E-mail

As you know, e-mail is a popular, easy way to stay in contact with friends and family. The e-mails you send to your friends are most likely informal. For example, an e-mail about dinner plans might be only a few lines long and use the same language you would use if you were talking in person.

When you are communicating with someone professionally, however, e-mail is more important. In fact, e-mail is often the main mode of communication for scientists — so how you write an e-mail can shape what other scientists think of your character. A well written e-mail can impress the reader and show that you are thoughtful and responsible, whereas a poorly written e-mail can damage productive relationships or keep you from forming new ones. Therefore, before sending an e-mail, you must carefully consider your audience and the tone you will use.

Like all written correspondence, an e-mail message has a salutation, in which you greet the recipient; a body, which includes the main text of your message; and a closing. It also has a subject line that appears alongside your name and the date in the recipient's inbox.

The subject line might well be the most important part of your e-mail because it helps the recipient decide whether your message needs immediate attention or whether it can wait until he or she has more time to answer. The subject line you write should be descriptive but succinct. You may be tempted to use humor to get your recipient's attention, but this is risky when communicating with someone you do not know well. In such cases, your recipient could end up confused at best or offended at worst. Avoid this problem by writing subject lines that briefly describe the content of your message or state the key point you wish to make.

Crafting a good subject line can help you plan the rest of your e-mail. Once you have placed your main idea in your subject line, you can put that same point in the first paragraph of your message so that it stands out — a practice sometimes called frontloading. Any related ideas that require immediate attention should also come as early in the message as possible. If you bury requests or questions in the middle or at the end of the message, your reader may lose interest or delete the e-mail before he or she reaches your request. Avoid this problem by summarizing your main points, questions, or requests in the first paragraph, then elaborating only if needed in the body of the e-mail. If your message is urgent, say so both in your subject line and early in the e-mail (but consider calling the recipient instead, if possible).

Before you send an e-mail, think about the person who will receive it. Do you know this person? If so, how do you know him or her, and how well? Is he or she in a position of authority over you? For example, if you are a student, are you writing to someone who is a professor or an established researcher?

Next, think about why you are writing this e-mail to your recipient. Are you writing to ask for information about the recipient's research, as in a request for data or a journal article? Do you want to study with the recipient as a student, or perhaps work for him or her as a postdoctoral researcher? Having clear answers to questions like these will help you draft a specific, focused e-mail. You should know exactly what you want and from whom you want it before you sit down to write.

Questions about audience and purpose will help you determine the appropriate tone to use in your message. E-mail is convenient, but it cannot convey the same subtleties you can convey in person, and many misunderstandings may occur as a result. When you talk to people face-to-face, you can show respect through your voice and body language. You might talk louder and faster if you are excited, and you might show your approval by listening attentively, nodding, or smiling. Because you cannot do that in written communication, you must instead use language and tone carefully to convey your meaning to the recipient.

Be especially careful with your tone if you are writing to someone who is not at the same professional level or status as you are. If you are writing to someone who holds the same status as you — for instance, if you are a student writing to another student, or if you are a scientist writing to another scientist of equal rank at your organization — you might be able to assume some level of familiarity. In contrast, if you are writing to someone who holds a position of authority, use language that is respectful and polite, even if you are writing to express disagreement. Likewise, if you hope that the recipient of your e-mail will help you with a problem or grant you a request, be respectful (without seeming to beg and without flattery) and acknowledge his or her time.

Being careless with your tone can lead to misunderstandings or cause offense to your reader. Because e-mail is a quick way of communicating, people often make the mistake of being too casual with their audience. Many scientists are informal once they have established a good relationship with a colleague, but do not automatically assume that you can be casual in your own e-mail. Instead, be formal until the person you are writing to indicates through his or her own language that familiarity is appropriate.

As you aim for a respectful tone, take care not to flatter your correspondent unnecessarily or use language that is too deferential. Some readers may be uncomfortable with flattery, or they may not know how to respond gracefully when someone they do not know compliments them heavily. Be careful with your salutation, too. Greetings such as "Dear Esteemed Sir" may be common in some countries, but the simpler "Dear Sir" or "Dear Professor" are more direct.

The following is an example of an e-mail that uses flattery:

Dear Esteemed Sir,

I very much enjoyed your recent paper in the Journal of Bacteriology. Your results were impressive, and your methods were very solid. I have worked with P. aeruginosa in my Ph.D. research as well, and I would like to continue working in this area under your knowledgeable guidance. Would you kindly tell me whether you have any postdoctoral positions available in your highly regarded laboratory?

