E-memo Checklist

Because E-memo is a text-only medium, it cannot display the special characters and complex formatting available for use with documents on paper. Therefore, it is important to follow a few, simple guidelines:

Timing

• Submit your E-memo request with plenty of lead time. This will help ensure that your E-memo will be delivered on the date requested. For more information, see Compare Options.

Content

• Include a sponsor. All E-memos must include a sponsor on campus.
• Keep your message short. Most readers skim their e-mail and may not be interested in reading long documents. Buff Bulletins are limited to 75 words, and other E-memos should be no longer than a page.
• SUBJECT: header line should be no longer than 80 characters.
• Refer readers to a URL. You can keep your message short if you guide readers to a web page for more information. Most readers will appreciate a brief E-memo that references a longer document on the Web.
• Include the full URL starting with "http://" to ensure that your readers can jump directly to your web site from the E-memo.
• Check URLs. Make sure any web address you include is correct and complete. Remember, the Web is case-sensitive, so be sure to test any URL you include in your E-memo.
• Don't forget to include a signature block. Don't make your readers guess who sent the message.
• Include a "reply to" email address if you want to receive correspondence about your message. It is not possible to "reply to" an E-memo directly since the message is actually sent by a third party.

Style

• Avoid using special characters such as graphic bullets or "curly quotes."
• Avoid using boldface, italics, and underlining. They will not show up in the e-mailed version of your document. If you need to use text bullets, use a lowercase "o" or a hyphen.
• Do not add an extra line space after a paragraph.
• Always use a single space after punctuation, even at the end of a sentence.
• Keep the line length short for maximum effectiveness and readability. If you use a word processor to draft your text, set the font to Courier, size 10, and set the right margin at 6 1/2 inches.
• Proofread your E-memo. Careless spelling and grammatical errors detract from the effectiveness of your message.