bullets (2024)

The following guidelines apply to bulleted lists:

• Make bulleted lists parallel in construction (i.e., begin all the items in the list with the same part of speech, such as a verb or a noun, and make sure they are either all phrases or all complete sentences).
• Use numbered or lettered lists instead of bullets if you want to refer to the list items elsewhere in the text.
• Begin each item with a capital letter.
• Follow these rules for punctuation:
  • If all items are complete sentences, include a period after each bullet.
  • If all items are single words or short phrases, include a period after the final bullet only.
  • Do not use semicolons or commas after bullets.
• Use bulleted lists sparingly to: 
  • Highlight important items 
  • Draw attention to main points 
  • Help readers find information.

The example below shows the ending punctuation rule applied for a multilevel list. In general, think of the punctuation as closing out a “thought,” akin to finishing a sentence.

NREL technical reports are divided into:

• Front matter
  • Title page
  • Disclaimer
  • Foreword
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • List of acronyms
  • Executive summary
  • Table of contents
  • Lists of figures and tables.
• Body text, organized into sections
• Back matter
  • Glossary
  • Reference list
  • Bibliography
  • Appendices.