Page Writing Tips

Tips for writing good hypertext pages: 

• Unlike papertext documents, hypertext pages are not read in a linear order.  Readers can link to a particular hypertext page from several different pages.  Or, pages will be displayed individually in response to a global search of the encyclopedia.  Therefore, each hypertext page should be able to stand on its own and be completely understandable.  There should be no reference to “preceding” or “subsequent” sections/pages.
• The most important conclusions, concepts, or questions for any particular topic should be easy to find and easy to understand.  Write in the active voice wherever possible.
• Titles should be regarded as synonymous to filenames.  They should be as short and descriptive as possible. They are automatically displayed at the top of the page in VIEW mode and as such do not require any additional page title within the body of the page.  In some cases, sub-titles may be needed and used within the body of the page.  Search results display a list of linked titles and descriptive sentences, so users should be able to determine if they want to go to that page based on the title alone. 
• Page Descriptive Sentences should be used unless there is an explicit reason for not using them.  One to two sentences that give provide some key content information about the page as well as conveying a sense of what the page content is all about should be used.  The results of searches will display the first sentence of the page in addition to the title—so readers should also have a good idea of the page’s content based on this sentence.  These descripition sentences are also used as link explanation sentences in the parent page of each child.
• Use key topic description sentences for the first sentence of each paragraph.  Paragraph topic sentences allow for rapid understanding of content by the reader.  Never bury topic sentences in the middle of paragraphs or place them at the end.  This systematic approach to topic sentences is another difference in hypertext authoring versus papertext authoring.
• Hyperdocuments should be more visual than paper documents, therefore pages should be analyzed constantly to identify opportunities to use bulleted lists, charts, tables, graphs, figures, photographs, or pictographs to clarify, streamline, and condense the text.  Avoid using lists of more than 7-10 items. If there is more information, use sublists under subsection titles. 
• Find one or two key terms in each paragraph to emphasize with bold format. This is intended to quickly convey to the reader what the paragraph is about and to direct the reader to certain important ideas on the page.  (In most paragraphs, the first sentence should be a good description, too.)
• Where there is a particularly important idea, critical concept, or valuable guideline conveyed by a sentence or phrase, put that sentence or phrase in italics. 

Styles of organizational pages

There are a variety of styles for organizational pages. The two most frequently used styles in the prototype encyclopedia are:

• Outline pages: Links to subsections provided in a bulleted list or outline.  Usually begins with a short overview of the entire section (see example at end of document).
• Abstract pages: A summary of following subsections with anchored links (i.e., links attached to words) inserted within the content (see example at end of document).

In general, outline pages are more useful for the first page of a major section (for example Fire Behavior). Abstract pages tend to be more useful to organize subsections deeper within the encyclopedia (for example Effects of Weather, Fuel, and Topography on Fire Behavior).  Authors may also present organizational pages as a mixture of these two styles.

Note: Organizational pages should only be 1-2 screens (1-2 page-downs, or ~ 200 words). When possible, the important links on these pages should be visible on the first screen.