Maintaining an FAQ
The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) offers brief, accurate answers to common questions. Web users go to the FAQ for two reasons:
- They want an answer quickly
- They haven't found the answer they're looking for by surfing your site
Basic Tips for Writing & Maintaining FAQs
- Content
To generate questions for an FAQ, talk to the people who answer calls from and meet with your Web audience - students, faculty, parents, etc. Find out the questions they are most often asked. Brainstorm additions to your list. - Style
Use simple, friendly language structured as a Q&A written from the user's perspective.
For example:
Q. How do I declare a dual major? (The 'I' suggests the user is asking the question.)
A. Make an appointment with your faculty adviser to determine course requirements and eligibility. - Organization
Organize your questions from those asked most frequently to least. If you have a long list of FAQs, group questions into categories. Provide a table of contents at the top of the FAQ page. For example, on a university athletics site, you could group your questions according to:
Men's Sports
Women's Sports
Schedules
Sports Camps
Tickets, etc.
Then organize each category by placing the most important questions first. - Search Engine
Write several, specific questions related to the same topic to help the user find the answer he or she is looking for.
For example, the following questions are all related to pursuing financial aid, yet each has a different answer.
How do I apply for financial aid?
What are the deadlines for applying for financial aid?
How will I know if I qualify for financial aid?
If I am not awarded any federal financial aid, can I still apply for University aid?
Are there scholarships available for current students? - Updating
Make sure your FAQ stays relevant. Review and update monthly. - Linking
Use links to connect your FAQ to:
a contact person
more information
Read the following example from the FAQ on NU’s Health & Counseling Services site
-
What is Clinical Clearance?
Students in Bouvé College of Health Sciences are required to provide a specific clearance form to their programs for clinical rotations, which includes documentation of immunity to additional infectious disease and PPD testing (testing for exposure to tuberculosis).
Exercise
Maintaining an FAQDownload worksheet