The beauty of the Internet is that it is easy for anyone to contact complete strangers from all over the world and get questions answered by them, says Eszter Hargittai in Inside Higher Ed (www.insiderhighered .com, “A primer on electronic communication”). The problem arises when people don’t know how to pose their questions to total strangers. Hargittai says that everyone is busy these days, and if you don’t want your e-mail to land in the recipient’s trash folder, you should follow these tips:
• Write a clear and descriptive subject line.
• Address the person politely.
• State your reasons for contact.
• Introduce yourself.
• Explain who you are, what you are doing and what you want to know.
• Restate your question and elaborate, if necessary.
• Thank the person and sign off with a formal signature.
• Read your letter and make sure it says exactly what you want it to say—and is error free.
• Get in touch again in a week if you’ve gotten no response.
• Don’t make urgent requests. Assume that the person on the other end is as overwhelmed as you are.
No comments:
Post a Comment