UOW Website Guidelines

The scope of this document
UOW website strategy (goals)
How the website is managed, the various roles and what they mean
The guidelines for website content including house styles and copyright and website statistics
About training and support for editors and reviewers
Who to contact about all aspects of the website including how to change editors and reviewers and new websites.
The process for the website when the Web Manager is away on leave
Shared resources that can be reused on the website
Definition of terms used in this document and useful links

Version No 1.0
Written by Judith Cahill Judith.cahill@otago.ac.nz Date Written April 2012
Approved by EMG, April 12, 2012
Distribution All UOW Staff and available on the website and intranet and in new staff induction packs

Download the UOW Website Guidelines

Scope

This document is a reference/information source for all staff and style guidelines for editors and reviewers, of our website.

It does not cover :

How to use the Content Management System and writing for the web – this is covered by an online course – contact the Web Manager for further information on both CMS training and the online web writing course.

UOW website strategy

Our website’s goals are threefold:
1. To promote the UOW brand
2. To market our teaching, research and community expertise
3. To market our postgraduate and undergraduate programmes

Website management and website roles

The Website management has three defined roles, Manager, Reviewers and Editors

Our website is managed by the Web Manager who has responsibility for:

Web Manager

1. Content outside of the departments and research groups.
2. Arranges for training for editors and/or reviewers
3. Provides advice.
4. Formats and uploads any non HTML files (PDF.s word, Powerpoint and images and podcasts)
5. Adds and deletes editors and reviewers as required
6. Adds new websites to the http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington as required

Reviewers

Usually one per department or research group and usually the HoD or their nominee
A reviewer checks content and approves it before it goes live. Reviewers cannot edit pages unless they are an editor too.

Editors

An editor edits web pages and ensures content is up to date. Editors put web pages into workflow for their Reviewer to give approval to go live on the website.

Website content guidelines including house styles, copyright information – especially relevant to editors

General good practice

Duplicating of information files or images should be avoided. Reuse existing information where possible.
See the shared website resources further down this document, for commonly used logos, a Google map and other information.

Events

Usually, only UOW or wider University of Otago events will be advertised on our website. Please send to the Web Manager for inclusion in the Events Calendar.

Non-HTML files (usually Powerpoints, Word, Excel PDF and image files)

Please send these files to the Web Manager for formatting and uploading. Also see the Copyright section below regarding authorization.
Apart from podcasts all files should be 3MB or under.

Photos

These should be professionally taken especially head and shoulder shots for profile pages. The person should be facing the camera and be clearly recognizable.
Contact medimage@otago.ac.nz for Michael or Louise to take photos.
If the person is off campus, for example, a visiting lecturer, please ask that the photo be sent as a high resolution file (Jpeg Tiff or PNG). The person should be face on to the camera with a clear shot of their face and shoulders and with a neutral background. Send to the Web Manager for uploading to the website.

Stock Photos

We have a Picasa web album with professionally taken photos of UOW, that you are able to use on your web pages : https://picasaweb.google.com/reganam26/UniversityOfOtagoWellingtonSchoolOfMedicineHealthSciences
University of Otago image database : http://www.images.otago.ac.nz

Up to date content

Lastly it is important to keep content up to date including staff member contact details within your department or research group.

Remember to also let the helpdesk@otago.ac.nz know of any updates to your department or research group’s contact pages on the http://www.otago.ac.nz/contacts/ website
For any qualifications changes please let Publications Admissions & Enrolment ae.publications@otago.ac.nz know.

Resources

CMS Editors Toolkit : http://www.otago.ac.nz/cmseditors
This is a useful resource covering everything from logging into the CMS to editing and archiving pages. It is updated with new information periodically. It can also be accessed when you are logged in to the CMS, from the left navigation panel towards the bottom of your screen.

Podcasts

Contact Michael Roberts medimage@otago.ac.nz if you would like a lecture podcasted.

Please ask the guest lecturer to give approval for their lecture to be podcasted on our website by downloading and filling in this form on the Otago website and then sending to the Web Manager.
Authorisation for Marketing and Distribution Recording of Special Events :http://www.otago.ac.nz/administration/copyright/otago005312.pdf

Note also the information for University Staff regarding lectures: http://www.otago.ac.nz/prodcons/groups/public/documents/webcontent/otago001304.pdf

Also see the copyright information and link below.

Copyright

Ensure you ask non-university (guest) lecturers to give their approval for all of their material to be uploaded on our website (not just podcasts):
The form : Authorisation for Marketing and Distribution Recording of Special Events http://www.otago.ac.nz/administration/copyright/otago005312.pdf should be completed and sent to the Web Manager : webmanager.uow@otago.ac.nz

Remember to specify the format of the file(s) to be uploaded to the website.

Further information on copyright can be found on the University of Otago Copyright page : http://www.otago.ac.nz/copyright

Layout advice

• Left align all text and headings – it is easier to read.
• Do not use italics or ALL CAPS – they are hard to read
• Do not underline text unless it is a link (web users expect underlined text to be a link)
• Use full titles eg Professor, Associate Professor, Postgraduate (all one word) Undergraduate (all one word)
• Exceptions are Mr Ms Mrs and Dr, Tel and Mob.
• Write qualifications in full as exactly as they appear on the Otago website and in the University Calendar.

