Email

• It is better to send one email per topic than to cover several issues in one email.
• Avoid unnecessary emails. Think carefully before using the ‘reply all’ function.
• Use auto-replies when you are away from your computer for an extended period. Refer the matter to a colleague where possible.
• Guide to setting up an auto-reply (Support Centre)
• Reuse standardised replies as templates for recurring emails.
• When the recipient is external, inform them about how Lund University processes personal data. See information further down this page.

Forwarding information

Remove irrelevant information, previous conversations and recipients, etc., from the email.

Highlight what is relevant to the recipient. Make it clear why the recipient is receiving the information.

If you want the information to be shared, prepare a ready-made text for distribution that is easy to use as is, preferably in both Swedish and English.

Think about the recipient

• Think carefully about who should receive the information.
• What. Describe the purpose of your message in the subject line. This makes it easy to search for.
• Why. State the purpose of the email in the subject line, for example “for your information”, “for distribution” or “for action”, if relevant.
• When. If there is a deadline, state it clearly, preferably in the subject line.

More tips:

• Avoid sending to more recipients than those directly involved. However, if it is an ongoing conversation where the other party has added others to the CC field, the assumption is often that these people are involved.
• State at the top of the message who it is addressed to and who is copied in, for example: “To all those responsible for financial matters...”
• Be clear about what is expected of the recipient
• Use a bulleted list if there are several points to cover.
• If you want the recipient to pass on information, prepare a ready-made text that is easy to share.
• If you refer to further information or a registration form, you can use a clickable link. This saves the recipient from having to spend time looking for it themselves.

More about writing emails in English

Academic Writing in English on Writing email 

CC/Copy

If you are copied in (using CC), the information is for your information only, not for you to act upon.

Forward/FWD

Used when the recipient may find the information useful. If the email requires a response and you wish to forward it, you should cut and paste the essential parts of the invitation and send them in a separate email.

Reply All

Only use ‘reply all’ if it is important that everyone in the email conversation sees what is being written. Never use ‘reply all’ for ‘Thank you’, ‘Get well soon’, ‘I’d like a vegetarian option’.

• State the purpose of the email (for information/distribution/action).
• Be clear about the deadline.
• Be clear about the recipients.
• Write clearly. Avoid using complicated and bureaucratic terms.
• Specify what is expected.
• Make it easier for the recipient; include links to further information where relevant.
• When forwarding, prepare a ready-to-use text.
• End with a signature in accordance with Lund University’s recommendations.

When sending emails as an employee of Lund University, it should be clear that you are part of the university. Please therefore follow this recommendation for email signatures.

• You are free to add or remove information – the text below is merely a recommendation.
• Avoid using images or logos in your signature.

English signature

First name Surname 
Title

Lund University
Faculty/Division/equivalent
Department/Office/equivalent
Postal address
Visiting address
Telephone (written +46 46 000 00 00)
Mobile (written +46 701 00 00 00)
Website

When you send emails to Lund University, we process your personal data in accordance with existing legislation. To find out more about the processing of your personal data, visit the Lund University website.

Swedish signature

Förnamn Efternamn
Titel

Lunds universitet
Fakultet/sektion/motsvarande
Institution/Avdelning/motsvarande
Postadress
Besöksadress
Telefon (skrivs +46 46 000 00 00)
Mobil (skrivs +46 701 00 00 00)
Webbplats

När du skickar e-post till Lunds universitet behandlar vi dina personuppgifter i enlighet med gällande lagstiftning. Mer om hur dina personuppgifter behandlas hittar du på Lunds universitets webbplats.

Changing your email signature: a guide in Support Centre

You can easily inform the email recipient by including the following text in your email signature:

In English: "When you send emails to Lund University, we process your personal data in accordance with existing legislation. To find out more about the processing of your personal data, visit the Lund University website."

In Swedish: "När du skickar e-post till Lunds universitet behandlar vi dina personuppgifter i enlighet med gällande lagstiftning. Mer om hur dina personuppgifter behandlas hittar du på Lunds universitets webbplats."

You do not need to inform staff and registered students at Lund University.

The same rules apply for processing whether you are sending emails internally or externally.

Only send personal data to those who need the information for their work (this also applies if the email is a public document that can be requested under the principle of public access to official records). Always consider whether it is possible to anonymize the information.

Remember that our email systems are a tool for communication. They are not intended to be used as storage space or for archival purposes. Make it a routine to delete what should be discarded and save what should be preserved according to the record management plan.

Read about Records managment 

Sensitive and extra protected personal data require stronger protection. 

Do not send sensitive personal data via email. 

Also avoid sending extra protected data such as 

• salary statements
• assessments of a person’s social ability
• information from development talks
• information related to someone’s private sphere or social conditions, personal identity numbers or coordination numbers via email.

If you receive sensitive or extra protected personal data via email, do not forward or reply to the email. If you need to respond to the sender, do this in a new email to avoid spreading the information further. Delete the email as soon as possible as indicated above.

Do not forward your work email to external services like Gmail or Hotmail.

You can read more about security in e-mails on IMYs (Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection) webbpage: 

Security of personal data in e-mail

Contact

Lund University has an external data protection officer: Secure State Cyber AB. The contact person is Sanja Hebib.

If you have any questions regarding data protection, please contact:
dataskyddsombud [at] lu [dot] se