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Title
Editorial guidelines for lunduniversity.lu.se
Category
undergraduate
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5830a429371947d393f21d13cf9bb2a3
Source URL
https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/contact-us/about-website/edito...
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https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/sitemap
Crawl Time
2026-03-16T06:24:35+00:00
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Editorial guidelines for lunduniversity.lu.se

Source: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/contact-us/about-website/editorial-guidelines-lunduniversityluse Parent: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/sitemap

At lunduniversity.lu.se, we serve a global audience with diverse needs, backgrounds and abilities. To connect with them effectively, our content must be relevant, accessible and consistent. These guidelines will help you create and maintain user-friendly content.

The guidelines cover the following key areas:

About these guidelines

These guidelines are for all editors of content on lunduniversity.lu.se. They are written in plain English and include examples.

They are based on Lund University's language policy, accessibility legislation, readability and usability research, international standards and industry best practices.

If you have questions or feedback, contact editors [at] kommunikation [dot] lu [dot] se.

General guidelines

Good content is clear, useful and focused on the intended audience. Always consider who you are writing for and how to make information easy to find, understand and act upon. Following these key principles will help create a positive and inclusive user experience.

Keep your audience in mind

When writing or editing, always consider your audience. Prospective and current students are among our most important audiences, but our content also serves many others. People are often busy and have many things competing for their attention. They also have different levels of knowledge and ability to process information. Content should make it easy for them to find information, make decisions and take action.

Ask yourself:

This will help you put their needs first when creating or editing content.

Apply key principles and guidelines

To adapt content for and to your audience, check that it follows the principles and guidelines below. If it doesn't, make the necessary changes.\
Principle Guidelines
Logically structured Organise content clearly. Use focused headings and subheadings (H2, H3, H4, H5, in that order). Make sure the content follows a logical sequence/flow of ideas. Divide text into natural paragraphs. Use bulleted lists when appropriate. Avoid starting sentences with 'And' or 'But'.
Simple and clear Use plain English – simple, clear language. Avoid jargon, complex and overly formal terms wherever possible. If not, explain them. Spell out or explain abbreviations.
To the point Focus on the main message. Avoid irrelevant information and unnecessary details.
Brief Keep headings and sentences short. Divide long sentences into shorter ones when possible and natural. Avoid unnecessary words. Make sure every word has a purpose.
Free from ambiguity Make sure that information can only be interpreted in one way. Avoid complex grammar. Use clear, specific words.
Engaging Keep the tone professional but friendly. Use 'we' and 'us' for the University and 'you' for the audience. Use simple contractions such as 'it's', 'we're' and 'you'll' when appropriate. Use the active voice, not the passive. Use possessive and negative forms with care. Avoid overusing 'please'. Add relevant examples where helpful.
Clean and focused Make the content easy to scan and navigate. Use white space effectively, but don't overdo it. Avoid distractions, such as generic images or multiple coloured info boxes. Use accordions when appropriate. Avoid using buttons on regular pages.

Tools and resources for applying the editorial guidelines

Example page applying and describing these guidelines in more detail

Use language consistently

Use language as consistently as possible. Use British English spelling and vocabulary, and capitalise words only when necessary.

Use British English

Lund University uses British English, as stated in our language policy. Where possible, this also applies to our web content at lunduniversity.lu.se.

Use British English and avoid American English (or other varieties) unless otherwise stated.

There are:

See below for rules and examples to help you avoid mistakes.

Spelling differences

See the different British and American English spellings below, grouped by category. Use these rules as a guide, but note that there may be some exceptions.

-sation- versus -zation
-ise versus -ize
-yse versus -yze
-our versus -or
-ll- versus -l-
-l versus -ll
-re versus -er
-er versus -or
-ce versus -se (nouns)
-se versus -ce (verbs)
-ogue versus -og
-ae- or -oe- versus -e-

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Vocabulary differences

It can be difficult to know when British and American English have different words for something, and which one(s) to use.

We actually use a mixture of both on the website, depending on the context. Some words are more commonly used internationally. In other cases, the alternative can lead to confusion or misinterpretation. Choosing the right words consistently ensures that our content is clear to everyone.

