Electronic communication - Format
Obviously formatting applies to memoranda and other printed communication, but what does it have to do with e-mail or forum boards? Everything - from legibility to enabling the reader to receive all of the information you send. There are also organizational standards to consider when using University resources.
Send links and attachments, not entire web pages and documents in your message.
- Not only does this give the credit due the web site owners, but it enables the reader to find more information on their own and read at a time that may be more convenient.
Use descriptive subject lines.
- Some readers automatically delete messages with blank subject lines; it's a common enough spammer tactic.
Use blank lines between paragraphs.
- Some e-mail programs may not render tabs the way you'd wish and it interferes with readability.
Strip the unnecessary from the message before sending.
- By removing unnecessary characters, duplicate signatures, etc. or only quoting applicable text, you enable the reader to move through the text faster with only the relevant information.
Use images within the email itself sparingly - send them as attachments instead.
This document last reviewed April 26, 2013.
