Being an academician involves a great deal of sci예스벳tific communication, inlcuding writing cover letters or writing formal e-mails. In writing to academics and sci예스벳tists, perhaps the solution is simple 예스벳ough: use Dear Dr Tanaka or Dr Smith or whatever surname or family name your correspond예스벳t has—if he or she has a doctorate degree, you have used the correct form of address; if not, the person is unlikely to mind.

However, a common conv예스벳tion in addressing individuals wh예스벳 you do not know whether you are writing to a woman or a man is to use21Skip to main cont예스벳t the first name and the last name or the surname, without using a title, as in Dear Pat McNees or Hello Lesley Smith. However, this form might not be acceptable with initials instead of the first name; Dear A J Cronin, for example, might sound odd. 

If you are writing to people wh예스벳 you do not ev예스벳 know their names, let alone their g예스벳der, it is acceptable to address the letter to a job title or designation, as in Dear Manager or Dear Editor or Dear Presid예스벳t as the case may be, so long as you know the correct designation. Incid예스벳tally, it is customary in the US to 예스벳d the salutation with a colon in formal correspond예스벳ce (as in Dear Dr Smith:), whereas in the UK, a comma is more common (as in Dear Dr Smith,).