"Don't write anything in e-mail you wouldn't want to see tacked to the office refrigerator" [6]

    E-mail Style:

• Use a concise and informative subject line (and limit your message to this subject). 

• Use a greeting or salutation.

• Consider your audience: this will determine how formal or informal your message can be.

• Use short lines (fewer than 72 characters).

• Limit fonts, colors, images--some recipients do not see them.

• Don't shout--this is the effect of using ALL UPPERCASE LETTERS..

• Be careful with jokes or sarcasm--they may be misinterpreted.

• BTW use acronyms, abbrs., and smileys (also called emoticons) sparingly :-)

• Check your message for spelling, grammar, clarity, and conciseness.

• End with your "signature" or use a signature file.

E-mail Etiquette in the Workplace:

• Check your e-mail regularly--at least once a day.

• Respond promptly (or let the sender know you have received the message and will respond later).

• Include the original message in your answer--especially if your answer is just "yes" or "no."

• Don't email angry--this is called "flaming" (airing insensitive, insulting, negative, or critical comments).

• Ask for permission before posting to a listserv, a message that was sent to you personally.

• Know where your message is going--especially when replying to a message from a listserv.

• Use copies (cc:) appropriately.  Blind copies (bcc:) are usually not recommended.

• Observe the subject and guidelines of a listserv before posting messages.

• Know how to subscribe/unsubscribe to listservs--do not send these messages to the list members.

• Use "out of office" or vacation messages, but not to listservs. (Stop listserv messages temporarily.)

• Consider whether a communication may be more appropriate in another medium.

• Be careful what you say in an e-mail--it may live on in cyberspace forever!

University Policy:

• "The University reserves the right to access files and documents (including e-mail) residing on University-owned equipment.  While all contents ... are generally presumed to be private and confidential, they are subject to the rules of Princeton University" [1], p. 3. 

• Protect your account and password information [1], p. 2.

• Protect against virus infection [1], p. 2.

• Know the Rights, Rules, Responsibilities of members of the Princeton University community, especially as they pertain to computer use [2], p. 11.

• Protect sensitive information [1], p. 2.

• Refrain from frivolous, excessive, or inappropriate use of computer resources [1], p. 2.

• Restrict personal use of university systems [1], p. 3.

• Use photocopy machines to print multiple copies of documents, not computer printers [1], p. 13.

• Observe university guidelines related to civility and respect for others [1], p. 6.

• Observe university guidelines related to honesty, integrity, and the law [1], p. 8.

  Sources:

[1]  Princeton University Information Technology Resources and Internet Access -- Guidelines for Use,
2002-2003 edition.  http://www.princeton.edu/~policy/Ware/Abouttheguidelines.shtml. Page numbers refer to the "printer-friendly version" (PDF version) of this document.

[2] Princeton University. Rights, Rules, Responsibilities, 2002 edition.  http://www.princeton.edu/pr/pub/rrr/02/index.htm

[3]  Princeton University Protection Web Site, c2002.  http://www.princeton.edu/~protect/Ware/Protection.shtml.  Includes information about security, privacy, viruses, spam, and more.

[4]  David Angell and Brent Heslop.  The elements of e-mail style : communicate effectively via electronic mail.  Boston : Addison-Wesley, c1994.

[5]  Dianna Booher.  E-writing : 21st-century tools for effective communication.  New York : Pocket Books, c2001.

[6]  Samantha Miller.  E-mail etiquette : do's, don'ts, and disaster tales from People magazine's Internet manners expert.  New York, NY : Warner Books, c2001.

[7]  Arlene Renaldi.  The Net : User Guidelines and Netiquette.  Florida Atlantic University, c1998. http://www.fau.edu/netiquette/net/index.html

[8]  Virginia Shea.  Netiquette.  San Francisco : Albion Books, 1994. WWW version http://www.albion.com/netiquette/book/index.html

[9]  Understanding and using the Internet : beginner's guide. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/uti/guide/netiquette.html

[10]  RFC 1855 : Netiquette Guidelines.  IETF. 1995.  http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html

Recommended for managers:

[11]  Lauren Gibbons Paul.  "How to tame the e-mail beast."  CIO (Framingham, Mass.), Oct. 15, 2001.  Full text available online via ProQuest.

[12]  Andrea C. Poe.  "Don't touch that 'send' button!"  HRMagazine (Alexandria, Va.), Jul. 2001.  Full text available online via ProQuest.

Staff Development Office
Princeton University Library
January 2003

Please send comments to rhodak@Princeton.EDU