Writing Style

To write Web content that matches our writing style:

Rely on Standard References

Use respected American English references such as:

Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and Thesaurus
The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. et al.; Allyn and Bacon
The Chicago Manual of Style, University of Chicago Press
The Associated Press Stylebook, Perseus Publishing

Write for the World

Your writing will be viewable worldwide. If your article is specific to San Francisco, California, or the United States without good reason, you'll alienate a potentially large eligible audience. A few simple changes to your text might enable many more people to be included. Examples: Currency, Date and time format, Time zone, Governmental agencies.

Write for the Future

Avoid writing that might become false as time passes. If visitors find an article titled "The Latest Research on Aspirin" and then find it was written in 1999, they'll be disappointed. Better to call it "Aspirin Research" and clarify the publication date within the article ("As of March 1999...").

Write Good Headlines

When writing headlines for pages or sections, summarize the text that follows. Example: Instead of "Aspirin Research," use "Aspirin Linked to Pancreatic Cancer." When possible, begin the headline with the name of the person or concept discussed. Keep it short. Don't use puns or cleverness.

Presume Context

You can make certain assumptions given the context of your page within the site. Example: This page is titled "Writing Style" -- not "Writing Style for Web Developers of the UCSF School of Pharmacy." Presuming context enables you to simplify your writing.

Address the Reader Directly

Instead of writing about your visitors as a third party, address them directly, as though you were speaking one-on-one in a professional (not casual) manner. This manner of writing is friendlier and more engaging.

Use the Active Voice

Use the active voice instead of the passive voice unless the agent performing the action is obvious, unimportant, or unknown. See Active and Passive Voice for details.

Increase Credibility

If applicable, provide links to other Web sites which support your statements.

Use the Inverted Pyramid

The inverted pyramid style of writing: Begin with your conclusion, then add supporting information, then finish with background material.

Write Less

Write no more than 50% of the text that you would for a print publication. Use words and sentences that are short, simple, familiar.

Enable Scannability

Use headings, sections, and bullet lists to encourage scanning. (This page is a good example.) Also emphasize important words, phrases, or short ideas with boldface fonts or boxes.

Break Up Long Texts

Split a long page into several smaller ones where possible. Example: State of the School Address.

Avoid Marketese

Don't use subjective or exaggerative promotional writing, which visitors find annoying and a waste of time.

Be Consistent

If the writing is one article in a series, closely match the style, length, and voice of the others to encourage familiarity of the body of work as a whole.

Review our Content Style Guide

Content Style provides many more details regarding usage.

Go To: Content Style or Style Guide