Thank you for your time,
Pierre Raskolnikov

In contrast, this e-mail asks the same question and also pays the recipient a compliment, but it does so without flattery:

Dear Sir,

I enjoyed your recent paper in the Journal of Bacteriology. I have worked with P. aeruginosa in my Ph.D. research as well, and I would like to continue working in this area under your guidance. Would you please tell me whether you have any postdoctoral positions available in your laboratory?

Thank you for your time,
Pierre Raskolnikov

Because your e-mails should be formal until you know the recipient well, do not use the kind of abbreviated language that is common in text or SMS messages. Instead of writing "cld i talk 2 u?", for example, use full sentences: "Could I talk to you?" Likewise, avoid trying to be funny when you are building a new relationship. Humor is difficult to convey in e-mail, and readers may misunderstand your meaning. Do not use emoticons — faces made out of punctuation marks, like :^) or :^( — to show that you are being friendly or witty. Instead, craft your tone and language carefully to convey the message you want to send.

Pay careful attention to tone in every e-mail you send — even when writing a message to a fellow student. In most cases, you can adopt an informal tone when writing to a peer. Consider the following example, in which one student is e-mailing another student in his lab to ask about a piece of equipment.

From: Stefan Kovič
Subject: Gel box?
Date: March 29, 2010 2:44:19 PM CDT
To: Heather Wrench

Heather: Do you know what’s up with the gel box? The leads aren’t staying in anymore. What should I do?

Thanks,
Stefan

Here, the subject line is brief. It notes only that the message is about the gel box — a piece of equipment used in molecular biology — but it does not specify the contents of the e-mail. The tone of the e-mail itself is informal. The message contains only a brief salutation that identifies Heather by her name and not a title or honorific, and the language is casual and colloquial. Stefan's question uses the more familiar "what's up with" rather than "what is wrong with" to ask about the condition of the equipment. The subject line and the casual tone of the message are appropriate for an e-mail sent between two students.

Contrast this message with the following sample, in which Stefan is e-mailing the principal investigator in his laboratory about the same problem.

From: Stefan Kovič
Subject: Problems with the gel box leads
Date: March 29, 2010 2:44:19 PM CDT
To: Kitty Jones

Dear Kitty,

When I was setting up the gel box yesterday, I noticed that the leads no longer fit properly. Should I try to fix them, or should we look into other options?

Thank you for your time,
Stefan

This time, the subject line is detailed and specific. Kitty can tell right away — without reading the e-mail — that something is wrong with the gel box leads. She can now decide whether she needs to read the full e-mail to understand the problem.

Because Stefan is addressing his supervisor, he uses a formal salutation ("Dear Kitty"), and his language is more formal than the language he used when writing to another student. It is clear from this letter that Stefan is writing to someone with authority.

A note about salutations: In this example, Stefan addresses Kitty Jones by her first name. This may be appropriate for someone you know well, such as your Ph.D. advisor, a professor you have been working with for quite some time, or a supervisor in your organization. However, if you do not know your recipient personally, or if you are new to a laboratory or organization, use a formal title (such as "Professor", "Dr.", or "Ms.") until the recipient grants you permission to use his or her first name. In most cases, your recipient will grant you that permission by responding with language like "Please call me Kitty" or by signing an e-mail with his or her first name.

As with e-mailing a professor, be sure to use a formal tone when writing to someone you do not know. In the following example, a student who is finishing his Ph.D. is e-mailing an established scientist to ask about postdoctoral opportunities in the scientist's lab. As you read, look for problems in tone that suggest that this writer has misjudged his audience.

From: Jackson Lunk
Subject: Postdoc?
Date: April 26, 2010, 10:05:32 AM CDT
To: Donald Smith

Hey Prof. Smith,

I’m finishing my Ph.D. this spring and am looking for a postdoc. I found your lab page and thought I’d ask if you have any positions open. If you could get back to me soon, that’d be great.

Hope to hear from you,
Jackson Lunk

In this sample, Jackson has written an e-mail that is so casual that it can — and most likely will — cause offense. Jackson's tone does not properly convey respect for Professor Smith or acknowledge their difference in status. The salutation — "Hey Prof. Smith" — is too friendly, especially since Jackson is writing to ask for a job. Upon reading this e-mail, Professor Smith might assume that Jackson will be equally disrespectful in person.

In addition, the last sentence of the e-mail — "If you could get back to me soon, that'd be great" — is both too demanding and too casual. It comes too close to ordering Professor Smith to respond, and it does so in a tone that suggests that Jackson and Professor Smith are closer than they really are.

