, and compromises are often necessary.
Each party should recognize that the other has a stake in the outcome. The author’s name appears
on the book or article for all the world (and numerous colleagues) to see, and the editor must
follow guidelines established by senior editors, managers, the publisher, and accepted CS editing
practices.
Authors frequently feel that a particular usage is correct because it has appeared in a variety of
printed communications. However, if these communications are conference proceedings, in-house
technical reports, or unpublished papers that haven’t been professionally edited, no one has yet
applied standard publishing rules. Once in a while, though, CS style might indeed be out of step,
and questionable cases should be referred to the Style Guide Committee. Willingness to view a
situation from another’s vantage point is a big step toward resolving differences.
Editors should be flexible enough to compromise when firm publishing and editing principles
aren’t being violated. If an author’s preference violates strict grammar rules or firm CS
guidelines, the editor should make clear what that violation is, explain why it’s not good practice,
and suggest an alternative.
An editor’s decisions shouldn’t be, or appear to be, arbitrary. Explaining that the Style Guide
Committee has given considerable thought to CS policies and has established guidelines intended
to enhance the authority, effectiveness, and prestige of CS publications is usually the best way to
enlist an author’s cooperation in the search for a solution. Unresolved disputes between an
equally adamant author and editor should be referred to the department manager.

Acknowledgments
The participation of the following IEEE Computer Society staff members in revising this manual
is gratefully acknowledged: Carrie Clark, Chris Nelson, Lisa O’Conner, Meghan O’Dell, Dennis
Taylor, and Rebecca Torres.

Style Guide version October 2016

Abbreviations
Styles differ on whether periods should be used with particular abbreviations. The Society
discourages the use of periods in certain abbreviations, such as those for academic degrees, names
of countries, and other abbreviations that are in all capitals. When periods are removed from
abbreviations, the internal space should also be removed—for example, MIT, PhD, or US. The
internal space is also removed from other abbreviations with internal periods, as with author
initials. If an abbreviation also spells a word, removing the following period could cause
confusion in some contexts—for example, in. and no.
Although many style manuals decry the use of abbreviations, some words are seldom spelled out.
Among these are abbreviations for affiliations or scholarly degrees after a name (BA or PhD), and
abbreviations such as AD, CPA, and Ltd. A symbol or figure beginning a sentence, on the other
hand, is usually spelled out; if it can’t be, the sentence is rewritten—for example, “Two hundred
miles,” not “200 miles.”

Style tips
The abbreviations Jr., Sr., II and so forth don’t require a comma because they’re part of the
person’s name (John Smith Jr.).
Mr., Mrs., and Dr. are dropped if another title is also used (not Dr. John Smith Jr., PhD).
The preferred format avoids using a descriptor unless the company name might not be clear
without it—for example, Data Co. However, if it’s necessary to use Limited, Incorporated,
Corporation, or Company, they’re abbreviated to Ltd., Inc., Corp., or Co., respectively, and the
abbreviation isn’t preceded by a comma.
The abbreviations Nat’l and Int’l (for national and international) don’t take a period.
The standard abbreviations for most degrees we encounter in our authors’ biographies are BS,
MS, MSc, and PhD. For additional rules on abbreviating academic degrees, see the entry under
academic degrees in the alphabetical section.
Centuries use the ordinal symbol—for example, 21st century.
Also see the References section; for a more complete discussion of abbreviations, see CMS,
Chapter 10.

Abbreviations for units of measurement
The following abbreviations don’t need to be spelled out when used with numbers, except
to avoid possible confusion.
Abbreviation
A
C
cm
d
dB
dpi

Meaning
ampere
degree Celsius
centimeter
day
decibel
dots per inch

Style Guide version October 2016

F
ft
g
Gbyte
GHz
h
Hz
in
J
K
kHz
km
kmph
kW
kWh
L
lb
s
m
Mbyte
MHz
mi
min
mm
mo., mos.
mph
ms
mV
mW
N
ns
Pa
s
sq ft
Tbyte
V
W
y

degree Fahrenheit
foot
gram
gigabyte
gigahertz
hour
hertz
inch
joule
(degree) kelvin
kilohertz
kilometer
kilometers per
hour
kilowatt
kilowatt hour
liter
pound
microsecond
meter
megabyte
megahertz
mile
minute
millimeter
month, months
miles per hour
millisecond
millivolt
milliwatt
newton
nanosecond
pascal
second
square foot
terabyte
volt
watt
year, years

Style Guide version October 2016

Acronyms and Abbreviated Terms
A true acronym is formed by using the first letter from two or more separate words—for example,
DEC for Digital Equipment Corporation. Articles or prepositions falling in between (for example,
and, of, in, and the) generally aren’t part of the acronym. Use all capitals only for true acronyms.
Many acronyms or abbreviated terms used for measurements are traditionally all lowercase—for
example, cpi (characters per inch) and dpi (dots per inch). A few are mixed, such as kHz
(kilohertz). Capitalization also can differ depending on meaning—for example, MW (megawatt)
and mW (milliwatt). See the alphabetical section when in doubt.
As a general rule, spell out all acronyms on first use, but don’t use initial capitals just because the
letters form the acronym. There must be another reason for the caps; for example, the words
constitute a proper noun. In other words, CAD is computer-aided design, not Computer-Aided
Design.
Exceptions to the spell-out-on-first-use rule are acronyms so well known to a particular
magazine’s readers that spelling them out would be insulting. In the alphabetical section, the
Style Guide Committee has determined that acronyms marked with an asterisk are so familiar to
all our readers that they don’t need to be spelled out on first use. Examples include RAM, ROM,
and CD-ROM.
Put the acronym in parentheses immediately after the spelled-out term. In long articles with
unfamiliar acronyms, it helps to spell out the words occasionally throughout to refresh readers’
memories and aid those who browse. If an article includes many unfamiliar acronyms, consider
creating a glossary or sidebar.
Use judgment before allowing a short common term to be reduced to an acronym (for example,
operating system to OS). Readers have difficulty with articles that read like alphabet soup.
Provided that an acronym isn’t visually distracting (use your judgment), capitalize it as the author
submitted it, so long as the CS Style Guide doesn’t already prescribe a style for it and its
formatting agrees with the official version. (For example, the www.flossproject.org provides the
project’s preferred capitalization: FLOSS.) When deciding whether to revise acronym
capitalization, first consider clarity, followed by author preference.
The Style Guide’s alphabetical section includes combinations of words and acronyms, such as
MiniDIP, which generally follow both capitalization and acronym rules.
For a list of units of measurement that don’t need to be spelled out, see the “Abbreviations”
section and the related entries in the Style Guide’s alphabetical section. For unfamiliar units of
measurement, spell them out on first use.

Style Guide version October 2016

Authors and Affiliations
On an article’s first page, list the authors in the order in which they appeared on the original
accepted paper’s first page. (If no names appeared there, use the order of the author bios, if there
are any. Otherwise, contact the authors.) If authors listed next to each other share an affiliation,
group them together. If authors share an affiliation but aren’t listed next to each other, don’t
group them together. For example, note the first and third lines of this list:
Khairi Reda and Alessandro Febretti, University of Illinois at Chicago
Aaron Knoll, University of Texas at Austin
Jillian Aurisano, Jason Leigh, and Andrew Johnson, University of Illinois at Chicago
Michael E. Papka and Mark Hereld, Argonne National Laboratory
The author order on the first page and in the bios should be the same. Also, an author’s name on
the first page and in the bio should match exactly.
Normally, each author should have only one affiliation on the article’s first page—usually, the
affiliation at which the research occurred. (You can list other affiliations in the bio. If an author
must have more than one affiliation on the first page, inform Monette Velasco or Jennie Zhu-Mai
before the issue ships.) If the affiliation is an institute or organization associated primarily with a
university, use just the university name as the affiliation. However, in IEEE Software, you can list
Software Engineering Institute as the affiliation without listing Carnegie Mellon University. If
confusion about an affiliation name is possible (for example, school names that could apply to
multiple institutions, such as Concordia University), add the location. Otherwise, the location
isn’t necessary.
On the first page, an author’s name and affiliation both take the “AUTHOR” tag (we no longer
use the “AUTHOR AFFILIATION” tag). In author bios, the author’s name takes the “vita name”
tag, but the affiliation doesn’t get a special tag. After an affiliation first appears in a bio, you can
abbreviate subsequent instances of that affiliation (in that or any following bio) to save space. In
this case, the abbreviation should appear in parentheses after the first instance of the affiliation.

Style Guide version October 2016

Best Practices
Here are a variety of guidelines for editing articles conforming to CS style. Some guidelines are
specific to particular magazines.

Abstracts
Print abstracts (the short abstracts that appear at the article’s beginning) should have a maximum
of 45 words for Computer (35 words for department articles), 35 to 40 words for IEEE Security &
Privacy, and 40 words for IEEE Software.

Acknowledgments
We use the plural form for this section heading.

Article titles
Capitalize both parts of a hyphenated compound unless the first part is a prefix; in that case,
capitalize only the prefix.

Compound adjectives
For compound adjectives with three or more words, normally use hyphens between each word if
the words combine to make one concept—for example, “sparse-time-series tasks” and “near-realtime performance.” Note that in “near-real-time performance,” “near” modifies “real time,” not
“performance.”

Figures
For figure callouts, use “(see Figure X)” if the sentence doesn’t already mention the figure. The
callout normally shouldn’t give the page number.
For figure captions, the preferred style is to use a phrase to describe the figure and a sentence (or
more) to describe the figure’s significance. For example, “Figure 1. Blue marshmallows. The
campers mix blue dye with sugar and the mucilaginous root of the marshmallow, thus turning a
pink-flowered European perennial herb into a tasty campfire treat.”
For abbreviations in captions, spell them out in the first caption in which they appear (with the
abbreviation in parentheses immediately following the related term). Later captions can use just
the abbreviation.
To acknowledge outside sources of figures, use this style: “(Source: NameOfSource; used with
permission.)”
For program code examples that are part of a figure, input the code into the Word file (and tag it
properly) if at all possible. Don’t send the code to the layout artist for input.

Style Guide version October 2016

File and folder conventions
File names start with a letter specific to the related magazine: r = Computer, j = IEEE Security &
Privacy, and s = IEEE Software.
Here are examples of the optional magazines’ file name format, using the May/June IEEE
Software Bellomo article as an example:


s3bel.org.pdf (original file that the author sent)



s3bel.tag.docx (original tagged but unedited file)



s3bel.dt.docx (1st edit by Dennis Taylor)



s3bel.dt-bb.docx (2nd read by Brian Brannon. This version usually replaces the previous
one.)



s3bel.gal.docx (version sent to author)



s3bel.au.docx (version with author corrections)



s3bel.fin.docx (version ready for layout)

Here are the guidelines for naming electronic folders, with examples.


Theme article (only one theme in the issue): a-Bellomo



First theme in a multitheme issue: a1-Bellomo



Second theme: a2-Jones



Third theme: a3-Smith



Nontheme: q-Harris (Computer also inserts “r” at the beginning of folder names for queue
articles—for example, rq-Harris.)



Column: c-Opinions



Department: d-Projects



Track: t-Virtualization

The electronic folder should initially contain the current version of the article, figures, author
photos (when necessary), copyright, and a Versions folder that holds all the other files. When the
layout is ready, move all the files to the Versions folder except the copyright and figure files. You
don’t need to clean out the folders before they’re archived.
Software uses “Focus” to indicate theme articles and “Feature” to indicate nontheme articles.

Main text
If an article begins with a quote, don’t insert a quotation mark before the initial drop cap.

Style Guide version October 2016

Introductions should be three paragraphs, although a little longer is okay if necessary.
In the optional magazines, use title caps on first- and second-level headings. In Computer, firstlevel headings use all caps, and second-level headings use just an initial cap.
On multiline headings, try to make the lower lines the longer ones.
Don’t indent the paragraph immediately following a first- or second-level heading.
When first referring to a group of more than two authors, use this style: “Jane Doe and her
colleagues.” For two authors, give their first and last names.
When referring to a specific table or figure in the text, use capitalization: Figure 3, Table 2, and
so on.
Avoid having a line with a drop cap on the last line of a column.
Use the appropriate punctuation at the end of a display equation.
When referring to a numbered and displayed item in an article, use an initial capital letter (Figure
1, Table 2, Equation 3, Algorithm 4, …). Otherwise, for nouns accompanied by numbers or
letters, don’t capitalize the noun (level 5, participant B, step 1, and so on) unless it’s a proper
noun or it’s from a specification or standard.
For a quote that starts in the middle of a sentence, use an ellipsis at the beginning and an initial
lowercase letter for the first word.
For names of software patterns, use an initial capital letter for each word and no special
formatting.
Use a drop cap, not a heading, to start the conclusion.

Professional-Society Titles
Capitalize terms such as Fellow and Senior Member.

Sidebars
For sidebar titles, use normal title capitalization.
For titles of related-work sidebars, use “Related Work in …,” not “Related Work on ….”

Tables
Table titles use initial caps for only the first word.
Normally, each table column should have a heading. For guidelines on aligning column headings,
see CMS 3.69.
Normally, text in columns is left aligned; numbers are right aligned or decimal aligned and then
centered in the column.

Style Guide version October 2016

If the table contains many abbreviations, you can insert an asterisk at the end of the table title and
insert a footnote at the bottom of the table listing the abbreviations and their meanings. The list
can be in the order in which the abbreviations appear in the table or in alphabetical order,
whichever makes more sense in that context.
When referring to table columns or rows in the main text, normally use quotation marks and no
capital letters (“In the ‘total characters’ column, …”).
We no longer use the TABLE ROWz tag.

URLs
If you have to put a URL in parentheses after an acronym, use a semicolon to separate the two.
When referring to URLs in a string of text, don’t apply extra formatting.
Omit “http://” or “https://” in all URLs,” and omit “/index.html” in homepage URLs.
Verify URLs by copying and pasting them into your browser. Some addresses don’t start with
http://. Other protocols are also legitimate (for example, ftp:), and some addresses don’t need or
even won’t work with www. Omit the http:// if the URL starts with www. Check URLs that start
with https:// to see whether it’s required.
Be sure to include all punctuation exactly as supplied (hyphens and tildes, in particular, are very
common in Web addresses).
If a URL must run across more than one line, follow these guidelines:






Break after a colon or double slash. Don’t split the double slash.
Break before a slash, a tilde, a period, a comma, a hyphen, an underline, a question mark, a
number sign, or a percent symbol.
Break before or after an equals sign or an ampersand.
Don’t introduce hyphens to break words (be very careful about this because Word might try
to hyphenate automatically).
Separating the extension (for example, the html at the end) is discouraged.

Some URL examples using www.web-pac.com/mall/pacific/start.html:
Acceptable:
www.web-pac.com/mall/pacific/start.html
www.web-pac
.com/mall/pacific/start.html
www.web
-pac.com/mall/pacific/start.html
www.web-pac.com/mall
/pacific/start.html
www.web-pac.com/mall/pacific/start
.html

Style Guide version October 2016

Unacceptable:
www.webpac.com/mall/pacific/start.html
www.web-pac.com/mall/pacific/start.html
www.web-pac.com/mall/pacific/start.
html

Webpages
When referring to various portions of a webpage in text, use an initial cap for the designated item.
Don’t set it off with quotes, parentheses, or italics. Thus, a sample reference could be, “The
proper way to search the page is to click on the Go button,” or “The text can be found in the
Publications section of the company’s website.”
When referring to hypertext links found on a webpage (the highlighted underlined words), put the
entire text of the link in quotes. For example, “Click on the ‘go here’ link to reach the table.”

Style Guide version October 2016

Biographical Sketches
The preferred format for biographical sketches can vary depending on the publication. But full
articles should generally follow this format:

//Author Name// is a //position// at //name of institution or company, with department name if
applicable//. //His/Her// research interests include //list three or four topics//. //Last name//
received a //highest academic degree [use an abbreviation if possible]// in //name of discipline
[use lowercase]// from //name of degree-granting institution//. //He/She// has received //names of
awards//. //He/She// is in on the editorial board of //name of publication// and has been //name of
volunteer position// at //name of conference//. //He/She// is a member of //list up to three relevant
professional organizations [okay to use an acronym or initialism for organizations]//. Contact
//him/her// at //email address//.
Note: If there are space issues—for example, an unusually large number of authors—the
professional organizations and research interests can be deleted (in that order).
For columns and departments, IEEE Security & Privacy uses the same format as for regular
articles. Computer and IEEE Software follow this format:

//Author Name// is a //position// at //name of institution or company, with department name if
applicable//. Contact //him/her// at //email//.
After an affiliation first appears in a bio, you can abbreviate subsequent instances of that
affiliation (in that or any following bio) to save space. In this case, the abbreviation should appear
in parentheses after the first instance of the affiliation.
If confusion about an affiliation name is possible (for example, school names that could apply to
multiple institutions, such as Concordia University), add the location. Otherwise, the location
isn’t necessary.

Style Guide version October 2016

Capitalization
The Computer Society style is conservative in the use of capital letters. A company’s or public
relations firm’s wishes about capitalization rarely carry any weight.
For company, product, system, and language names, use an initial capital only. Editors should
determine whether the term is really a proper noun or merely descriptive or generic.

Internal capitals
For many years, Computer Society style prohibited the use of internal capitals in words, insisting
on an initial capital only for product names, system names, and so forth. Words such as MiniDIP
and AutoCAD were accepted as combinations of words and acronyms. This strict approach hasn’t
been sustainable in the real world. We now permit one internal capital when it’s the first letter of
another word, as in PostScript, MacDraw, or dBase. Only a few exceptions exist—for example,
NeXT and LaTeX. If in doubt, see the alphabetical section of this style guide.

Titles
In the titles of articles, books, and so forth, capitalize nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs,
and first and last words. Function words (articles, coordinate conjunctions, and prepositions)
aren’t capitalized, regardless of their length: “Better Health through Psychotherapy,” “Keeping
the Peace without Creating Conflict.” The exception is following a colon—for example, “Along a
Different Path: A Case Study.” For hyphenated words in titles, see CMS 8.159.
In references, use standard capitalization for titles but don’t lowercase internal capitals or
improper acronyms that appear as part of a product or system name, even if it conflicts with the
style guidelines.

Department names
Names of departments, divisions, laboratories, and so forth are capitalized when used as part of
an organization’s proper name: the University of Pennsylvania Department of Computer Science;
the university’s computer science department; the IBM Almaden Research Center; Hewlett
Packard’s advertising department.

Style Guide version October 2016

Copyrights
The IEEE owns the copyright for material published by the IEEE Computer Society. Authors
must sign the IEEE copyright form, available online along with detailed information about IEEE
intellectual property rights at www.ieee.org/copyright.
Authors shouldn’t include a copyright notice of their own in published articles or department
submissions. Authors transfer copyright to the IEEE as part of the publication agreement. Staff
members don’t need to complete a copyright agreement because its terms are part of the general
conditions of their employment.
Each feature article carries a notice of IEEE ownership of copyright at the bottom of the first
page. The two acceptable versions (with the symbol and with text) of the standard format are




Address questions regarding copyright issues to:
IEEE Intellectual Property Rights Office
IEEE Service Center
445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854-1331
Phone: +1 732 562 3966; Fax: +1 732 981 8062
e-mail: copyrights@ieee.org

Trademarks
We don’t include the trademark symbol in articles published in IEEE Computer Society
periodicals and proceedings. Trademark law doesn’t apply to the press because using a product
name in the headline or text of an article doesn’t constitute an attempt to capitalize on the
reputation of the company or the product.

US Government Work
When an author is (or all authors are) employed by the US government, the following wording is
used instead of the IEEE copyright line: “US Government Work Not Protected by US
Copyright.” The CCC code must not appear with that notice. Other useful information is at the
IEEE Intellectual Property Rights website, www.ieee.org/copyright.

