Eszter Hargittai has written a “Primer for Electronic Communication” for Inside Higher Ed. Make sure you read the whole article, but eszter’s proposed template for such a message is:
- Descriptive subject line
- Polite point-of-contact
- Succinct statement of the message’s purpose
- Brief introduction of yourself
- Acknowledging other attempts at finding an answer or solution
- Restatement of question
- Gratitude for assistance
While I think this would be a great read for students, who often manage to appear discourteous when asking for help by e-mail (including those who I know are polite and appreciative in person), it also captures the approach I take when contacting colleagues and superiors with requests.
More discussion of the piece can be found at Crooked Timber.
