People get to know us not just through what we say, but how we say it. All departments, teams and individuals who create content for the University can use this guide to make it easy to show one voice in our writing. This will help us ensure we represent ourselves to the world with consistency and that when our audiences engage with our communications they feel confident and connected.
How to use this guide
This guide is here to help with everything you write – from our prospectus and webpages, to emails and social media posts, and everything in between. It’s not a guide to good writing. It’s a practical tool to help you write in a way that shows the Reading tone of voice through your words. When you apply this guidance to how you write, you can concentrate on what you want to say.
The guide is packed with real-world examples to show you what these principles look like in practice. You can copy the text from the examples to use in your own writing, or just use them to check you’re on the right track.
What is tone of voice and why does it matter?
Tone of voice is the way we express our University’s personality in writing – what we say and how we say it. Our University is made up of thousands of people who do thousands, if not millions, of different things. Developing a consistent tone of voice across all of this matters because it quickly shows our readers who we are, what we’re like to deal with and what they can expect from us.
Whoever your audience for your writing is, we want them to understand who we are and what we believe in. We want them to feel confident in their dealings with us. We want them to feel engaged to participate in our vision for academic and social impact.
Who are we talking to?
Applying an engaging tone of voice depends partly on understanding who you are writing for and what you hope to achieve. Thinking about your reader(s) as you write will help you apply the tone of voice principles in a way that makes sense for them.
Audiences you write for might include:
- students (undergraduate and/or postgraduate)
- University colleagues
- alumni
- prospective students
- local residents
- business and industry partners
- funders
- the general public
- policymakers.
Questions to think about as you write:
- What’s the appropriate level of formality for your audience? Broadly speaking, students respond better to less formality, businesses to a more formal tone.
- Which stories and examples are you using? Do they feature people who your audience will relate to?
- What type of language are you using? Is it specialised or general, is it accessible and inclusive?
Who we are
The University’s brand values sum up what is important to us, and we can apply these values in how we write.
Our brand values
- The power of community: our language is friendly and warm. Our style is often conversational, using "you" when we’re talking to our reader and "we" and "us" when talking about the University. We use quotes and case studies to bring in voices from our community.
- Change-makers: we exist to help make the world a better place, so our communications lead with our real-world impact and relatable outcomes. This means using examples of practical applications of our work, not just broad descriptions.
- Boldly principled: we have an opinion in areas where we have legitimacy and a proven track record, and we share new ideas with conviction to show how we are leaders in our work. We are not afraid to challenge or to speak out in order to make a difference.
- Custodians: our language reflects the things we care about and want to pass on to future generations. We are proud of how we enhance and promote knowledge for the good of all, and look for solutions and impact that will improve our world for the future.
- Globally connecting: we use examples from across our University network, including our overseas campuses and partnerships to show our global reach. We also use clear, concise and jargon-free language to engage people across cultures and backgrounds.
Principles for how we write
Our content should reflect our institutional personality which can be articulated as follows:
- nurturing, not overbearing
- smart, not elitist
- curious, not complacent
- proud, not brash
- genuine, not insincere
- serious, not stuffy
- spirited, not frivolous
- confident, not reckless
- ambitious, not aggressive.
We write with a clear, confident yet warm and supportive tone of voice. These principles will help you to apply that tone to your writing.
1. Use the first person and use active verbs
This principle helps to encourage connections, empathy and accountability.
- People respond to people. Use "I" and "we" to show that our University is made up of real people and not a faceless institution.
- Address your reader directly, using "you".
- Use active verbs to demonstrate responsibility and ownership for our actions. Active verbs clearly show the action and who is taking it.
Examples
Before:
"The University of Reading is committed to ensuring that its outreach programmes are accessible for all. We offer a Travel Bursary that prospective students may apply for on-campus taster events, and if successful would cover the entire cost of their travel. Certain eligibility criteria apply*. There is an option to apply for this on the event booking form.
*Eligibility criteria for the travel bursary
Students must fulfil at least one of the following criteria:
1. The individual has no parental experience of university.
2. The individual lives in a postcode area which is identified as being an area of social deprivation (IMD Quintile 1 or 2).
3. The individual comes from a group that is under-represented in HE. The individual has a disability."
- The tone is too formal and feels impersonal and distant.
- Prospective students are addressed as ‘the individual’ rather than ‘you’ which feels off-putting and not welcoming.
After:
"At the University of Reading we want our outreach programme to be accessible to everybody. So prospective students can apply for a Travel Bursary to cover the entire cost of their travel to on-campus taster events. If you meet the eligibility criteria*, you can apply on the event booking form.
*To be eligible for the bursary, you must meet at least one of the criteria:
1. None of your parents went to university.
2. You live in a postcode area of social deprivation (we use the Indices of Multiple Deprivation to see if your address qualifies).