Image Permissions
If an image has been published elsewhere, the author must obtain permission from the
publisher or the creator of the image for the IEEE Computer Society to reproduce it in the
publication’s print and electronic versions. Obtaining permission and paying any fees the
publisher requires are the author’s responsibility. If permission isn’t obtained, the figure
shouldn’t be used in the article.

Style Guide version October 2016

File Extensions and Their Meanings
.arj
.bak
.bin
.bmp
.cca
.cdr
.cfg
.cnt
.com
.cpl
.dat
.dbf
.dir
.dll
.doc
.dos
.dot
.drv
.eps
.exe
.fon
.ftg
.gid
.gif
.gz
.hgx
.hlp
.hqx
.htm or
.html
.ico
.inf
.ini
.jpg
.kbd
.lan
.lha
.lo
.log
.lst
.lzh
.mim
.mpl
.mpg
.msg
.nlm
.nls
.pcd
.pct

relatively uncommon archive file
backup file
binhex file—Macintosh
bitmap file
cc:Mail archive file
Corel Draw data file
configuration file
MS Office file
command file
current privilege level file for WWW
data file
database file
directory
dynamic link library—Windows file system
MS Word document
DOS file
MS Word template
printer driver file
encapsulated PostScript file
executable file—a program
font file
MS Office file
MS Access file
graphics interchange format—an art file
G-zipped file—Unix-based compressed file
Harvard Graphics file
help file
BinHex compressed file
hypertext file—WWW page file
icon file
information file
initialization file—Windows file
JPEG image file
keyboard layout file
local area network file—a Novell system file
relatively uncommon archive file
QuarkXPress document—Macintosh
log file
list file
relatively uncommon archive file
mime-encoded file
MS Project data file
MPEG image file
message file
NetWare Loadable Module—Novell
NetWare License Server—Novell
photo CD file
PICT graphic

Style Guide version October 2016

.pcx
.pdf
.pdr
.pfb
.pfm
.pif
.png
.ppa
.ppd
.ppt
.prn
.ps
.psd
.pub
.qxp
.reg
.rtf
.rul
.sam
.smi
.sty
.swp
.sys
.tar
.taz
.tbl
.tex
.tif
.tlb
.tmp
.ttf
.txt
.vbx
.vxd
.wav
.wk1
.wks
.wmf
.wpd
.wpg
.wq1
.wri
.ws2
.xls
.xtg
.z
.zip
.zoo

PC Paintbrush graphic
portable document format file—Adobe Acrobat
printer description file—Macintosh
Adobe printer font—binary
Adobe printer font—metric
program information file—Windows shortcut file
portable network graphics—image file format
PowerPoint presentation file
PostScript printer definition file
PowerPoint document
MS Word print file—PostScript format
PostScript file
Adobe Photoshop native format file
MS Publisher document
QuarkXPress document
registry file—Windows file systems
rich text format—a form of text formatting
cc:Mail rule file
AmiPro file
system management interrupt—Intel
LaTeX style file
Windows swap file
DOS/Windows system file
tape archive file—Unix-based compressed file
.tar file that has been .z compressed
Adobe table editor file
LaTeX file—a form of text formatting
tagged information format file—an image file
MS Office executable file
temporary file—Windows applications
TrueType font file
text file, usually plain ASCII
Visual Basic file
virtual driver file—Windows
wave sound file
Lotus 123 spreadsheet file
MS Works file
Windows metafile—a graphics file
WordPerfect document
WordPerfect graphic
Quattro Pro spreadsheet
MS Write document
WordStart 2 document
Excel spreadsheet file
QuarkXPress document—PC
compressed file from a Unix-based system
compressed file from WinZip
relatively uncommon archive file

Lists
How to use punctuation in a list depends on whether the introductory phrase is a dependent clause
(it’s not a complete sentence) or an independent clause (it’s a complete sentence).
If the introductory phrase is a dependent clause, there is no colon.
In the past few months, I’ve been
• dressing more casually;
• finding unusual combinations of styles, colors, and textures; and
• looking for bargains.
If the introductory phrase is an independent clause, there is a colon.
People describe my wardrobe in many ways:
• sporty,
• colorful, and
• distinctive.
Here’s what I think:
• My wardrobe is distinctive.
• I can decide what to wear depending on my mood.
• I need some new clothes.
My wardrobe has many distinct characteristics:
• Unusual. Most people wouldn’t be comfortable making the same choices.
• Versatile. I can dress comfortably for a business meeting or casual Friday.
• Color-coordinated. I can mix and match garments to achieve a new look.
The following are examples of formatting alternatives for more complicated lists.
The major architectural components include
• a thin client terminal hosting a Web browser—the client terminals periodically send location
updates to the network;
• an application server that delivers Web content prioritized according to user preferences—the
application server formats the generated information content and adapts it for display on the
client terminal; and
• a context and profile manager (CPM) that tracks the user’s dynamic context—the CPM also
queries Web services and filters Web content data according to user profile context.
The architecture has three major components:
• A thin client terminal hosts a Web browser. The client terminals periodically send location
updates to the network.
• An application server delivers Web content prioritized according to user preferences. The
application server formats the generated information content and adapts it for display on the
client terminal.
• A context and profile manager (CPM) tracks the user’s dynamic context. The CPM also
queries Web services and filters Web content data according to user profile context.

Style Guide version October 2016

The architecture has three major components:
• a thin client terminal,
• an application server, and
• a context and profile manager (CPM).
The client terminal hosts a Web browser and periodically sends location updates to the network.
The application server delivers Web content prioritized according to user preferences; it formats
the generated information content and adapts it for display on the client terminal. The CPM tracks
the user’s dynamic context and queries Web services and filters Web content data according to
user profile context.

Style Guide version October 2016

Note: With the exception of running text—where the state name is spelled out—use
of the postal abbreviation is preferred (CMS 10.28).

Locations
United States
State

Standard abbreviation

Postal abbreviation

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York

Ala.
Alaska
Ariz.
Ark.
Calif.
Colo.
Conn.
Del.
D.C.
Fla.
Ga.
Guam
Hawaii
Idaho
Ill.
Ind.
Iowa
Kan.
Ky.
La.
Maine
Md.
Mass.
Mich.
Minn.
Miss.
Mo.
Mont.
Neb.
Nev.
N.H.
N.J.
N.M.
N.Y.

AL
AK
AZ
AR
CA
CO
CT
DE
DC
FL
GA
GU
HI
ID
IL
IN
IA
KS
KY
LA
ME
MD
MA
MI
MN
MS
MO
MT
NE
NV
NH
NJ
NM
NY

Style Guide version October 2016

North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Puerto Rico
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Trust Territories of the Pacific
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Virgin Islands
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

N.C.
N.D.
Ohio
Okla.
Ore.
Pa.
Puerto Rico
R.I.
S.C.
S.D.
Tenn.
Texas
Trust Territories
Utah
Vt.
Va.
Virgin Islands
Wash.
W.Va.
Wis.
Wyo.

NC
ND
OH
OK
OR
PA
PR
RI
SC
SD
TN
TX
TT
UT
VT
VA
VI
WA
WV
WI
WY

Note: State names with five letters or fewer are never abbreviated. The names of states and
territories outside the 48 contiguous US states are abbreviated only when used with a postal code.
Postal code placement: ZIP (Zone Improvement Program) codes follow the state code and are
separated by a space: Los Alamitos, CA 90720. The Postal Service has expanded the original
five-digit code to nine digits, known as ZIP+4. The added digits follow a hyphen appended to the
original code: Los Alamitos, CA 90720-1314.

Style Guide version October 2016

Canada
Province
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Newfoundland and Labrador
Northwest Territories
Nova Scotia
Nunavut
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon Territory

Standard abbreviation
Alta.
B.C.
Man.
N.B.
N.L.
N.W.T.
N.S.
Ont.
P.E.I.
Que.
Sask.
Yukon

Postal abbreviation
AB
BC
MB
NB
NL
NT
NS
NU
ON
PE
QC
SK
YT

Note: Quebec used to be abbreviated P.Q. for Province du Québec, but this is now obsolete.
Francophones in Québec often use the postal abbreviation Qc.
Postal code placement: Canada’s postal code system is similar to the US ZIP code system. Postal
codes are placed after the province code. The six-character codes are broken into two groups of
three characters separated by a space. The format is letter, number, letter, space, number, letter,
number—for example, Kingston, ON K1A 0S2.

United Kingdom
UK postal codes are placed after the country (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and Wales)
and are separated by a space. Add the nation (UK) after the postal code. The six-character codes
are usually broken into two groups of three characters separated by a space. The usual format is
letter, letter, number, space, number, letter, letter—for example, Stirling, Scotland FK9 4LA, UK.
However, some cities use variations on this format.

Europe
Postal codes are placed before the city name: D-4054 Nettetal, Germany. The number of digits
varies among countries. The European postal union includes country prefixes with the postal
codes. These prefixes, which are separated from the postal code by a hyphen, include
B
CH
D
DK
E
F

Belgium
Switzerland
Germany
Denmark
Spain
France

Style Guide version October 2016

I
N
NL
S
UK

Italy
Norway
Netherlands
Sweden
United Kingdom

Include the state for all US cities except Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver,
Detroit, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York,
Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, and
Seattle.
Don’t list the state name or province for cities outside the US and Canada. For most cities
outside the US, list the nation after the city. However, don’t include the nation for these
locations:
Amsterdam

Jerusalem

Taiwan

Athens

Rome

Munich

Bangkok

Kyoto

Tokyo

Barcelona

Seoul

Oslo

Beijing

London

Toronto

Berlin

Shanghai

Ottawa

Brussels

Madrid

Vienna

Budapest

Singapore

Paris

Cairo

Melbourne

Warsaw

Copenhagen

Stockholm

Prague

Edinburgh

Mexico City

Zurich

Geneva

Sydney

Reykjavik

Helsinki

Montreal

Rio de Janeiro

Hong Kong

Taipei

Istanbul

Moscow

Style Guide version October 2016

Mathematical Expressions
Most style manuals don’t cover mathematical style well. CMS has some good suggestions in
Chapter 12 but is insufficient. Another reference source is N.J. Higham, The Handbook of Writing
for the Mathematical Sciences, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 1998. Although
this book is largely about how to write mathematics clearly, it also has some suggestions about
math typography and other stylistic matters.

Miscellaneous math style issues
If authors use punctuation after mathematical expressions, including displayed equations, leave it
in (or revise as necessary).










Include a space on either side of multiplication signs, equals signs, and other operators when
they’re at full size—for example, 100  100 matrix, and a + b = c. MathType automatically
inserts thin spaces around these symbols. In subscripts and superscripts, omit these thin
spaces unless the formula becomes confusing without them. Also, when < or > precedes a
number in text (that isn’t a formula), there should be no space after the symbol.
If line breaks are needed in equations that appear in a paragraph, they should come after a
plus sign, equals sign, or similar character.
Characters with overbars must be set in MathType. If an article has many symbols with
overbars or other symbols that make typesetting difficult, consider asking the author if there
is an easier alternative.
Equation numbers are put in parentheses to the right of displayed formulas. They shouldn’t be
boldface. Generally, only formulas called out in the text need to be numbered.
Use italic type for lowercase Greek variables; don’t use italic type for uppercase Greek
variables.
Variables denoting vectors are set in boldface, not italic. Don’t use the small arrows above
the variable to denote vectors.
Set the label that denotes a matrix in italic—for example, A.
If the vectors are simply mathematical and don’t represent physical quantities and direction
(that is, they don’t need to be clearly differentiated from scalars), boldface is less important,
and you can use lightface italic type if the author has styled them that way.

If the author consistently uses another scheme, consider going along with it.

Style Guide version October 2016

Equation formatting guidelines
Display equations can be broken down a number of ways to fit in a column. First, each line of an
equation must be aligned to either a relation symbol or a binary operator in the first line of the
equation (if one exists). These symbols work in a hierarchy. Relation symbols are aligned with
other relation symbols, binary operators are aligned with other binary operators, and binary
operators are indented from relation symbols. For example:
x

l  s, w   s  x, y  log   1   N t t
h

p ( w1 , z1 )  p( w1 , v1 )  p(v1 , z1 )

  log  s  x, y  !

 p( w2 , v2 )  p  v2 , z2 

 p  w2 , z2 

  s ( x, y ) log  b   N b b
h

  1  x, y  log  1 

 3  s   r  s  ,
dr  s 
,
ds
d 2r  s
 5  s    2 r  s  
ds 2

  4  s   r  s  

If an equation has only one relation symbol or binary operator, break the equation after the
relation symbol or binary operator and indent the second line slightly:

d   

dt

 

E p  ; ,  ,  H  ,1   2 



   
obs
 K  B  A p   B ; ,  
syn

K  A  B  p   A ; ,  

If there’s room, align the equation like this:

 x    M   d z  2  x  y
l 1

n 1

  m  2 k  3

If a display equation can’t be centered, the first line can be made flush left to the column to allow
more room for the following lines of the equation. If an equation number won’t fit to the right of
an equation, it’s acceptable to have the equation number fall one line below the equation and to
keep it right-justified to the column.

Style Guide version October 2016

Math guidelines
When should you italicize, when should you use bold, and when should you do neither? If you
edit Computer Society articles, you need to have a good handle on the answers to these questions.
The detailed answers below are meant to help you see the logic behind these answers, so that
you’ll be able to consistently make the right decisions when confronted with a math-heavy article.

Constants
A constant is a letter that represents one distinct value that never changes, no matter what. Don’t
italicize constants. For example, k often represents Boltzmann’s constant, which is always equal
to 1.380622  10–23 Joules/Kelvin. We use k to avoid having to write out this long number in our
equations, but it’s not a variable because its value can never change; it remains constant. In most
cases, the author will identify the letter as a constant. If he or she doesn’t, you can probably
assume it’s not a constant.
One exception is the speed of light (2.997925  108 m/s), a constant typically represented by c.
Authors probably wouldn’t explicitly refer to it as “a constant,” but it is, and you shouldn’t
italicize it. By the way, this is the same c that appears in Einstein’s most famous equation, E =
mc2. Written properly, the E (energy) and m (mass) should be italicized (because they’re
variables), but the c (the speed of light) shouldn’t.

Variables
A variable, unlike a constant, is a letter that can represent more than one possible value. Italicize
all such letters (except uppercase Greek). For example, you could represent time by t, a variable.
Time can be 3, 4, 5, … seconds. Even when the author is referring to one instance (for example, t
= 4), or even if the author says something like “we’re keeping the time constant,” you should still
italicize t because it’s possible in another situation that t wouldn’t be kept constant at 4 ms or
whatever. Time isn’t a constant that’s universally always equal to 4.

Matrices
Matrices represent an array of numbers (columns and rows), like the desks in a classroom. Make
them italic and uppercase. The individual matrix elements should be italic (not bold) because
they’re actually variables.
For example, imagine classroom A, a matrix. The person in the 1st row, 1st column is element
a11. Second row, first column is a21. If you sit in the 2nd row from the front, 3rd column from the
left, you are a23. Rows go across the classroom (side to side); columns go from front to back
(even though, for some reason, in school what people call “rows” are actually columns). The
person behind you (3rd row, 3rd column) is a33. The person to your right (second row, fourth
column) is a24, and so on.

Vectors
Vectors are variables that have a direction associated with them. However, don’t italicize them.
Make them bold and lowercase—for example, the vector v.

Units
Units are letters that stand for words, not numbers. Don’t italicize them. For example, when s
means second, don’t italicize it. The same goes for Greek letters. Italicize lowercase Greek
variables, but don’t italicize lowercase Greek units, such as the  in s (microseconds).

Style Guide version October 2016

Acronyms disguised as variables
Beware of acronyms disguised as variables. Don’t italicize them. Editors sometimes mistakenly
italicize a subscript or superscript that looks like a variable but actually isn’t.
For example, in VDD, V is a variable and should be italicized, but the letters DD are neither
variables nor constants. They’re more akin to acronyms. They don’t stand for numbers; they stand
for words. That’s the test. If you can’t put a number in for a letter, don’t italicize it because it’s
not a variable. In this case, DD stands for a transistor’s drain voltage.
Now, consider VT. This T probably refers to temperature and thus isn’t a variable. You’ll have to
consider its context. However, usually these subscripts aren’t variables. A common exception is n
or i (or even t) when it indicates a series of numbers such as V1, V2, …, Vn. In this case, a number
could be inserted in place of n, so you should italicize it.
Here’s another example of an acronym in disguise, but one that isn’t a subscript: “The NMOS
transistor’s source (n+), bulk (p–), and drain (n+) terminals form an npn bipolar transistor.” In
this case, the n and p are neither variables nor constants. They are, once again, more akin to
acronyms but typically appear in lowercase. You can’t substitute a number for either of these.

Using MathType
If you can easily insert equations into text without using MathType, do so. Otherwise, use
MathType.

Style Guide version October 2016

Non-English Words and Phrases
The IEEE Computer Society is a worldwide organization, but its publications are produced in the
US in English. The way Society publications deal with non-English terms and phrases depends on
several factors—namely,


the true “foreignness” of the expression—many non-English expressions have
entered mainstream English,



the availability of appropriate accented fonts,



the staff’s familiarity with languages other than English, and



the extent of the non-English readership of a publication and the degree to which the
Society desires to appeal to that audience.

Here are some guidelines for using non-English terms:


Use accents in anglicized foreign terms when they affect pronunciation or will
prevent confusion between English words that are spelled the same.



Italicize terms not commonly accepted in English, but generally use such terms in
text only when there’s no suitable English equivalent. The way to determine whether
a term is commonly accepted in English is to see whether it’s in the main body of
Webster’s—if it is, don’t italicize.



Transliterate non-Roman languages into the Roman alphabet. Use the transliterated
phrase, an English translation, or both.



For non-English institutional names, use the original name for spellings using the
Roman alphabet, providing a translation if the reader might not understand. This
approach works well with organizations whose acronyms are well known, such as
CCITT (Comité Consultatif International de Télégraphique et Téléphonique),
because using a translation (International Consultative Committee for Telegraphy and
Telephony) followed by the acronym could confuse some readers. This same
guideline applies to university names in bylines and references. In some cases, the
non-English acronym is well known and always associated with the English
translation. An example is the European Center for Nuclear Research, which is
widely known by its French acronym, CERN.



For non-English references, provide the original title first, but follow it with the
English translation in brackets so that English-only readers can understand it. Follow
English capitalization rules in the translated title. If you don’t have a translation or
can’t translate the title, query the article’s author (who presumably has read the work
and can translate the title). If the author can’t provide a translation, propose deleting
the reference.



For author names, always follow the author’s preference. However, if the accents
required aren’t readily available in the Society font list, ask the author for English
equivalents.

Style Guide version October 2016

Numbers and Symbols
Dates
The IEEE Policies and Procedures (Jan. 2000) specify the following formats for dates:





Email and formal correspondence: day, month, year—for example, 6 January 2004.
Software applications: four-digit year, two-digit month, two-digit day—for example, 200401-06.
Centuries: Use the symbol for ordinal numbers—for example, 20th century. Note: CMS
spells out the century—for example, twentieth century.
Decades: The abbreviation is ’90s, not ‘90s.

