Bulleted lists of sentence fragments

If bullets are used to complete a sentence, use a colon at the end of the lead-in text, lower case for the first word of each bullet point (except for proper nouns) and no punctuation at the end of each list item except for a full stop after the last item of the list:

The areas to be addressed in this quarter are:

  • finances
  • staffing
  • profitability.

When writing for the web, the final full stop is often omitted. See Web content for more information about writing for the web.

Avoid starting a new sentence within bullet points that are sentence fragments. If it is absolutely necessary to have a new ‘thought’ within a bullet point, use a semicolon, an en dash or parentheses:

The areas of action to be addressed in this quarter are:

  • improving service delivery
  • enhancing the customer interface; an improved interface will be rolled out to customers who have signed up to trial it.

or

The areas of action to be addressed in this quarter are:

  • improving service delivery
  • enhancing the customer interface – an improved interface will be rolled out to customers who have signed up to trial it.

or

The areas of action to be addressed in this quarter are:

  • improving service delivery
  • enhancing the customer interface (an improved interface will be rolled out to customers who have signed up to trial it).

Whichever style you choose, be consistent both within the list and within your document.

Items in a list of sentence fragments sometimes start with an introductory word or phrase that functions like a heading. Use an en dash after the introductory word or phrase, not another colon:

The policies are:

  • feed-in tariffs – policies that offer long-term purchase agreements with power producers
  • auctions – competitive bidding processes for renewable electricity
  • tax incentives – policies involving tax incentives for installation of renewable energy.

not

The policies are:

  • feed-in tariffs: policies that offer long-term purchase agreements with power producers
  • auctions: competitive bidding processes for renewable electricity
  • tax incentives: policies involving tax incentives for installation of renewable energy.

Bulleted lists of full sentences

If the listed items are whole sentences, make the lead-in sentence a full sentence, and use a colon at the end to signal the bullet points to come.

In this case, each bullet point should start with a capital letter and end with a full stop:

The outcomes of the project can be summarised by 3 main points:

  • The main factors affecting risk of stroke in individuals with atrial fibrillation have been identified. There is concern over the expense of treating all such individuals with a single treatment regime.
  • A method has been developed for evaluating those at greatest risk of stroke.
  • A preliminary evaluation of 200 individuals has been completed.

The example above refers to 3 main points. Referring to the number of items in the list does not mean that a numbered list is needed – the items in a list should only be numbered if a hierarchy of importance or order is implied. See Numbered lists for more information.

Items in a list of full sentences sometimes start with an introductory word or phrase that functions like a heading. Use a full stop after the introductory word or phrase, not another colon:

The assessment should be based on the following principles:

  • Relevance. Ensure that the assessment serves the decision-making needs of users.
  • Consistency. Use consistent approaches, data collection methods and calculation methods.
  • Accuracy. Achieve sufficient accuracy to enable stakeholders to make informed decisions.

not

The assessment should be based on the following principles:

  • Relevance: Ensure that the assessment serves the decision-making needs of users.
  • Consistency: Use consistent approaches, data collection methods and calculation methods.
  • Accuracy: Achieve sufficient accuracy to enable stakeholders to make informed decisions.

Bulleted lists that contain secondary lists

For lists within lists, use a hierarchy of bullets and then dashes:

The main outcomes of the project were:

  • development of a new method for assessing risk by
    • age of the population at risk
    • level of exercise
  • improved reliability for predicting stroke based on these factors
  • promotion of the new method through local and international agencies.

Do not use a colon at the end of the lead-in phrase to the secondary list, or a full stop at the end of the secondary list.

Standalone bulleted lists with no lead-in sentence

A standalone list can follow a heading. In this case, do not place a colon after the heading or a full stop at the end of the list. Start each item with a capital letter:

Committee members [heading]

  • Expert in relevant area of scientific research (Chair)
  • Animal welfare expert
  • Veterinary expert
  • Community representative
  • Representative of the RSPCA