LibGuide Best Practices: Readability

Write Clearly and Simply

Put the most important information at the top or in the left column. Avoid long paragraphs of content; use short lists instead (no more than 5-7 items). Aim for action content and avoid prose and link to denser material deeper in the page.

Less is More!

Usability tests from MIT show that students are confused by excessive content. So, tabs, text, lists, number of pages, and boxes should be kept to a minimum. 

Strive for usability, not comprehensiveness.

Break up Lengthy Explanations

Guides are more than lists. They are instructional tools, telling users not just where but how to do research, which often requires longer narrative or explanatory text. There is an inevitable tension between conflicting purposes: bulleted lists for quick findability, vs. sentences and paragraphs for an explanation. Try to alternate modes: break up explanations with bullets, sub-headings, and other visual cues to group smaller "chunks" of information.

Sort Lists of Resources

As students tend to use the first resources listed, it is generally preferable to list them in order of importance rather than alphabetically.

Think about other ways to arrange the sources. For example: in order by importance or value, as you see it; from broad to narrow in subject scope; by date coverage; etc.

It is also desirable to keep lists of resources short – maybe to the top five key resources featured prominently. One may also consider breaking long lists of resources into different boxes based on similar content types.

Minimize Print Resource Lists

Keep mentions of print resources to a minimum. The best resource may be print, however, long lists of resources inaccessible via the web will frustrate or confuse most users.

Avoid Feedback Tools

For the most part student comments, ratings, recommendations should be avoided. Students are seeking advice from experts, not from other students.

• Prepostseo​

• Online-Utility.org​

• WebFX​

• Readable​

• Hemingway