Though you are all probably aware of these general email guidelines, it is always a good professional practice to review the standards of a particular professional community or culture. To ensure your understanding of these principles, e-mails that do not follow these guidelines will now be returned unanswered. Please refer to the "Email Ethics" presentation for further tips and suggestions.
- Give an e-mail a subject heading that is concise and direct: I should know right away what it is about and what its purpose is (for example, "Rivers Project Two Revision" or "Question about Cover Letter").
- Keep subject headings consistent on extended exchanges (maintain the conversation thread).
- Include an appropriate (as defined by the nature of your relationship with the receiver) greeting and conclusion in the email.
- Describe any attachments and how they should be used.
- Use formal but casual language (complete sentences, capitalization and punctuation, correct spelling - especially names and companies.)
- Watch pronoun usage. Make sure objects referred to by pronouns are clear (avoid saying something like "That thing we talked about in class the other day").
- Be respectful and cooperative.
In line with the principles and practices of the course, these guidelines, and their enforcement, are not designed to be a punitive measure; they are designed to introduce (and induce) good professional habits. They are, in other words, an attempt at decision architecture.
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