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Illustrated Handbook for Web Management Teams (html)

Publishing date: May 2002 (see under individual chapters for revision dates)

Guidelines for government websites

Contents (html Index)

Executive Summary

Introduction

Chapter 1: Website management

• 1.1 Purpose of your website
  • 1.1.1 How should a website be considered by an organisation?
  • 1.1.2 Planning your products and services
  • 1.1.3 What is the website for??
  • 1.1.4 Benefits of publishing data on the Internet
• 1.2 Management of your website
  • 1.2.1 Strategic and operational management
  • 1.2.2 Web service management
  • 1.2.3 Conventions on government publicity
  • 1.2.4 Contingency planning
  • 1.2.5 Mirror (ghost) copy of website
  • 1.2.6 Developing educational content
  • 1.2.7 Records management
  • 1.2.8 Management documentation
• 1.3 Advertising and sponsorship
  • 1.3.1 Contract management
  • 1.3.2 Advertising
  • 1.3.3 The buying of advertising space on other websites
  • 1.3.4 Sponsorship
  • 1.3.5 The commercial value of credits
• 1.4 Evaluation + checklist
  • 1.4.1 Evaluation and website metrics
  • 1.4.2 Understanding user statistics
  • 1.4.3 Using a server log file
  • 1.4.4 Advanced techniques
  • 1.4.5 Not the full picture!
  • 1.4.6 Downstream caching and pixel tagging
  • 1.4.7 Understanding the terminology
  • 1.4.8 Graphical example of traffic analysis
• 1.5 Focusing on user needs
  • 1.5.1 Marketplace
  • 1.5.2 Customer relationship management (CRM and eCRM)
• 1.6 Discussion groups + example of an Acceptable Use Policy
  • 1.6.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 1.6.2 Implementation
• 1.7 Getting users to your site: metadata, search engines and promotion
  • 1.7.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 1.7.2 Implementation of metadata
  • 1.7.3 Getting your site listed on search engines and directories
  • 1.7.4 Example of metadata
  • 1.7.5 Promoting your website
• 1.8 Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS)
  • 1.8.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 1.8.2 Implementation
  • 1.8.3 Gaining a label
  • 1.8.4 Example of a PICS metatag
• 1.9 Domain name registration (including .gov.uk registration rules) (rev Apr 05)
  • 1.9.1 Background to the domain name system
  • 1.9.2 The .gov.uk domain rules
  • 1.9.3 How to apply for a .gov.uk name?
  • 1.9.4 Conditions of use for a .gov.uk name
  • 1.9.5 Do you need a domain name strategy?
  • Appendix A: Withdrawal of .gov.uk name, Our code of practice
• 1.10 Legal issues
  • 1.10.1 Legal issues - Basic principles
  • 1.10.2 Legal issues - Data Protection Act
  • 1.10.3 Legal issues - Copyright and the notices for government websites
  • 1.10.4 Legal issues Disability Discrimination Act
  • 1.10.5 Legal issues Public Records Act
  • 1.10.6 Legal issues Welsh Language Act
  • 1.10.7 Legal issues - Human Rights Act
  • 1.10.8 Legal issues - Race Relations (Amendment) Act (rev Oct 04)
  • 1.10.9 Legal issues - specimen terms and conditions
• 1.11 Backgrounder on securing websites
  • 1.11.1 What is a security policy?
  • 1.11.2 What is the purpose of secure website management?
  • 1.11.3 The security of your website
  • 1.11.4 The security of the web server application
  • 1.11.5 The security of the operating system of the web server computer
  • 1.11.6 The security of the local area network of the web server computer
  • 1.11.7 The security of the ‘backend’ applications supporting the web server
  • 1.11.8 The security of the authoritative domain name server for the web server network
  • 1.11.9 Resources
• 1.12 Procurement + checklist on choosing an ISP/hosting service
  • 1.12.1 Procurement of web design services
  • 1.12.2 Procurement of hosting services
  • 1.12.3 Disaster recovery
  • 1.12.4 Hosting offshore

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Chapter 2: Content of websites

