While the scholars we associate with speak in their own voice, communicating their research and opinions in their own style, we have a distinct voice for the Institute to own—one that enables our site to serve as a guide, educator, and catalyst for action.
This voice is used across a range of content: navigation and interface text, homepage features, introductions, descriptions, event listings, and anywhere we are communicating on behalf of the Institute, rather than through the personal voice of a staff member or contributor.
This document provides broad guidance on the message and manner of our communication. For more specific guidance on capitalization, punctuation, and word choice, see the editorial style guide.
The voice for non-authorial, Institute-driven content is:
Bold, but not belligerent.
We believe in our words, and we speak with authority. But we never let that confidence make us combative or defensive. Instead, we always back up our positions, ask further questions, and remain open to new ideas. This means we:
- Use active voice, rather than passive constructions.
- Write powerful, verb-driven sentences rather than long, loquacious ones.
- Minimize exclamations. Our words are bold because they’re crisp and cogent, not because they’re said with excessive emotion.
Independent, but not fringe.
We are not mainstream, but that’s not because our ideas are outlandish. We simply think for ourselves, and encourage others to do the same. This means we:
- Emphasize reason over ideology. Our content backs up its claims, avoids pandering, and encourages further inquiry and debate.
- Avoid zealous language that is angry, mean, or partisan. Instead, we maintain calm and poise.
Genuine, but not casual.
We are human and conversational, but we’re not overly intimate with our audience. Users rely on us for accurate information about critically important topics, so we can’t afford to come off as overly breezy. This means we:
- Speak directly, referring to our users as “you” and fomenting conversations.
- Keep punctuation buttoned-up. Use dashes and parentheticals purposefully, but not extensively, and avoid ellipses, which can feel sloppy. See the editorial style guide for details on punctuation.
- Use clear, descriptive words, not slangy or trendy terminology.
Scholarly, but not elitist.
We are scholars and researchers, but the impact of our work is anything but dull and dry. Our content should inspire, not lecture. This means we:
- Limit elevated language only to places where it’s needed for precision and impact—never just to sound smart.
- Don’t assume expertise. We use accurate industry language, but we avoid jargon on high-level pages. When we introduce general audiences to specialized terminology, we define our terms—because we can’t predict what our audience knows, and we never want them to feel as if new economic thinking is something they can’t understand or be part of.
- Limit complex syntax and long-winded sentences in content that’s meant to be consumed by everyone. Use short statements where possible.