Avoid Reposting Content

Classification:

[x] Standard

Categories:

[x] Links

[x]Things to Avoid

Standard:

HHS should avoid reporting, duplicating or recreating content that already exists on the HHS Web or another federal Web site. Instead, HHS should link to the document or content where it already resides

Rationale:

HHS needs to reduce the amount of redundant, and difficult to maintain, content. 

Audiences can become confused if they find overlapping or inconsistent information on the same subject.  “The best practice to ensure accurate and quality web content is to create it once – by the organization having the greatest expertise – and use it many times, through the use of links.” (OMB Policies for Federal Websites, 2007; Interagency Committee on Government Information, 2006.)  

In cases where the content needs to be updated, the content manager should notify and work with the content owner to make the necessary changes.

Every effort should be made to house frequently accessed content such as news releases, speeches, regulations, etc. in databases or other central locations.

Sources:

OMB Policies for Federal Public Websites

http://www.Webcontent.gov

Interagency Committee on Government Information

Exemptions:

If the specific content you need to link to is found in a large document or page, and there are no internal anchors (to direct user to), it may be necessary to excerpt and repost the desired content.

If routine link checking determines that a file has moved and a new link cannot be established, the missing or lost file may then be reposted on the linking site.

This does not preclude presenting content in multiple formats (i.e, text and podcast).

Requirements (content & style):

OMB recommends that content not be duplicated across government sites.  HHS should not cut and paste existing content when it is more effective to simply link to existing content.  Summaries (e.g., link context) are permitted and strongly encouraged.

Related Standards:

N/A

Related Guidelines:

N/A

Checklist:

Do not duplicate content when a link will suffice.