Table of contents

  1. Avoid sections associated with print publications
  2. Abstract or Executive Summary
  3. Disclaimer
  4. Introduction or Background information
  5. Things you need to know about this release and Background notes
  6. Authors and Acknowledgements
  7. Collaborations
  8. Questions as section headings
  9. Conclusion
  10. Feedback
  11. Quality and methodology
  12. References
  13. Annexes and Appendices

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Authors and Acknowledgements

We should present our data, analysis and statistics as a collective organisation, the ONS, rather than as individual authors. This is to ensure objectivity with our users.

Avoid including authors and/or acknowledgements sections. Most users are interested in the analysis and data and these types of sections often slow users down in getting to the information they need. The contact name at the top of the page provides a direct point of contact for users to ask any questions about the article or to seek further information. The name provided should be the best person to contact with any queries about the article or the data; it does not have to be the author or the Deputy Director.

If you need to acknowledge a particular author or contributor, this should be included towards the end of the article. It should:

  • not be the first section in the article; the main analysis or information should always come first to reflect users’ priorities
  • be included in a sub-section (in the Data sources and quality section for analysis articles and the final labelled section for information articles) rather than its own separate section
  • be placed beneath the analysis or information and data sections

See Collaborations for information on how to reference the input of external organisations.