3. You are from a group that is under-represented in HE. You have a disability."
- Use of "we" and "you" creates a feeling of connection between the University and the reader.
- The friendly tone feels welcoming rather than off-putting.
2. Get straight to the point, speak plainly and be specific
This principle helps to keep our readers interested and substantiate our claims with specific details.
- Keep things easy for your reader by giving important information quickly and clearly.
- Vary your sentence length and avoid too many long sentences (over 20 words).
- Cut out excess words and avoid artificially grand language.
- Don’t overuse words that are very popular in higher education – "excellence", "state-of-the-art", "world leading".
Examples
Before:
"As part of its ongoing commitment to ensuring the highest standard and quality of its services and facilities, and in line with the formal governance procedures as laid down by the University’s Council, the University has a Complaints Procedure to deal with complaints from internal and external sources."
- Uses a very long and complex sentence with excess words and detail.
After:
"We are proud of our high-quality services and facilities; if something goes wrong, we want to know about it. That’s why we have a formal complaints procedure in place."
- Gets straight to the point of having a complaints procedure.
Before:
"The University of Reading is ranked 4th in the world for Atmospheric Science (Shanghai Ranking 2022 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects) and our undergraduate courses are accredited by the Royal Meteorological Society. We are able to offer an exciting world-leading new course in climate science."
- Starts with a long sentence that contains information which is not relevant for promoting a specific exciting course.
- Uses the adjectives exciting and world-leading but gives no specifics to show why these apply.
After:
"Our award-winning climate scientists have created an exciting new course as a direct result of their research into large scale climate patterns."
- Gets straight to the point of promoting the new course.
- Gives details to explain what the new course is based on and what makes it exciting.
3. Don’t be afraid to express emotion
This principle shows that we are human and helps to make connections with our audience.
- Use your words to express emotion appropriate to your message – whether it’s excitement, concern, or regret.
- Think about your reader’s feelings, goals and concerns, and use your words to show you understand them.
- Avoid sounding like a robot – stats are great, but they are better when they are used to tell or support a story.
- Be upfront about any mistakes and give honest explanations.
Examples
Before:
"The RSE Sir Walter Scott Medal is awarded to Professor Richard Bradley, Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, University of Reading, for his outstanding and sustained contribution to Scottish prehistoric archaeology."
- Uses the passive voice – the medal is awarded (by whom?).
- Sentence is factual and tone feels cold.
After:
"We’re delighted that the Royal Society of Edinburgh has awarded the Sir Walter Scott Medal to our Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, Professor Richard Bradley. The award recognises his outstanding and sustained contribution to Scottish prehistoric archaeology."
- Expresses emotion that the Royal Society has recognised our professor’s contribution to his field.
Before:
"A research team found that, following the smoking ban, there was a drop of more than 10% in overall preterm deliveries of infants. This supports growing evidence of the wide-ranging benefits of smoke-free legislation."
- Presents the information in a purely factual tone.
After:
"Has the smoking ban reduced birth problems? That’s what new research suggests, revealing a 10% drop in premature births since smoking legislation was introduced."
- Uses the stats to tell a story that connects with our audience in an engaging tone.
4. Be bold about our excellence and celebrate our achievements, using evidence and stats to tell a story
This principle helps to show that we are confident experts in our field and we know what we’re talking about.
- Lead your communications with our success stories and the benefits we offer to the reader.
- Write with pride about our achievements and what they mean, explain why our examples of success are impressive.
- Use words that suggest humility like "pleased" and "honoured" and acknowledge the contributions of others.
- Use evidence and stats to support the story you are telling and demonstrate that our excellence is not exclusive or elitist.
Examples
Before:
"98% of research and its real-world impact at the University of Reading has been rated as world leading or internationally excellent."
- Leads with the facts.
- Focuses on the score.
After:
"A research that changes lives: see why 98% of our academic research has been rated world leading or internationally excellent for its impact."
- Leads with the impact.
- Uses the stat as evidence for our story of life-changing research.
5. Use the right language and be jargon-free
This principle helps to make our communications inclusive for all and builds connections with our readers.
- Use intelligent language that is concise and straightforward, never long-winded or over-complicated.
- Don’t use jargon and acronyms. Specialist terms are fine if you are writing for an audience that you know understands them.
- Make your communications sound friendly and engaging. It’s fine to use contractions – words such as "you’ll" and "we’ll" give a conversational tone.
- Avoid use of negatives that may cause confusion.
Examples
Before:
"In graphics, visualisations and hands-on experiments, open day attendees will discover the contributions that mathematics makes to topics such as astronomy, fluid dynamics, seismology, glaciology and cartography. Guided tours will also be offered."
- Uses academic terminology that may not yet be understood by prospective students who are considering an open day.
