The Plain Language Process: Steps for Effective Writing

Effective writing does not come by chance. The creation of all documents, including forms, labels, websites, business letters, legal notices, manuals, procedures, reports, and proposals, usually involves the following key steps.

DuBay, William H. Impact Information (2005). Articles>Writing>Minimalism

Plain Language Writing: From a Good Idea Emerges Good Public Policy

Peter Zvalo looks at the plain language movement, its promoters and its critics.

Zvalo, Peter. Writer's Block (2003). Articles>Writing>Policies and Procedures>Minimalism

Plain Language: What Is It?

When you reach out to your readers, you show that you have considered who they are and what they need to know. Communicate a concern for your readers' needs so they will be receptive to your message.

U.S. Small Business Administration. Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism

Politics and the English Language

If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought. A bad usage can spread by tradition and imitation, even among people who should and do know better.

Orwell, George. Impact Information (1946). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism

Putting the White Back in Strunk and White

In web design screeds, the most commonly cited book is not what you might expect. It is not by Jakob Nielsen or Jeffrey Zeldman or Edward Tufte. It's not even on design or typography or code. It is a thin volume of guidelines on writing by a professor 'at the closing of the first world war' and treasured by one student enough to put it into print. William Strunk was the professor, and E.B. White, author of Charlotte's Web, was that grateful student. White took the master's set of laws, removed some 'bewhiskered entries,' corrected some errors, and added his own chapter at the end for 'those who feel English prose composition is not only a necessary skill but a sensible pursuit as well.'

Wodtke, Christina. Boxes and Arrows (2006). Articles>Web Design>Writing>Minimalism

Reducing Complexity in Documentation  

With more emphasis being placed on customer satisfaction, technical writers need to focus on information strategies that will lead to happier customers. The complexity of the information is one common complaint of customers. Writers need to understand what customers think is complex. Then, writers need to develop strategies to combat these complexities.

Roscoe-Iverson, Ellen. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>Minimalism

Signs of Intelligible Life  

Looks at a number of institutions that are finding ways to insert plain English into communication between scientists and the public, as well as among scientists of different disciplines.

Whiteman, Lily. Science (2000). Articles>Writing>Scientific Communication>Minimalism

Simplified Technical English: STC Should Take the Lead  

Proposes that STC become involved in brainstorming ideas about Simplified Technical English, thus leading the way for clear, correct documentation.

Lester, Larry. Intercom (2006). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Minimalism

Speaking in Tongues

Last month I stated this is not a place for jargon. I felt that was important enough to call out. I certainly am being called to task for that.

Boxes and Arrows (2002). Articles>Information Design>Writing>Minimalism

Style That Economizes Mental Energy  

Perhaps the most important feature of good writing style for scientific and technical communication is economy: writing that reduces the mental labor of the reader or user. I describe the principle of "conservation of mental energy" as developed by Herbert Spencer and extended by later studies in readability and psycholinguistics. Stylistic techniques that make reading easier have powerful application to the prose crafting that sci/tech communicators do every day. The idea of conserving mental energy, or being "efficient" in communication, gives us a touchstone for thinking about good style and a rationale for explaining why it's valuable.

Hirst, Russel. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Minimalism

To Be or Not To Be  

During this workshop, To Be or Not To Be, the workshop presenters demonstrate how getting rid of the verb 'to be' increases accuracy, clarity and effectiveness in verbal communication. E-Prime originated in the field of general semantics; it consists of the English language, but excludes all forms of the verb 'to be.' Practitioners in the field of general semantics have developed a number of techniques that promote clear understanding of communication in the world around us. The workshop presenters strive to create an environment for participants to learn the philosophical background and practical application of the English language subset known as E-Prime.

Anderson, Jack R. and Jeffry A. Rybak. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism

To Draw and Hold Readers' Attention, Apply a Hollywood Technique

Find the one thing you want people to remember as you write a posting for a Web page, a subject line for an e-mail or a headline for a newsletter.

Writing that Works (2006). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism

Wanted: Articulate Scientists  

This article outlines the benefits you can realize by articulating your science clearly and succinctly; next time, we'll look at how and why several academic and government institutions as well as some publications are encouraging this trend.

Whiteman, Lily. Science (2000). Articles>Writing>Scientific Communication>Minimalism

What is Plain English?

