by Ruth Belena

Created on: August 10, 2008

At Helium, an article can be many things. It can be a personal memoir, an opinion or argument, a set of instructions, a literary or scientific analysis, a recipe, a piece of creative prose or a poem.

An article is a piece of writing to be read on its own. If a Helium article is found in search engine results, the reader does not know what has been discussed in other articles under the same title, and may know nothing about the site where the article is published.

An article requires a clear introduction, in which the writer can reword the title, but ought not to repeat it in exactly the same wording. This should be followed by a good body of information, which can be formatted in separated paragraphs, divided under subheadings or into numbered points, bullet points or lists. An article should always end with a conclusion, which can redefine the title, or be a summary of the response.

If the title of an article is asking a question, the response can be written in the form of a personal recollection, an opinion, an analysis, or a sharing of knowledge.

If a title suggests a personal viewpoint, the article should be written in the first person. It can be anecdotal, based on the writer's own experience, or it can be about their personal beliefs, and it does not require a formal style of language.

An analytical article requires a more formal style, and should enlighten the reader about the form and meaning of subject under analysis.

An informative or instructive article can be formatted to include headings, lists and bullet points. The writer can give a first person point of view, but instructions are usually more effective when addressed directly to the reader, and an informational article is often better without using personal pronouns.

A debate article should be a well thought out argument, for or against the subject. It should clearly state what the writer thinks or believes, and must justify their opinion by example or reasoning.

A recipe article requires a standard format, for listing ingredients and instructions. It can also have a general introduction, giving some background to the type of food in the recipe, or it could include a personal recommendation and experience of cooking and eating the food. A conclusion to the article can give some alternative ideas, or simply be a description of how it will taste.

There is no single way to define a Helium article, and this may cause some confusion when it comes to rating articles, or knowing which is the right format for writing one. The best way to decide what qualifies as an article at Helium, is to judge whether it has a style and format appropriate to the title of the piece, and for the channel in which it appears.

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