Native speakers are likely to know both versions, although there may be subtle differences in meaning.

Commonly used British English words

The following words are more common in British English than American English:

Other examples exist, but are less common for university websites.

When we don't use standard British English words

We don't use standard British words in the following cases:

In British English, a course usually refers to an entire programme of study. It can also refer to a single unit within a programme, but this is more commonly called a module. To avoid confusion:

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Grammar differences

Use the link below to find out more about grammar differences. Some of these are only relevant to informal writing:

British and American English – dictionary.cambridge.org

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Use capital letters only when needed

In general, use capital letters (upper case) only when absolutely necessary. Small letters (lower case) are better for readability. Be as consistent as possible across all content.

Always avoid using capital letters to emphasise words (for example, 'NOTE THAT...' or '3 Years, 180 Credits'). When appropriate, use bold text or single quotation marks instead.

Lund University

Lund University

Write Lund University with two capital letters in English, L and U. In Swedish, it is written as Lunds universitet with a small u.

The University

Write the University with a capital letter U only when referring directly and specifically to Lund University.

This only applies if there are no words between 'the' and 'university' and the reference is more general. In all other cases, use a small 'u':

References to 'our university' are quite unusual. See if you can use 'we' instead, or use a small 'u'.

When referring to another university, avoid capitalising the word university.

A university

Use a small letter for the word university in general references.

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Faculties, schools, centres and departments

Full/official names of organisational units should be capitalised:

After introducing the official name, use small letters for the definite form, for example, 'the faculty', 'the school', 'the centre' and 'the department'. Also use small letters for broad terms such as 'research group':

This is to avoid repetition and unnecessary formality, and to improve readability.

Note that the definite form 'the University' is the only exception where we use a capital letter.

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Programmes, courses, subject areas and subjects

Degree types

Use capital letters for degree types:

Specific programmes or courses

Use capital letters only when referring to a specific programme or course by its full name:

General subject or research areas

Use small letters when referring to a general subject area within education or research:

Note that the last example is a page header, so it needs a capital letter at the beginning (and no full stop at the end). However, the second word of the research area, 'planet', still starts with a small letter.

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Job titles

Job titles when used with a name

Use capital letters for formal job titles when used in direct association with a name/person (including in contact information):

Other references to titles

Use small letters when the title is used without a name or in a more general sense:

Use small letters for titles in general references:

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People and places

Capitalise the names of people and places:

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Days and months

Use capital letters for days of the week and months of the year.

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Websites

Write website names with a small initial letter (for example in link texts):

Use capital letters only when writing the name of the external party in the link text, for example:

Note that the link texts above are examples – they are not linked to actual content. Items in bulleted lists that contain full sentences should normally end with full stops (see the sections on lists and link writing below). However, link texts should never end with full stops.

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Write in a clear and simple way

Write in a way that is easy for your audience to read and understand. Use direct, active and positive language. Avoid jargon and complex terms, and spell out or explain abbreviations.

Use direct, active and positive language

Use direct, active and positive language to create a good reading experience for everyone. Possessive, passive and negative forms can make content harder to process or less engaging. This can be particularly challenging for non-native speakers or people with certain disabilities.

You can use different rewriting strategies, but always remember to keep sentences short and to the point.

Make possessive forms direct

Check if a possessive form is really necessary. In some cases, you can drop the 's or ' without changing the meaning.

In other cases, a verb or an alternative phrase will make the sentence clearer. Possessive pronouns such as 'our' and 'its' may be more natural than using 's or '.

Here are a few examples:

Note that each of the rewrites is shorter and more direct than the original.

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Make passive forms active

Check if a passive form is really necessary. You can often rewrite passive sentences in the active voice to make them clearer and more direct.

Use the active voice to show who is doing or involved in the action. This makes the sentence more engaging.

Here are a few examples:

Note that each of the rewrites is shorter and more direct than the original.

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Make negative forms positive

Check if a negative form is really necessary. You can often rewrite negative sentences in a positive form to make them clearer and more direct.

Use positive language to create a more engaging and constructive tone.

Here are a few examples:

Note that each of the rewrites is shorter and more direct than the original.

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Use simple and clear language

It's important to use language that's easy for your audience to understand. Avoid, replace or explain complex terms to keep the content simple and clear.

Find simpler and fitting synonyms

Whenever possible, choose

synonyms or near synonyms. Always consider the context to see if the simpler synonym fits in.

For example, you may decide to use:

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Avoid or explain jargon and technical terms

In general, avoid using words or phrases that are likely to be familiar only to university staff or researchers.

For example:

If you really can't find a way around a difficult or more internal term*, introduce it and explain it clearly. Also avoid overusing it.

For example:

*Sometimes it's difficult to avoid a term altogether, for example because:

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Use contractions to make content more engaging

Contractions make your writing sound more conversational and less formal. They generally create a smoother flow and help with comprehension. However, use them only when appropriate.

Use contractions when appropriate

Common contractions such as it's, we're, we'll, you're, you'll, there's, can't, isn't, don't, doesn't and didn't are widely understood and generally make your content more engaging and easier to read. Screen readers also usually interpret contractions without any problems.

If you're not sure about a specific contraction, try reading the sentence out loud. If it sounds natural and the meaning is clear, it's probably OK to use it.

For example, write:

Consider the context, audience and tone

Consider the context, audience and tone to see if contractions are appropriate. Depending on the type of content and the audience, it may or may not make sense to use contractions. For example, it may be more appropriate to use contractions in student content than in news articles.

When writing more formal texts, important instructions or critical details (such as a deadline or legal requirement), the full form may be more appropriate and clearer. Always consider the balance with the rest of the text and be as consistent as possible when writing for the same audience.

Avoid complex, unusual and unclear contractions

Certain contractions may be more difficult for some audiences (for example, non-native speakers or people with cognitive disabilities) to process quickly and accurately. These include less common combined negatives (such as shouldn't, wouldn't, aren't) and contractions with 've (such as we've, you've) and 'd (such as I'd, you'd). Use the full form if it makes the meaning clearer to your audience.

Avoid repeating the same contraction

Repeating the same contraction several times in the same text can feel awkward. It's fine to use contractions like you'll or we're, but try to avoid using the same contraction more than once or twice in the same sentence or paragraph.

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Explain or spell out abbreviations

Abbreviations and acronyms can make content difficult to understand, especially for unfamiliar audiences. Always explain or spell them out using the guidelines below.

Define abbreviations and acronyms in their context

Ask yourself whether everyone in your audience will understand an abbreviation or acronym, even if it is well known. As a general rule, explain it the first time it is used on a page.

If a heading on a page consists of an abbreviation and nothing else, spell it out there:

If the abbreviation is part of a longer heading, or is used for the first time in the body of the text, spell it out the first time it is used there:

Common abbreviations include i.e. and e.g. (from Latin). These may not be intuitive or even confusing to some of our audiences:

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Format text for clarity

Good formatting makes content easier to scan and understand. Use punctuation, lists, numbers, text emphasis and link text carefully and consistently.

Use punctuation and symbols with care

Punctuation and symbols can make or break readability. They are key to making content clearer, but they can also make it harder to read if overused or misused. Use them carefully and consistently, following the guidelines below.

Note that we try to keep our sentences short. Don't overuse connectors such as hyphens, commas or semicolons to lengthen sentences unless it's necessary. Consider using a full stop instead.

See examples below the table.\
Punctuation and symbols Guidelines
Full stop (.) Use at the end of a sentence or a list of items.
Exclamation mark (!) Use for final emphasis, only in exceptional cases.
Question mark (?) Use at the end of a question and avoid in headings.
Comma (,) Use to separate clauses, ideas and list items (except the last one).
Oxford comma (, and/or) before last item in list Use only if leaving it out would create ambiguity or affect readability.
Hyphen (-) Use only for compound words.
En dash (–) Use for ranges, equivalent terms or related ideas.
Em dash (—) Avoid em dashes.
Colon (:) Use to introduce lists. Avoid using colons to extend sentences.
Semicolon (;) Use only for complex lists. Avoid using semicolons to extend sentences.
Single quotation marks (' ') Use only to highlight new concepts, Swedish terms and titles of publications.
Double quotation marks (" ") Use only for direct quotes.
Ampersand (&) Avoid ampersands. Use 'and' in all cases.
Hashtag (#) Avoid hashtags unless they relate to social media channels.
Plus (+) and minus (-) Avoid plus and minus signs. Use 'more/less than' and 'over'/'under', etc.
Currency symbols (€  $ etc.) Avoid currency symbols. Use the format 'EUR number' instead.

Examples of punctuation and symbol use

The examples below cover some of the punctuation and sign categories that require careful consideration.

Exclamation mark

Use exclamation marks (!) only for short-term campaigns:

Commas, en dashes, colons and semicolons as connectors or separators

In general, keep your sentences short and to the point. Where possible and natural, use a full stop instead of extending a sentence.

Use commas (,), en dashes (–) or semicolons (;) only when necessary to separate ideas or list items clearly. Avoid using colons for this purpose. Colons tend to introduce a new point, making the sentence unnecessarily long.

Examples:

The following list with semicolons is for illustration only. It would normally consist of three bullets.

Oxford comma

The following lists are for illustration only. They would normally be bulleted.

Hyphens versus en dashes in compounds and ranges

Use hyphens (-) to connect words that work together as compound modifiers to describe something before the noun.

Use en dashes (–) to connect ranges or two equally important parts of a compound modifier:

Single quotation marks

Use single quotation marks (' ', instead of italics) to introduce or highlight concepts, Swedish terms and the titles of publications:

If you want to emphasise certain words, phrases, clauses or short sentences because they are important, you can use bold text instead.

Double quotation marks

Use double quotation marks (" ") for direct quotes.

Ampersand (always avoid)

For accessibility reasons, always avoid ampersands (&):

Company names or logos with an ampersand are the only exception.

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Use and format lists with care

Lists can help our audiences process content more easily. This is especially true when the items listed are more than a few words each. Lists can also be useful for step-by-step instructions.

General guidelines for creating lists

Lists are useful for improving readability when presenting three or more items/links, or when breaking up a complex sentence or text into two or more parts.

However, lists should be used with care. Short items may not always need a list, especially if another, more complex list follows closely.

Always use bullets for links when three or more links are presented together. For visual consistency, you can use bullets even for one or two links if there are other bulleted lists of three or more links on the same page. This doesn't affect accessibility.

Use these general guidelines:

When it comes to capital letters and punctuation:

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Bulleted lists

Simple bulleted lists

LERU was founded in 2002 by some of Europe's leading universities, including:

See the link below to learn about:

Bulleted lists to divide complex sentences

Before you start your application in SoleMove, search the information available on each university to decide:

If you are admitted to Lund University, you will have several opportunities to learn Swedish. The options available to you depend on:

Bulleted lists consisting of full sentences

Students with a Swedish Bachelor's degree, please note:

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Numbered lists

Use numbered lists in moderation. Use them only where there is a real sequence of steps or instructions to follow, and where things could go wrong otherwise. Even sequences sometimes don't need a numbered list, especially if they're short.

If you have been offered a place on a programme or course, follow the steps below:

  1. Check to see if there are any instructions for accepting your place and. If so, follow them.
  2. Pay your tuition fee instalment (if applicable).
  3. Apply for a residence permit (if applicable).
  4. Apply for housing.
  5. Complete any other requirements to fulfil the conditions of your admission.
  6. Follow any pre-arrival instructions or other requirements from your programme/department.
  7. Register at your department once you have arrived.

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Use numbers, dates and times consistently

Consistency in the presentation of numbers, dates and times makes it easier for your audience to understand and navigate the information.

Numbers

Numbers below and above ten

Write the numbers one to ten as words, unless the sentence contains both numbers below and above ten:

Use numerals to refer to credits and decimals.

Ordinal numbers

Write out ordinal numbers for positions first through tenth. Use numerals for positions above tenth:

Ranges

Follow the rule above, and use an en dash (not a hyphen) for number ranges:

Thousands

Use a comma – not a space – for numbers over 999.