Numerals
Spell out the integers one through nine and use numerals for 10 on, except in these cases:
Generally, use numerals even for one through nine when the integer is coupled with a symbol or
unit of measurement (2°, 3 V). Use numerals with percentages even for one through nine (a 5
percent drop; 3 percent responded; 3 to 6 percent). However, in nontechnical passages, numbers
less than 10 used with common units, especially time units, might look better spelled out, as do
numbers used with approximate measurements:
but

the program ran in 8 minutes [exact measurement]
a report from eight years ago said [nontechnical]
he lives eight miles down the road [nontechnical]
about eight or nine centimeters [approximate]

Spell out a number at the beginning of a sentence, or recast the sentence.
For a list of units of measurement that don’t need to be spelled out, see the “Abbreviations”
section and the related entries in the Style Guide’s alphabetical section. For unfamiliar units of
measurement, spell them out on first use and abbreviate them thereafter. However, use
abbreviations in figures or tables, but explain any unusual or nonstandard abbreviations.
When a sentence includes both an integer less than nine and an integer greater than nine to
describe something in the same category, use numerals for consistency—for example, “The
network can have 4, 8, or 16 nodes.”
Hyphenate a compound adjective consisting of a number and an abbreviation—for example, 24Kbyte memory.
Numbers with four digits or more have commas: 1,000, 10,000. Exceptions include page numbers
and dates (CMS 9.55). Precede decimal fractions with values of less than one with a zero to
prevent the reader from overlooking the decimal point: 0.1 (however, observe the exceptions in
CMS 3.70 and 9.19). And remember, they’re singular: 0.1 inch, not 0.1 inches.
Use an s to create plurals of numerals:


the early 1920s



in twos, threes, and zeros

Style Guide version October 2016



he had a collection of 386s and 486s

Fonts and computers are inconsistent in the treatment and availability of fraction symbols. So, for
in-text fractions, full-size numerals with a slash are usually preferred: 1/2, not ½. In more
complicated mathematical expressions set in MathType, built-up fractions are generally used:
numerator over denominator, separated by a horizontal line. In mixed numerals, put a hyphen
between the integer and the fraction:


8-1/2 inches wide



24-5/8-mile track

For further reference, see CMS Chapter 9, especially the parts on scientific and technical usage.

Symbols and signs
Use symbols in text only when you’re certain that readers are familiar with them.
Multiplication symbol: Use the multiplication sign “” instead of “by” when numerals refer to
dimensions: 3  5 cm box; 3 in.  5 ft. board. When indicating the use of “times” with a number,
use a multiplication sign instead of x—for example, 2 speedup. However, you may use “times”
when it seems appropriate—for example, “The new version has 10 times the memory.”
Spacing of characters for units of measurement and symbols: Abbreviations for units of
measurement, even if one letter, are separated from the numeral by a space (3 V, 5 m, 14 mm).
Actual symbols, as opposed to abbreviations for units, can be closed up—for example, 42°30' for
42 degrees, 30 minutes latitude.
Use “sq ft,” not “ft2.”
Don’t use abbreviations when the reference is indefinite or casual—say “several gigahertz,” not
“several GHz.” However, where brevity is a key factor—for example, in new product write-ups
and tables—use symbols liberally.
When defining variables in run-in text, use “is” rather than “=”—for example, “where t is the
temperature,” not “where t = the temperature.”
Use the word “percent” in text; use the % symbol only in figures and tables.
Don’t insert “US” in front of the dollar sign except to avoid confusion.

Telephone and fax numbers
The IEEE Policies and Procedures specify the following format for phone and fax
numbers:
In North America: +1 area code xxx xxxx—for example, +1 714 821 8380
Outside North America: +country code city code xxx xxxx—for example, in
Belgium, +32 3 770 2242

Style Guide version October 2016

Program Code
Use the “program code” tag for program code that appears inline; use the “PROGRAM
SEGMENT” tag for code that’s set off from the main text.
If the lines of code are longer than a column width and can’t be easily broken, consider turning
the code into a figure.
If a program line doesn’t fit on a single printed line, break and indent it to indicate the
continuation. Never add extra punctuation. Authors will often request continuation lines to be
right-justified or will otherwise express strong preferences on this issue.
In general, try to duplicate the spacing, indentation, punctuation, and capitalization in the author’s
manuscript. Programming languages don’t normally recognize boldface or italics, but the author
might use them for emphasis.
Spacing is very important because omitting a space will often prevent a computer from
recognizing a command or variable.
Indentations often indicate subsets of the program. Although they aren’t necessary to the
computer, they make a program easier to understand.

Punctuation


Don’t substitute two single typesetting quotation marks (‘ ’) or normal double typesetting
quotation marks (“ ”) for typewriter quotation marks (").



Don’t substitute a hyphen (-) for a minus sign ().



Don’t substitute a raised asterisk (*) for a multiplication asterisk ().



Don’t substitute an em dash (—) for two hyphens (--), which is a comment symbol in some
languages.

Capitalization
Words or letters in programming languages generally represent commands (tokens) or variables.
In Fortran and Basic, the general convention is to capitalize commands (such as IF, PRINT,
FORMAT, GOTO) and variables (often I, N, X(n.)). In C, Algol, and PostScript, these words and
letters are lowercase.

Tokens in text
Use the “program code” tag for program commands to distinguish them in text. Resist using
boldface, italics, underlining, superscript, or subscript. If the language is case-sensitive (where a
compiler doesn’t see “do,” “Do,” “dO,” and “DO” as equivalent), follow the language’s rules.
Most popular languages aren’t case-sensitive.

Style Guide version October 2016

Case-insensitive
Ada, Algol, Anna, APL, assembly, Basic, Clu, Cobol, Fortran, job-control languages, Lisp
(including Common Lisp), Logo, MS-DOS and other operating-system-level command
interpreters (micro and mainframe), Occam, Pascal, PL/I, Prolog, SISAL, Snobol, and SQL.

Case-sensitive
ABC, C, C++, Eiffel, Interlisp, Loops (including the Common Loops and Concurrent Loops
dialects), Modula-2, Prolog, and Smalltalk. Most case-sensitive languages are object oriented,
although some (for example, ABC) aren’t. Some newer dialects of these languages might not be
case-sensitive; check with the author.

Style Guide version October 2016

Punctuation
In general, punctuation is such a complex topic that referring to the appropriate CMS sections is
the preferred option. However, here we present some specific guidelines.

Colons
When a colon introduces text within a sentence, the following word starts with a lowercase letter.
Otherwise, the following word has an initial cap.

Ellipses
Because the correct use of an ellipsis is sometimes mysterious, we provide these guidelines:


For omissions within a sentence when using Word, insert a space, the ellipsis symbol, and a
space.



For omissions between sentences, use closing punctuation before an ellipsis if the preceding
sentence is grammatically complete. If the preceding sentence isn’t grammatically complete,
don’t use closing punctuation. Place a space directly before and after the ellipsis.

For more complete information about using an ellipsis, see CMS 13.48–13.56.

En dashes
Use en dashes for page ranges and other cases where the CMS calls for them; see CMS 6.78–681.

Quotation marks
Use double quotation marks for quoted text inside block quotations, decks, headings, and
interviews. Don’t put quotation marks around the entire quotation, deck, and so on.

Slashes (virgules)
Use your judgment regarding the use of slashes. Normally, there should be no space on either side
of the slash. For an exception, see CMS 6.104.

Style Guide version October 2016

References
This special section consists of two subsections: sample formats and general style. The first
presents examples of most of the reference types that arise in Computer Society publications. The
second delineates the policies and style principles underlying the formats.
To save time, ask the authors for any missing reference information. If they don’t provide it, then
search for it if possible.

Sample formats
Article in a collection
A.J. Albrecht, “Measuring Application-Development Productivity,” Programmer Productivity
Issues for the Eighties, 2nd ed., C. Jones, ed., IEEE CS, 1981, pp. 34–43.

Article in a conference proceedings
In general, delete prepositions in conference titles where the meaning is clear without them (see
the “Abbreviations” section). Use the ordinal symbol (2nd, 14th, 23rd) for annual conferences. If
available, include the conference initialism in parentheses—for example, (ICDE 98)—following
the abbreviated name of the conference. Include the sponsor’s name if it’s part of the official
proceedings title. The publisher’s name is unnecessary. Use the page numbers, article number, or
DOI.
H. Yuan et al., “Sparse Representation Using Contextual Information for Hyperspectral Image
Classification,” Proc. 2013 IEEE Conf. Cybernetics (CYBCONF 13), 2013, pp. 138–143.
N. Zhong, “Toward Web Intelligence,” Advances in Web Intelligence: 1st Int’l Atlantic Web
Intelligence Conf. (AWIC 03), LNCS 2663, 2003, pp. 1–14.

Article in a journal or magazine
Use lowercase for vol. and no. The default is to use the volume and issue number, but for popular
publications, you can use the publication date instead. Page numbers through 9999 don’t require a
comma.
I.E. Sutherland, R.F. Sproull, and R.A. Schumaker, “A Characterization of Ten Hidden-Surface
Algorithms,” ACM Computing Surveys, vol. 6, no. 1, 1974, pp. 1–55.

Blog
To cite the blog itself:
The Official Google Blog, Google; http://googleblog.blogspot.com. (Google is listed as the
publisher here.)
M. Watson, Artificial Intelligence Blog; http://markwatson.com/aiblog.
Artificial Intelligence and Robots, blog; http://smart-machines.blogspot.com. (no named author or
publisher)
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Entries in a blog:
M. Sahami, “About the Google Education Summit,” blog, 26 Oct. 2007;
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/about-google-education-summit.html.
M. Watson, “Using the PowerLoom Reasoning System with JRuby,” blog, 2 Oct. 2007;
http://markwatson.com/aiblog.
“Reinforcement Learning Is Cool,” blog; 24 Oct. 2007; http://smartmachines.blogspot.com/2007/10/reinforcement-learning-is-cool.html. (no named author)

Book
W.M. Newman and R.F. Sproull, Principles of Interactive Computer Graphics, McGraw-Hill,
1979, p. 402.
M.A. Arbib, ed., The Handbook of Brain Theory and Neural Networks, MIT Press, 1998.

Book series
Y. Yao et al., “Web Intelligence (WI): Research Challenges and Trends in the New Information
Age,” Web Intelligence: Research and Development, LNAI 2198, N. Zhong et al., eds., Springer,
2001, pp. 1–17.
R. Focardi and R. Gorrieri, eds., Foundations of Security Analysis and Design, LNCS 2171,
Springer, 2001.
Note: According to CMS 14.128, if the book can be located without the series title, it can be
omitted to save space.

Dissertation or thesis
B. Fagin, “A Parallel Execution Model for Prolog,” PhD dissertation, Dept. Computer Sciences,
Univ. of California, Berkeley, 1987.
M. Nichols, “The Graphical Kernel System in Prolog,” master’s thesis, Dept. Computer Science
and Eng., Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., 1985.

Electronic publication
DOIs
Note: If the volume and issue number, date, and page numbers are available, it isn’t necessary to
include the DOI. If they aren’t available, use the DOI, if possible.
Article in a journal
D. Kornack and P. Rakic, “Cell Proliferation without Neurogenesis in Adult Primate Neocortex,”
Science; doi:10.1126/science.1065467.

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Article in a conference proceedings
H. Goto, Y. Hasegawa, and M. Tanaka, “Efficient Scheduling Focusing on the Duality of MPL
Representation,” Proc. IEEE Symp. Computational Intelligence in Scheduling (SCIS 07), 2007;
doi:10.1109/SCIS.2007.367670.
Online-only publication
F. Kaplan, “From Baghdad to Manila: Another Lousy Analogy for the Occupation of Iraq,” Slate,
21 Oct. 2003; http://slate.msn.com/id/2090114.
Website
R. Bartle, “Early MUD History,” Nov. 1990; www.ludd.luth.se/aber/mud-history.html.

Executive order
B. Obama, “Termination of Emergency with Respect to the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation Created
by the Accumulation of a Large Volume of Weapons-Usable Fissile Material in the Territory of
the Russian Federation,” Executive Order 13695, Federal Register, vol. 80, no. 102, 28 May
2015, p. 30331.

Government report
“Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act,” US Senate Report 114-100, 30 July 2015.

Legal citations
Note: In text, italicize the names of court cases.
US Supreme Court decisions



Olmstead v. United States, US Reports, vol. 277, 1928, p. 438.
Olmstead v. United States, US Reports, vol. 277, 1928, p. 478 (Justice Brandeis, dissenting).

Lower-court decisions



US v. Councilman, Federal Supplement, 2nd Series, vol. 245, 2003, p. 321 (US District Court
for the District of Mass.).
US v. Councilman, Federal Reporter, 3rd Series, vol. 373, 2004, p. 204 (US Court of
Appeals for the First Circuit).

US laws




US Code, Title 18, section 3123(a)(1),(2), 2000 and 2002 Supplement.
Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools to Intercept and Obstruct
Terrorism, Public Law No. 107-56, section 209, US Statutes at Large, vol. 115, 2001, p. 285.
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, Public Law No. 90-351, sections 801–
804, US Statutes at Large, vol. 82, pp. 211–223 (codified as amended in US Code, Title 18,
sections 2510–2522, 2000 and 2002 Supplement).

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Newsletter
J. Butler, “CASE Outlook,” System Development Newsletter, Applied Computer Research,
Phoenix, Ariz., Nov. 1987, p. 3.

Non-English source
Including original title
A.N. Zhirabok and A.E. Shumskii, Electronnoe Modelirovanie [Electronic Modeling],
Energoatomizdat, Leningrad, 1984 (in Russian).
Original title unprintable
T. Nakayama et al., “NEC Corporation Develops 32-Bit RISC Microprocessor,” Nikkei
Electronics, vol. 6, no. 12, 1995, pp. 111–121 (in Japanese).

Patent
With patentee information
M. Hoff, S. Mazor, and F. Faggin, Memory System for Multi-Chip Digital Computer, US patent
3,821,715, to Intel Corp., Patent and Trademark Office, 1974.
Without patentee information
Digital-to-Analog Converting Unit with Improved Linearity, US patent 5,162,800, Patent and
Trademark Office, 1992.

Pending publication
For an article or paper, include the name of the publication and date if known:
R. Lee, “New-Media Processing,” to be published in IEEE Micro, Nov./Dec. 2012.
For a book, include the publisher and year of publication:
R. Lee, Writing New Programs, McMillan, to be published in 2012.

Personal communication and unpublished materials
These usually aren’t referenced because they aren’t available to the reader. Authors who insist on
attributing material obtained through personal communication should identify the source of the
information in the main text (for example, “As Maria Youngblood stated during a conference
panel, ...”).

Preprint
J.M.P. Martinez et al., “Integrating Data Warehouses with Web Data: A Survey,” IEEE Trans.
Knowledge and Data Eng., preprint, 21 Dec. 2007; doi:10.1109/TKDE.2007.190746.

Style Guide version October 2016

Special issue
Computing in Science & Eng., special issue on computing in optics, Nov./Dec. 2003;
http://csdl.computer.org/comp/mags/cs/2003/06/c6toc.htm.

Standard
Recommendation ITU-R BT.601, Encoding Parameters of Digital Television for Studios, Int’l
Telecommunication Union, 1992.
IEEE Std. 1596-1992, Scalable Coherent Interface (SCI), IEEE, 1992.
IETF working draft
L. Martini et al., “Transport of Layer 2 Frames over MPLS,” IETF Internet draft, work in
progress, Feb. 2001.
Note: Per IETF guidelines, references to working drafts shouldn’t include URLs because they
expire after six months; use “work in progress” instead.
Industry specification
C. Evans et al., Web Services Reliability (WS-Reliability), v. 1.0, joint specification by Fujitsu,
NEC, Oracle, Sonic Software, and Sun Microsystems, Jan. 2003;
www.developers.sun.com/sw/platform/technologies/ws-reliability.html.
MPEG specification
MPEG-21 Overview, ISO/MPEG N5231, MPEG Requirements Group, Oct. 2002.
RFC
C. Perkins and E. Guttman, DHCP Options for Service Location Protocol, IETF RFC 2610, June
1999; www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2610.txt.
W3C note
D. Box et al., Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) 1.1, W3C note, May 2000;
www.w3.org/TR/SOAP.
W3C recommendation
N. Mitra, SOAP v.1.2, Part 0: Primer, W3C recommendation, June 2003;
www.w3.org/TR/soap12-part0.

Supplemental material
K. Xu et al., “Spherical Piecewise Constant Basis Functions for All-Frequency Precomputed
Radiance Transfer,” IEEE Trans. Visualization and Computer Graphics, vol. 14, no. 2, 2008, pp.
454–467, supplemental material; http://csdl.computer.org/comp/trans/tg/2008/02/ttg2008020454s
.avi.

Style Guide version October 2016

Technical memo, technical report, technical or user manual
Include the department name for technical memos, technical reports, and other material that
might not be indexed in a company-wide or university-wide library or by an abstracting service.
Technical memo
“Requirements for Software-Engineering Databases,” tech. memo, Imperial Software
Technology, London, 1983.
Technical report with report number
C. Hoffman and J. Hopcroft, Quadratic Blending Surfaces, tech. report TR-85-674, Computer
Science Dept., Cornell Univ., 1985.
Technical report without report number
E. Yarwood, Toward Program Illustration, tech. report, Computer Systems Research Group,
Univ. of Toronto, 1977.
Technical or user manual
The Unix System V Interface Definition, vol. 1, AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, N.J., 1991.

White paper
Consolidating the IT Infrastructure, white paper, Oracle Corp., Dec. 2003.

Wikipedia
Avoid citing as a reference if a more standardized source is available.

Style Guide version October 2016

General style
Author names
Use each author’s initials and last name. Leave no space between initials, but leave a space between the period following the last initial and the first letter of the last name (for example, E.F.
Codd). For hyphenated first names, use a period for each initial (for example, J.-L. Picard).
If an entry has more than three authors, use the first author’s name and follow it with “et al.”—for
example, T.G. Lewis et al.

Dates
Include just the year of publication for books. For periodicals, normally include the volume number, issue number, and year. However, for popular periodicals, include the month and year. If a
periodical appears more frequently than monthly, include the date with the month—for example,
15 Mar. 2000. If a periodical appears quarterly, use the season or issue number, depending on the
periodical’s usage. For periodicals that appear irregularly, don’t use the month—for example, vol.
16, no. 5, 1997.
Spell out May, June, and July; abbreviate the other months: Jan., Feb., Mar., Apr., Aug., Sept.,
Oct., Nov., and Dec. Use a slash for bimonthly issues (Aug./Sept. 2000) and an en dash for a
quarterly (July–Sept. 2000). Capitalize the names of seasons: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Electronic references
References to electronic repositories are acceptable in IEEE Computer Society publications, but
they aren’t the references of choice for formal archival use. Whenever possible, use references to
printed material. However, when this isn’t possible, cite the electronic address along with as
much additional information as possible. If the address itself becomes invalid in the future, the
other information might help researchers find the same document elsewhere on the Internet. At
the very least, a reference to an electronic source must include the URL.
When citing an electronic reference simply to give the reader a place to go for more information,
instead of including it in a formal reference list, noting it in parentheses in the running text is
acceptable. Because such references break the flow of the text, use them sparingly and don’t set
them off in italic, boldface, or typewriter font. If an article includes many electronic references,
consider placing them in a sidebar or a broken-out list.

Page numbers
If a reference’s page numbers start with page 1 (for example, “pp. 1–10”), verify that those are
the actual page numbers and not just the number of pages. If that information refers to the number
of pages, use the DOI instead, if possible.

Publications
Italicize names of books (including collections), magazines, journals, newsletters, technical
reports, white papers, and manuals. Use quotation marks to enclose names of articles, papers,
theses, dissertations, technical notes, and technical memos.

Style Guide version October 2016

When listing conference abbreviations in a reference, use the conference abbreviation and the last
two digits of the year: AAAI 07.
After the name of a book, thesis, proceedings, or other book-like material, list the publisher, year
of publication, and inclusive page numbers if applicable. Delete terms such as Co., & Co., Ltd.,
S.A., Publisher, and Publishing Co.; retain Press. Where the publisher is a university, add its
location if needed for clarity—for example, Miami Univ., Ohio.
Don’t include the editor’s name for a conference proceedings unless it’s an edited volume
published as a book.
References for proceedings should tell where an interested reader can find the source, not where
the conference took place. If a proceedings didn’t use a traditional publisher, provide the
sponsoring organization.
Use an en dash to indicate multiple issue numbers—for example, vol. 5, nos. 1–4. If the name of
a column is cited in the reference, use initial caps without quotation marks—for example,
Embedded Computing.
If a reference’s page numbers start with page 1 (for example, pp. 1–10), verify that those are the
actual page numbers and not just the number of pages. If that information refers to the number of
pages, use the DOI instead, if possible.

