Tone and clarity

• UniDistance Suisse (in German: FernUni Schweiz) is the only official name until 31st December 2027.
• You may refer to UniDistance Suisse as “university institute”.
• When you use we, make sure you have already used the full name of the service or faculty in that specific section.

• Refer to users with you (e.g. choose your preferred modules, you registered for the event).

• In general, use gender-neutral language as much as possible.
• If necessary, spell out the feminine and masculine without any abbreviations (which perform badly in terms of SEO).
  • Abbreviations are allowed when space is limited (e.g. buttons, social media campaign).

• Write for a reading level below what your users are supposed to have. Write for readers at the end of junior high school to target a broad audience.
  • You may use a readability checker (e.g. Hemingway Editor) to test your content.
  • Exceptions apply to research, educational resources, and KidsUni and Ferienkurse.
• Avoid internal vocabulary that reflect internal structures and might be misunderstood.
• Use vocabulary that is specific to academia, but explain it when it may be region-specific (e.g. talk about a Certificate of Advanced Studies on first mention and consider adding a link to an in-depth explanation).
• Avoid colloquial language.

Benevolence

• Write positively, avoid negations as much as possible.
• Instead of warning users against potential mistakes and issues, suggest how to avoid them (e.g. Remember to…instead Beware of…)
• There is usually no need to say please or please note.

Appropriate language

• Avoid any swear words and potentially offensive words about:
  • Race.
  • Ethnicity.
  • Nationality.
  • Religion.
  • Disability.
  • Mental health.
  • Gender identity.
  • Sexual orientation.
  • Body parts.
  • Sexual references.
• Only refer to any of the topics above if necessary (exceptions apply to research).
• Avoid defining a person with their condition: use adjectives instead of nouns (e.g. disabled people instead of the disabled).

• Adapt text so that it meets cultural differences (example with academic vocabulary).
• Repeat or add words if text risks being ambiguous for translation (e.g. The first module includes a Q&A session, but the second does not instead of The first module includes a Q&A session, but not the second).
• Avoid:
  • Unclear pronoun references (e.g. replace it or this with what they refer to).
  • Shortened words (e.g. application, not app).
  • Uncommon foreign words (e.g. genuine, not bona fide).
  • Double negations (e.g. Only qualifying applicants will be contacted instead of Applicants who do not qualify will not be contacted).
  • Synonyms—choose one term and stick to it.
• Be aware of and possibly change words with multiple meanings (e.g. right could mean correct, the opposite of left, politically conservative, etc.)
• Use the metric system only (e.g. use meters, not miles).

Avoid directional language that requires the reader to see the layout or design of the page (which might change on mobile; e.g. Select from the following options instead of Select from the options in the right sidebar).