Hantsweb Good Practice

Style and Language

Plain English | Foreign Language | Text | Scanning

Plain English

Plain English should always be used. Editors should ensure that text is short simple sentences and that they write it with their intended audience in mind and avoid jargon. Hantsweb is intended to be used by everyone, overseas visitors will benefit from simple language as this is easier to understand.

• Do not say - "High-quality learning environments are a necessary precondition for facilitation and enhancement of the ongoing learning process."
• Do say - "Children need good schools if they are to learn properly."

Foreign Language

The use of foreign languages can be put to good use and can aid accessibility. For an example of a dual language site look at our Basse-Normandie Accord pages in French and English. if you are interested in creating dual language pages please get in touch with the Hantsweb Team.

Text

Write your web pages from a user perspective and take advantage of working in a different kind of media to a printed page. Do not simply reproduce hardcopy leaflets that may contain inappropriate expressions such as 'see page 2 of this leaflet for further information' or 'see overleaf…'

Scanning

Scanning printed text for publication on the web using optical character readers is a straightforward process and increasingly common. However, you should review the text carefully after scanning for conversion errors (for example 'b' and 'd' reversal) and to strip out inappropriate 'Text'.

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