Titles
Capitalize the first and last words, and all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, and
subordinating conjunctions. Lowercase articles, coordinating conjunctions, and prepositions,
regardless of length. Example: “Toward Better Real-Time Programming through Dataflow.”
To make a source easy for researchers to find, use the title as it originally appears. Don’t add or
remove hyphens, change words to preferred spellings, or lowercase internal capitals.
For foreign-language references, provide the original title first, followed by its English translation
(if available) in brackets: Zur experimentalen Aesthetic [Toward an Experimental Aesthetic].
For a complete treatment of titles, see CMS 8.154-8.195.

Style Guide version October 2016

Abbreviations in references
Use the following abbreviations in the titles of periodicals and proceedings and when naming
publishing institutions:
Am.
Ann.
Assoc.
Bull.
Comm.
Conf.
CS
Dept.
ed.
Eng.
Fed.
Govt.
Inst.
Int’l
J.
Lab(s)
Math.
Nat’l
no.
Org.
Proc.
Q.
Rev.
Soc.
Symp.
Trans.
Univ.
vol.

American
Annual
Association
Bulletin
Communications (of)
Conference (on)
Computer Society
Department (of)
edition, editor
Engineering
Federal
Government
Institute
International
Journal (of)
Laboratory (Laboratories)
Mathematics, Mathematical
National
Number
Organization
Proceedings (of)
Quarterly
Review
Society
Symposium (of or on)
Transactions (on)
University
Volume

Use “Comm.” (for Communications) when the term refers to the type of periodical (and is part of
the periodical’s name), not when it refers to the topic of communications.
Use “Eng.” (for Engineering) in the titles of periodicals and conference proceedings and in the
names of professional organizations, not in article or book titles.
Drop the “on” from “Workshop on” constructions. When abbreviating institution names, drop
“of” except in “University of” constructions—for example, Inst. Systems Research, Univ. of
Wisconsin.
Use “ch.” for “chapter” (of a book).
Style Guide version October 2016

A
* Denotes entries for which it’s okay to use the acronym or abbreviated term on first
use
*

A: ampere—for example, 25 A (n.); 25-A current (adj.)
AAAI: American Association for Artificial Intelligence
AAAS: American Association for the Advancement of Science
AACP: American Association of Computing Professionals
ABET: Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
AC: alternating current
academic degrees: BS, MS, and PhD are the standard abbreviations for the bachelor’s,
master’s, and doctoral degrees that we encounter in most of our authors’ biographies.
However, if an author insists, using BSME or BSEE instead of “BS in mechanical
engineering” or MSc instead of MS is acceptable. These and other variants have the
sanction of being included in the Webster’s list of abbreviations. In general, reproduce nonUS degrees as authors submit them (except for periods)—for example, BEng, BTech, and
DPhil. See also bachelor’s, master’s, doctorate.
accents: Use accents in anglicized non-English terms when important for pronunciation, to
avoid confusion with another word, or where context makes it unclear. Use accents in nonEnglish names, especially names of individuals. In general, lean toward the author’s
preference. See also the “Non-English Words and Phrases” section.
ACE: Advanced Computing Environment
ACID: atomicity, consistency, isolation, and durability (a test)
ACK: acknowledgment
Acknowledgments: not Acknowledgements. Use the plural form for the section of the
same name at the end of an article.
ACL: Association for Computational Linguistics
ACM: Association for Computing Machinery; includes several special-interest groups
(SIGs). With the exception of Siggraph and Sigmod, use the ACM style for each SIG in
text or references. See www.acm.org/sigs for a current listing. Use “is a Member of ACM”
in bios. In references, use ACM instead of ACM Press (old format). Don’t insert “the”
before ACM.
acronyms: See the “Acronyms and Abbreviated Terms” section for general style
guidelines.
ACS: Australian Computer Society
ActiveX: software technology from Microsoft
A/D: analog/digital
Ada: a programming language (named for Augusta Ada Lovelace) developed by the US
Defense Department
ADAPSO: Association of Data Processing Service Organizations; renamed as Information
Technology Association of America (ITAA) in 1991

Style Guide version October 2016

ADC: analog-to-digital converter
add-in board
Addison-Wesley or Addison Wesley Longman; Addison-Wesley Professional
add-on (adj.)
address mode (n.): the way the processor is addressed. It includes sequential, forward, and
backward addressing, among other modes; hyphenate it when it’s used as an adjective.
ADSL: asymmetric digital subscriber line (for fast Internet access)
admin: okay to use instead of “administration” in appropriate cases
AEA: American Electronics Association
AEC (adj.): architecture-engineering-construction; no hyphens in the acronym
AES: Advanced Encryption Standard; NIST standard for symmetric key encryption
AFCET: Association Française pour la Cybernétique Économique et Technique
AFIPS: American Federation of Information Processing Societies (no longer exists)
agile: not capitalized when it refers to programming techniques
AI: artificial intelligence
AIAA: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
AIChE: American Institute of Chemical Engineers
AIIM: Association for Information and Image Management
AIM: advanced instruction module
AIP: American Institute of Physics
Ajax: Asynchronous JavaScript and XML
A K Peters: Publisher (no periods after initials)
Algol: stands for algorithmic language
ALPG: algorithmic pattern generator (hardware and software)
Al Qaeda
ALU: arithmetic logic unit
a.m.: ante meridiem “before noon” (also includes 12:00 midnight). See also p.m.
ampersand: Retain the symbol in proper names when the name owner uses it that way;
otherwise avoid it.
Amazon.com
Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk)
AMS: American Mathematical Society
AMU: Association of Minicomputer Users
analog: not analogue
and/or: Avoid this construction.
ANOVA: analysis of variance; a statistical test
ANSI: American National Standards Institute
Ansys: finite-element analysis software by Swanson Analysis Systems
anti-: not hyphenated as a compound modifier unless the root word is a proper noun or
begins with “i”—for example, antialiasing, anti-intellectual
apa: all points addressable

Style Guide version October 2016

*
*

APDA: Apple Programmers and Developers Association
API: application programming interface
APL: A Programming Language
appendices: not appendixes
Apple IIe, IIgs; Macintosh IIc, IIcx, IIfx, and so on
apps: acceptable abbreviation for applications
AR: augmented reality
Arcnet: Attached Resource Computer Network; developed by Datapoint Corp.
ARO: after receipt of order; Army Research Office (preceded by US if spelled out)
ARPA: Advanced Research Projects Agency, a part of the US Defense Department;
DARPA is the preferred usage.
Arpanet: the oldest of the networks on the Internet; initial capital only
artificial intelligence: AI is acceptable on first reference if the context makes it clear. The
term loosely includes expert systems, knowledge bases, natural-language interfaces,
pattern recognition (voice, image, and signal), and neural networks.
ASC: American Society for Cybernetics
ASCI: Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative
ASCII: American Standard Code for Information Interchange
ASIC: application-specific integrated circuit.
ASIS: American Society for Information Science and Technology
ASME: American Society of Mechanical Engineers
ASP: application service provider; application-specific processor; Active Server Pages
ASPLOS: Architectural Support for Programming Languages and Operating Systems; the
name of a conference
assembly language (lowercase; not “assembler”): a computer language that assembles the
assembly-language code, as a compiler compiles high-level code
ASTI: Association for Science, Technology, and Innovation
ATE: automatic test equipment
ATM: asynchronous transfer mode
ATPG: automatic test-pattern generation
AutoCAD: software from Autodesk Inc.; exception to normal style because of common
usage
Autoprobe
avatar: a graphical image that represents a person
Awk: a language based on the authors’ names—Aho, Weinberger, and Kernighan

Style Guide version October 2016

B
B2B: business-to-business
B2C: business-to-consumer
bachelor’s degree
back door (n.), backdoor (adj.)
back end (n.), back-end (adj.)
backplane (n.): an electronic circuit board containing circuitry and sockets into which
additional electronic devices on other circuit boards or cards can be plugged; generally
synonymous with or part of a computer motherboard
backup (n., adj.): for example, “the system served as a backup;” “a backup copy”
back up (v.): as in, “you can back up the database”
bandwidth
bar code
Basic: a programming language; allegedly stands for “beginner’s all-purpose symbolic
instruction code,” but this is etymologically suspect
BasicA: Microsoft advanced Basic; known as “GW-Basic” on non-IBM, MS-DOS
computers
baud (sing. or pl.): transmission speed in units per second, originally used to measure
telegraph transmission. In computing, the units are usually bits, hence the common practice
of using baud and bps interchangeably. However, this is technically inaccurate because the
unit in a baud can be any discrete element.
BCS: British Computer Society
BDI: beliefs, desires, intentions—a model of human reasoning
BEEP: Blocks Extensible Exchange Protocol
Beijing: the Pinyin form used instead of “Peking”
benchmark: a standardized problem, test, or suite of tests that serves as a basis for the
repeatable, objective comparison of hardware or software. Examples include Dhrystone,
Mflops, Sim, and Whetstone.
beta site: the secondary (hence beta) site
Beta-spline (n., adj.): not the same as a B-spline
beta test (n., v.)
Bezier: no accent mark on the first syllable
BFL: buffered field-effect transistor logic
BIFS: binary format for scenes
BGP: Border Gateway Protocol
“Big Blue”: informal name for IBM
big data (n., adj.): not capitalized
BIOS: basic input/output system; operating system software that handles communications
with devices, including monitors, keyboards, disk drives, processors, and ports
Birkhäuser Boston: North American branch of the Swiss publisher, Birkhäuser Publishing
Style Guide version October 2016

BIST: built-in self-test
bit: a binary digit, 0 or 1; the basic element making up digital data
-bit (suffix): Adjectives formed with numbers and bit are hyphenated—for example, “64bit processor.”
bitblt: Previous CS Style Guide versions defined this term as “bit block-level transfer,” but
some authors insist on “bit block transfer.”
bitline
bitmap: a digital representation of an image in which bits are mapped into pixels; in color
graphics, a different bitmap is used for each red, green, and blue value
bitmapped graphics
Bitnet: a communications network between universities and research centers. Although it’s
reputed to stand for “Because It’s Time Network,” the term isn’t a true acronym.
bit rate
bit-slice processor
bit-sliced (adj.)
bitstream (n., adj.)
bitwise (n.): dealing with bits rather than a larger structure such as a byte. Bitwise operators
are programming commands or statements that work with individual bits.
black-and-white (adj.)
BlackBerry
black box: a complicated electronic device whose internal mechanism is usually hidden
from or mysterious to the user
BLAS: basic linear algebra subroutines
blog: a shared online journal
Bluetooth
Blu-ray
BNF: Backus-Naur Form, a metalanguage
boldface: Strictly limit its use as an emphasis technique; italic type is preferred and should
be used whenever possible.
Boolean: from George Boole; spelling with a capital B is preferred
bootup (n.), boot up (v.): more commonly just boot
botnet: jargon term for a collection of software robots, or bots, that run autonomously
bottom-up design: design that starts at the system level as opposed to top-down design,
which starts at the logic level and works down. In middle-out design, design starts at the
middle level and proceeds up or down.
boundary scan: a self-test technique; not synonymous with scan
BPEL4WS: Business Process Execution Language for Web Services
bpi: bits per inch—for example, 1,600-bpi magnetic tape unit; 1,600 bpi
BPML: Business Process Modeling Language
BPMN: Business Process Model and Notation
bps: bits per second, as in 1,200 bps; see also baud
BPSS: Business Process Specification Schema
BRDF: bidirectional reflectance distribution function
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B-rep: boundary representation
broadband (n.): a technique for high-speed data transmission
broadcast bus: sends a single data item to all bus destinations in a unit of time
brute-force attack
BSA: Business Software Alliance
Bsafe: encryption software
BSD: Berkeley Software Distribution, an extended and modified version of AT&T Unix
from the University of California, Berkeley
B-spline (n., adj.): not the same as a Beta-spline
Bsquare
b-trieve: random-access search technique used in databases
burn-in (n., adj.), burn in (v.)
bus, bused, busing, buses: The s isn’t doubled.
byte: an eight-bit string that a processor reads as a group. Generally, one byte equals one
alphanumeric character.
bytecode: one word

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C
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C: degree Celsius
C: a programming language
C++: a programming language based on C and extended to include object-oriented
features (++ is not super- or subscripted)
C3: command, control, and communications
C3I: command, control, communications, and intelligence
Cx: (x is an integer or an algebraic representation of an integer); a mathematical notation
referring to the continuity of a function and therefore its differentiability (in calculus)
because derivatives are undefined where functions are discontinuous. Less formally,
continuity refers to the “smoothness” of a function or curve. C0 means the function is
continuous but its derivatives aren’t. C1 means both the function and its first derivative are
continuous, but the second derivative might not be. More complicated forms, such as CK-1,
also occur. Some authors make the C calligraphic, but this isn’t necessary.
CAD: computer-aided design
CADAM: computer graphics augmented design and manufacturing system
CAD/CAM: computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing
CADD: computer-aided design and drafting
CAE: computer-aided engineering
CAGD: computer-aided geometric design
CAI: computer-assisted instruction or computer-aided instruction
CalArts: California Institute of the Arts; abbreviated term acceptable only on second
reference
Calcomp, Calcomp IGS-500, Calcomp 960 plotter
CALM: Common Assembly Language for Microprocessors
Caltech: California Institute of Technology
CAM: contact addressable memory
CAM-I: Computer-Aided Manufacturing International
Carnegie Mellon University: The Pittsburgh-based university removed the hyphen from
its name in 1986.
Cartesian: initial capital
CASE: computer-aided software engineering
CASA/SME: Computer and Automated Systems Association of the Society of Mechanical
Engineers
CAT: computer-aided testing (not computerized axial tomography); see CT
catalog (not catalogue)
CAVE: Cave Automatic Virtual Environment
CavernSoft: note internal cap
CBEMA: Computer Business Equipment Manufacturers Association
CCALI: Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction

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CCD: charge-coupled device
CCIA: Computer and Communications Industry Association
CCITT: Comité Consultatif International de Télégraphique et Téléphonique (International
Consultative Committee for Telegraphy and Telephony), a Geneva-based division of the
International Telecommunications Union, a New York-based United Nations organization;
rarely spelled out. Now ITU-T; see the listing in the “I” section.
CDA: DEC’s compound document architecture
CD-I: compact disc-interactive
CDMA: code division multiple access—a wireless communications technology
CD-ROM: compact-disc read-only memory. The preferred spelling is with the hyphen.
Cedar: a Xerox programming language
Cedex: a French postal pickup station, used in addresses
cel: a clear acetate sheet onto which animators’ drawings are traced and painted for
photographing
cell phone
century: Use the symbol for ordinal numbers—for example, 20th century. Note: CMS
spells out the century (twentieth century).
CerDIP: trademark name for a ceramic dual in-line package
CERN: Centre Européen des Recherches Nucléaires (European Center for Nuclear
Research)
CERT Coordination Center: CERT/CC, a center of Internet security expertise, located at
the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
CGA: color graphics adapter (or array); an IBM color-display standard allowing eight
colors
CGI: common gateway interface
CGS: Computer Graphics Society
CHI: The annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
child: one of several family words used to describe relationships among nodes in
databases. The terms are legitimate—don’t edit them out.
chipmaker, chipset
CHMOS: Intel’s CMOS
CIA: US Central Intelligence Agency
CIDR: classless interdomain routing
CIE: International Commission on Illumination (Commission Internationale de
l’Eclairage)
CIELUV: perceptually based color space
CIM: computer-integrated manufacturing
ciphertext: no hyphen; i not y
CIPS: Canadian Information Processing Society
CISC: complex-instruction-set computing
CLB: configurable logic block
cleanroom: a software development approach aimed at producing software with the
minimum number of errors

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cleanup (n., adj.), clean up (v.)
cleartext (n.)
client-server: Use a hyphen, not a slash.
clk: clock
clock cycle: the time it takes the CPU to fetch and execute an instruction. Don’t substitute
“clock.”
closed-loop (adj.)
(the) cloud, cloud computing
CLUT: color lookup table
cm: centimeter
CMM: Capability Maturity Model, Levels 1–5. Don’t spell this out in IEEE Software.
CMOS: complementary metal-oxide semiconductor
co-: Compounds formed with this prefix generally aren’t hyphenated. Exceptions are
compounds that result in a double o (co-op, co-official) and a compound such as co-edition
that could be confusing or suggests infelicitous reading. However, this doesn’t apply to
words such as coincidence or cooperate where the first two letters, through long-standing
use, are viewed more as an integral part of the word than as prefixes. See Webster’s and
CMS 7.85, Table 4, for other examples.
Co.: abbreviated when used in text as part of a company name. Avoid using it unless a
company’s name might not be clear without it—for example, Data Co.
CO2e: equivalent carbon dioxide
Cobol: Common Business-Oriented Language; Cobol on all references
CoCom: an informal abbreviation for Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Expert
Controls
Cocomo: Cost Constructive Model, a project-estimation system developed by Barry
Boehm
Codasyl: Conference on Data Systems Languages, an obsolete organization devoted to
developing a universal data system language for business; active from 1959 to about 1971
code base
codesign; hardware-software codesign
Codiac: centralized operation deterministic interface access control
colocate: locate together, as in putting two things close together to share common facilities
COM: Component Object Model
compiler: a program that translates code in a high-level language into instructions a
machine can execute
complex-instruction-set computing: also CISC
compute: Resist the tendency to use this as an adjective or adverb. Use “computationally
intensive” instead of “compute-intensive” and “computation server” instead of “compute
server.”
Computer (magazine): not IEEE Computer
computer games: Italicize the names of computer games but not the names of other types
of games.
Computer Science Press: an imprint of W.H. Freeman. Spell out the name to avoid
confusion with CS Press.

