We have produced this guide to ensure consistency of writing across all of CEGEP Heritage College.
It can be used by anyone in the college involved in web writing. If you have any questions, please contact the communications team.
Heritage’s website has been structure with user-segmentation in mind. When creating content, we always consider which user segment it belongs in. This is who we’re writing for!
I want to learn about Heritage’s programs so I can determine if one is right for me.
I want to quickly access campus information so I can succeed in my studies and campus life.
Connecting alumni, employers, partners, Foundation donors and the general public with Heritage.
Public-facing information about Heritage’s governance, plans, facilities, careers, policies and regulations.
Web readers want information in its simplest form. Also, Heritage is a bilingual-community with students from all over the world. By using plain-language, we make sure our message is clear for all.
Examples of plain-language:
Want more? Here are some great resources:
Use headings. They help readers scan for the content they need.
Keep sentences around 10-20 words, with an average of 12 words. Anything over 20 words should be revised.
Keep paragraphs around 3-10 sentences, with an average of 5. Anything over 10 should be revised.
The website’s primary goal is recruitment and selling programs/services. The primary users are future and current students. To engage them, we must write in a youthful but intelligent way. This is outlined more in voice and tone.
Heritage is known for attracting a diverse and innovative community of youth. Our content should reflect this.
When writing for the Heritage website, if we speak with a common voice, we help to build a relationship between us and our users.
Our voice is:
Voice is fixed. Tone changes depending on the situation. Every piece of writing is either:
Content Type | Tone | Example Copy |
Basic information page | Professional, accessible, matter-of-fact, serious, formal | |
News / Showcase | Personable, accessible, enthusiastic, funny or serious*, conversational * dependent on subject-matter | |
Event | Personable, accessible, enthusiastic, funny or serious*, conversational * dependent on subject-matter | |
Persona-landing page / Microsite homepage | Personable, accessible, enthusiastic, serious, conversational | |
Program profile | Professional, accessible, matter-of-fact, serious, formal | |
FAQ | Professional, accessible, matter-of-fact, serious, formal |
We teach students at Heritage.
Using the first and second person brings your reader into your narrative. The third person creates distance. Although academics favour the third person, writing for the web favours the first and second person.
First person: We’re excited to have you on campus
Second person: You can register for your classes on Aug. 15th, 2019.
When writing for the web, you must use headings (H1, H2, H3, H4, etc.) to create useful content.
Headings serve three purposes:
Think of your headings like a table of contents. If you hide all the body text, and only read the headings, will you get to the right information?
Break up your test with headings to guide you reader.
Keep sentences around 10-20 words, with an average of 12 words. Anything over 20 words should be revised.
Keep paragraphs around 3-10 sentences, with an average of 5. Anything over 10 should be revised.
Title headers use title-case. This usually applies to the "Header" field in the editor, rather than the headings you use in the main text-box of the editor.
Out-of-Province Student Admission Requirements
Headings and subheadings use sentence-case. This usually applies to the headings (H1, H2, H2, etc.) you're using in the main text-box of the editor.
Admission requirements for Ontario students
Name and title should always be first. Email addresses should follow and be all lower case. Phone numbers with extensions come last. Formatting is as follows:
Carole Macmillan, Department Coordinator
cmacmillan@cegep-heritage.qc.ca
(819) 778-2270 ext. 5153
Web addresses should not be written using full URLs on web pages. It can sometimes be appropriate to write a domain when it is the brand name of a service. Best practice is to link appropriate sentence text.
Ensure that the hyperlink has context and describes where it leads. It should not just read “click here” and should clearly identify the link destination.
Alliance Sport-Études supports elite athletes who pursue higher studies.
Always give the full title of a person, department, group, or institution the first time it is mentioned within the text (not just the title), followed by the abbreviated version or acronym in brackets.
Recognition of Acquired Competencies (RAC)
Subsequent references may employ an abbreviated version or an acronym.
No periods are needed abbreviations.
RAC
In text, spell out in full all specific figures up to and including ten.
one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten
Higher numbers should be written in figures, using commas to indicate thousands.
11 12 13 150 6,110 5,483,472
Currency symbols should appear at the beginning of values. Decimals are periods, not commas.
$100
$5.23
Abbreviated forms of units
2lb 12oz, 3ft 6in, 10m, 167cm, 11.67m, 2.2kg
Fractions and percentages
Examples: 3.5%, 10.2%
When a number over ten is used to begin a sentence
Seventy people attended the event.
When two numbers in different categories appear in close proximity
We are expecting 9 to 12 participants.
Where the numbers ten and below appear in a table digits may show the information more clearly.
The weekday comes before the month, and the numerical date is always written as a digit, with no st/nd/rd/th suffix. The year, if relevant, should be written in full.
Monday, October 8, 2019
Days of the week and months of the year can be abbreviated if space is at a premium. Be consistent when you do this, and always use three letter abbreviations - Thu not Thurs, Jun not June. No periods are necessary.
Mon, Oct 8, 2019.
Times of day should always use digits, never words, and should use the 24 hour clock, with the hours and minutes separated by a colon.
16:00
Where bullet points form a list of very short phrases or single words, lower case should be used (unless the point contains a proper name or formal title). Punctuation is not necessary.
This course will address:
- reading
- writing
- presentations
If the leading sentence and bullet points combine to form complete sentences, then lower case should be used for each bullet point (unless the point contains a proper name or formal title) and no punctuation should appear at the end.
Our sports facility has:
- an indoor basketball-court
- a fully-equipped gym, staffed during daytime and evenings
- an indoor swimming pool
If each bullet point is a complete sentence, then sentence case and punctuation should be used.
There are some general points you should take into account when preparing for your co-op interview.
- Most interviewers will consider how your present yourself. Dress appropriately.
- Taking notes in with you can keep you focused and help you answer questions.
- You should feel confident asking about the position to ensure it is the right fit for you.
Use a numbered list only when your listed items represent a progression, such as a series of steps with a set order, or when you need to be able to reference the list items in another part of the document or page.
Your program will help you get academic, practical, and workplace knowledge and skills. The application process works as follows:
- The Work Placement Coordinator will direct you to placements you’re eligible for.
- You respond to employers offers and actively search for jobs on your own, ensuring that all work place offers are approved by your Work Placement Coordinator.
- You forward your application (cover letter and resume saved as one document) to the Work Placement Coordinator.
- The Work Placement Coordinator organizes the interview process (either at the College or on location) for you.
- The employer advises the Work Placement Coordinator which student(s) he/she wishes to hire.
- You and your employer sign a Work Contract Agreement (copies to the student, employer and coordinator) and you arrange your first day with the employer (start date, time, location, security pass/sign in procedure etc).
- The Work Placement Coordinator works with the employer and you for the duration of the placement and resolves any issues.
- The employer provides feedback regarding your performance to you and Work Placement Coordinator.
- The employer completes the Work Placement Evaluation and returns it to the Work Placement Coordinator in the final week of the term.
You should punctuate numbered lists the same way you do bullet lists.
Avoid the use of complex punctuation, such as semi-colons (;), dashes (--), and colons (:) unless absolutely necessary. Favour periods (.) and commas (,) to keep your writing simple and easy to digest.
Heritage's content style guide is heavily influenced by the University of Dundee content style guide. We'd like to thank them for sharing it publically, helping to advance content strategy for higher-education.
If you'd like to dive deeper into standardizing your web writing, you can visit these resources: