Research Guides: Guidelines: Standards

Standards

Follow template designs for consistency
- put content (especially page tabs) in the same region for navigation consistency [usability feedback]
Guide types:
- Subject Guides are overarching discipline/school guides.
- Course Guides: page title: Class Name (department number-course number) EXAMPLE: Comp I: Academic Literacies (10-111)
- General Purpose Guides general content
Include Subject and keyword tags for findability
Add description under page title to promote libguide for better findability.
Create friendly URL for each guide and page (aka tab) for shorter links
Left-side navigation
font size Arial 14
Best Bets in first box on Research guides
Capitalize first word and proper nouns in all page names, box names, tabbed boxes
One-two word page tabs: no library jargon, e.g., books vs. catalog
Short link names
Brief text/description/narrative (including annotations for resources)
Open links in new window; use https://
When needed, use tabbed content within boxes to keep box size usable
All Images need to have an alt tag for ADA compliance: provide credit for image
Use Librarian, Ask A profile on every guide unless session course librarian profile is used

Avoid formating text (font style and size). The system does it automatically. Exceptions include size 10 text such as photo credit info or captions.
Avoid underlining text (only links are underlined, if needed for emphasis)
Avoid using heading fonts
Avoid using more than two columns whenever possible

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