• 2.1 Basic website structure
  • 2.1.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 2.1.2 How the Web fits into the Internet
  • 2.1.3 Basic options for website structure
  • 2.1.4 Do not change names when moving files
• 2.2 What content should be on your website?
  • 2.2.1 Introduction
  • 2.2.2 Minimum website requirements
  • 2.2.3 Minimum homepage requirements
  • 2.2.4 Contact addresses
  • 2.2.5 Department location
  • 2.2.6 Version control of website publications
• 2.3 Cross-government requirements
  • 2.3.1 Parliamentary answers referring to the Internet
  • 2.3.2 Recruitment
  • 2.3.3 Publication of Command Papers on the Internet
  • 2.3.4 Consultation papers
  • 2.3.5 Inforoute
  • 2.3.6 Gateway for local authorities - info4local.gov
  • 2.3.7 Official legislation websites
  • 2.3.8 UK online - toolbar integration
• 2.4 Building in universal accessibility + checklist
  • 2.4.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 2.4.2 Audiences with special needs
  • 2.4.3 Compliance with W3C WAI recommendations
  • 2.4.4 UK Government accesskeys standard
  • 2.4.5 Other accessibility considerations
  • 2.4.6 Simple HTML attributes for accessibility
  • 2.4.7 Validation and testing
  • 2.4.8 Portable Document Format (PDF) and accessibility
  • 2.4.9 W3C work in progress
  • 2.4.10 Further reading and resources
• 2.5 Browser compatibility
  • 2.5.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 2.5.2 What is a web browser?
  • 2.5.3 Types and versions of browsers
  • 2.5.4 Example of different browsers
  • 2.5.5 Testing with different browsers
  • 2.5.6 Special-purpose browsers
• 2.6 Information and text
  • 2.6.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 2.6.2 Website content generation
  • 2.6.3 Online publishing tools
  • 2.6.4 Production timescales and publishing overheads
  • 2.6.5 Maintenance
  • 2.6.6 Text
• 2.7 Use of other languages
  • 2.7.1 Checklist and summary: Recommended
  • 2.7.2 Using other languages
  • 2.7.3 Language anchor pages
  • 2.7.4 HTML Meta Charset element
  • 2.7.5 BSI and other presentational requirements
  • 2.7.6 Character sets
  • 2.7.7 Examples
  • 2.7.8 Unicode - the future
  • 2.7.9 Example of other languages anchor pages used by the former DSS
• 2.8 Web graphics
  • 2.8.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 2.8.2 Sensible use of graphics
  • 2.8.3 Web-safe colours
  • 2.8.4 Text alternatives to graphics
  • 2.8.5 Image dimensions
  • 2.8.6 Image alignment
  • 2.8.7 Image spacing
  • 2.8.8 Imagemaps
  • 2.8.9 Graphic navigation
  • 2.8.10 Images containing text
  • 2.8.11 Image file sizes
  • 2.8.12 Table alternatives to graphics
  • 2.8.13 Image directories
  • 2.8.14 Graphic formats
  • 2.8.15 Examples of graphic formats
  • 2.8.16 Use of thumbnail images

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Chapter 3: File storage and structure

• 3.1 File storage and servers
  • 3.1.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 3.1.2 Introduction
  • 3.1.3 Web servers
• 3.2 Document structure
  • 3.2.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 3.2.2 Structuring documents for the Web
  • 3.2.3 File naming
  • 3.2.4 File sizes
  • 3.2.5 Sequential structure
  • 3.2.6 Document identification
  • 3.2.7 Information to be included in every document
  • 3.2.8 Version control of web documents

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Chapter 4: HMTL markup, other formats and scripting

• 4.1 Markup standards for government websites
• 4.2 HTML pages
  • 4.2.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 4.2.2 Browser specification
  • 4.2.3 HTML (Hypertext Markup Language)
  • 4.2.4 Internal links
  • 4.2.5 Uses for metatags
  • 4.2.6 Validation and testing
• 4.3 Non-HTML file formats
  • 4.3.1 PDF (Portable Document Format)
  • 4.3.2 RTF (Rich Text Format)
  • 4.3.3 Plain text (.TXT files)
  • 4.3.4 Microsoft Word (.DOC)
  • 4.3.5 Spreadsheet formats
  • 4.3.6 Compressed file formats
  • 4.3.7 File download sizes
  • 4.3.8 Audio files
• 4.4 Portable Document Format (PDF)
  • 4.4.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 4.4.2 How PDFs work
  • 4.4.3 Versions of Adobe Acrobat
  • 4.4.4 Metadata and PDFs
  • 4.4.5 Security with PDFs
  • 4.4.6 Forms and PDFs
  • 4.4.7 Accessibility and PDFs
  • 4.4.8 Example notification and prompt to obtain the Acrobat Reader
• 4.5 Plug-ins
  • 4.5.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 4.5.2 What plug-ins are
  • 4.5.3 Usability considerations
• 4.6 Scripting and programming
  • 4.6.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 4.6.2 Introduction to scripts
  • 4.6.3 Problems with scripts
  • 4.6.4 Scripting and programming technologies
  • 4.6.5 Use of NOSCRIPT element
  • 4.6.6 CGI (Common Gateway Interface) scripts
  • 4.6.7 Document Object Model
• 4.7 Cookies
  • 4.7.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 4.7.2 Explanation
  • 4.7.3 Third-party cookies

