Writing about people

RSNA Board of Directors

  • RSNA Board of Directors, RSNA Board or Board. Do not use BOD in body copy.

      When members of the Board of Directors are featured in RSNA articles, such as within RSNA News, press releases, etc., their Board service should be acknowledged in the following way: {Name, credentials}, RSNA Board of Directors. Their position of At-Large vs Standing – should not be included. Officer titles of President, Chair of the Board, and Secretary-Treasurer should be included. Their Board liaison responsibility area can be included as appropriate in the context of the article.

        Examples:

          1. Jinel Scott, MD, MBA, serves on the RSNA Board of Directors. She is the Board liaison to the RSNA Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the RSNA Health Equity Committee.
          2. Jinel Scott, MD, MBA, member of the RSNA Board of Directors.
          3. Matthew A. Mauro, MD, president of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Board of Directors.

      • Board member is descriptive but not a title, so it should not be capitalized. For example, RSNA Board member David Smith attended the conference.

      • RSNA president. Do not add a year for the current president.

          • Use year/society/title, in that order. For example, 2015 RSNA President is correct, but RSNA 2016 President is not. (Note: the president presides over the Society for an entire year.)
          • Only capitalize the official position if it is followed by a proper name. For example, RSNA President John Doe spoke at the meeting.  The RSNA president spoke at the meeting is also correct.  
          • Past presidents can be referenced as 2002 RSNA president or served as president in 2002.
        1. Chair – Use chair rather than chairman
        2. Secretary-Treasurer 

      Professional designations

      • Degrees – Use academic degrees (MD, PhD, British FRCR and Canadian FRCPC, without periods in degrees. (Note, Media Relations uses periods between degrees.)

        In general, do not use honorary degrees such as FACR, FASTRO, FACRO, FACP, FAAN, FACS. Some exceptions may be made.

        For complete list of acceptable credentials and degrees, request and reference the list from Membership.

        Names of individuals with medical degrees should be used completely on first reference. For example, Susan Smith, MD, PhD, is the keynote speaker.

        • Use Dr. on the second reference. For example, Dr. Smith will discuss the need for MRI safety guidelines.

        Radiologist is not a medical designation and should not be capitalized. For example, Susan Smith, MD, PhD, radiologist, attended the event. For clarification, Dr. has a period. 

      Biographies

      Biographies of RSNA members can be created for print or online.  The subject may provide a CV or may have a short/long biography that can be adapted to RSNA style.  

      • Word count: Depending on the usage, the biography can be between 250-500 words.
      • Make sure the biography is written in third person.
      • Double check titles, other organization names and journal citations.
      • If possible, check the new biography against previously written bios in the same vein.  Make sure the new bio is equitable to those previous ones.  
      • Write the biography in the context of why the biography is needed: Is the doctor receiving an award?  If so, make sure the biography addresses the work that has been done that points to his achievement.  Is the doctor being recognized for expertise?  Make sure the biography includes reference to this expertise.  Is the doctor receiving an honorary recognition?  If so, the biography can be more effusive in its praise. 

         

        RSNA’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

        RSNA celebrates our diverse community of members from around the world. With inclusion as a core value, we believe that every person can support our mission to improve patient care—no matter their gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, ability, race, ethnicity, religion or other characteristics.

        With issues such as health care disparities, gender inequity, racial injustice and discriminatory acts of violence in the forefront, RSNA commits to representing our members with a unified voice that reflects our mission and values.

         Don't use he, him, his, she, her, or hers in generic references. Instead when possible and appropriate:

        • Rewrite to use the second person (you).
        • Rewrite the sentence to have a plural noun and pronoun.
        • Use the or a instead of a pronoun. For example, "the document".
        • Refer to a person's role. For example, reader, employee, customer or member.
        • Use person or individual.

        If you can't write around the problem, it's OK to use a plural pronoun (they, their, or them) in generic references to a single person. Don't use constructions like he/she and s/he.

        Always use a person’s preferred pronouns.

        Use gendered pronouns in content such as direct quotations, the titles of works and when gender is relevant, such as discussions about the challenges that women face in the workplace.

        In text and images, represent diverse perspectives and circumstances. 

        • Be inclusive of gender identity, race, culture, ability, age, sexual orientation and socioeconomic class.
        • Show people in a wide variety of professions, educational settings, locales and economic settings.
        • Avoid using examples that reflect primarily a Western or affluent lifestyle. Be inclusive of job roles, specialties and practice settings. 

        Use low- to mid-resource country to describe countries eligible for discounted RSNA membership.

        Avoid generalizations about people, countries, regions and cultures. Avoid slang specific to regions of the globe. Don't use profane or derogatory terms to describe people, countries, regions or cultures. Disabilities should not be mentioned unless they are relevant to the content.

        • When referencing people with disability, say, “individuals with autism” or “readers with low vision.”

        For more information about writing that conveys respect to all people and promotes equal opportunities, see the Guidelines for Inclusive Language from the Linguistic Society of America as well as the Conscious Style Guide and the gender-neutral language entry of the AP Stylebook.