A comprehensive repository of writing style guides, terminology standards, and best practices for creating content at the University of Otago.
Last updated: January 2026
Maintained by: The Web Experience team
- What's this for?
- Who should use this?
- Quick start
- Repository structure
- How to use these guides
- Using with AI tools
- Contributing
- Questions?
These guidelines help you create consistent, accessible, high-quality content across all University of Otago communicationsβwhether you're writing for web, digital platforms, or working with AI writing tools.
Key benefits:
- β Maintain brand consistency across all content
- β Improve content quality and readability
- β Streamline content review processes
- β Get better results from AI writing tools
- β Ensure accessibility and inclusivity
These guides are designed for:
- Content creators writing for University web, digital, or marketing materials
- Editors and reviewers ensuring content meets University standards
- Communications teams managing University messaging
- Academic staff writing web content or public-facing materials
- Anyone using AI tools (Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, etc.) to review or generate University content
For writers:
- Start with the quick reference guide for essential rules
- Refer to specific guides as needed for detailed guidance
For web content:
- Use the web writing quick reference
- Check the full web best practice guide for detailed rules
For AI tool users:
- Attach relevant guides to your AI conversations
- Use the prompt templates in using with AI tools section below
/content-guidelines
β
βββ README.md (you are here)
β
βββ quick-reference.md
β βββ One-page essentials for digital content
β
βββ web-quick-reference.md
β βββ One-page essentials specifically for web content
β
βββ part-1-universal-style-rules.md
β βββ Comprehensive guide: spelling, grammar, numbers, punctuation,
β formatting
β
βββ part-2-otago-specific-terminology.md
β βββ University-specific names, titles, programmes, buildings,
β and terminology conventions
β
βββ web-best-practice.md
βββ Comprehensive web-specific guidelines: structure, readability,
accessibility, HTML considerations
Start with:
Then consult:
- Web best practice guide for comprehensive web rules
- Part 2: Otago-specific terminology for proper names
Key principle: Web content should be ~50% the length of equivalent material and follow specific readability standards.
Start with:
Then consult:
- Part 1: Universal style rules for detailed guidance
- Part 2: Otago-specific terminology for proper names
Start with:
Then check:
- Web vs general comparison tables in the guides to understand differences
These guides are optimised for use with AI writing assistants like Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, and similar tools.
Upload or paste the appropriate guide(s) into your AI conversation, then reference them in your prompts.
Example:
Using the University of Otago style guidelines provided, write a
web article about our new research centre. Target Grade 7-8
reading level, use active voice, and follow web best practices.
For web content:
Write web content following University of Otago guidelines: 50%
of standard length, active voice, 15-20 word sentences, Grade 7-8
reading level (Flesch 60-70), sentence case headings, inverted
pyramid structure, no bold/exclamation marks, links below text,
plain text for Latin phrases, official name "University of Otago".
For general digital content:
Write [content type] following University of Otago style
guidelines: British English spelling, sentence case for headings,
spell out numbers 1-9, use 's' not 'z' (organise, analyse), never
abbreviate academic titles (Associate Professor not Assoc Prof),
official name is "University of Otago" not "Otago University".
For quick edits:
Review this content for University of Otago style compliance.
Check: British spelling, numbers formatting, capitalisation of
job titles, proper University names, no abbreviations for
academic titles.
If your AI tool supports custom instructions or system prompts, add:
When writing for University of Otago:
- Use British English spelling (colour, organise, programme)
- Spell out numbers 1-9, use numerals for 10+
- Sentence case for all headings
- Never abbreviate: Associate Professor, Professor, Department
- Official name: "University of Otago" (not "Otago University")
- Department format: "Department of [Name]" (not "[Name] Department")
For web content specifically:
- Target 50% of standard length
- 15-20 word sentences, active voice
- Grade 7-8 reading level
- No bold, exclamation marks, or underline
- Place links below text, not mid-sentence
Please contact the Web Experience team or [open an issue/submit feedback].
These guides are living documents. If you notice:
- Outdated information
- Unclear guidance
- Missing terminology
- Contradictions between guides
Please let us know at [contact details].
These guidelines are reviewed and updated [quarterly/annually/as needed].
Check the quick reference guides firstβthey cover the most common questions.
The comprehensive guides (Part 1, Part 2, web best practice) have detailed sections with examples.
Contact: [your contact details]
- Email: [email]
- Teams: [channel]
- Office: [location]
These guides reference several authoritative sources:
Language and style:
- New Zealand Oxford Dictionary (via University Library)
- digital.govt.nz (plain language, readability, accessibility)
- Design London Readability Guidelines
Legal requirements:
- Plain Language Act 2022
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1
- NZ Government Web Accessibility Standard
Readability tools:
- British English always (colour, organise, programme)
- Sentence case for headings (not title case)
- Never abbreviate academic titles (Professor not Prof)
- University of Otago is the official name
- Macrons always in MΔori words when available
- 50% of standard length - web users only read 18% of content
- Grade 7-8 reading level (Flesch Reading Ease 60-70)
- Active voice, 15-20 word sentences
- No bold, exclamation marks, or underline (rare exceptions for bold)
- Links below text, not mid-sentence
- Accessibility first - clear, inclusive language
- Consistency matters - builds trust with audiences
- Plain language - especially for web (legal requirement for public sector)
| Version | Date | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | January 2026 | Initial repository creation with five core guides |
These guidelines are for University of Otago staff, students, and authorised partners creating content on behalf of the University.
For questions about usage rights or sharing these guidelines, contact [your team].
Remember: When in doubt, check the guides. Consistency and clarity are more important than perfection. These guidelines exist to help you, not hinder you!