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Netiquette (short for 'internet etiquette') refers to rules of good online behaviour. It means treating others with the same level of respect as you would in a face-to-face setting and displaying common courtesy when interacting in an online environment (for example, when attending a live lecture session, posting your views to a discussion forum or sending messages over Teams).

Within your academic community, you should feel free to offer unconventional ideas and honest opinions without becoming offensive or hurtful. Your online communication skills are particularly important, so be careful not to write or post anything that is:

• ​​defamatory, obscene, discriminatory, illegal, incites hatred or could damage the reputation of yourself and the University.
• confidential or infringes another person’s privacy, such as posting someone’s contact details or images without their permission.
• sent to you privately and not intended to be shared with others.
• likely to make someone feel bullied or harassed or which is malicious or potentially harmful to others.
• related to the commercial activity of a company you've researched or carried out a placement at. 

Netiquette also applies to when you’re working in a group online. All members should use appropriate language for the topic and level of formality of the group. This may need specific attention where the group’s discussions will form part of the submission for an assignment. 

In general, good online behaviour involves being nice to each other, being respectful and being helpful. 

Read the University's Safe Community Charter

Being nice to each other

Thank, acknowledge and support people. Remember people cannot see you nod, smile or from as you read their messages. Respond constructively to posts and acknowledge the other person’s perspective. 

Try to summarise the other person’s point before you disagree with them. This way they know you are trying to understand them and will be more likely to take your view seriously. 

Avoid typing in all caps BECAUSE IT CAN BE PERCEIVED AS SHOUTING. 

​​​​​Be careful with your language and remember your audience. Some conversational language, common idioms, expressions or emojis may not mean the same things to other people.

Being respectful 

Disagree with the comment, not with the person. Don't make negative or personal comments about other people. 

Think before you post. If you read something that offends or upsets you, it can be tempting to type a speedy reply and hit ‘Send’ without thinking. Avoid a spiral of angry messages and online discussions by taking a moment, saving your message and even sleeping on it, so that you’re calm when you respond. 

Respect difference. Respect others’ cultural, religious, professional, academic and economic backgrounds, skills, abilities and contributions. 

Ask permission. Don’t use or reproduce others’ comments or personal information without their express permission. 

Being helpful 

Make your perspective clear. Avoid speaking in a dogmatic or impersonal way, so try not to use phrases like “It is a fact that...” as they leave no room for anyone else’s viewpoint. Instead, start with “I think...”, and if you’re presenting someone else’s views, make sure you say whose they are.

​​​​​Be professional. Check your spelling and grammar, write sentences and use paragraphs and punctuation. Consider using formatting, bullet points and heading where necessary to make your communication clearer.