.



Writing Guidelines

useful headings
headings2
first few words
active voice
set the context
use lists
imperatives
• parallelisms
simpler words
• fragments
• descriptive links
combine guidelines




Writing for the Web:

Catch the user in the first few words

Users skim:

  • They may start to read, but they also stop quickly unless the writing captures their interest.

Think journalism (not academic writing)

  • Who, what, where, when, why and how
  • Start with the conclusion, then give the details
Yes: No:
MIT community members may now access many of our electronic resources from off-campus! To find out more about who is eligible for this service, how to set up certificates on your computer, and which vendors allow off-campus access, read our off-campus FAQ. Current MIT students, faculty, staff, (Athena-account holders) with Netscape certificates enabled, may access many of our electronic resources from off-campus. We are working with the vendors of these resources to renegotiate contracts so off-campus access will be allowed. To find out more, read our off-campus FAQ.

 

  hennig@mit.edu