Decimal numbers

Use a full stop (decimal point) for decimal numbers:

Currencies

Use currency codes before the number:

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Dates and times

Dates

Write dates as day month (year). Use the same format consistently.

Times

Write times and time ranges using the 24-hour clock:

If relevant to the audience, include the time zone. This is either CET (Central European Time) or CEST (Central European Summer Time).

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Use text emphasis with care

Ask yourself whether you really need to emphasise or highlight a particular piece of text for your audience. If so, follow the guidelines below.

Use bold or single quotation marks

Avoid using italics or capital letters to emphasise or highlight. Instead, use bold text to emphasise or single quotation marks to highlight (see below).

Bold to emphasise

Use bold text in moderation. Use it only when you really need it, to emphasise important words, phrases or short sentences:

Sometimes you may want to use bold for a sentence starting with "Please note that..." or "Note that...".

Single quotation marks to highlight

Remember to use single quotation marks ' ' instead of bold text and italics to highlight:

Here are a few examples:

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Avoid italics or capital letters

Avoid using italics or capital letters to emphasise or highlight. Instead, use bold text to emphasise or single quotation marks to highlight (see above).

Italics

Always avoid using italics for emphasis. It has a negative effect on readability.

Capital letters

Always avoid using Capital Letters/CAPITALS for emphasis. It has a negative effect on readability.

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Write clear and descriptive link text

For accessibility and clarity, it's important to write links in a consistent way. The following guidelines will help you create link text that is clear, intuitive and user friendly.

Note that the examples in this section are not actual links.

General guidelines for writing link text

These guidelines for writing links follow accessibility legislation.

While certain accessibility guidelines must always be followed, link writing is not an exact science. There's usually no one 'right' way to do it, and different contexts may require different approaches.

Here are some general guidelines (see further below for specific guidelines for external websites, content in other languages and documents):

*This helps our audiences, especially those who rely on screen readers, to quickly understand the purpose of the link. Screen readers may list all links on a page in a single list. This makes it particularly important to get to the keywords in each link quickly.

However, it can sometimes be difficult to avoid using such phrases after a brief mention or introduction to something that is discussed in more detail on another page or by another sender/website. Find a good balance by considering the other links on the page.

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Website names in link text

Use the following guidelines to write clear and consistent link text for external websites.

Introduce the external website clearly before a list

If you are linking to several pages on the same external website – for example, in a bulleted list – mention the sender or website name once, before the list begins. Do not repeat it in each link, as this can be unnecessarily distracting.

Write:\ For more information, visit the Swedish Tax Agency website:

Avoid:\ For more information, visit the following pages:

Use the English name or explain the website

Where possible and natural, use the English name of the sender (if available).

Note that this can sometimes be overly repetitive, especially if the English name is long and complex. Consider the balance with other links on the page.

If you use a website address, make sure that the link text clearly explains what the website is about. This will help our audiences understand the context.

Write:

Avoid:

Match the link text to the context

Adapt the link text to fit the surrounding content and the other links on the page. Choose the version that is clearest and most helpful. If the name appears clearly and repeatedly in the text, you can use the website address. Otherwise, spell out the full name for clarity.

Avoid using possessive forms

Write link text without the possessive 's to keep it clear and consistent (unless the possessive 's happens to be a part of the sender's official English name). Possessive forms are generally a little more difficult to process than direct forms.

Write:

Avoid:

Format website names consistently

Use small letters for website addresses and capital letters for the sender behind the address. To be as consistent as possible, this also applies if the sender uses capital letters for their website address.

Write:

Avoid:

Write:

Avoid:

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Links to content in other languages

External content is not always available in English. In times of crisis, for example, there can be delays and a lack of information for international audiences. In addition, some parties don't generally prioritise English content for international audiences. This applies to both translation and the adaptation of content for different audiences.

Indicate in brackets if the content is in Swedish or in a language other than English (in Swedish/in the language concerned).

Write:

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Try to avoid documents whenever possible. It's preferable to provide the content in a more accessible format, such as a webpage. However, this is not always (immediately) possible. In some cases, it may be necessary to publish an accessible document on the website.

If you must use a document, follow these instructions:

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