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Chapter 5: Developments

• 5.1 Dynamic publishing
  • 5.1.1 Checklist and summary
  • 5.1.2 Introduction
  • 5.1.3 Personalised content delivery
  • 5.1.4 Content management
  • 5.1.5 Web server performance and resource considerations
  • 5.1.6 Technologies and tools
• 5.2 Your website on television
  • 5.2.1 General
  • 5.2.2 Three main TV-friendly principles
  • 5.2.3 Design
  • 5.2.4 Screen sizes
  • 5.2.5 Colours
  • 5.2.6 Text
  • 5.2.7 Graphics
  • 5.2.8 Plug-ins
  • 5.2.9 Audio
  • 5.2.10 Animation
  • 5.2.11 Frames
  • 5.2.12 Forms and data entry
  • 5.2.13 WebTV
  • 5.2.14 Example
• 5.3 Other digital communication media
  • 5.3.1 Checklist and summary
  • 5.3.2 Range of browsing devices
  • 5.3.3 Mobile access
  • 5.3.4 Games consoles
• 5.4 eXtensible Markup Language (XML) and eXtensible Stylesheet Language (XSL)
  • 5.4.1 Summary
  • 5.4.2 What is XML?
  • 5.4.3 What is XSL?
  • 5.4.4 Developing XML and XSL for the UK Government
  • 5.4.5 XML and accessibility
  • 5.4.6 Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG)
• 5.5 On-line transactions
  • 5.5.1 Introduction
  • 5.5.2 Information security
  • 5.5.3 Explanation of e-commerce terms
  • 5.5.4 e-Trust Charter

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Chapter 6: Technical detail and tutorials

• 6.1 Hypertext Markup Language (HTML 4.01)
  • 6.1.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 6.1.2 Implementation
  • 6.1.3 Simple introduction to HTML
  • 6.1.4 Using the appropriate Document Type Definition (DTD)
  • 6.1.5 HTML 4.01
  • 6.1.6 Validation
  • 6.1.7 eXtensible Hypertext Mark up Language (XHTML1.0)
• 6.2 Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
  • 6.2.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 6.2.2 Introduction
  • 6.2.3 Cascading Style Sheet language
  • 6.2.4 Examples
  • 6.2.5 Implementation of CSS
• 6.3 HTML tables
  • 6.3.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 6.3.2 Implementation
  • 6.3.3 Examples of tables
• 6.4 HTML frames
  • 6.4.1 Checklist and summary: Recommended
  • 6.4.2 Background information
  • 6.4.3 Implementation
  • 6.4.4 Example
• 6.5 HTML forms
  • 6.5.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 6.5.2 Implementation
  • 6.5.3 Example
• 6.6 Web page navigation
  • 6.6.1 Checklist and summary: Core guidance
  • 6.6.2 Graphic navigation: Core guidance - if used in website
  • 6.6.3 Imagemaps: Core guidance - if used in website
  • 6.6.4 Alphabars: Core guidance

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Annexes

• Annex A: Web browser applications
• Annex B: Disability-specific web browsers
• Annex C: HTML editor applications
• Annex D: Graphic applications
• Annex E: Plug-ins
• Annex F: General applications
• Annex G: Changing browser fonts
• Annex H: Access standards and common file extensions
• Annex I: Common HTTP server status codes
• Annex J: Error 404
• Annex K: Redirect page
• Annex L. Archiving Websites (published March 04)
• Annex M. Managing use of email (published March 03)

Checklist: specifying your website

Additonal Information

This document is also available in MS Word and PDF formats.

other formats

Refer to Framework for senior managers - a summary of main points of the Guidelines and changes from version one.

Web guidelines