Use the bolded terms below as your standard for spelling, capitalization, and formatting. These are common words and phrases we use across Indian Affairs content.
People and Roles
- BIA employees, BIA team members, or BIA staffers
- Older person or senior (not elderly)
- Use gender-neutral terms like firefighter instead of fireman
Government and Agencies
- Congress (refers to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives)
- congressional (lowercase unless part of a proper name, like Congressional Record)
- federal (lowercase unless part of a proper name, like Federal Bureau of Investigation)
- federal government (not Federal Government)
- executive branch
- United States government or U.S. government (not U.S. Government)
- government (lowercase unless part of a proper name)
Technology and Tools
- agile
- DevOps
- digital coalition
- GitHub
- JavaScript
- kanban
- open source, open source software
- Scrum (only for the agile method, not daily meetings—use daily standup instead)
- single sign-on
- sitemap
- startup
- tech (okay in informal writing; use technology in formal writing)
- user-centered design
- human-centered design
- U.S. Web Design Standards (first use), then just Standards
Formatting and Style
- a.m., p.m.
- DC (not D.C.)
- email (not e-mail)
- homepage
- README
- percent (spell it out in most writing)
- URLs should be lowercase, even at the start of a sentence
Example: notalone.gov launched today. - U.S. (not US or USA)
Hyphenation and Word Use
- back end, back end development
- front end, front end developer
- drop-down (adjective: drop-down menu),
drop down (noun: select from the drop down)- Never use dropdown
- login (noun or adjective: login page)
log in (verb: log in to your account) - to do (noun: your to dos)
to-do (adjective: your to-do list)
Coming Soon or Under Construction
Why "Coming Soon" Should Be Avoided
- It offers no value: Users come to your site to find specific information or services. A placeholder tells them absolutely nothing, forcing them to return later without any assurance that the content will be there.
- It creates "broken" expectations: It highlights what is missing rather than what is currently available, which can make a site feel incomplete or neglected.
- It hurts SEO: Search engines cannot index content that doesn't exist. Instead of a "Coming Soon" page, it is better to launch content when it is ready or use a clear, descriptive landing page that explains the purpose of the upcoming service once it is closer to launch.
Suggested Actions for Content Managers
If the content is not ready to be published, you should:
- Wait to publish: Do not create a page for the content until it is ready for the user to consume.
- Use a "Coming Soon" alternative (if necessary): If you must communicate that a service is arriving, provide a concrete timeline, a "Notify Me" option, or a link to a broader program page that explains the context of the upcoming service.
- Focus on current needs: Prioritize making your existing, live content as helpful and clear as possible rather than broadcasting what is missing.
