Springshare Standards: Quick Answers Checklist

These checklists walk you through the Quick Answers standards, highlighting areas that are easy to forget.  Running through these checklists before publishing an answer will help ensure your content meets the standards.

• Does the answer overlap any other department's content?

• Are there any prerequisite skills or knowledge needed to understand the answer?

• Does the answer anticipate further questions that could arise and provide links to that information?

• Does the answer use you and your, and we, our, and us?

  • Spelling, Grammar, & Usage

• Are the Additional Resources/More Information text in the proper heading?

• Are the Additional Resources/More Information links in a bullet list?

  • Answer a question: more information links

• Does the introduction summarize the rest of the answer content?

• Does the answer actually cover the question asked?

• Does the answer appear above the fold?

Note: Above the fold refers to the part of the web page that shows when the page loads.  The question and at least the beginning of the answer should be visible without scrolling down the webpage.  Above the fold is a term from newspaper publishing.  Top stores are put at the top half of the newspaper so that they show without unfolding the paper.

• Is the answer clear and concise?

• Does the answer properly chunk the content and use white space well?

  • Best Practices: Content

• Do all the hyperlinks work properly?

• Do all steps show a clear process of movement and navigation?

• Is the department contact link the final thing in the answer (unless there is also a link to another department)?

• Are help links to other appropriate departments listed?

  • Answer a question: "ask for help" links

• Are links formatted correctly

• Do all embedded hyperlinks make sense in isolation for those using screen readers?

Link Standards

• Do screenshots have a thin black border? 

• Are screenshots included in numbered lists indented from the surrounding text and followed by a line break?

• Is there a separate link to a larger image of a screenshot (when applicable)?

• Do images and screenshots have alt text as needed?

Image Standards

Does the video have a caption and a transcript?

Video Standards

• Is the answer grammatically correct and spell-checked?

• Are topics properly assigned according to departmental standards?

• Are keywords properly assigned according to departmental standards?

  • Add Topics & Keywords

• Is the answer published publicly or privately, as applicable?

  • Publish the Answer

• Is the answer added to your department's tracking database (if applicable)?