The Presentation of Written Information

Earlier in this book (Chapter 2), we looked at the formats appropriate to particular types of technical writing such as emails, reports and instructions, and at the conventions of style and layout which should be followed. There is another aspect, however, of the effectiveness of written information: its presentation. This is largely a matter of reader goodwill. If the document looks both professional and inviting, the reader will want to read it. If it looks scruffy and difficult to approach, the prospective reader will be put off, and will relegate the paper to the bottom of the pile, or, worse, the wastepaper basket. A report which looks less than professional undermines the credibility of both writer and company; instructions which do not look ‘official’ may be ignored. In this chapter, two different aspects of presentation are discussed: checking (to make sure that the correct information is correctly presented) and the layout of the printed page. Most documents are checked for factual errors. Before starting to write, an author may need to make reference to previous similar documents, company guidelines, and books and journals in a library belonging to the company or a professional institution.