- Uses a long and complex sentence which does not sound enthusiastic or make the event sound appealing.
- It isn’t clear who will be offering the tours so sounds impersonal.
After:
"Ever wondered how equations can prevent earthquakes? Or how algebra can break the sound barrier? We have. And if you come along to the open day, we'd love to share our enthusiasm with you. Our researchers and students will take maths out of textbooks and show you how much it influences the world. They’ll show you hands-on experiments and take you on tours."
- Sounds friendly, welcoming and enthusiastic.
- Connects the science to real-world questions.
- Makes it clear who will be running the tours.
Before:
"You cannot apply without completing the form."
- Double negative is confusing.
After:
"Complete the application form to apply."
- Gives a clear instruction.
6. Put people first and think about who’s talking (them not us)
This principle helps us to include authentic voices and demonstrate our commitment to community and collaboration.
- Lead with what’s important to your audience.
- Include people with first-hand experience of what you’re telling your audience. Things often sound more convincing when they are explained by people who have experienced them.
- Include a quote, a name and appropriate pronoun when you tell people’s stories.
Examples
Before:
"Research shows that one in three students will experience mental health problems while they are studying at university. Proactive information is provided about how students can take care of their own mental health and information is available about specialist services students can access if they feel they are struggling."
- Tone is formal and feels impersonal and distant.
- Uses the passive voice so it isn’t clear where students should go for support.
After:
"'My counsellor really helped me to deal with my issues so that I could carry on with the course I love.' Jay, he/him, 2nd year student.
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. That's why we have professional counsellors in our student centre, who will give you free, confidential support. Whatever you're dealing with. Lots of students experience some form of mental health problem while at university. We're here to help."
- Leads with what’s important to the student – being able to carry on with their course – and follows up with clear information about where they can get help.
- Uses the student voice to show, not tell, the benefit of the support available.
- Use of "we" and "you" creates a feeling of connection between the University and the reader.
Before:
"The University of Reading carried out a research project to find out how often people think about the Roman Empire. It transpired that a lot of men are apparently consumed by all things Roman, with many admitting that they thought about aspects of Roman life daily. For those transfixed with this period of history, the University offers an online course all about the Empire’s influence in Britain."
- Puts the University first, not the reader.
- Uses language that is formal and not conversational, eg "it transpired".
After:
"If you love Roman history, our online course all about the Empire’s influence in Britain is just what you need! Many students have already enjoyed completing it. We put it together after our researchers made an unexpected discovery during a recent project. A lot of men admitted to our researchers that they think about aspects of Roman life every day."
- Puts the reader first.
- Follows up with information about people who have already taken the course.
7. Demonstrate that we welcome all
This principle means that our audiences will see themselves in our writing and feel they belong. They will connect more readily with us.
- Learn about your audience and lead your writing with the things that are important to them.
- Diversity means representation. Hand over the mic at every opportunity and give a platform to under-represented voices.
- Use examples from a wide range of people.
- Avoid colloquial expressions and very specific cultural references.
For more detail to help you apply this principle, read our accessibility guidance.
Examples
Before:
"Completion of practical activities will be required to support theoretical learning. Students will be asked to join debates and play Devil’s advocate."
- Uses a colloquial expression that may not be understood or mean the same thing in different cultural contexts.
- Uses the passive voice.
After:
"You’ll be learning the theory and putting it into practice. We’ll hold regular debates, and you’ll get to look at the topic from different perspectives, learning how to consider other opinions and deliver persuasive arguments."
- Uses clear, active language to explain what happens.
- Shows that other perspectives and opinions are brought into our students’ studies.
8. Look to the future
This principle helps us to demonstrate that we are ambitious and excited about our future story. We use our proud history as a foundation to make the future better.
- Use the present and future tense.
- Lead with what we’re doing today and will do tomorrow, referencing our past successes within that context if they add weight to our present and future.
- Demonstrate where and how our audiences can get involved with us and become part of our story.
Examples
Before:
"We have created more than 12,560 patents."
- Talks only about what we have already done.
After:
"Our 13,000th patent is just around the corner."
- Looks forward and talks about what we will do next.
Before:
"The University of Reading has around a quarter of a million graduates worldwide! Graduates are always supported with the next exciting stage of their journey. The Alumni Office helps you to kick-start careers, stay connected to the University and keep in touch with classmates."
- Uses passive voice and a tone that is disconnected.
After:
"We're delighted to welcome you as a member of our global alumni community, joining over 240,000 alumni worldwide. We'll support the next exciting stage of your journey – helping your career, staying connected to the University and keeping in touch with classmates. We are all part of the University of Reading's story, past, present and future."
- Expresses human emotion.
- Creates connection through use of community and inviting graduates into the story.