Scientists and other subject-matter experts, like most online readers, scan content to find the information they need quickly and efficiently. When you're presenting scientific findings online keep your content:
- organized;
- scannable; and
- succinct.
Technical and scientific terms
Where you need to use technical or scientific terms, you can. They’re not jargon. You just need to explain what they mean the first time you use them.
Legal content
Legal content can still be written in plain English. It’s important that users understand content and that we present complicated information simply.
Where evidence shows there’s a clear user need for including a legal term, always explain it in plain language.
If you’re talking about a legal requirement, use "must". For example, "your employer must pay you the minimum wage".
If you feel that "must" does not have enough emphasis, then use "legal requirement", ‘"legally entitled" etc. For example, "Once your child is registered at school, you’re legally responsible for making sure they attend regularly".
When you're deciding whether to use "must" or "legally entitled" etc., consider how important it is for us to talk about the legal aspect, as well as the overall tone of voice.
If a requirement is legal but administrative or part of a process that will not have criminal repercussions, then use "need to". For example, "You will need to provide copies of your marriage certificate".
This may be a legal requirement but not completing it would just stop the person from moving on to the next stage of a process, rather than committing a more serious offence.
Footnotes and legal language
Do not use footnotes online. They’re designed for reference in print, not web pages.