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Computer Society: Use “the IEEE Computer Society” on first reference; “Computer
Society” without “IEEE” is acceptable on second reference. The executive staff often uses
IEEE-CS in its official communications.
Computer Society publications: Use IEEE CS in references.
cooltown: a ubiquitous-computing initiative sponsored by Hewlett Packard. Don’t call it
“CoolTown.”
copyleft: a general method for making a software program free and requiring all modified
and extended versions of the program to be free software as well
copyright, ©: See the “Copyrights, Trademarks, and Image Permissions” section.
Corba: common object request broker architecture. Don’t spell this out in IEEE Software.
Corp.: abbreviated when used in text as part of a company name; spelled out when used in
a byline or biography. Generally used only if a company’s name might not be clear
without it—for example, Logic Corp.
Cosmic Cube: a supercomputer at the University of Illinois
cost-effective: always hyphenated
COTS: commercial off-the-shelf
counter-: prefix, not hyphenated
Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences: an institute at New York University
CPA: Computer Press Association
CP/M, CP/M-86: two of many early operating systems
cpi: characters per inch
cpl: characters per line; spell it out
CPS: a single cyber-physical system or the domain or concept of cyber-physical systems.
The plural form is CPSs.
cps: characters per second, as in 125-cps printer
CPU: central processing unit; plural is CPUs
Cray-1, Cray-2, Cray X-MP/24, Cray X-MP/48, Cray-MP: parallel processors from
Cray Research (now Cray Inc.)
CRM: customer relationship management
cross-assembler, cross-compiler: an assembler or compiler that assembles or compiles
code on one machine for use on another, normally incompatible, machine
crossbar (adj.)
cross-hair cursor
cross section (n.), cross-section (adj.)
Crosstalk: communications software
cross validation (n.), cross-validation (adj.)
crowdfunding
crowdsource
CRT: cathode-ray tube; acceptable on first reference; use VDT when talking about video
displays in general
CS: informal acronym for IEEE Computer Society; rarely used alone in publications
CSCW: computer-supported cooperative work
CSE: computational science and engineering; also, “computer science and engineering”

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CSG: constructive solid geometry
CSI: Computer Security Institute
CSIC: customer-specific integrated circuit; pronounced “seasick”
CSMA/CA: carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance
CSnet: Computer Science Network. It was established to connect institutions that have
Arpanet to each other and to those that don’t. Merged with Bitnet in 1989.
CS Press: no longer used except for books as of 2011.
CSS: Cascading Style Sheets; a style sheet language
CT: computerized tomography; a 3D-scanning technique (not CAT)
CUDA: (Compute Unified Device Architecture) Not commonly spelled out.
CURE: an algorithm
CUT: circuit under test
cyber: (adj.) relating to computers or computer networks
cyber- (prefix): cyberattack, cyberinfrastructure, cybersecurity, cyberwarfare, cyberworld
cyber-physical systems

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d: day (unit of measurement)
DA: design automation
D/A: digital/analog
DAC: digital–analog converter; Design Automation Conference
DAG: directed acyclic graph; a data structure for representing computer graphics
daisy chain (n.), daisy-chained (adj.)
daisywheel
DAML: DARPA Agent Markup Language
DAML+OIL: DARPA Agent Markup Language + ontology inference layer. Spell this
out on first use.
DARPA: US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
DASD: direct-access storage device
DASH: Design Aid Schematic Helpmate
data: Follow the author’s preference for use as singular or plural, but maintain
consistency within an article (unless the context clearly demands inconsistency).
database, datacenter, datapath, dataset, datastream, datatype
data-entry (adj.): as in “data-entry switch”
dataflow (n., adj.)
data mining
Data General: The Westboro, Mass.-based company’s products include the Eclipse
MV/8000, Eclipse MV/1000 superminicomputer, Eclipse S130, and GW/4000 graphics
workstation.
daughter: one of several family words used in computer-based relationships. Although
the preferred usage is the gender-neutral “child,” the term is legitimate; don’t edit it out.
Davic: Digital Audio Video Interactive Council
dB: decibel (40 dB)
dBase II, dBase III, dBase III+: database products produced by Ashton-Tate
DBMS: database management system. The plural form is DBMSs.
DC: direct current
DCE: Distributed Computing Environment
DCFL: direct coupled field-effect transistor logic
DCOM: Distributed Component Object Model
DCT: discrete cosine transform
DDL: document-description language
DDN: Defense Data Network
DDN PMO: Defense Data Network Program Management Office
DEC: Use Digital Equipment Corp. on first reference in text; DEC or Digital is acceptable
for subsequent references.
DEC 10: The DEC 10 is the same computer as the PDP-10. Digital Equipment Corp.

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changed the name to DEC 10 around 1973.
decimals: See the “Numbers and Symbols” section.
decision maker (n.), decision making (n.), decision-making (adj.)
DECnet: A Digital Equipment Corp. facilities’ network
DECsystem-10
DECUS: Digital Equipment Corp. Users Society; absorbed into Encompass, an HP users
group
deep-submicron (adj.)
degrees: Spell this out in text when it’s used as a unit of measure. For educational
degrees, see academic degrees. Use the degree symbol for temperatures.
Denelcor: a defunct company famous for making the HEP, a parallel processor no longer
in production
denial-of-service (adj.): The abbreviation is DoS.
depth buffer: see z-buffer
DES: Data Encryption Standard
design by contract (n.)
desktop
device-independent (adj.): capable of making I/O requests without regard for the
characteristics of I/O equipment
DevOps: a portmanteau of “development” and “operations”
DFM: design for manufacturability
DFT: discrete Fourier transform; design for testability
DHCP: dynamic host configuration protocol
Dhrystone: a benchmark
DHTML: Dynamic HTML
dialog: as in “dialog box”
dialogue: a conversation. Be consistent regarding spelling if dialogue and dialog appear in
proximity.
dial-up (adj.)
Diffserv: differentiated services
Digital Equipment Corp.: Spell this out on first reference in text; use DEC or Digital for
subsequent references.
dimensions: Whether you spell out the term or use abbreviations, be consistent: 8 ft.  5
ft. or eight feet by five feet. See the “Numbers and Symbols” section.
DIMM: dual inline memory module
DIP: dual in-line package; also, MiniDIP with no hyphen
disk: preferred, as in “floppy disk.” However, “disc” is the standard in optics, farming,
and medical applications.
display-list (adj.)
Disspla: initial cap only; product of Computer Associates Int’l
distributed computing system: a system in which storage and processing facilities are
dispersed and loosely coupled by transmission media; also a system in which many
processors perform a computation in parallel

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DIVE: Distributed Interactive Virtual Environment
DLL: dynamic linked library
DMA: direct memory access
DNS: Domain Name System
doctorate: preferred over “doctor’s degree”
DoD: Use Department of Defense on first reference; consider using Defense Department
instead. Add US if the context isn’t clear.
DoD-Std: Department of Defense standard; not the same as Mil-Std
DoE: Use Department of Energy on first reference; consider using Energy Department
instead. Add US if the context isn’t clear.
DOF: degrees of freedom
DOI: digital object identifier
DoJ: Use Department of Justice on first reference; consider using Justice Department
instead. Add US if the context isn’t clear.
dollar sign: Don’t place “US” in front of the dollar sign except to avoid confusion.
DOM: document object model
DOS: disk operating system
DoS: see denial-of-service
dot-com: Internet-based business
dot matrix printer: no hyphen
double-buffer (adj.): as in “a double-buffer scheme”
double buffering
download (v.)
downtime (n.)
DPA attack: differential power analysis
dpi: dots per inch
DPMA: Data Processing Management Association
DPMI: DOS protected-mode interface
DRAM: dynamic RAM (pronounced “dee-ram”)
DRAM module: a group of dynamic RAM chips packaged together
DRM: digital rights management
DSL: digital subscriber line
DSL: domain-specific language
DSP: digital signal processor (chips); digital signal processing (applications, systems).
DSS: decision support system
DSSS: direct sequence spread spectrum
DTD: document type definition; an SGML term
DTF: dielectric thin film (filters)
DTR: data terminal ready
DUT: device under test
DVD: digital video disc or digital versatile disc

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DXF: data exchange file (format)

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E
E.: “east” in addresses
e-: prefix denoting “electronic,” as in e-commerce, e-health, e-learning, e-publishing, escience, but not in email. When using in an article title or headings, capitalize both the “e”
and the word following the hyphen, as in “E-Commerce in Asia.”
on Earth (planet), of the earth (soil)
EasyLiving: a ubiquitous-computing project of the Vision Group at Microsoft Research.
Don’t call it “easy living.”
eBay
EBCDIC: extended binary-coded decimal-interchange code; compare with ASCII
ebook
ECC: error-correcting code
ECL: emitter-coupled logic
E/D: enhancement/depletion mode
EDI: electronic data interchange
editor in chief (n.), editor-in-chief (adj.): Editor in Chief Bill Smith; Bill Smith, the
magazine’s editor in chief; editor-in-chief position
EDSAC: Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator
EDVAC: Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer
Eeprom: electrically erasable programmable read-only memory
e.g.: exempli gratia; substitute “such as” or “for example”
EGA: extended graphics adapter or array; an IBM color-display standard allowing 16
colors
EIA: Electronic Industries Alliance
EIAJ: Electronic Industries Association of Japan
eigen-: prefix meaning “characteristic”
EISA: extended international standard architecture
Eispack: benchmark
EJB: Enterprise JavaBeans
E-JFET: n-channel enhancement mode junction field-effect transistor
electron beam (n.), electron-beam (adj.)
ellipsis: See the “Punctuation” section or CMS 13.48-13.56.
email: electronic mail. Use curly brackets to list multiple persons at the same email
address—for example, {jsmith, pjones, abrown}@computer.org.
EMS: Expanded Memory Specification; a standard developed by Lotus Development,
Intel, Microsoft, and AST Research for configuring and addressing memory above the MSDOS direct-address 640-Kbyte limit. Also known as LIM EMS, from the companies’
names. AST became a development partner after the acronym was coined.
end-fire coupling
endpoint (n.): Use this in a geometric context and when referring to networks; otherwise,
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use two words: end point.

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end user (n.), end-user (adj.): the ultimate user or customer. Use just “user” unless
distinguishing different types of users, such as a testing user or support user. Consider
substituting “customer.”
ENIAC: Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer; an early-generation computer
EPFL: Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
Eprom: erasable programmable read-only memory
EPS: encapsulated PostScript
ERP: enterprise resource planning
Esprit: European Strategic Programme for Research and Development; retain the spelling
of Programme
et al.: et alia. Use this for more than three authors in a bibliography, including a period
after al.; it’s okay to substitute “and colleagues” or “and coauthors” in text.
etc.: et cetera. Substitute “and so forth” or “and so on.”
Ethernet: LAN technology; also, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet
EU: European Union, formerly the European Community
euclidean: lowercase in most uses except when referring to the Euclidean algorithm
Euler: an adjective describing a mathematical concept. It’s pronounced “oiler” and takes
“an” as its article.
Euler–Poincaré formula: a graphics algorithm
euro: European monetary unit
EuroASIC: European Conference on Application Specific Integrated Circuits
EuroDAC: European Design Automation Conference
European Federation of National Engineering Associations
EuroVHDL: European Conference on VHSIC Hardware Description Language
EUUG: European Unix Users Group; now known as EurOpen
Extensible Markup Language: XML; okay to use acronym on first use
Extreme Progamming (XP): not eXtreme Programming

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F
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F: degree Fahrenheit
fail-soft-features
fan-in, fan-out (n., adj.): types of logic networks
fan in, fan out (v.)
FAQ
farad: unit of capacitance
Fastbus: an IEEE standard
Fast Ethernet
fast Fourier transform (FFT): (not hyphenated) decoding algorithm
father: one of several family words used to describe relationships among nodes in
databases. Although the preferred usage is the gender-neutral “parent,” both terms are
legitimate; don’t edit them out.
fault tolerance (n.), fault-tolerant (adj.): a system’s capability to keep executing in the
presence of a limited number of faults
fax: document facsimile, document facsimile telecommunications equipment
FBI: US Federal Bureau of Investigation
FDDI: Fiber Distributed Data Interface
FDM: frequency-division multiplexing
FEA: finite-element analysis; also the acronym for Fast Ethernet Alliance
Fellow: always uppercase in “IEEE Fellow” and other similar titles—for example, “she’s
a Fellow of IEEE”
FEM: finite-element method
femtosecond: one quadrillionth of a second
FET: field-effect transistor; also occurs in combinations, such as MESFET
ff: femtofarad
FF: flip-flop. Spell this out in text.
FFT: fast Fourier transform
Fhourstone: a benchmark
FHSS: frequency hopping spread spectrum
Fibre Channel: a computer communications protocol for high-performance information
transfer
fiber optic (n.), fiber-optic (adj.)
field testing (n.), field-testing (adj., v.), field-test (v.)
FIFO (adj.): first-in, first-out—for example, “first-in, first-out accounting”
filename: can be used as two words when not relevant to computers
file system
finite-element analysis
FIPA: Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents

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FIPS: federal information-processing standard
FIR: finite-length impulse response
FireWire: trademarked name for IEEE 1394, an external bus standard
fixed-bubble memory
fixed-length field
fixed point (n.): notation in which the position of the point is fixed in relation to the
numerals, according to some convention
fixed-point (adj.): as in “fixed-point arithmetic”
fJ: femtojoule
Flash: a proprietary Adobe software platform
flash memory
flat-panel display
Flex/32: a system from Flexible Computer Corp.
flip-flop (n.): a circuit or device capable of assuming one of two states at a given time;
abbreviated FF
flits: flow-control digits
floating point (n.); floating-point (adj.): notation in which a point’s location isn’t fixed
but is regularly recalculated. The location is usually expressed as a power of the base.
floorplan
flops: floating-point operations per second; never “flop,” except when quoting the use of
this incorrect form. For example, the 1993 Branscomb Report is titled “From Desktop to
Teraflop ...” Don’t change the title, but the report talks about building a teraflops, not
teraflop, computer.
flowchart
flow control (n.), flow-control (adj.): the sequence of operations performed in the
execution of an algorithm
flowgraph
flowtime
FOAF: Friend-of-a-Friend Protocol
focused, focusing
follow-up (n., adj.), follow up (v.)
footprint: loosely defined as the amount of space a machine takes on a surface (usually a
floor or desktop) or as the system resources an application uses in a computer
foreign: Because the IEEE is an international society, “foreign” isn’t truly applicable in
our publications when referring to nationalities; use “non-US” or “international” instead.
Italicize terms that aren’t commonly accepted in English, but use such terms only when
there’s no suitable English equivalent. See the “Non-English Words and Phrases” section
and CMS 7.49-7.53.
formulas: not formulae
Forth: a programming language
Fortran: for formula translator, a programming language. Dialects include Fortran 77.
FOTS: fiber-optics transmission system
FPGA: field-programmable gate array.
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fps: frames per second.
fractions: Use slash notation (1/1,000) for a general, rounded-off measurement; use
decimals (0.001) for a specific, precise measurement. See the “Numbers and Symbols”
section and appropriate sections in CMS.
frame buffer (n.)
Free Software Foundation: supports GNU Linux
front end (n.): usually refers to a small computer that serves as an interface between the
host system and its peripherals
front-end (adj.): as in “front-end processing”
FSM: finite-state machine
ft: foot
FTAM: file transfer and management
F-test
FTP: File Transfer Protocol
full-scale (adj.)
full-screen (adj.)
Futurebus (n.): IEEE Standard 896 bus
fuzzy set (n.), fuzzy-set (adj.)

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G: giga; standard prefix meaning one billion
g: gram
g: gravity (“6-g acceleration”; “passengers in a BMW are exposed to 2 g”). The
gravitational notation, g, is often italicized to differentiate it from “g” for “gram” or
“grams”
GaAs: gallium arsenide; a semiconducting material, like silicon, used for integrated
circuits. Spell this out on first use.
Game Boy; Game Boy Advance; GameCube
gameplay
GB: gigabyte. Use Gbyte (instead of GB) or spell it out.
Gbit: gigabit. Use Gbit or spell it out.
Gbps: gigabits per second.
GBps: gigabytes per second.
Gbyte: gigabyte—for example, 25 Gbytes and 25-Gbyte memory
GEM: Digital Research’s Graphics Environment Manager, an operating environment for
MS-DOS PCs
general-purpose processors
genlock: to superimpose computer-generated graphics over videotaped images (from a
camera, VCR, or VTR)
Georgia Tech
Gflops: gigaflops
GHz: gigahertz
GIF: graphic interchange format—an electronic file format
giga-: standard prefix meaning one billion
Gigabit Ethernet
GIGI: DEC’s General Imaging Generator and Interpreter
GIGO: garbage in, garbage out
GIPS: billion instructions per second
GIS: geographic information system
GKS: Graphical Kernel System, an international graphics standard
GlobeCom: an IEEE conference
GNP: gross national product
GNU: supports GNU Linux; GNU’s not Unix
googling
GOPS: giga operations per second
GPL: GNU General Public License
GPRS: general packet radio service
GPS: Global Positioning System; a constellation of 24 satellites used for navigation and
precise geodetic position measurements

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GPU: graphics processing (or processor) unit
graftal: an image constructed using parallel graph grammars to define complex objects
grandparent, grandmother, grandfather: a group of family words used to describe
relationships among nodes in databases. The terms are legitimate—don’t edit them out.
Use the gender-neutral “grandparent” when possible.
grand challenge: a difficult problem at the leading edge of a computing field
Grappa: a Java graph-drawing package from AT&T
gray: not “grey,” except in quoted material
Gray code: a binary sequence in which two contiguous numbers differ in only one bit.
Capitalize Gray because it’s the inventor’s name.
gray scale (n.), gray-scale (adj.): for example, “displayed in gray scale,” “a gray-scale
display”
grid; grid computing
GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications.
GUI: graphical user interface
GW-Basic: the Microsoft version of Basic for MS-DOS computers; BasicA is the IBM
version

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H
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h: hour (unit of measurement)
hacker: an expert who explores the details of programmable systems to stretch their
capabilities
halfword: half a computer word
halftone: an image reproduced from a photo or similar original medium, comprising a
series of lines arrayed in a screen, to facilitate sharp, clear printing of images when
producing books. Also the preferred format for images in electronic text for camera-ready
and other forms. A 100- to 110-line screen is best; lines per inch is the US unit of measure.
handheld (adj., n.)
handshaking: identification protocol for modems
hard copy (n.), hard-copy (adj.)
hardwired: describes circuits with only wire and terminal connections, with no
intervening switching (no resistors, inductors, or capacitors)
HarperBusiness, HarperCollins
hashtag
HCI: human-computer interaction.
HD (adj.): high-definition
HDL: hardware description language—any language from a class of computer languages
HDTV: high-definition TV
head-mounted display
healthcare
help desk
hertz: see Hz
Hewlett Packard Labs
hexadecimal: A numbering system with a base of 16. “A” through “F” represent the
decimal numbers 10 through 15.
HID: human interface device
hidden-line removal
hidden Markov model
hidden-surface algorithm
hidden-surface removal: in computer graphics, removing from the display the surfaces
that ordinarily would be obscured by the rest of the object.
high level (n.), high-level (adj.)
high-performance computing
high-speed (adj.): for example, “high-speed computing” and “high-speed switch,” but
“very high speed switch”; also, International Journal of High Speed Computing.
HiperLan2
Hippi: high-performance parallel interface; also written as HiPPI and HIPPI—be prepared
to negotiate

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hither, yon: in computer graphics, the near and far clipping planes.
HMM: hidden Markov model
homepage
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST): “the Hong Kong
University of Science and Technology” in text
hostname
HPC: high-performance computing
HPCwire: an online weekly publication about high-performance computing. Paper copy
doesn’t exist. Italicize it as with the name of any periodical.
HPGL: Hewlett-Packard Graphics Language
HTML: Hypertext Markup Language
HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol. In Web addresses, use lowercase—http://.
HVAC: heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. Always spell this out on first
occurrence.
hyper- (prefix): not hyphenated when used to form a compound
hypercube: a parallel computer architecture
hyphenation: If you can’t resolve a hyphenation question by consulting Webster’s, review
CMS 7.77-7.85. If you feel a word that technically doesn’t require hyphenation (for
example, reallocate) might be confusing, consider hyphenating it.
Hz: hertz; the standard term for cycles per second

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I
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IAB: Internet Architecture Board
IAMA: Internet Assigned Members Authority
IANA: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority
IAP: Internet access provider
IBE: identity-based encryption
IBM: International Business Machines Corporation; sometimes informally called “Big Blue”
IBM 3740-formatted disk, IBM 370-type controllers (note the hyphenation)
IBM PC, IBM PC AT, IBM PC XT, IBM RT PC, IBM PS/2 (Models 25, 30, 50, 60, and
80): no hyphens. IBM PC AT-compatible (adj.).
IBM System/360, IBM System/370: IBM mainframes
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
IC: integrated circuit; acceptable on first reference if context warrants
ICANN: Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers
ICASE: Institute for Computer Applications in Science and Engineering, at NASA’s Langley
Research Center
ICCC: International Council for Computer Communication, Washington, D.C.
ICOT: Japan’s Institute of New Generation Computer Technology, the so-called Fifth
Generation project. The initials refer to the Japanese transliteration of the program, not the
English translation.
ICQ: an instant-messaging program
ICT: information and communications technology
ID: identification
IDC: formerly International Data Corp.
IDDQ
IDE: integrated drive electronics; also, integrated development environment. Don’t spell this
out in IEEE Software when it means the latter.
IDL: Interface Definition Language
i.e.: that is—spell it out
IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission—an international standards organization
IEE: Institution of Electrical Engineers, UK; as of May 2006, renamed as Institution of
Engineering and Technology (IET)—merged with Institution of Incorporated Engineers
IEEE 488 bus
IEEE: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. When it’s used to refer to a
document’s publisher, it’s no longer IEEE Press—just IEEE. Also, don’t insert “the” in front
of it.
IEEE Computer Society: Insert “the” in front of this in text.
IESG: Internet Engineering Steering Group
IET: Institution of Engineering and Technology, formerly IEE (see IEE)
IETF: Internet Engineering Task Force

