About this guide
Here we provide some general practical guidance for writing Teaching@Sydney articles. We are actively working on this style guide through 2026, so please email us if you have any questions so we can add the answers here. The University editorial style guide can also be consulted for very specific grammatical enquiries.
Written style
Teaching@Sydney is read by a diverse audience, and the written style should reflect this. Articles should avoid jargon and terminology that would exclude non-expert readers from different faculties or disciplines. Authors should aim for the tone and style of a good-quality news article. Broadly speaking, this allows for prose to be more conversational than that typically found in academic publications. Authors are free to use the first person. Sentences can be more succinct and direct.
Referencing
No formal referencing system is required, and reference lists should be avoided where possible. When referencing is necessary, either include the link in-text (see example below) or do so using whatever in-text citation style is your preference. Include only a hyperlink to the DOI or Sydney library catalogue link.
Example: “To explore and rethink this issue from a critically reflective standpoint, we drew on Brookfield’s famous four lenses”
Word limit
Articles will be no longer than 1000 words. Short articles, such as news updates and announcements can be much shorter than this.
Titles, taglines and enticing the reader
Titles should be short, simple and, where possible, catchy. The title of a post can be supported by taglines and blockquotes that standout from the body of the article. We encourage the use of sub-headings, particularly for longer articles. These features allow readers to skim the article and decide whether they wish to read it.
We do not use title case in Teaching@Sydney, capitalising only the first word and proper nouns in article titles.
Images
Always attribute images to their rightful owner and only use images that you have permission to use. If you have images that you own or created use these. Otherwise find images available on creative commons and always, always, always provide attribution to the creator in the image caption field.
Use of generative AI tools
You’re welcome to use generative AI tools to support your writing process. However, you remain responsible for ensuring all content is accurate, appropriately attributed, and aligned with University policies. This includes verifying any factual claims, checking that hyperlinks and references are correct, and confirming that the final piece reflects your authentic voice and experience.