The closing of Jackson's message is likewise problematic. "Hope to hear from you" may be optimistic, but again, it is not appropriately respectful. It is customary to thank the reader for his or her time and consideration, especially when asking for something.

Overall, Jackson's e-mail probably will not leave Professor Smith with a good impression. As a result, Professor Smith may be hesitant to consider Jackson for a position in his laboratory.

In contrast, consider this example:

From: Kevin Li
Subject: Positions for postdoctoral researchers?
Date: April 29, 2010, 4:32:02 PM CDT
To: Donald Smith

Dear Professor Smith,

My name is Kevin Li, and I am finishing my Ph.D. in biomedical engineering at Brown University in May. I heard your presentation at the BMES Annual Meeting, and my experience in kinesiology and mechanical design overlaps well with your current work on gait analysis and prosthetic development. I’d like to continue working in this area, and I wondered whether you might have any postdoctoral positions available in your laboratory. Are you currently hiring additional researchers?

Thank you for your time,
Kevin Li

This e-mail has all the signs of a balanced, respectful request: an appropriate salutation ("Dear Professor Smith"), enough information to show the purpose of the e-mail, a clear request using formal language, and a closing that thanks Professor Smith for his time. This is a message that will capture the recipient's attention and, most likely, receive an equally respectful response.

When you are writing an e-mail, establish the context early in your message. If your recipients are particularly busy, they may not remember that you first e-mailed them the week before or that you met them at a conference. Consider reminders such as "As we discussed last week . . . " or "I wanted to follow up on yesterday's conversation about . . . " These phrases will help your reader remember previous discussions about the topic at hand.

If you do not know your reader personally, establish the context by introducing yourself and explaining how you know of the recipient. For instance, in the previous example, Kevin Li introduces himself to Donald Smith by explaining that he is a Ph.D. student, and he sets the context for his e-mail by noting that he heard Professor Smith present a paper at a recent conference. The reference to the conference will explain how Kevin knows about Professor Smith's research, and Professor Smith will not be surprised by Kevin's interest in working for his lab.

You might also set the context for an e-mail by referring to someone you and the recipient both know, or (if you are a student) by mentioning your supervisor's name. In the following example, a graduate student is writing to a professor to ask whether the professor would be willing to meet with him at an upcoming conference. As you read the example e-mail, note how the student refers to his Ph.D. supervisor.

From: Ian McDean
Subject: Possible meeting at AAAS conference?
Date: August 2, 2010, 12:27:55 PM EDT
To: Kate Hernandez

Dear Dr. Hernandez,

I am a graduate student in Dr. Emily Lender’s lab, where I am conducting research on artificial photosynthesis. I will be attending the upcoming AAAS conference, and Emily suggested that I contact you about possibly making an appointment to meet. While at the conference, would you be willing to meet with me to discuss my research?

Thank you for your time,
Ian McDean

Here, Ian provides context for his request both by identifying his area of research and by noting that he works for someone Dr. Hernandez already knows. Upon reading the e-mail, Dr. Hernandez will understand that Ian is contacting her because Dr. Lender suggested he do so.

Scientists and other professionals often receive a great deal of e-mail, and managing large numbers of messages can be difficult. However, effective e-mail management can help you avoid problems with tone and structure, so it should be an important goal.

Problems with tone often arise when people write e-mail too quickly or without careful thought. To help prevent these problems, check your e-mail when you know you will have enough time to read your messages carefully and write polite, thorough responses. When hurried, you might read incoming messages too fast, and you might fail to realize that your responses sound impolite or leave important questions unanswered. Your recipient could interpret an incomplete or abrupt answer as deliberate insult, even if you simply wanted to respond as soon as possible. It is better to take some extra time to write a good e-mail than to send a poorly written e-mail immediately.

If you are unable to answer an e-mail thoroughly in a timely fashion, send the recipient a polite note acknowledging his or her message and asking for some extra time to respond. You need not explain why — simply state that you would like to take some time to think about the message, but you will respond as soon as you can.

Likewise, if you have sent an e-mail and not received a response from your correspondent, be patient. He or she might also have decided to take the time to send you a thorough response. In addition, be aware of any time differences between your state or country and the state or country in which your recipient lives, as these differences can sometimes delay a message.

If you are e-mailing a colleague who works at the same institution or corporation that you do, consider calling the person instead. You might be able to handle some questions or problems more effectively in a ten-minute phone call than in multiple e-mails. Similarly, do not use e-mail to handle matters that can be addressed more readily or tactfully in person than in writing. Some complicated issues are best reserved for in-person communication.