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IFIP: International Federation for Information Processing
IGES: International Graphics Exchange Standard
iff: if and only if. Spell this out.
if-then
IIL: integrated interconnection logic
-ility, -ilities: This is an IEEE Software-related term. On its first appearance in an article, use
quotes (“-ilities”) but no italics. On subsequent appearances, drop the quotes but keep the
hyphen.
Illiac IV: An early computer, retired from NASA use at Ames Research Center, Moffett
Field, Calif., in 1985
IMACS: International Association for Mathematics and Computers in Simulation
i-mode: a wireless service
IMP: interface-message processor
implementer
in: inch
Inc.: Abbreviate this when it’s used in text as part of a company name, but avoid using it
unless a company’s name might not be clear without it (for example, Lisp Inc.). Don’t set it
off with a comma.
inches: Whether you use symbols or spell them out, be consistent when describing
dimensions—for example, “three inches by five inches” or “3″  5″.” See also the “Numbers
and Symbols” section.
indexes: use “indices” in mathematical contexts
informatics: a term often used to refer to computer science
Information Age
INFORMS: the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences; formed in
1995 when the Operations Research Society of America (ORSA) merged with the Institute of
Management Sciences (IMS)
infoserver
in-house (adj.)
ink-jet printers
inline (adj.)
in queue: Hyphenate this when using it as an adjective—for example, “an in-queue
directory.”
INRIA: Institut National de Récherche en Informatique et en Automatique (French National
Institute for Research in Computer Science and Control)
in-service (adj.)
INSPEC: Information Services for Physics, Electronics, and Computing; an IET database of
English-language research papers. Not a true acronym, but handle as one.
integrated circuit: IC is acceptable on first reference.
Intel’s XScale processor
interconnect or interconnection (n., adj.): Either is acceptable, but follow the author’s usage
and be consistent throughout an article.
International standard: use “ISO standard”

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Internet: normally “the Internet”; Internet 2
Internet Stream Protocol: ST
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intranet: internal network
I/O (n., adj.): input/output
IOP: Internetworking Operating System
IoT: Internet of Things
IP: Internet Protocol; intellectual property
iPhone: acceptable at the beginning of a sentence.
iPSC: a parallel processor from Intel
IPsec: Internet Protocol security
IPv6: Internet Protocol version 6
IPX: internetwork packet exchange
IR: infrared.
IrDA: Infrared Data Association.
IRDS: information-resource dictionary system, a de facto CASE standard
IRQ: interrupt request
ISAM: indexed sequential access method
iSBX bus: an Intel product
ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network, a telecommunications service
ISM band: Industry, Science, Medicine band
ISMM: International Society of Mini- and Microcomputers
ISO: International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Use ISO when referring to
standards (for example, ISO 9000 or “an ISO standard”), but use the entire name with the
letters in parentheses when referring to the organization. ISO was originally a true acronym
for the International Standards Organization, but the name has been changed and the letters
are now only an identifier. Don’t spell this out in IEEE Software.
ISP: Internet service provider
italics: Use sparingly for emphasis or to introduce new terms; use also for foreign expressions
not commonly accepted in English (that is, not found in the main body of Webster’s), singleletter variables, longer variables that might be confused with text if not in italics, book titles
(including manuals), movie titles, and TV-series titles.
IT: information technology
ITC: International Test Conference
item set; some publications use itemset
iterator (n.): a programmed action that sets up a counter to control the number of times the
action is performed
ith: Note: no space, no hyphen, no superscript.
ITU-T: International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector;
formerly, CCITT

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J: Joule
J2EE: Java 2 Enterprise Edition; J2ME: Java 2 Micro Edition; J2SE: Java 2 Standard
Edition. For more information on emerging Java technologies, see http://java.sun.com.
Jabber: streaming XML protocol
Java: cross-platform programming language from Sun Microsystems
JavaOne, JavaBeans, JavaScript, JavaServer Pages (JSP)
Java RMI: Java remote method invocation
JDK: Java development kit
JEDEC: the JEDEC Solid State Technology Assoc., once known as the Joint Electron
Device Engineering Council
JEIDA: Japan Electronic Industry Development Association
JFIF: J-PEG file interchange format
jif: an electronic file format
Jini: Java wireless technology
JMS: Java Message Service
John Wiley & Sons
Josephson junction (n.): an electronic switching device
Jossey-Bass: a subsidiary of John Wiley & Sons
joystick
JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group; also an electronic-file format
JPL: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Jr.: doesn’t require a preceding comma
JSON: JavaScript Object Notation
JTAG: Joint Test Action Group; founders of the boundary scan standard
jth
just-in-time (jit): an inventory management method; no capitals needed. It’s almost always
used as a modifier.
JVM: Java virtual machine
JXTA: a platform-independent peer-to-peer distributed networking protocol developed by
Sun
Jython

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K: (degree) Kelvin
K: 1,024, the binary thousand (25 Kbytes, 25-Kbyte memory); also used as temperature
designator for Kelvin scale, as in 273 K. However, when used as $10K (with no space),
“K” means 1,000. The use of “K” when referring to monetary quantities is discouraged.
k: 1,000, the decimal thousand (164 km); used in metric designations; see CMS 10.57
KAoS: knowledgeable agent-oriented system (nonstandard, but accepted acronym)
KB: kilobyte; use Kbyte (25 Kbytes, 25-Kbyte memory)
Kb: kilobit; use Kbit or spell out, but use Kbps for kilobits per second
KBES: knowledge-based expert system (as opposed to rule-based)
Kbit: kilobit; use Kbit or spell out
Kbps: kilobits per second, preferred over Kb/s; spell out on first use
Kbyte: kilobyte (25 Kbytes, 25-Kbyte memory). Don’t use KB.
KEE: Knowledge Engineering Environment, an Intellicorp product
keiretsu: a group of companies
kernel: the central part of a program or operating system that does the bulk of the
calculations; not to be confused with the mathematical meaning
keyboard, keyframe, keyshare, keystream, keyword
Kflops: thousand floating-point operations per second. Spell this out or convert it to
Mflops notation.
Khornerstone: benchmark
kHz: kilohertz (50 kHz)
kiloWhetstone: measure of floating-point capacity. See benchmarks.
KIPS: thousand instructions per second. Spell this out or convert it to MIPS notation.
KLOC: thousands of lines of code
kludge (n.), kludgy (adj.): a quick fix on a computer or in code
Kluwer Academic Publishers
KM: knowledge management
km: kilometer
km2: okay to use instead of “square kilometers”
k-means: a type of algorithm
kmph: kilometers per hour
knowledge base
KSR1: no internal hyphen; a parallel supercomputer from Kendal Square Research
kVA: kilovoltampere
kW: kilowatt
kWh: kilowatt hour

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L: liter
LALR(1): left-to-right scan with one look-ahead token; compare to LL(1)
LAMP: an open source Web server software bundle
LAN: local area network
Lapack: a benchmark. See also ScaLapack.
large-scale integration: See LSI.
laser disk: preferred spelling over “laser disc” (unless the word appears as a trademark)
LASSO: least absolute shrinkage and selection operator
LaTeX (TeX, PCTeX, PCLaTeX): a formatting language for typesetting math-heavy
articles; pronounced “lah-tech” or “lay-tech.” Don’t set this in small caps or shift any
characters above or below the baseline. LaTeX is a superset of TeX, the original format
devised by Donald Knuth.
lb: pound
LCD: liquid crystal display
LCCC: leadless ceramic-chip carriers; chip packaging
LDAP: Lightweight Directory Access Protocol
Lear Siegler: hardware manufacturer
least worst: an acceptable term in decision theory
LED: light-emitting diode
LiDAR: light detection and ranging (scanning technology)
lifecycle (n., adj.): the software product-development process, usually divided into typical
phases: requirements specification, design, validation, development, testing (verification),
implementation, and maintenance
LIFO (adj.): last-in, first-out
light pen
LIM EMS: Lotus/Intel/Microsoft/AST Research expanded memory specification, a
standard for configuring and addressing memory above the MS-DOS direct-address 640Kbyte limit. AST became a development partner after the acronym was coined.
Lincages: Linkage Interactive Computer Analysis and Graphically Enhanced Synthesis
package (not a true acronym, but handle as one); a synthesis program for mechanism design
developed at the University of Minnesota
Linpack: See benchmark.
Linux: an open operating system based on the Unix platform
LIPS: logical inferences per second
Lisp: from “list processing”; a programming language used mainly in artificial intelligence
liveness: the quality of making sure that something good happens (not just ensuring that
nothing bad happens). Liveness ensures, for example, that a calculation’s results are
returned for use, not just calculated. Don’t use this term without an explanation. Compare
with safety
LL(1): left-to-right scan with one look-ahead token producing a leftmost derivation; short

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for “leftmost LALR(1)”; see LALR(1)
LNAI: Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence
LNCS: Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Use this abbreviation in reference lists.
LOC: lines of code
LOCS: lines of code in service
LoD: learning on demand
login, logon, logout, logoff (n., adj.), log in, log on, log out, log off (v.)
look-ahead (adj.)
lookaside
lookup (n., adj.); look up (v.): the process of matching by computer the words of a text
with material stored in memory
LOTOS: logic of temporal ordering system
low-cost (adj.)
low-end (adj.)
lowercase (n., adj.)
lpi: lines per inch (300-lpi resolution, 300 lpi)
lpm: lines per minute (145-lpm printer, 145 lpm)
LSI: large-scale integration, about 1,000 to 10,000 circuits per chip
LUT: lookup table. Avoid using this acronym.

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µ: mu. See mu and micro-.
µs: microsecond
M: SI prefix for million or mega (40-Mbyte hard disk, 12 Mbytes of memory)
m: meter
m: one one-thousandth or milli- (18 mm)
mA: milliampere (20-mA current loop, 20 mA)
MAA: Mathematical Association of America
MAC: media access control
MacDraw, MacPaint, MacWrite
Macintosh: computer from Apple
Macro II: Digital Equipment Corp. assembly language
macro- (prefix): not hyphenated when used to form a compound (macroassembler). An
exception is when a double “o” occurs—for example, macro-object.
Macsyma: a symbolic manipulation program developed at MIT
mainframe: a computer housed in a large frame or cabinet, usually used for multiuser
applications, which usually requires a temperature-controlled environment and special
power supply. Examples are the Digital Equipment Corporation VAX and IBM System
370 computers; saying “mainframe computer” is redundant.
makefile
MAN: metropolitan area network
manet: mobile ad hoc network
man-hour, man-month, man-year (n.): Try to use a non-gender-specific term, such as
staff-hour.
man-in-the-middle attack; MITM attack
MAP: Manufacturing Automation Protocol; MAP/TOP: Manufacturing Automation
Protocol/Technical Office Protocol; communications standards supported by General
Motors and Boeing. Both standards follow OSI (Open Systems Interconnection)
protocols.
marked up: When it’s used as an adjective, hyphenate it when it comes before the word
it modifies but not when it comes after.
market research firm
markup (adj., n.)
mashup (n.); mash up (v.)
master’s degree
master slice (n.): a nonmetalized wafer containing arrays of circuit elements
interconnected to perform different functions
matrices: preferred over “matrixes” in a mathematical context. In other contexts such as
structural composition, use “matrixes”—for example, “matrixes of materials.”
Matlab

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matrix, -es: See matrices.
MB: megabyte. Use Mbyte—for example, 40-Mbyte hard disk, 12 Mbytes of memory.
Mb: megabit. Use Mbit or spell it out.
Mbit: megabit. Use Mbit or spell it out.
Mbps: megabits per second (spell out on first use); Mbps, not MBPS.
Mbone: multicast backbone; Internet broadcasting technology
Mbyte: megabyte (40-Mbyte hard disk, 12 Mbytes of memory)
MCAE: mechanical computer-aided engineering
MCM: multichip module
MDA: Model Driven Architecture
MEMS: microelectromechanical systems
MEPS: millions of events per second
meta- (prefix): not hyphenated when used to form a compound (for example, metarule)
unless it looks weird, as when the second term starts with a vowel (for example, metaanalysis)
Mflops: megaflops; million floating-point operations per second
mHealth: mobile health
MHEG: Multimedia and Hypermedia Experts Group
MHz: megahertz (50-MHz channel, 50 MHz)
mi: mile
micro, micros: acceptable as nouns when referring to microcomputers
micro- (prefix): one-millionth part of a specified unit (for example, microgram); not
hyphenated when used to form a compound (for example, microelectronics)
micro-BGA: micro-ball-grid array
microCAD, microCADD: computer-aided design and computer-aided design and
drafting performed on a microcomputer—no longer relevant because most CAD or
CADD is performed on microcomputers
microelectromechanical: one word, no hyphens or capitals; often seen as
“microelectromechanical systems,” abbreviated as MEMS
micrometer (m): SI abbreviation for one-millionth part of a meter. The accepted
abbreviation is .
micron: millionth part of a meter. However, the SI term is “micrometer.” Usage varies;
for example, “micron” is used in integrated circuit production. Can also be written as .
microphotograph: a small photograph normally magnified for viewing (such as
microfilm). The field is called micrographics. Do not confuse with “photomicrograph,” a
magnified picture of small things.
microsecond (s): The letter “u” isn’t a replacement. If a Greek font isn’t available, spell
the greek letter out as “mu.” In magazines, the spelled-out form is preferred, at least on
first reference, except perhaps in tables and figures.
MicroVAX, MicroVAX II, MicroVMS
mid: Check Webster’s for the preferred format.
middle-out design
midframe: a computer housed in a small frame or cabinet, usually used for multiuser

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applications, that doesn’t require a temperature-controlled environment or special power
supply. Saying “midframe computer” is redundant.
MIDI: musical instrument digital interface
millisecond: the abbreviation is ms
Milnet: along with Arpanet, the main constituent of the Defense Data Network (DDN).
Minet is the European split-off from Milnet.
Mil-Std: military standard; not the same as DoD-Std
MIMD: multiple instruction, multiple data. Pronounced “mimdee” and takes “a” as its
article. Spell it out on first use unless the context dictates otherwise; add hyphens when
it’s used as a modifier.
MIME: Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions
MIMO: multiple input, multiple output
min: minute
mini- (prefix): not hyphenated when used to form a compound (for example,
minicartridges)
MiniDIP: trademark name for a dual in-line package
MINX: Multimedia Information Network Exchange
MIP mapping: multiple texture mapping technique
MIPS: million instructions per second; also, MIPS Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of
SGI. Use the full name when the context requires it.
MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Spell this out on first use if the context
dictates it.
MITI: Japan’s Ministry of International Trade and Industry
MITRE: the preferred format for this company’s name
mL: millilambert
ml: milliliter (5-ml strip, 0.5 ml)
mm: millimeter (35-mm film, 0.5 mm)
MMOG: massively multiplayer online game
MMU: memory management unit
mo., mos.: month, months
MobiCom: For 1999 and before, the conference acronym format is MobiCom 99; for
2000 and afterwards, the format is MobiCom 2000. The full conference name is, for
example, 6th Ann. Int’l Conf. Mobile Computing and Networking (MobiCom 2000),
2000.
mobile phone: not hyphenated, even when it’s an adjective
mockup: (n., adj.)
MODFET: modulation doped field-effect transistor
molecular dynamics: hyphenated when it’s an adjective
Moore’s law: a theory predicting that the number of transistors on a chip doubles as
technology advances
MOPS: million operations per second
Morgan Kaufmann: publisher
MOS (adj.): metal-oxide-semiconductor

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MOSFET: metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor
MOSI: Microprocessor Operating Systems Interface, IEEE Standard 855-1990
mother: one of several family words used to describe relationships among nodes in
databases. The preferred usage is gender-neutral “parent”; however, don’t change this
without checking with the author.
motherboard: a circuit board into which various processor boards are plugged
Motorola: Don’t follow this with “Inc.” because confusion exists in the company about
whether “Inc.” or “Corp.” is appropriate, even though company stationery uses “Inc.”
Use the prefix “MC” when referring to the specific microprocessor from Motorola—for
example, MC68030. Use “M68000” when referring to the family of devices that share
the M68000 architecture.
Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG): a family of standards for coding audio-visual
information
MP3, MP4: audio file formats
MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-3, MPEG-4
mph: miles per hour
MPI: message passing interface
MPU: microprocessing unit
MPW: an Apple development environment for the Mac
MRI: magnetic resonance imaging
ms: millisecond
MS-DOS: Microsoft’s version of DOS; see also DOS
MSI: medium-scale integration
MSPS: million searches per second
MTBF: mean time between failures
MTTR: mean time to repair, mean time to restore
MTU: maximum transmission unit
mu (): Greek letter used as a symbol for micron
multi- (prefix): Don’t hyphenate this when it’s used to form a compound, except with
“double-i” combinations—for example, multimeter and multi-integral.
Multibus, Multibus II: Intel trademarks. IEEE 796 is the multibus standard.
multiplexer (n.)

multiplication symbol: Use the multiplication sign “” instead of “by” when numerals
refer to dimensions—for example, 3  5 cm box, 3 in  5 ft board. When indicating the
use of “times” with a number, use a multiplication sign instead of x—for example, 2
speedup. However, you may use “times” when it seems appropriate—for example, “The
new version has 10 times the memory.”
MUT: module under test
mux: multiplexer; muxes (pl.): Spell this out on first reference.
mV: millivolt
MVP: matrix-vector product, the primary operation around which supercomputers are
designed
MVS: an IBM mainframe operating system

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MW: megawatt (2 MW, 2-MW system)
mW: milliwatt (200 mW, 200-mW system)
Mycin: an expert system that can be programmed with knowledge databases for different
domains

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N
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9/07 Xen: open source virtualization software
9/11; September 11, 2001
N: Newton (unit of measurement)
N.: “north” in addresses
n: SI prefix for one billionth or nano (100 ns)
n: variable designation for an integer; italicized
N/A: not applicable or not available
NAA: formerly the National Association of Accountants; reincarnated as the Institute of
Management Accountants (IMA)
naive
namespace
nano- (prefix): one billionth. Don’t use a hyphen—for example, nanoseconds, 100 ns.
narrow band (n.), narrow-band (adj.): However, according to the IEEE Dictionary of
Electrical and Electronic Terms, narrowband or narrow band are used as adjectives in
some contexts.
NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C.
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Dryden Research Center, Edwards AFB, Calif.
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), Pasadena, Calif.
Johnson Space Flight Center, Houston
Kennedy Space Flight Center, Cape Canaveral, Fla.
Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
Lewis Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
NASA Massively Parallel Processor
NAT: network address translator
national laboratories: The names of US national laboratories (for example, Los Alamos
National Laboratory) don’t have a “the” before them in text.
NBS: National Bureau of Standards, an agency of the US Commerce Dept.; obsolete, now
called NIST
NC: numerical control
NCCCD: National Center for Computer Crime Data
NCGA: National Computer Graphics Association
n-channel; n-channel device: insulated-gate field-effect transistor where source and drain
are regions of n-type conductivity
NCSA: National Center for Supercomputing Applications
nCube: in preference to nCUBE or nCUBE
NCP: Network-Control Protocol

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near real time (n.), near-real-time (adj.)
Net: short name for the Internet
.NET
NetBIOS: a product that provides basic I/O services for a network. Don’t use this as a
synonym for “network BIOS” or “LAN BIOS,” which are generic terms for a BIOS
designed for a local area network
Netherlands: use “the” in front
netlist (n., adj.): a list of the pin connections (pin network) that appear on a printed circuit
board
newsfeed
Newton-Raphson: a well-known algorithm for solving equations
NFS: Network File System (from Sun Microsystems’ application, SunSoft)
NGSCB: Microsoft’s next-generation secure computing base
NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology; formerly NBS
nm: nanometer
NMOS: n-channel metal-oxide semiconductor
no.: the abbreviation for number; nos. (pl.)
NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency in the US Dept. of
Commerce. Although sometimes pronounced “noah,” it takes “an” as an article, as if each
letter were pronounced (“an NOAA study”).
NoD: news on demand
node: Family words—mother, daughter, child—describe relationships among nodes in
databases. The terms are legitimate; don’t try to edit them out.
non- (prefix): not usually hyphenated. Be flexible with words that are difficult to read—for
example, non-negligible, non-real-time mode.
non–von Neumann: See von Neumann. In this case, an en dash is recommended over a
hyphen.
NoSQL: not SQL; a generic term
NP-hard, NP-complete: classes of difficult problems

