Search results
- Websites can provide valuable evidence to support your discussion, just like books or journal articles. For instance, many authoritative sources such as academic institutions, government and research bodies, or charities use the internet to make important data available as quickly and freely as possible.
libguides.reading.ac.uk/reading/websites
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Oct 15, 2024 · Can I use websites in academic study? The short answer is "yes - but you must use them appropriately". Websites can provide valuable evidence to support your discussion, just like books or journal articles.
- Effective Note-Making
They clearly show where there are gaps which need more...
- Effective Note-Making
- Identify Your Target Audience and Objective For The Website
- Assess Your Resources
- Determine and Develop The Content and Tone of The Site
- Avoid Overcrowding
- The Layout of Each Page Should Flow, Be Uncluttered, and Organized
- Use Simple Fonts
- Pick A Colour Scheme of Three Complementary Colours
- Consider Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Get Feedback and Support
- Want to Learn More?
With all knowledge mobilization and dissemination efforts, you should always first know what you hope to achieve and who you need to reach. This informs all your other decisions. Don’t skip this step! Need help figuring this out? Get in touch with the SFU Knowledge Mobilization Officer.
Consider how much time, technical ability, and financial resources you have and are willing to dedicate to developing and upkeep of the website. If all are limited, then keep it basic.
This will be informed by your audience and objective. For example, if the audience is other researchers, and the objective is to build new collaborations, you may want the content to be more technical and the tone professional. If you are looking for students, the tone might be more fun and emphasize the activities of the lab. If it is for the publ...
A layered structure, with brief overviews that can be clicked through to more information, is often preferable. However, avoid very complicated sites with multiple clicks to arrive at desired information. SFU’s Scholarly Communications Lab website is a nice example of how to do this well: https://www.scholcommlab.ca/
This can be achieved by organizing in a grid, column, or horizontal layout. Use negative (blank) space to facilitate readability and navigation (scan-ability). The image below places two websites side-by-side and illustrates why this is important to consider. Which page do you find easier to read – right or left?
Choose a maximum of three complementary fonts(one for title, heading, and body). Often a sans serif font (without extra embellishments such as Helvetica) is preferable for large text (titles and headings) and serif (e.g. Times New Roman) for small text (body). Dark text on light backgrounds are easier to read and provide a more accessible experienc...
Choose colours that align with your audience, objective, research and tone. Check out Canva’s colour generator for help and inspiration.
How we design and write can influence our audience’s sense of inclusion and more. This needs to be considered in selection and use of colours (e.g. colour blindness), font (readability), images (think about representation and messaging), language (e.g. use inclusiveand plain language), and assumptions.
Reach out to available SFU resources (e.g. communicators, Knowledge Mobilization Hub, Digital Humanities Innovation Lab) for guidance and feedback. Consider hiring a professional web designer if you can afford it, and/or graphic artist. Before you launch, ask friends and colleagues to review your site.
More blog posts
Here are some useful blog posts that dive deeper into strategies, process, and considerations: 1. SFU Library’s adviceon visibility and your online presence 2. The Social Academic's blogpost on developing your personal academic website 3. The Leveraged PhD's blogpost on creating a personal website 4. These two blog posts offer tips from researchers on creating a good lab website by Natureand Edge for Scholars.
Resources and supports
Here are some platforms, templates, and services to get you started (paid and free): 1. Designs that Cell-- A Canadian research-focused scientific illustration company. 2. Science Project -- A subscription-based website platform for scientists. 3. Or use one of the most popular non-specialist platforms for building websites: 3.1. Squarespace-- Includes marketing and e-commerce features. 3.2. Wordpress-- Very customisable but does not include hosting. 3.3. Wix-- Allows you to build webpages us...
What does a good website look like?
It’s always good to have a few examples of websites that you like. Some of this is personal preference of course, but here are a few project or lab websites that I like: 1. Chatr Lab 2. Science Up First 3. Amplify Podcast Network 4. Multimedia Lab Siteinspireis a whole site dedicated to the collection of creative websites. I choose a few from their list in the education and science space that might offer some inspiration: 1. Whitehead Institute 2. Vital Strategies 3. Simons Foundation Origina...
- Showcases credibility and professionalism. A meticulously designed and well-curated website doesn’t just represent your brand — it elevates it. Greeting online visitors with intuitive user experiences, polished designs, and responsive performance signals that every facet of your business matters.
- Increases brand awareness. Your website directly reflects your brand, showing visitors who you are and what your business represents. Every web design detail, from typography to content style, contributes to your brand’s identity and personality.
- Provides 24/7 accessibility and convenience. Unlike a brick-and-mortar store with set operating hours, your website operates around the clock, offering products, services, and vital information without constraints.
- Enhances customer engagement. Interactive website features do more than display content — they actively engage visitors, converting passive browsers into leads and, eventually, loyal customers.
Nigel Ford shows how using the web poses opportunities and challenges that impact on student research at every level, and he explains the skills needed to navigate the web and use it effectively to produce high quality work.
5 days ago · Whether you need research studies or opinion pieces, your assignment requirements and research topic will guide your selection of sources. Consider the following: What type of website is it? e.g. webpage, blog, wikis, social media Watch 'Selecting Resource Types: Websites'
Oct 22, 2019 · Research communications specialist Nilam McGrath and web designer and developer Dru Riches-Mangiers describe working together to transform a research programme website.
Evaluating Web Sources. Although you should generally begin your electronic research by using e-resources available through the Harvard Library, there may be times when you will want to use Google. When you find a source online, you will need to assess whether it is a credible source.
