How do we promote successful written communication?
“Plain language is clear language. It is simple and direct
but not simplistic or patronizing.”
Nick Wright
Writing is a decision-making process that includes planning, drafting, and revising. Although the stages are often discussed in a linear fashion, writing is a complex, iterative process that spirals (many times bumpily) towards a finish product.
And it is that finished product that we judge good writing by. Perhaps this is why, when asked about what makes good writing, we can get caught up in strategies or techniques.
For example, some writing guides reject the passive voice. Yet this rejection is not a principle of good writing. Rather, it is a stylistic ban based on the faulty premises that the passive ‘hides the action’ or ‘helps evade responsibility.’ Think of Elvis’ “I’m all shook up,” Eurythmics’ “Sweet dreams are made of this,” or Maroon 5’s “She will be loved.” No one would describe these passives as lifeless or culprits for unclaimed responsibilities. The passive is simply a syntactic technique that helps shed light on the receiver of an action. Put it in your writer’s toolbox and use it as such. (If you want a deeper dive on the passive, I invite you to read this article.)
Techniques don’t make good or bad writing by themselves. It is their use in context that matters. And that use is guided by overarching principles about text as a whole and the context of its sharing.
This image shows an example of the 4 quadrants of writing: Along one dimension text can be for technical or lay audiences. Along an intersecting dimension, text can be plain or obscure. The original passage appeared in a piece about informed consent in clinical research. Notice how, in order to truly translate obscure technical text to clear lay text, it is not enough to substitute terminology or shorten sentences. First and foremost, the thinking supporting the text must be streamlined.
The Big 5 (or 6)
Here are the principles I (try hard to) follow to promote successful written communication:
- Relevance: The content responds to the reader needs, wants, and interests. Writers may have a plethora of information to share but must decide what to include or discard based on the purpose and audience of the piece.
For instance, in a brochure about a Foley bulb induction for an OBGYN’s office, we will likely explain that it is a method for getting labor started using a flexible tube inflated with saline solution. But we need not include information about the history of this catheter such as the fact that Dr. Frederic E.B. Foley—who lent the catheter its name—lost the legal battle over the patent to the Davol Rubber Company.
- Textuality: The communication builds meaning logically using grammar, cohesion, coherence, and overall organization. Writers pick vocabulary, wording, and structure that help readers understand the message, including explicit information, unstated information, and the implications of that information.
For instance, to explain a process, we will try and cover all steps in logical progression. If we are sharing a story to make a point (whether it is a call to action for patient safety or instilling identity into a brand), we need to follow a storytelling pattern to guide the reader through the content: introduce the setting, characters, and relationships, present the conflict, unveil the resolution, and even articulate the moral of the story. Picking organizational patterns that readers are familiar with will increase their chances at understanding, remembering, and applying the content.
- Adequacy: The communication builds meaning empathetically by tailoring form of expression to the reader and the context at hand. Writers adapt the style and register of wording and structure, and use design to support communication with the intended reader.
Adequacy examples often include adaptations of technical information for lay audiences. Indeed, that is one possibility. Technical adequacy is also needed. For instance, science journals have writing guidelines about referencing style, font, space, and even the order of sections (abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references). Not following those guidelines can be reason for rejection o revision requests due to inadequacy—even when the content itself may be relevant and well-written.
- Accessibility: The document helps the reader find relevant content. Within the text itself, the structure of the document—its visual layout—supports the structure of the content—its logical organization— so that the reader can find the information they seek.
Accessibility in a stricter sense refers to the practice of making websites usable by people with disabilities. This is certainly ne aspect of general accessibility. Accessibility also includes the contextual need of making the content discoverable: publishing through an appropriate channel, promoting it as necessary, optimizing searchability (placement, search engine optimization, library-style classification, etc.)
For instance, if we are explaining who can apply for certain benefits and several conditions must be met to qualify, creating a list—rather than lining line up all conditions within the paragraph—will help readers identify each condition and assess whether they meet them.
Another example of accessibility within the text is the use of headings and tables of contents. Headings signpost the structure of the content. A table of contents acts as a map and should reflect the structure built throughout the text. You will confuse the reader if you use too many levels of headings, mismatch the formatting of different levels, or skip headings in the table of contents.
- Actionability: The communication explicitly states or unambiguously conveys the purpose of the content and how the reader can use it. In procedural text, this emerges as an integral part of a piece meant to tell the reader how to complete a specific task. However, actionability is more than step-by-step instructions. At the start of a piece, the title discloses the topic and activates prior knowledge that will help the readers understand and apply new knowledge. Throughout the piece, logical progression helps the reader process new information. At the end of a piece, summaries, highlighted points, questions, or suggestions help integrate new knowledge and guide the application of the content.
For instance, if you are providing instructions for enrollment in a special program for a subset of users who will need to fill out a specific form, make sure you only provide access to the relevant form. Providing access to forms that apply to a different subset of users will confuse target readers and deter them from taking the appropriate action.
Perhaps it goes without saying, but I also apply truthfulness to my writing: I try to be as accurate as possible and write about topics that I am familiar with and have adequate evidence or support for.
