7   Writing Style

Writing Generically

Avoid writing in a way that will increase the amount of effort required to revise the manual in the future. For example, instead of writing “the following four items,” write “the following items,” since in a future revision the number of items might change.

Don’t write generically when the number of items is essential information. For example, “submit the following four forms” reminds readers of what they must submit and should not be written generically.

Other examples of generic writing:

• Don’t refer to individuals by name since they will leave that position sooner or later and the reference will have to be changed. Use the position title instead.

• Don’t refer to things that will change each year. For example, don’t write “the 1998 budget provides for…” since this will likely change when the 1999 budget is approved.

• Don’t include phone numbers, addresses, email addresses, or similar types of information in sections since this information will change over time. If you want to include it, put it on a separate sheet of contact information that can be updated periodically.

• Don’t write “In the previous section you learned how to file an affidavit” since it’s unlikely the manual will be read sequentially.