content-guidelines-

University of Otago content guidelines

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

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📋 Table of contents

• What's this for?
• Who should use this?
• Quick start
• Repository structure
• How to use these guides
• Using with AI tools
• Contributing
• Questions?

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What's this for?

These guidelines help you create consistent, accessible, high-quality content across all University of Otago communications—whether you're writing for web, digital platforms, or working with AI writing tools.

Key benefits:

• ✅ Maintain brand consistency across all content
• ✅ Improve content quality and readability
• ✅ Streamline content review processes
• ✅ Get better results from AI writing tools
• ✅ Ensure accessibility and inclusivity

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Who should use this?

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

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Quick start

For writers:

1. Start with the quick reference guide for essential rules
2. Refer to specific guides as needed for detailed guidance

For web content:

1. Use the web writing quick reference
2. Check the full web best practice guide for detailed rules

For AI tool users:

1. Attach relevant guides to your AI conversations
2. Use the prompt templates in using with AI tools section below

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Repository structure

/content-guidelines
│
├── README.md (you are here)
│
├── quick-reference.md
│   └── One-page essentials for digital content
│
├── web-quick-reference.md
│   └── One-page essentials specifically for web content
│
├── part-1-universal-style-rules.md
│   └── Comprehensive guide: spelling, grammar, numbers, punctuation, 
│       formatting
│
├── part-2-otago-specific-terminology.md
│   └── University-specific names, titles, programmes, buildings,
│       and terminology conventions
│
└── web-best-practice.md
    └── Comprehensive web-specific guidelines: structure, readability,
        accessibility, HTML considerations

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How to use these guides

For different content types:

Web content (websites, online articles, digital platforms)

Start with:

• Web writing quick reference

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.

General digital content (newsletters, reports, emails, documents)

Start with:

• Quick reference guide

Then consult:

• Part 1: Universal style rules for detailed guidance
• Part 2: Otago-specific terminology for proper names

Mixed or unsure?

Start with:

• Quick reference guide

Then check:

• Web vs general comparison tables in the guides to understand differences

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Using with AI tools

These guides are optimised for use with AI writing assistants like Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, and similar tools.

How to use:

Method 1: Attach relevant guides

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.

Method 2: Use prompt templates

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.

Method 3: Create custom instructions

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

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Contributing

Found an error or inconsistency?

Please contact the Web Experience team or [open an issue/submit feedback].

Suggesting updates?

These guides are living documents. If you notice:

• Outdated information
• Unclear guidance
• Missing terminology
• Contradictions between guides

Please let us know at [contact details].

Review schedule

These guidelines are reviewed and updated [quarterly/annually/as needed].

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Questions?

Quick questions

Check the quick reference guides first—they cover the most common questions.

Can't find what you need?

The comprehensive guides (Part 1, Part 2, web best practice) have detailed sections with examples.

Still stuck?

Contact: [your contact details]

• Email: [email]
• Teams: [channel]
• Office: [location]

External resources referenced

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:

• Hemingway Editor
• Readability Calculator
• Readability Test Tool

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Key principles at a glance

Universal

• 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 Māori words when available

Web-specific

• 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

For everyone

• Accessibility first - clear, inclusive language
• Consistency matters - builds trust with audiences
• Plain language - especially for web (legal requirement for public sector)

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Version history

Version	Date	Changes
1.0	January 2026	Initial repository creation with five core guides

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Licence and usage

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].

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Remember: When in doubt, check the guides. Consistency and clarity are more important than perfection. These guidelines exist to help you, not hinder you!