Customer contribution on the CKC

Avoid duplication

Before writing an article, search for existing article that might cover the topic you want to write about. See Tips for Advanced Document Searching in the Customer Knowledge Center.

Audience Level

Different tasks and issues are relevant to different librarian roles, and requires different level of skills, to deal with.
Always assume the reader has appropriate level of technical knowledge, to understand your article.

Simplicity

Keep your article short and simple. Try using  only words that are necessary,  and avoid unnecessary visual clutter, redundant labels, and other information that does not serve a purpose. Use language that leaves no ambiguity.

Example:

Use Present Tense.  

A solution is a procedure and should be written in language that leaves no ambiguity. No need in words like “please” and “should” in the solution. Use present-tense and employ simple, command verbs for procedures or processes.

Information confidentiality

Your contribution will be published to the world and indexed by search engines. Do not to include any sensitive information about your institution or 3rd parties, like patron's personal details.

Standardized terminology/vocabulary.

Use product names, regularly used terms (e.g. email vs. e-mail.), module names, process, file names…  Checkout the Glossary of Alma, Primo and Summon.

Example:

Numbered steps

Use numbered or bulleted lists wherever they make sense. Like in step-by-step instructions.

Example:

Optimize your text for search engines:

• Title - should reflect the content, and include keywords (Module or process name, quotation from error message. Make sure though not to include the "/" sign in the title).
• Include the keywords in the text too.
• Error messages - should be quoted exactly as they appear.

Example:

Link to other relevant pages

Add value to your text by linking to other pages on the CKC or outside, as a reference for further reading.