Over the last two decades, a ‘culture of clarity’ has been gaining ground in many large organisations around the English-speaking world. In the United Kingdom, government departments, banks, insurance companies, local councils and others have come to realise that clear communication is actually a good idea. Instead of writing to impress or confuse, they are now writing to inform and explain. They are using plain English to do this.

Word Centre. Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism

Write English the Way You Write Code

For a profession full of sharp people, software engineering produces some hideous prose. How many times have you tried to read a technical document and failed because it was, in a very real sense, unreadable? It doesn't have to be this way. We technical types can improve our writing simply by applying some of those hard won coding skills to to those other, human, languages. I may be grammar challenged and spelling incapable, but writing code has taught me a few things about writing for people.

Olsen, Russ. JRoller (2006). Articles>Writing>Programming>Minimalism

Writing for Dollars, Writing to Please

Call it the benefits of plain language. The literature contains studies about these benefits, but no one has ever collected and summarized the studies in a way that makes their full force apparent. As you read the summaries in this article, try to imagine the costs of poor writing — typified by officialese and legalese — in business, government, and law. The costs are almost beyond imagining, and certainly beyond calculating. If this evidence doesn't convince organizations and individual writers that plain language can change their fortunes, probably nothing will.

Kimble, Joseph. Impact Information (2006). Articles>Writing>Minimalism

Writing Reader-Friendly Documents  

The traditional way of writing government documents has not worked well. Too often, complicated and jargon filled documents have resulted in frustration, lawsuits, and a lack of trust between citizens and their government. To overcome this legacy, we have a great responsibility to communicate clearly.

PlainLanguage.gov (1995). Articles>Writing>Rhetoric>Minimalism

Writing to Reduce Information  

When creating online and hardcopy information for software, technical writers tend to be prolific. Every piece of information is important, isn't it? And more information means happier users, right? Not every piece of information is necessary, however, and users don't want more information. Instead, they want the right information with easy access to it. This panel discussion describes why you, as a technical writer, need to reduce information and how you can reduce it by incorporating the following techniques and activities into the writing process.

Jensen Miles, Terri. STC Proceedings (1994). Articles>Writing>Information Design>Minimalism

The Zen of Minimalism: Designing a Top-of-Class Manual for Beginners and Advanced Users

Can using minimalist documentation improve accuracy and learning speed for beginners as well as for advanced users? I tested this question using Microsoft Access for Windows 95 ® and three different third-party manuals explaining this product. Then I set up three main tasks for the user in a usability test. For each task, I provided the task description in blue type, and then copied the appropriate documentation in black. Documentation for each of the three tasks was reprinted from a different book.

Stieren, Carl. Simware (1998). Articles>Documentation>Technical Writing>Minimalism

Review: Clear, Brief and Bold: Will Strunk’s Legacy

A masterpiece of concision so tightly written that you almost don't need to read past the table of contents.

West, Mike. MBWest.com (2004). Articles>Reviews>Writing>Minimalism

Plain English

According to Plain English Campaign (www.plainenglish.co.uk), plain English is "… something that the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it. Plain English takes into account design and layout as well as language." Many organisations have found that plain English brings commercial advantages.

Unwalla, Mike. TechScribe (2008). Articles>Writing>Technical Writing>Minimalism

Beyond Plain English

Plain English is good for increasing the quality of written documents. Unfortunately, it has limits in many technical situations. We need a special form of language, known as a controlled language, to overcome those limits. One particular controlled language is ASD Simplified Technical English.

Unwalla, Mike. TechScribe (2007). Articles>Writing>Minimalism>Controlled Vocabulary

Short and Simple Sentences

When you’re writing for the web, try to keep your sentences under 20 words in length. Your content will be easier to read this way. This is because it’s easier to read a few short sentences than it is to read one big one.

Hamill, David. Good Usability (2009). Articles>Web Design>Writing>Minimalism

Professionalizing Plain Language: A Postcard on Current Developments    

With the passing of the Brayley Bill in Congress, the significance of plain language has become even more apparent to technical communicators. The author lays out a step-by-step plan to maintain the relevance of plain language as an important and necessary profession.

James, Neil. Intercom (2009). Articles>TC>Writing>Minimalism