Transcript Writing for the Web Strategies to Promote Good Writing

Writing for the Web:
Strategies to Promote
Good Writing
Darlene Fichter
Data Library Coordinator
University of Saskatchewan Library
library.usask.ca/~fichter
Outline
► Classic
Mistakes
► 10 Ways to Encourage Web Writing
Wordiness
►
Strike out useless
words
Legalese
► “By
clicking the submit button, you
agree to abide by regulations specified
by both the borrowing and the lending
library concerning the use of the
borrowed item. You also agree that you
have read the copyright notice and will
observe copyright provisions in the use
of any library material requested.”
► ILL loan form
Put Important Items First
► Put
the most important things first
– Enamored by alphabet
► Link
density should be highest above
the fold
Harness Hypertext Power
Jargon
► InfoTrac
| Ebscohost | | Lexis-Nexis
Newsbank |
► MELVYL, HAYSTAC, SUNCAT
► Course Integrated Sessions
► Information Literacy
► Circulation, collections, reference
Use Words for Important
Announcements
► Use
words not graphics for promoting
new program or service
Don’t SHOUT
Typography
►
Layout your text
consistently to support
how user’s read
Promoting Good Writing
► Lots
of ways to promote good writing
► Depends on your situation
– One author or many?
– Decentralized or centralized
Make the Case
With management
► With the web team
► Ideally designate an “editor” for
content who will:
►
– Review the site
– Set guidelines and standards
– Mentor new authors
Set Standards with Your Team
► Editorial
standards
– Capitalization, punctuation
– Acronyms
► Styles
– Headings, subheadings
– Make a site wide style sheet
– Make it mandatory
– Consider typography and layout
Pre-Publication Checklists
Spell checking
► Uses standard styles
► Follows editorial guidelines
► Check for:
►
–
–
–
–
Hyperlinks embedded in text
Dense block of texts
Check “readability statistics”
Word count over ______
Lead By Example
►
Make sure the areas that you control are
succinct, clear and easy to read
– Annotations in a subject directory
Recognize Good Writing
Let other authors know about particular
pages that are well written
► Tell stories
►
Recruit Authors as Observers
for Your Next Usability Test
Nothing works better
► Seeing is believing
►
Marketing
Send out tips or a newsletter by email
► Sprinkle in writing tips
► Plan a seminar
►
Be a Teacher
►
Do not assume new authors will know how to
write for the web
Foster External Review
► If
you don’t have a site wide editor,
encourage authors to partner with
another author and ask for a review
► For major sections, ask for prototypes
so you can review and make
suggestions before it’s set in stone
Provide Resources
Plain language word lists
► Before and After examples
►
Instead of
Use
construct
build
concerning about
in order to
to
Questions?
► Thank
you!