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n-queen’s solver
ns: nanosecond (3,000 ns)
NSA: National Security Agency
NSERC: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council; a Canadian research agency
similar to the US National Science Foundation
NSF: US National Science Foundation. NSF is acceptable on second reference or on first
reference in the acknowledgments section of a feature when used with a grant number.
NSFnet
NSPE: National Society of Professional Engineers
NuBus
numbers and symbols: See the related section and CMS Section 9.
NTSC: National TV Standards Committee. The committee and standard use the same
acronym.
Nurbs: nonuniform rational B-spline

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Nvidia
NW: northwest in addresses, no periods
NYU/IBS Ultracomputer

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OASI: Office Automation Society International
OASIS: Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards;
www.oasis-open.org
Object Management Group: OMG
Object Modeling Technique: OMT
object orientation
object-oriented (OO): An approach to programming that stresses the creation of
functions (objects) that are linked in various relationships, usually in hierarchies, to
provide the desired functionality. Compare this with traditional approaches such as
imperative programming, which stresses actions to be taken rather than relationships
between objects.
Objective-C: a computer language
Occam: the language used by Inmos for its transputer chip
OCR: optical character recognition. The machine is an OCR scanner.
octree: a tree structure that describes the division of a cubic region into smaller cubes
OCX: optical cross-connect
ODBC: open database connectivity
OEM: original equipment manufacturer
OFDM: orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing
off-chip (adj.)
offline: all uses—for example, “the printer is offline” and “offline equipment”
offload, offscreen, offsite
The Ohio State University: “the Ohio State University” in text
ohm (n.): a unit of electrical resistance
OIL: ontology inference layer; see also DAML+OIL
okay
OLAP: online analytical processing
OLE: object linking and embedding; a Microsoft item
OLED: organic light-emitting diode
OLTP: online transaction processing
OMG: Object Management Group
Omnimax (n., adj.): a stereoscopic, eggshell-shaped theater
OMT: object modeling technique
ONA: Open Network Architecture
onboard: all uses—for example, “onboard regulation”
on-chip (adj.): as in on-chip logic
on-demand: (adj.)
online: all uses—for example, “the printer is online” and “online equipment”

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ONR: US Office of Naval Research
onscreen, onsite
OO: object-oriented
op amp: operation amplifier. Spell this out in text on first use.
opcode (n.): operation code
OpenGL: a graphics programming language
open-loop (adj.): for example, “an open-loop program”
open loop (n.): A system in which there is no feedback mechanism for self-correction as
there is in a closed loop
open source (n., adj.): Don’t use this as a verb (instead, consider wording such as
“released X as open source”).
order-of-magnitude (adj.)
ORB: object request broker
ORSA: merged with the Institute of Management Sciences in 1995 to become the Institute
for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)
orthogonal: In linear algebra, the term describes a set of vectors that are independent, in
that no element is a linear combination of the others. In programming, the term is used
more loosely to refer to independent—although possibly related—concepts.
OS: operating system
OSI: open systems interconnection; a concept whereby different vendors’ products work
together
OSPF: Open Shortest Path First Protocol
OS X
out queue (n.), out-queue (adj.)
OWL: Web Ontology Language

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P
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P2P: peer-to-peer
P3P: Platform for Privacy Preferences; a W3C standard
p: italicized; usually indicates probability
p: SI prefix for one trillionth or pico (3 ps)
p.: abbreviation for page when referred to in text; use pp. for multiple pages
Pa: pascal (unit of measurement)
PABX: private automated branch exchange, a telephone system
packet: a packed block of data for data transmission
PAD: packet assembler/disassembler
PADL: Part and Assembly Description Language, developed at the University of Rochester
pairwise
PAL: phase alternating line—a European video standard; also the acronym for Paradox
Application Language
Palm Pilot
PAN: personal area network
PAR: project authorization request
parameterization: not “parametrization.” To split this at the end of a line, note that
“parameter” and like words are split after the m—for example: param-eter; but “parametric”
is split before the m: para-metric. Automatic hyphenation programs tend to split
“parameter” incorrectly.
PARC: Palo Alto Research Center
ParcTab: the first context-sensitive computer, developed at Xerox PARC. Note the
capitalization.
parseable (alternate spelling: parsable)
PASC: Portable Applications Standards Committee
Pascal: a programming language (named for mathematician Blaise Pascal)
pascal: a unit of measurement. The abbreviation is Pa (no period).
parent: one of several family words used to describe relationships among nodes in
databases. The terms are legitimate; don’t try to edit them out.
pass/fail
pathname
Pbps: petabits per second
p-channel (adj.)
PC: personal computer; see also IBM PC
PC-DOS: IBM’s version of MS-DOS
PCB: printed circuit board. The plural form is PCBs.
PCI: peripheral component interconnect
PCM: pulse-code modulation
PCMCIA: Personal Computer Memory Card International Assoc.

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PDA: personal digital assistant
PDF: portable document format
PDL: page-description language
PDP-11, PDP-11/03, PDP-11/70: Digital Equipment Corporation computers
percent: Spell it out; don’t use %. Don’t use it without a number as a replacement for
“percentage.”
Perl: Practical Extraction and Report Language
pervasive computing (n.), pervasive-computing (adj.)
PET: positron emission tomography
peta: a thousand trillion (petaflops = a thousand teraflops)
petabit
Petri net (n.): a graphical model of information flow, showing static and dynamic
properties of a system; named after Karl Petri, a German mathematician
pF: picofarad; a unit of capacitance equal to one-trillionth of a farad
PhD: no periods
PHIGS: Programmer’s Hierarchical Interactive Graphics System, an ANSI and ISO
standard
photo-: no hyphen when used as a modifier—for example, “photomultiplier”
photomicrograph: a magnified picture of small things. Don’t confuse it with
“microphotograph.”
PHP: recursive acronym for Hypertext Preprocessor, a scripting language
pico- (prefix): one trillionth, no hyphen—for example, “pictogram” and “picosecond”
Pict: an image-file format (generally produced by Apple Macintosh programs); not the
same as a .PIC graphics file, which is produced primarily by MS-DOS spreadsheet
programs
PID: proportional, integral, derivative
PIM: peripheral interface module; Protocol-Independent Multicast (SM = Sparse Mode;
SSM = Single-Source Multicast)
PIN: personal identification number. Don’t use “PIN number.”
pinout
Pisces: parallel implementation of scientific computing environments
Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center: one of the four US national supercomputer centers
funded by the National Science Foundation
pixel (n.): Derived from “pix” (short for “picture”) and “element,” it’s the smallest
resolvable dot in an image display.
PKI: public-key infrastructure
PL/I: a programming language developed by IBM (roman “I” per textbook by developer)
PLA: programmable logic array
plaintext: the intelligible form of an encrypted text—for example, “Plaintext contains
routing information.” Use “plain text” when referring to unencrypted text—for example,
“User entries are in italics; the computer’s response is in plain text.”
PlayStation
plug-in (n., adj.)

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plurals: The general rule is to add an “s”—for example, 1980s (year), 40s (temperature),
HP-1000s (name), and Apple IIs (name). See CMS 7.14 and 9.54.
p.m.: post meridiem, meaning “after noon” (also includes 12:00 noon); see also a.m.
PMU: processor management unit
PMOS: p-channel metal-oxide semiconductor
PNG: portable network graphics
PnP: plug and play
PO: post office. In addresses, use no periods—for example, “PO Box 33.”
PocketPC: brand name; pocket PC: generic term
podcast
policymaker
POP3: Post Office Protocol, version 3
popup
Posix: The IEEE standard for a portable operating systems interface. The initial standard
deals with portability standards for C programs on computers running Unix.
post-: no hyphen unless the root is based on a proper noun—for example, “postprocessing”
and “post-Victorian”)
postmortem
PostScript: a graphics- and font-description language from Adobe Systems, used primarily
in desktop publishing
power down (v.)
PowerPC
pp.: the abbreviation for multiple pages. Single-page references are denoted by p.
PPP: Point-to-Point Protocol
pre-: no hyphen unless the root is based on a proper noun—for example, “preeminent” and
“pre-Columbian”)
prefixes: see CMS 7.85, Table 4
Prentice Hall
prepositions in titles: See the “Capitalization” section.
president: Capitalize this only when it refers to the president of a country and comes before
that person’s name—for example, “President George Washington” and “George
Washington, first president of the United States.”
prettyprinting: the process of reformatting source code so that it has a consistent layout
price/performance ratio: written with a slash (“/”), not a hyphen
printed circuit board: the board on which most components are connected by printed
circuitry. PCB or PCBs is acceptable on second reference.
printout
Prism: parallel reduced-instruction-set multiprocessing (Apollo architecture)
programs and tokens: See the “Program Code” section.
Prolog: a logic programming language
PROM: programmable read-only memory
pronouns: Instead of “he” or “she,” try to use a gender-neutral alternative—for example, a
plural pronoun (and verb), “he or she,” or “the user.”

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ps: picosecond
PS/2: Personal System/2, an IBM PC family based on Intel 80286/80386 processors. Unlike
the IBM PC AT, it has a proprietary Micro Channel bus; it can run OS/2 or MS-DOS.
PSB: parallel system bus
pseudo- (prefix): no hyphen when used to form a compound—for example,
“pseudorandom.” Word processors might hyphenate after “pseu,” but be careful to
hyphenate after “pseudo.”
PSN: packet-switch node
PSP: Personal Software Process or PlayStation Portable
PSTN: public switched telephone network
p test
pulsewidth: not the same as pulse duration
PUMA: programmable universal mechanical assembly
p value
PWB: printed wiring board

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Q
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Q-bus: from Digital Equipment Corp.
QCD: quantum chromodynamics
QED: quantum electrodynamics; also quod erat demonstrandum, “which was to be
demonstrated,” commonly used at the end of mathematical proofs.
QoS: (n.) quality of service; (adj.) quality-of-service
QR code (n.) quick response code
quadword: a 48-bit or 32-bit piece of data
quasi, quasi-: This is hyphenated for adjectives—for example, “quasi-parenthetical.” It’s
open for nouns, except for some established closed compounds—for example, “quasi
system” and “quasiparticle.”
Quel: a relational calculus language
quicksort routine: memory sorting
QuickTime: the Macintosh movie/animation application
quotation marks: Use them around direct quotations, chapter titles, episode titles, words
when referred to as words, and letters when referred to as letters. In an article that begins
with a quotation, don’t use an opening quotation mark with the initial drop cap (an
oversized, boldface capital at the beginning of a paragraph), but close the quotation with a
quotation mark. Block quotations don’t take quotation marks. For more information, see
CMS 13.20-13.22 and 13.37-13.41.
QVGA: quarter VGA
qwerty: the standard typewriter or computer keyboard, with the letters q, w, e, r, t, and y at
the upper left; no initial capital

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R
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R8000: a 64-bit RISC microprocessor introduced in 1994 by MIPS Technologies Inc. It
was formerly code-named TFP. Other processors made by MIPS include the R4400 and
R4600.
rackmount (adj.): computer equipment that’s standardized to 19 inches in width
RAID: redundant array of independent disks (originally “inexpensive” disks)
RAM: random-access memory
RAND Corp.: the official format for the name of the nonprofit research corporation. In
IEEE Security & Privacy, use “Rand Corporation” in affiliations and bios.
R&D: research and development
raster (n.): the scan lines that form the graphic output on a computer display; also referred
to as bitmap
raster-op: raster operation
ray tracer (n.): an algorithm for drawing computer-generated shaded or highlighted
images (also, a ray-tracing algorithm)
RC: resistance-capacitance
RCS: radar cross-section
RDBMS, RDBMSs (pl.): relational database management system
RDF: Resource Description Framework
RDFS: RDF Schema
re-: no hyphenation in most cases. See Webster’s for individual examples; watch the
context for words such as resign (to quit a job) or re-sign (to sign again).
readback: a way to ensure the accuracy of output by comparing the transmitted data with
the original data
readout (n.): a visual display of data stored electronically; read out (v.)
read/write
RealNetworks
real time (n.), real-time (adj.): the actual time during which something takes place
reengineer: to examine and alter a subject system to reconstitute it into a new form and to
subsequently implement the new form; contrast with “reverse engineering”
registered trademark (): See trademark.
register-transfer (adj.): for example, “register-transfer level”
relational database: a database with data organized into tables
REST: Representational State Transfer, an XML protocol
reverse engineering (n.), reverse-engineering (adj.), reverse-engineer (v.): to deduce the
plans of something already built as opposed to reengineering an entity
Rexx: IBM’s Restructured Extended Executor
RF: radio frequency
RFC: request for comments
RFID: radio frequency identification

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RFP: request for proposal. Spell this out on first use.
RGB: red, green, blue; an additive color model used in TV and raster displays
RISC: reduced-instruction-set computing or computer
RMI: remote method invocation. See Java RMI.
road map
ROI: return on investment
rollout (n.), roll out (v.)
ROM: read-only memory (nonerasable)
roman: a type style that isn’t italic or boldface; no initial capital when referring to the type
style
round-off error
royalty-free images
RPC: Remote Procedure Call; a protocol
RPF: reverse path forwarding
rpm: revolutions per minute
RS-232, RS-232C: hardware interface protocols
RS/6000: RISC System/6000, a workstation from IBM. It comes in a variety of models,
such as the IBM RS/6000 Model 350.
RSCS: Remote Spooling and Communications Subsystem, the spooling protocol used in
Vnet and Bitnet
RSS: Really Simple Syndication, Rich Site Summary, or RDF Site Summary—a method
of describing Web content that’s available for distribution or syndication from an online
publisher to Web users
RSVP: Resource Reservation Protocol
RT: register transfer
RT-11: the operating system for Digital Equipment Corp. PDP-11 computers
RTCP: Real-Time Control Protocol
RTL: register transfer level or Register Transfer Language
RTP: Real-Time Transfer Protocol
RTSP: Real-Time Streaming Protocol
RTTP: Real-Time Transport Protocol; also seen as RTP
rubberbanding: a computer graphics technique that lets lines in an image be stretched and
moved as if elastic
rule set
runtime (n., adj.)

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S
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s: SI abbreviation for second—for example, 30 s and 30 ns. See sec.
S.: “south” in addresses
SaaS: software as a service. It takes “a” when used as an adjective.
SAE: Society of Automotive Engineers
safety: In some computing contexts, this is a technical term meaning the quality of making
sure that nothing bad happens. Safety, for example, ensures that a calculation is performed
but not that the calculation’s results are actually returned to a user or program module. Don’t
use this term without an explanation; compare with liveness.
SAML: Security Assertion Markup Language; an OASIS standard
SAN: storage area network; system area network
SATAN: Security Administrator Tool for Analyzing Networks. Don’t lowercase the
acronym.
SAX: Simple API for XML
scalable
ScaLapack: a benchmarking package. See also Lapack.
scan-in; scan-out (n.)
scan line (n.): one of the lines that make up a graphics display
scatterplot
Scene: Scientific Computation Environment for Numerical Experimentation; a scientific
visualization environment developed at Rutgers
schema: a term used in artificial intelligence and in modeling to represent an approach,
scheme, or relation precisely and usually diagrammatically. Ensure that the generic
“scheme” is inappropriate before using “schema.” The plural is “schemas,” not the Greek
schemata.
Scheme: an artificial intelligence language
Schrödinger equation: Spell this with an umlaut, not oe.
SCI: scalable coherent interface
scratchpad: a fast auxiliary computer memory, usually used for temporary data storage
screen dump (n.), screenshot (n.), screensaver (n.)
scroll bar (n.)
Scrum: a framework for software development
SCSI: Small Computer System Interface. It’s pronounced “skuzzy” and takes “a” as its
article.
SDI: serial digital interface
SDK: software developer’s kit
SDRAM: synchronous DRAM (dynamic random access memory)
SE: “southeast” in addresses
SEBoK Guide: This is the preferred abbreviated form when referring to the Systems
Engineering Body of Knowledge. Don’t confuse this with the SWEBOK Guide.

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sec.: nontechnical abbreviation for second. Use “s” unless confusion could result.
second sourcing (n.): in manufacturing, the practice of using an alternate company to
produce something that the original manufacturer designed and produces itself—for
example, when the original manufacturer can’t make enough to meet demand
SEI: Software Engineering Institute, a US Defense Dept. research arm (managed by the US
Navy) based at Carnegie Mellon University. In IEEE Software, SEI doesn’t need CMU with
it.
Semantic Web: an extension of the current Web using standards such as RDF along with
ontologies and other mechanisms to define meaning for abstract data to facilitate machine–
machine communication
semi (prefix): Don’t hyphenate this.
Senior Fellow, Senior Member
September 11, 2001 (9/11)
Serial ATA
Series 1000: but “the 1000 series”
servocontroller: “Servo” by itself isn’t sufficient.
servomechanism: an automatic feedback system that monitors an operation and makes
necessary adjustments. “Servo” by itself isn’t sufficient.
set-top box: an interactive television device that sits on top of the television
setup (n.), set up (v.)
SGI: formerly Silicon Graphics Inc.
SGML: Standard Generalized Markup Language
SGMP: Simple Gateway-Monitoring Protocol
shar: shell archive; a file combination protocol
shrink-wrapped
SI: an acronym for the French version of International System of Units, a scientific method
of expressing the magnitude or quantity of seven specific natural phenomena
SIA: Semiconductor Industry Association
SIAM: Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
SID: Society for Information Display
SIG: special-interest group. See ACM.
Siggraph; Sigmod
Sigma: a project to develop a software development workstation environment, staffed by a
consortium of companies working under the direction of Japan’s Ministry of International
Trade and Industry (MITI) through the Information-Processing Technology Agency (IPA)
signs: See the “Numbers and Symbols” section.
SIIA: Software Information Industry Assoc.
Sim: a benchmark
SIMD: single instruction, multiple data—the simplest form of parallel architecture. It’s
pronounced “sim-dee” and takes “a” as its article. Spell it out on first use if necessary for
contextual clarity. Use hyphens when it’s written out and used as a modifier.
SIMM: single, in-line memory module
Simox: separation by implanted oxygen

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single-sign-on
single-stuck-at fault model: See stuck-at.
the singularity: Note the lowercase s.
SIP: Session Initiation Protocol
SITA: Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques
sizeable: Webster’s also uses “sizable.”
SkinnyDIP: a trademark name for thin-packaged DIP chips. DIP stands for “dual in-line
package.”
Slim: Software Life-Cycle Management, a project-estimation system developed by
Lawrence Putnam
SLOC: source lines of code. Don’t spell this out in IEEE Software.
SLP: Service Location Protocol
small-scale (adj.)
smart card (n.)
smart home (n.), smart-home (adj.)
smartphone (n.)
SMD: surface-mount device
SME: Society of Manufacturing Engineers; small and medium enterprise
SMEs: small and medium enterprises
SMIL: Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language. Use “a” before the acronym. It’s
pronounced “smile.”
S/MIME: secure MIME
SMS: short message service
SMT: surface-mount technology
SMTP: Simple Mail-Transfer Protocol
SNAP: scalable networks and platforms; a phrase coined by Gordon Bell and Jim Gray at
the University of California, Berkeley
SNMP: Simple Network Management Protocol
SNR: signal-to-noise ratio
SOA: service-oriented architecture. It’s pronounced “soh-uh,” as in “a SOA.”
SOAP: a Web services messaging protocol. Originally the acronym for Simple Object
Access Protocol, the term is no longer defined in common use.
SOC: service-oriented computing; service-oriented collaboration
SoC: system-on-chip (adj.); system on chip (n.); systems on chip (n. pl.). The abbreviated
plural noun form is SoCs.
social media (n., adj.)
social network
soft copy (n.), soft-copy (adj.)
software engineering (n., adj.)
software-hardware development (n.)
Softwire
soho: small office/home office

