TUlib

CR regionEN, Wysiwyg textEN

Best practices: six steps to better tagging

There are no fixed rules on how to use tagging, but it can be very beneficial for yourself and others to use some kind of system. Here are some guidelines:

1. Be consistent: the MOST important 'rule'! 

• always use the same term or terms for the same subjects, ideas or concepts
  
• choose either plural or singular, e.g. 'shops' or 'shop'
  
• opt for lower case characters if you can
  
• use already available (and most commonly used) tags instead of making up complete new ones, especially when actively sharing/exchanging bookmarks!

2. Be efficient 

• do not use too many long words
  
• do not use too many tags
  
• again, use tags that are already available

3. Make it readable and understandable 

• use an underscore for multi-word tagging, e.g. social_bookmarking 
  
• do not use obscure abbreviations

4. Make it retrievable

Use tags that you can find again: short, memorable, and comprehensible

5. Keep your tag collection organised

Tidy up your tag collection regularly: make it more consistent. Weed out/rename single tags, correct typing errors, and if necessary group/cluster your tags.

6. Do what works for you!

In the end, you should use a tagging strategy that works for you, even if it might be considered 'bad practice'. Any system is fine, provided it suits you or your group's purposes and enables you to easily bookmark and retrieve information easily! 

Example of tagging in Delicious