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DU Library Style Guide

Page Content: Plain Text

Do:

  • Write:
    • generally say DU Library 
    • e-book (not E-book, eBook, etc.)
      • if it needs to be capitalized (e.g. the first word of a sentence), write: E-book
    • e-mail (not email, etc.)
      • if it needs to be capitalized (e.g. the first word of a sentence), write: E-mail
    • full-text (not full text)
    • homepage (not home page)
    • library guides (over libguides), especially when communicating to non-librarians
    • peer review (not peer-review)
    • make-up (as in make-up tests), if it's a title, then capitalize as Make-Up
  • Use active voice (e.g. "Renew Books") over passive (e.g. "How to renew books")
  • Chunk related information together
    • Use clear, concise headings above each chunk
  • Use bullets and lists instead of paragraphs where possible
  • Consider using images, videos, and widgets to communicate content where feasible
    • Except: images of text should never replace actual text
  • Reduce words to only what is necessary (averages 50% fewer words than what people think they need)
  • Check for spelling, grammar, capitalization errors
  • When typing in another language (beyond proper names, technical words, or common English phrases; e.g. Joyeux Noel), contact the Library Digital Services team to give you HTML code to insert.

Don't:

  • Use ALL CAPS unless it truly is necessary
  • Include "just-in-case" content
    • (if it truly seems necessary but for only a minority of users, place it in another location and link out to it for users who may want to read it)
  • Identify things with sensory characteristics (i.e. choose from the left)
  • Use jargon
    • Instead, spell out acronyms when you first use them, and avoid technical terms (or define them where necessary to use).
    • Optional: define an acronym via HTML code (e.g. HTML) by typing the following in your script:
      <abbr title=”American Psychological Association”>APA</abbr>