Structure content like an ‘Inverted Pyramid’

This writing style prioritises putting the most important information first. Web readers have short attention spans, and they’ll decide whether the page has the information they need in seconds. By putting the important details first, you ensure that readers get essential information right away, followed by supporting content.  

For example, if you were creating an event page, you would put the crucial details such as the time, date and place, at the top of the page followed by the schedule and speakers.  

Use headings to break up long sections of text

For long sections of text, use clear and descriptive headings to break up the content. This improves readability and makes it easier for users to find the information they need.

Headings should be short, direct, easily understood out of context, and free from university-specific jargon.

Use Clear and Concise Language

Keep sentences short and to the point, aim for no more than 35 words per sentence. This helps ensure your message is easy to understand. Avoid overusing adverbs and adjectives, as they can make sentences longer and less direct.

Avoid jargon, especially internal or institutional terms. For example, say students from Northern Ireland instead of domestic students to ensure clarity for all audiences.

If you're unsure how clear your writing is, use an online readability tool like Hemingway Editor to check your content.

For longer blocks of text or when emphasising key points, consider using bulleted or numbered lists. Lists make content easier to scan and digest.

Tone of voice

At Queen’s, we want to create a distinctive tone of voice, with values that should be consistent throughout:  

• We should be positive – looking to the future and speaking enthusiastically about Queen’s.
• We should talk about our spirit of innovation – the desire to bring new ideas and experiences to the world. We are pioneers of education and research and the way we talk should reflect this. 
• We should be inspiring. What we say should make an impression on people and be captivating to audiences.
• We should be proud of our academic achievement. Our writing should also communicate how proud we are to have a world-class learning opportunity. 

Active voice

Use active rather than passive voice as this helps create succinct, direct and reader-friendly sentences:  

Active voice: The university awarded scholarships to 50 students this year 
Here, the subject (university) performs the action (awarded), making the sentence clear and direct. 
 
Passive voice: Scholarships were awarded to 50 students by the university this year 
In this version, the subject (university) comes after the action (awarded), making the sentence less direct.

Linking

When linking to a supporting document, landing page or external web page, ensure that you’re anchoring it to a word or phrase, rather than pasting the link directly into the text. 
 
For example:  

• Correct: Apply for a course  
• Incorrect: Apply for a course here https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/  

Images

Images can help break up text, making your page easier to read. We recommend having at least one image on each page that is relevant to the text.

Encourage readers to act

Think about what the call to action is for your content - maybe you want students to register their interest, browse our courses or apply. Help initiate this action by adding a call to action that is clearly visible and easy to understand.

Keep it up to date

If you’re producing content for the web, it’s important to keep it up to date. Outdated web content will confuse readers, which is why it’s important to add to or update the content as often as possible.

Formatting

When building your webpage with pre-written copy in a document, you need to paste the copy as plain text rather than directly from Word. The underlying code from Word cannot be carried across into the Web CMS and will cause font and other formatting changes.  
 
We recommend you use the paste as text option (under edit) when copying and pasting from Word or an email to the Web CMS.