• Dates : 3 September 1965

• Tel : +64 4
• Email :
• Fax : +64 4
• Mob : 021 etc

Where possible a contact email should be on every page in your site. In addition, full contact details including physical address should be on the home page of your website

Web writing

Peoples’ attention on website is notoriously short. 10 seconds to grab someone’s attention is about right (Jacob Neilson : http://www.useit.com/alertbox/page-abandonment-time.html)

Think of the purpose of your web page and what you want users to do after they have scanned the page (the call to action) This could be to email a contact person in your department for further information, downloading an application form or clicking on a link to another page in your website.

A summary at the top of every page of 1-3 lines should be a clear and simple guide to what is on the page.
Less is more – 15-20 words per sentence and 60 words per paragraph break up text with headings.
Use descriptive page headings (eg : “Contact details for all staff in the Department of Surgery” rather than “Contact us”
If you are linking to a document either use a descriptive text link or have a brief 1-3 line summary of the document you are linking to, directly under the link (This ensures users have enough information to know whether they should open the link or not). eg Download the current Undergraduate Medical Student Handbook
Spell check and ensure content is up to date.
Email links should look like emails : Judith.cahill@otago.ac.nz - not Judith Cahill as users will think this links to a document rather than coming up with an email box.
Consider completing the online web writing course; see the Web Manager for details. This course is paid for by Central Services.
Also see the Web Services online resources for writing for the web : http://www.otago.ac.nz/webservices/resources/writers/index.html

Web page statistics

Statistics that show (describe) can be delivered to you in the form of a weekly or monthly report using Google Analytics. Contact the Web Manager to set this up.

Training and support for editors and reviewers

We run Content Management System (CMS) training in Wellington – approximately twice a year. In addition, there is a booklet that covers the training and is useful as a reference for web editors and reviewers.

There is also a CMS Editors’ Toolkit link. You can see this when you are logged into the CMS (on the left navigation).

Who to contact

Contact the Web Manager for further information, new websites and changes to editors and reviewers and training. email webmanager.uow@otago.ac.nz

Procedure for website uploads when Web Manager is on leave

The website manager will send out an email to all editors and reviewers giving the dates of the leave and advising who to contact for urgent website work during this period. (this will usually be done by Technology Services at UOW via a helpdesk@otago.ac.nz email request).

Shared resources to be reused on our website

Google Map of UOW campus

This map is on the Contact us page : http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington/contact/index.html

copy this code and paste into your page (do this in the "source" mode in the content box). You will only be able to view it when you save the page.

<p><iframe height="550" width="425" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=University+of+Otago,+Wellington,+23A+Mein+Street,+Wellington&aq=0&sll=-41.244772,172.617188&sspn=51.398007,135.263672&ie=UTF8&hq=University+of+Otago,&hnear=23+Mein+St,+Newtown,+Wellington+6021,+Wellington&t=m&cid=3774841410972135403&ll=-41.303828,174.78055&spn=0.017731,0.018282&z=15&iwloc=A&output=embed" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0"></iframe><br />
<small><a style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left" href="http://maps.google.co.nz/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=University+of+Otago,+Wellington,+23A+Mein+Street,+Wellington&aq=0&sll=-41.244772,172.617188&sspn=51.398007,135.263672&ie=UTF8&hq=University+of+Otago,&hnear=23+Mein+St,+Newtown,+Wellington+6021,+Wellington&t=m&cid=3774841410972135403&ll=-41.303828,174.78055&spn=0.017731,0.018282&z=15&iwloc=A">View Larger Map</a></small></p>

Frequently used logos

(to use these : in edit mode in the CMS search for the otagoxxxxxx file name)

Hutt Valley Health DHB - otago024652

ALAC - otago020005

Ministry of Health - otago019862

Cancer Society - Otago 020042

Statistics NZ - Otago020007

ACC - otago020043

Health Research Council - otago019861

Information for all students web page

Information for all students page - otago016635
This is a page requested by students that contains useful (non academic) information for them. This can be added to if you get any further requests from students or you want something added.

Changing a Banner image on your website

There are specially formatted banner photos that you can access when you in edit mode in the CMS and scroll down the screen to the Banner section right at the bottom of the screen.

Definition of terms used in this document and useful links

CMS – Oracle content management system. This is the mechanism we use to maintain our website and is accessed from http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington and then clicking Control Shift and F5 together).

Workflow – is when a page is saved by an Editor and is then in the Content Management System waiting for their Reviewer to approve it.

University of Otago website – http://www.otago.ac.nz– this is the main university website

University of Otago, Wellington website – http://www.otago.ac.nz/wellington – this is the University of Otago, Wellington’s website.

Users – people who visit our website

Reviewers – staff who have access to the CMS to review (check) website pages before they are able to go live. Reviewers are usually the Head of the Department or Research Group or their nominee.

Editors – staff who edit content on the website.

Non-HTML files – these are usually Word or PDF documents, Powerpoints and Photos