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SOJ: small-outline, J-lead
solid modeling (n.), solid-modeling (adj.).
son: one of several family words used to describe relationships among nodes in databases.
The term is legitimate; don’t edit it out.
Sonet: Synchronous Optical Network; a Bellcore standard
Sony PlayStation
source code (n., adj.): no hyphen
SPA: Software Publishers Association, now part of SIIA (see the related entry); also
“scratchpad area” (from IEEE)
spam: junk email
Sparc: Sun Microsystems’ scalable processor architecture; a RISC-based CPU used
primarily in engineering workstations
Sparcstation: Examples are Sparcstation IPX and Sparcstation 2.
SPC: Software Productivity Consortium, a research group
SPEC: Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (formerly System Performance
Evaluation Cooperative); a vendor-sponsored source of the SPEC benchmarks. Examples
are the SPECint92 and SPECfp92.
Speedup (n.)
Spice: a simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis
SPIE: Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers. The organization now styles
itself “the international society for optical engineering.”
Spreadsheet (n.)
Springer: a book publisher. Use this in all references (instead of Springer-Verlag, for
example).
sq ft: sqare foot
SQL: Structured Query Language
squash-and-stretch (n.): a function that enlarges and reduces, not necessarily in proportion
to all dimensions; also called rubberbanding
SRAM: static RAM. Takes “an” when used as an adjective.
SRI: Stanford Research Institute
SSH: Secure Shell or Secure Socket Shell; a security protocol
SSI: small-scale integration, typically from one to four circuits
SSL: Secure Sockets Layer; a security protocol
SSL/TLS
stand-alone (adj.)
Staran
Stars: Software Technology for Adaptable, Reliable Systems; a US Defense Dept. project
Star Tap
StartTLS
start-up (n., adj.)
statechart: not state chart or state-chart
state of the art (n.), state-of-the-art (adj.): represents the highest level of available
technology (as compared with “state of the practice,” which is the highest level in general

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use). It’s an overworked phrase; consider substituting “current technology.”
state-transition (adj.)
stereo pair (n.): two pictures that produce a 3D image
stuck-at (adj.), stuck-at fault (n.): a type of circuit defect in which a gate can be stuck at
either 1 or 0—for example, “stuck-at-1 fault” or “stuck-at-0 fault”; can also be abbreviated
as SA1 and SA0
stuck-open fault (n.): not synonymous with stuck-at fault
stylesheet (n., adj.)
Styrofoam: use “foam” or “plastic foam” when referring to generic consumer or packaging
products. Capitalize this term when it’s used as a trademark.
subsystem (n.)
Sun OS: Sun Microsystems’ version of the Unix operating system
SunSoft: a division of Sun Microsystems that provides system software
Sun workstation: initial capital on “Sun”; from Sun Microsystems
Sunmos: a Sandia / University of New Mexico operating system; an operating system for
the Intel Paragon parallel supercomputer
super: no hyphen when used to form a compound word—for example, supercomputer
supercomputer (n.): There’s no fixed processing speed definition for a supercomputer; it
changes with advances in technology.
supermini: short for superminicomputer, which is the preferred usage
surface: Don’t use this as a transitive verb in the sense of “bringing to the top.” A whale
surfaces, but a speaker doesn’t surface an idea. If you must give buoyancy to ideas, “float”
them. However, “surface” can be used as a transitive verb in the sense of “refining or
smoothing a physical surface,” as in “surfacing lumber.”
surface-mount device, surface-mount technology: a board manufacturing method in
which chips are “glued” to boards
SW: “southwest” in addresses
SWEBOK Guide: The preferred abbreviated format to use when referring to the Guide to
the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge.
SWIG: simplified wrapper and interface generator
system on chip (n.); system-on-chip (adj.); systems on chip (n. pl.): The abbreviations are
SoC (sing.) and SoCs (pl.).
systemwide

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24/7
2D: two-dimensional, no hyphen
3D: three-dimensional, no hyphen
3DES: (say “triple DES”)
T1: digital transmission at 1.544 Mbits per second; T3 is a faster line
tape out
tar: tape archive; file combination protocol
task ID: Use the one-word form, taskid, only in program statements.
task type: Use the one-word form, tasktype, only in program statements.
Tbyte: terabyte; one billion bytes
TC: technical committee. Spell this out on first use.
Tcl/Tk: a computer language developed by John Ousterhout of UC Berkeley. The elements
can also be separate—Tcl and Tk.
TCP: Transmission Control Protocol
TCPA: Microsoft’s Trusted Computing Platform Architecture, formerly called Palladium
TCP/IP
TDM: time-division multiplexing
TDMA: time division multiple access
telephone numbers: See the “Numbers and Symbols” section and CMS 6.77.
teletext: a noninteractive (broadcast) text and graphics communications system
Teletype: use only when describing Teletype Corp. equipment. The generic word is
teletypewriter.
teletypewriter: See above; abbreviated TTY.
television: okay to abbreviate as TV
telex: the acronym for teletype exchange, a service that permits the transmission of data
using commercial telecommunication facilities comprising a network of teletypewriters
Tell-A-Graf: graphics software by Computer Associates International
Telenet (n.): Terminal Emulation Protocol; US Sprint’s switching network originally
developed for Arpanet
testbed (n.): an environment containing all the components necessary for testing a system
tests (statistical): F-test; t-test, chi-square test; p value; Wilcoxon rank sum test
TeX: see LaTeX; pronounced “tech”
Tflops: teraflops; one billion flops
TFT: thin-film transistor
the: Normally, when referring to the name of an academic institution or corporate entity
that starts with “the” (such as “the University of Texas”), lowercase or delete “the.” Delete
“the” in a byline (except for “The Ohio State University” and “The Hong Kong University
of Science and Technology).
ThinDIP: a trademark name for thin-packaged DIP chips; “DIP” stands for dual in-line

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package
Thomas J. Watson Research Center, T.J. Watson Research Center: an IBM facility;
refer to as the “IBM T.J. Watson Research Center” on first use
Thomas J. Watson: When referring to the persons, distinguish between Jr. and Sr.
three-space, three-dimensional space: a mathematical term; also 3-space. It can be
written as S3 or R3.
throughput
tif: an electronic file format
TIFF: tagged image-file format; graphics-file format. Even though the filename extension
is .tif, the acronym is TIFF.
tiling: a nonoverlapping approach to window management
time-consuming
time frame
time line: a description of events during a particular historical period; timeline: a schedule
of events or procedures
time-multiplexed (adj.)
time-out (n.), time out (v.)
times: When indicating the use of “times” with a number, use a multiplication sign instead
of x—for example, 2 speedup. However, you may use “times” when it seems
appropriate—for example, “The new version has 10 times the memory.”
time-shared (adj.)
time-sharing (n.): simultaneous use of a central computer by many users at remote
locations
time sheet (n.)
time stamp (n.)
time step (n.), time-step (adj.)
time to market
TI OMAP: Texas Instruments Open Multimedia Applications Platform
TIP: terminal interface processor
TLB: translation look-aside buffer
TLS: Transport Layer Security
TMS32010, TMS34010: processors from Texas Instruments; no space between the letters
and numbers
toolbox (n.), toolkit (n.), toolset (n.): one word when used in computer contexts
tonnes: Use “metric tons” instead.
TOP: Technical Office Protocol. See MAP/TOP.
top-down design
touch pad (n.): a touch-sensitive user interface
touchscreen (n.): a touch-sensitive user interface
TP0-TP4: Transport Protocol Class 0 to 4; a set of transmission protocols in the ISO
protocol suite
traceable; traceback; traceroute

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trackball (n.)

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trademark: The registered-trademark () symbol indicates that the trademark is registered
in the US Patent and Trademark Office; () indicates that it’s pending. Avoid using
trademark symbols in text. However, oblige an author who owns a trademark and insists on
its use. In this case, use the company’s name before the product on first reference to
establish ownership—for example, Sun’s Sbus. Thereafter, use the product name by itself.
tradeoff (n.); trade off (v.)
transition: Don’t use this as a verb.
transputer (n.) (transister computer): a microprocessor with local memory and
communication links. It’s both an Inmos product and a generic term.
troff: text run-off; a Unix text-format front-end (coding) and output (printing) processor.
It’s pronounced “tee-roff.” Variations include nroff and ditroff (device-independent troff)
Trojan horse
TRON: The Real-Time Operating-System Nucleus; a Japanese computer project to
develop hardware and software technology to run household systems that are independent
but communicate with each other for smart homes and the like. Modules include MTRON,
BTRON, ITRON, CTRON, and ITRON.
TSR: terminate-and-stay-resident
TTL: transistor-transistor logic
TTS (adj.): text-to-speech
t-test: a statistical test that deals with the problems associated with inference based on
small samples
-tuple: a suffix for a set of <> elements
turnaround
turnkey (adj.): describes a system delivered ready to run without adding any hardware or
software; a synonym for “off the shelf”
TU Wien
TV: the abbreviation for television
TWAIN: technology without an interesting name; a programming interface that lets a
graphics application activate a scanner or other image-capturing device
tweet (n., v.)

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UBE: unsolicited bulk e-mail
ubicomp: abbreviation for ubiquitous computing
ubiquitous computing (n.), ubiquitous-computing (adj.)
UCE: unsolicited commercial email
UCS: universal character set
UDDI: universal description, discovery, and integration
UDP: User Datagram Protocol
UHD: ultra-high-definition
UI: unit interval; a measure of time
UIMS: user-interface management system; UIMSs (pl.)
UIP: user-interface presentation
UIST: user-interface software and technology
UK: United Kingdom (no periods), comprising England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and
Wales; not synonymous with Britain. Don’t use UK if the country name is sufficient.
ULSI: ultralarge-scale integration; can be used as a stand-alone noun when referring to the
concept but not to physical objects—for example, “ULSI circuit” or “ULSI chip”
Ultracomputer: IBM and New York University’s supercomputer
ultra-high-definition (adj.): The abbreviation is UHD.
Ultranet
ultrawideband (adj.): See also UWB.
UML: Unified Modeling Language. Don’t spell this out in IEEE Software.
UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
UN: United Nations (no periods)
underway (adv.), under way (adj.)
Uni (prefix): not hyphenated—for example, uniprocessor
unicode
UniForum
Univac: Universal Automatic Computer
University X at Y, or University X, Y, or University X–Y: Follow the specific institution’s
usage. Although some universities capitalize “the” and consider it part of their name,
Computer Society style either deletes or lowercases the word when the name appears in
regular text. So, it’s “the Ohio State University” (not “The Ohio State University”) and
“the University of Kansas” (not “The University of Kansas”). Also delete “the” in a byline
(except for “The Ohio State University” and “The Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology). It’s “the University of California at Santa Barbara,” but all other UC
campuses use this format: University of California, Berkeley.
Unix: a multilanguage operating system developed at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Various
versions exist.
upgradable

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UPnP: universal plug and play
uppercase
URI: uniform resource identifier
URL: uniform resource locator
URN: uniform resource name
US (n., adj.): United States; no periods
US$: Don’t place “US” in front of the dollar sign except to avoid confusion.
USB: Universal Serial Bus
USENIX
user-friendly (adj.): frequently overused; avoid unless appropriate to the context
username
USRA: Universities Space Research Association
UTF-8: Unicode Transformation Format-8
UUCPnet: Unix-to-Unix copy network
UV: ultraviolet
UWB: ultrawideband, a wireless communication technology

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V
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V: volts—for example, 45 V (n.) and 45-V (adj.) power supply
v.: the abbreviation for “versus” in a legal context—for example, Smith v. Jones. See also
vs.
Vac: volts of alternating current—for example, 25 Vac.
validation: testing a product or product specification to ensure that it meets the
requirements (that it has the specified functions); compare with verification
Vanet: vehicular ad hoc network
VAR: value-added reseller
variable-length field
VAX: a mainframe made by Digital Equipment Corp. The plural is VAXs; “VAX”
reportedly comes from “virtual address extension” (to the PDP-11)
VAX 11/725, 11/730, 11/750, 11/780, 11/782, 11/785, 8600: Note the slash, not a hyphen.
VAX/VMS: an operating system for VAX computers. VMS stands for VAX Management
System.
VCCS: voltage-controlled current source
VCR: videocassette recorder
Vdc: volts of direct current—for example, 25 Vdc
VDT: video display terminal; a generic term; not interchangeable with CRT
verification: determining whether a product meets its requirements (whether it does what
it’s supposed to); compare with validation
Versabus
VersaDOS
version: Capitalize it only when it’s used with the name of a product—for example,
Microsoft Word Version 6.0. An acceptable informal abbreviation (except at the
beginning of a sentence) is v, closed up next to a number—for example, Macsyma v2.0.
The word “version” or its abbreviation isn’t always necessary—for example, “Word 6.0 is
a major release.”
versus: see v. and vs.
vertices: the plural of vertex
VGA: video graphics adapter (or array); an IBM color-display standard allowing 256
colors
VHDL: very high density logic; also VHSIC Hardware Description Language.
VHSIC: very high speed integrated circuit
via: Use this word sparingly (It means “by way of,” “through the medium or agency of,”
or “by means of.”) Often, “through” works just as well and sounds less formal.
VIC: video interface chip
vice president: see CMS 8.21; capitalize when referring to the Vice President of the
United States
videocassette, videocassette recorder
videoconference, videoconferencing

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videodisk; video game
video on demand (n.), video-on-demand (adj.), VoD (abbrev.)
videotape (n., v.)
videotex: an interactive text and graphics communications system; also called “viewdata”
video over IP
viewport
virtual memory
virtual reality (n.), virtual-reality (adj.): The abbreviation is VR.
VisiCalc: a financial spreadsheet program from now-defunct Software Arts Products
VLSI: very large-scale integration. VLSI can be used as a stand-alone noun when
referring to the concept but not to physical objects—for example VLSI circuit or VLSI
chip. VLSI also is acceptable for VLSI Technology Inc.
VM: virtual machine; also JVM or Java virtual machine
VMEbus
VMS: VAX Management System, an operating system for DEC VAX computers
Vnet: an IBM internal network
VoD (n.): video on demand
VoIP: voice over IP
von Neumann (adj.): refers to the concept of storing data and the instructions that apply
to that data together; the stored-program concept (for example, “von Neumann sort” or
“non–von Neumann architecture”). Note that the second example takes an en dash, not a
hyphen.
voxel: loosely speaking, a 3D pixel
VPE: visual programming environment
VPL: visual programming language
VPN: virtual private network
VR: virtual reality
VRAM: video random-access memory
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam: Free University, Amsterdam. The commonly used
acronym (VU University Amsterdam) doesn’t work—it’s redundant.
VRML: Virtual Reality Modeling Language
vs.: the normal abbreviation for versus, except in a legal context (see v.). Spell it out in
text; the abbreviation is acceptable elsewhere.
VT52, VT100, VT101, VT102, VT131, VT220: Digital Equipment Corp. video display
terminals

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W
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W: watts—for example, 25-W dissipation
W.: “west” in addresses
W3C: World Wide Web Consortium
wafer-scale integration
WAN: wide area network. Don’t spell this out in IEEE Software or IEEE Security &
Privacy.
WAP: Wireless Application Protocol
Washington, DC
watts
waveform
wave front
wave function
WCGA: World Computer Graphics Association
WDM: wavelength-division multiplexing
WDP: World Data Processing
web: the short name for the World Wide Web. Net is the short name for the Internet.
web browser, web services
webcam, webcast, weblog, webmaster, webpage, webserver, website
well: a well-defined concept; the concept is well defined. (Don’t hyphenate “well” words
following being verbs.)
WG: see working group
Whetstone: benchmarks
whiteboard
white list, white pages
white paper
-wide (suffix): see CMS 7.85, Table 3
wideband (adj.)
Wi-Fi: wireless products certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance to be interoperable
Wii Remote
wiki: computer software for creating, editing, and linking webpages
Wikipedia: a multilingual, Web-based encyclopedia project operated by the Wikimedia
Foundation.
wild cards
John Wiley & Sons
WiMax
WIMP: windows, icons, menus, pointing devices
Windows 95/98/NT/2000/Me
WinZip: a file compression program

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wireframe (adj.): refers to a line drawing of a 2D or 3D object (a wireframe image)
wire wrap (n.): a method of making an electrical connection in a circuit by wrapping
wires around terminals
wire-wrapping (adj.): as in “wire-wrapping techniques”
WISC: writable-instruction-set computing
WLAN: wireless local area network
word: a sequence of bits that a processor can act on simultaneously. More bits per word
let the processor work on more data simultaneously. A word can be defined in terms of
bytes (a two-byte word equals a 16-bit word), but bits are the more common unit. See
also Mword and Kword.
word-slice processor
workaround
working group: Use initial capitals if in a title—for example, “Working Group on Posix
Definitions.” Lowercase the term if it’s generic.
workflow, workload, workplace, worksheet
workspace: the amount of memory a program requires, over and above the amount
necessary to store the program itself
workstation
worldwide
World Wide Web: abbreviated WWW. See Web and WWW.
WORM: write-once, read-many (times)
WoZ
wrap-up (n.), wrap up (v.)
WSCI: Web service choreography interface
WSDL: Web Services Description Language; pronounced “whizdle”
WSN: wireless sensor network
WVGA: wide VGA
WWW: see World Wide Web and Web. Depending on the context, the abbreviated form
is acceptable on first reference.
WYSIWYG: stands for “what you see is what you get.” The abbreviation is acceptable
on first reference in departments, but spell it out on first reference in regular articles.

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9/07 Xen: open source virtualization software
X.25: the network layer protocol in the ISO protocol suite
X.400: an ISO mail protocol
x-axis (n., adj.)
Xbox
X client (n.), X-client (adj.): See also X Window System.
XDR: External Data Representation; a protocol
Xenix: an operating system similar to Unix from Microsoft for PCs based on the Intel
8088, 80286, and 80386 chips
Xerox PARC: now just PARC
XGA: extended graphics array; a high-resolution graphics standard that IBM introduced in
1990
XLANG
XLink: XML Linking Language
XMI: XML Metadata Interchange
Xmodem: the abbreviation of cross-modem, an error-free file-transfer protocol
XML: Extensible Markup Language
XMPP: Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol
XMS: extended memory specification; used to address memory greater than 1 Mbyte in the
80286 and later CPUs
XMT: extensible MPEG-4 textual format
XNS: Xerox Network Services
XOR: the exclusive-OR operation used in cryptography
XPath: XML Path Language
XPointer: XML Pointer Language
x-ray (n., adj., v.)
XHTTP, XHTML, XML
XT: See IBM PC.
XScale: an Intel processor
X Window System, X Windows: a graphics environment from MIT for Unix
workstations. No hyphens.
X11 Windows
xy-plane: also yz-plane and xz-plane
XSL: Extensible Style Sheet Language
XSLT: Extensible Style Sheet Language Transformation

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Y
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y: year (unit of measurement)
Y2K Problem: the crisis that didn’t happen in 2000
YACC: a compiler compiler; a Unix tool
Yahoo
y-axis: (n., adj.)
years: to form the plural, add s—for example, 1990s. When referring to just the decade,
spell it out—for example, nineties.
yellow pages
Ymodem: file transfer protocol

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Z
Z80: a microprocessor from Zenith Data Systems
Z80-A
z-axis: (n., adj.)
z-buffer: storage for z-axis values for 3D images; sometimes called the “depth buffer”
Zadeh, Lotfi: a pioneer in fuzzy logic. Note the first name, which is often misspelled.
zero-day: refers to the timing of viruses released the same day as a patch. Don’t use “0day.”
ZIP: zigzag in-line package; a file-compression technique; ZIP code
Zmodem: successor to Xmodem and Ymodem

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