Summaries and links
Summaries are short pieces of text that describe articles, resources, websites and other types of content. A summary should be concise and give a clear idea of the content that it is summarising.
Links (hyperlinks) take users to other areas of the online service or to external websites. A link should clearly indicate where it is linking to.
Summaries
Summaries will often appear on a top-level page. They combine a short piece of text with a link. The text must be short and concise and must sell the page that it summarises. The summary heading should be the same as the title of the page to which it is linking. This heading is usually also a link. Summaries can link to another web page within the LTS Online Service or to an external website.
When writing summaries remember the following:
- The summary must clearly describe the content of the page or website.
- The summary must sell the page - it must give users a reason to go there.
- Use a meaningful header - the name of the page the summary links to.
- Use active language such as 'explore', 'find out about', 'discover', 'learn'.
- Use personal language such as 'you', 'your', 'we', 'our'.
- Describe the what, where, when, who and how of the page.
- Try to make the header and text meaningful for other contexts so the summary could potentially be used on other parts of the online service.
- Try to use no more than 30 words.
Some examples of effective summaries:
Funding opportunities for early years groups
Do you need extra funding to develop the service you provide? See our advice on sources of funding and support.
Storytelling with digital animation
How Primary 6 pupils created a digital animation, from brainstorming ideas, creating characters and inventing a story to making the models, filming and editing.
Hyperlinks
The web is a linking medium. Using hyperlinks for cross-referencing of information and linking to external websites can make for more user-friendly text. Good cross-referencing is preferable to endless repetition of information.
Hyperlinks can also be used to split information into more manageable chunks. A number of smaller pages linked together is preferable to one long page of information. However, be careful not to break up information arbitrarily.
Presentation of links
Whenever you create a link to another web page, whether it is an internal or external link, the link should be embedded into the text rather than written out in full:
Examples of incorrect and correct presentation of hyperlinks:
| Incorrect | Correct |
|---|---|
| Read the 5-14 Guidelines at http://www.LTScotland.org.uk/5to14/guidelines | Read the 5-14 Guidelines. |
| Science Live (http://www.sciencelive.net/sciencelive/) is the online guide to science presenters and outreach shows. | Science Live is the online guide to science presenters and outreach shows. |
Wording of links
It is essential that the text which acts as the link is meaningful. It should indicate as accurately as possible where the text links to.
Where the title of the piece of information is descriptive and concise you should use the exact title as the link text. However, if the title is too long, or a poor description of the page to which you are linking, you can use more descriptive text as your link.
| Poor wording of hyperlinks | Good wording of hyperlinks |
|---|---|
| A BBC article describes the competition launch. | The BBC article Children examine 'modern Wallace’ describes the competition launch. |
| A SEED news release provides more information. | The SEED news release Schools of Ambition contenders provides more information. |
Terms such as ‘click here’, ‘more information’ and ‘show me how’ should not be used as the text for hyperlinks. Using meaningful text for each hyperlink makes it easier for users who may scan the web page for links, either visually or with a screen reader.
When you are ‘deep linking’ to another website (linking directly to a page other than the home page) you must include a reference to the wider website or organisation responsible for the content, for example the BBC or SEED in the examples above. This helps users understand where the link will take them and also credits the destination website in line with copyright good practice.
Title attributes for links
A title attribute for a link can offer more detailed information about the content of the page to which you are linking in a short, descriptive sentence. The title attribute will appear when a user hovers their mouse over the link.
Sentence case should be used for all title attributes (with the exception of abbreviations and proper names).
No full stop is required at the end of the title attribute.
When you are deep linking to another website you should be specific about the section or piece of information you are linking to in your title attribute.
Examples of title attributes (hover your mouse over the hyperlinks to see the title attributes):
| Link text | Title attribute |
|---|---|
| Curricular areas | Browse for resources in the 5-14 curricular areas |
| Email bulletin | Subscribe to the early years email bulletin |
| Hurley-Burley games | Link to BBC: Hurley-Burley games |
Email links
Where an email address is embedded in body text, the name of the person or organisation should always be the link.
The email address should also be written out in full as non-linked text to enable users to easily copy and paste the email address if required.
Examples of email links:
Email: Literacy Content Editor
literacy@LTScotland.org.uk
Email: Enquiries
enquiries@LTScotland.org.uk
Title attributes for embedded email links
A title attribute for an email address is displayed when the user hovers their mouse over the email link.
For embedded email links the title attribute is always ‘Email <name of person>’ or ‘Email <name of organisation>’.
Hover your mouse over the above examples to see the title attributes.