This resource is intended for all Travis County staff and provides guidelines and best practices for generating written content. It covers tone, grammar, punctuation, formatting, and more.
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Acronyms, while beneficial for audiences familiar with the subject matter, can pose challenges for first-time readers and may carry different meanings in diverse contexts. For instance, "ADU" “ADU” in the City of San Francisco can refer to "Accessory “Accessory Dwelling Unit" Unit” for the Planning Department or "Addictive “Addictive Diseases Unit" Unit” for the Department of Public Health.
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ATM
COVID
IRS
PDF
PIN
RSVP
URL
USA
USPS
Ampersand (&, and)
Use 'and' “and” rather than ‘“&’ ” unless the '“&' ” is part of a proper name, like Treasurer & Tax Collector.
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Bulleted lists improve the readability and discoverability of content, but only if the bullet points are short and deliver value.
There are different formats for bulleted lists and you should consider which structure would best represent your content online.
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Use lowercase for the word ‘county' “county” when distinguishing an agency from state or federal counterparts. For example, the Texas Health and Human Services Department versus the county’s Health and Human Services Department; the Department of Social Services versus the county Department of Social Services. Use lowercase for 'board,' 'department,' etc. wherever those terms stand alone.
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Shortening two words into one can provide a more informal and friendly tone to your writing. However, negative contractions, like 'don’t' and 'shouldn’t,' “don’t” and “shouldn’t,” can be occasionally misread, especially in instructional contexts. For that reason, staff should avoid using contractions in service or instructional content. In these instances, keep the words separate, as shown below:
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In written communication, it is crucial to distinguish between the frequently confused terms "it is," "its," and "it's." Understanding the nuances among these forms is essential for maintaining clarity and precision in your writing.
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Study the examples below.
It is
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This is a contraction combining the pronoun "it" with the verb "is." It is used to express the state, condition, or characteristic of a subject.
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For example:
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It is raining outside.""
Its
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This a possessive pronoun indicating ownership or association. It is used when referring to something belonging to or associated with an inanimate object or animal.
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For example:
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The dog wagged its tail.
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It's
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This is a contraction merging the pronoun "it" with the verb "is" or "has." It is used to represent "it is" or "it has." Examples:
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It's a beautiful day. " (replacing "it is") "
It's been a long journey. " (replacing "it has")“Its'“
Its'
This has no meaning. Do not use.
Links
A hyperlink, often referred to as a link, is a clickable element that connects to another document, webpage, or resource, facilitating seamless navigation between different online locations. Links play a vital role in guiding users to either external websites or internal webpages within the Travis County website. To ensure consistency and enhance user experience, adhere to the following guidelines:
When linking to internal webpages within Travis County's website, set the hyperlink to open in a new tab.
When linking to external websites, configure set the hyperlink to open in a new window.
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Do | Don’t | Notes |
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Learn more about our services. | Click here for more info. | Hyperlinking the text “our services” lets readers know they can expect to be taken to a page specific to services. On the other hand, the text “here” can refer to any number of topics or subject matter. |
Learn more about our services. | Learn more about our services. | Lengthy hyperlinked text can cause confusion and negatively impacts the discoverability of content. Short descriptive text helps improve the discoverability and readability of content. |
Once the affidavit is signed by a notary, please submit it to the District Clerk’s Office. | Once the affidavit is signed by a notary, please submit it to the District Clerk’s Office. Visit their website at https://www.traviscountytx.gov/district-clerk | The hyperlinked text “District Clerk’s Office” complies with accessibility standards as the text is easily picked up by users who rely on screen readers. A URL hyperlink impacts the readability of the text as it is not easily or immediately recognizable where the URL redirects. |
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Two-thirds of the budget was allocated, but the project requires half a million dollars.
Travis County roads only account for 0.07 percent of the total traffic incidents in Texas in the last month.
Ages, percentages, and monetary values
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To ensure clarity and consistency, follow these the guidelines below to represent time:.
Time Format
Use a 12-hour clock format and indicate am or pm in lowercase letters without periods. For example, 2:00 pm. Only include minutes if necessary. If minutes are included, use this format for all times in the section.
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Maintaining an appropriate tone in writing is critical for effective communication, particularly in the context of government organizations. The tone should reflect the values and standards of our organization while adhering to principles such as active voice and plain language. Consider the following guidelines below when crafting your content:.
Active Voice
Travis County staff should always strive to write in active voice. Active voice makes the subject of the sentence perform the action, resulting in clearer and more direct communication. For example:
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