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 E-memos.

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.