When writing for IFAD, it is important to communicate clearly. This holds for all IFAD’s information products: reports, papers, brochures, manuals, factsheets, brochures, infographics, speeches, blogs, e-mails, etc.
As a writer, you should consider the people you are writing for – whether farmers, politicians, students, financiers, managers, trainers, scientists, citizens, etc. – and their information needs. Although the tone and complexity of the language will vary according to the target audience and information product involved, your text should be clear and simple.
Clear, simple and direct writing saves time and money, prevents errors and helps others do their work. Applying the tips in this section – on using plain language, avoiding jargon, and editing and proofreading your work – will make your writing more accessible. And it will still be every bit as substantive.
As a writer, you should consider the people you are writing for – whether farmers, politicians, students, financiers, managers, trainers, scientists, citizens, etc. – and their information needs. Although the tone and complexity of the language will vary according to the target audience and information product involved, your text should be clear and simple.
Clear, simple and direct writing saves time and money, prevents errors and helps others do their work. Applying the tips in this section – on using plain language, avoiding jargon, and editing and proofreading your work – will make your writing more accessible. And it will still be every bit as substantive.
Plain language guidelines
Plain language makes a text clearer and more readable. It does not reduce the complexity or the substance of the topic.
Use plain words
instead of: The grant proposal was approved in December 2004.
Use verbs in place of nouns formed from verbs
Cut out obvious or implied statements
instead of: In order to be effective, strategies need to reflect the realities of the community.
Reduce the length of paragraphs
Create a reader-friendly format
Proofread the text
Proofread the text to eliminate errors in grammar and spelling and to ensure that style and format are consistent.
It is important to distinguish between jargon and terminology. Any technical field (such as economics, medicine or law) has a necessary and unavoidable body of terminology (for IFAD terminology, see IFADTERM); negotiated instruments, treaties and governing body documents also have agreed language that cannot be changed. Such terminology can be a useful shorthand among specialists in the field.
The term ‘jargon’, however, usually refers to terms and phrases that are unnecessary, off-putting, inaccessible, pseudoscientific, depersonalizing, unclear or all of the above. Frequently, institutional shorthand used within an organization for convenience sounds like jargon when put into public information and advocacy products.
Whether a term or phrase is jargon or terminology can depend on context; it could be said that jargon is an approach to language, more than a list of words. Here are a few examples:
Use plain words
- Replace abstract language with concrete words
- Avoid stringing together or overusing words such as aspects, concepts, devices, elements, facilities, factors, functions, inputs, initiatives, interventions, operations, outputs, processes, resources, sectors, structures, systems, variables
- Use simpler synonyms
- Avoid jargon in texts intended for general audiences
- Use technical terminology appropriately in technical materials, and define specialized terms or include a glossary
- Avoid unnecessarily formal language
- Be consistent in use of terms
- Use gender-neutral language
- Minimize use of acronyms and abbreviations
- Minimize use of Latin words and phrases.
- Use the active voice rather than the passive, and name the agent(s) carrying out the action(s):
instead of: The grant proposal was approved in December 2004.
Use verbs in place of nouns formed from verbs
- Evaluate instead of carry out an evaluation of
- Consider instead of give consideration to
- Solve instead of provide a solution to
- Aim for an average sentence length of 20- words.
- Focus on one idea in each sentence.
- Eliminate superfluous words and phrases, such as moreover and thus, and remove unnecessary preambles.
- Clarify ambiguous wording and constructions.
- Use only one dependent clause in a sentence (a dependent clause does not express a complete thought [it sounds incomplete] and it cannot stand alone as a sentence). Dependent clauses often begin with words such as: after, although, as, because, before, if, in order to, unless, until, when, whether and while.
- Use assertions rather than negations: IFAD will approve the proposal only if it meets the following criteria …
- Put parallel ideas in parallel grammatical form.
- ‘Active’ participation
- ‘Proactive’ engagement
- ‘Closely’ examining
- ‘Local’ community
- ‘Very’ with anything
Cut out obvious or implied statements
- Eliminate unnecessary phrases:
instead of: In order to be effective, strategies need to reflect the realities of the community.
Reduce the length of paragraphs
- Aim for an average paragraph length of three to four sentences.
- Cover one topic in each paragraph.
- Move lengthy supporting material to appendixes.
Create a reader-friendly format
- Provide a summary paragraph at the beginning of any text of more than two pages.
- Use descriptive headings and subheadings.
- Use bullet point vertical lists; use numbered vertical lists to convey order of priority or steps in a sequence.
- Present complex information in other reader-friendly formats, such as tables or charts.
Proofread the text
Proofread the text to eliminate errors in grammar and spelling and to ensure that style and format are consistent.
- Use Microsoft Word’s spelling and grammar checker, but be aware that it is not sufficient on its own.
- Read the text aloud – it will help you identify any sentences or passages that are still unclear and need revision.
- Ask someone else to read your draft.
It is important to distinguish between jargon and terminology. Any technical field (such as economics, medicine or law) has a necessary and unavoidable body of terminology (for IFAD terminology, see IFADTERM); negotiated instruments, treaties and governing body documents also have agreed language that cannot be changed. Such terminology can be a useful shorthand among specialists in the field.
The term ‘jargon’, however, usually refers to terms and phrases that are unnecessary, off-putting, inaccessible, pseudoscientific, depersonalizing, unclear or all of the above. Frequently, institutional shorthand used within an organization for convenience sounds like jargon when put into public information and advocacy products.
Whether a term or phrase is jargon or terminology can depend on context; it could be said that jargon is an approach to language, more than a list of words. Here are a few examples:
- Rural populations: This term is appropriate where the context is statistical; elsewhere, rural people is clearer, simpler and less dehumanizing.
- Human resources: Is the text referring to a human resources department or the field of human resources? Otherwise, workers, employees, staff of the project are clearer and more human.
- Resources, including human: This phrase lumps people together with machines, office supplies and money – jargon at its worst.
- Multisectoral cooperation: Who or what is cooperating? Specify if possible, cooperation between the agricultural and transport sectors, or between agricultural producers, regulators and health officials, for example.
- Externalities: External to what? It could mean factors beyond our control, or unrelated events, or outside influences that had an impact on the results, or many other things – but the reader will not know.
JARGON WORDS and alternatives
|
Avoid
address engage enhance going forward key liaise outcome scope out seek to take forward utilize stakeholders buy-in ownership value-added (v) added value (n) strategic forward (v) inform revisit (the issue, the problem, etc.) |
Use
deal with, resolve involve improve from now on overused – use main, significant, major contact, be in touch with results plan, investigate, assess work to overused – use develop, take charge, continue, implement use Specify when possible – who, exactly? Or “all those involved”, “everyone with an interest in the issue” commitment, agreement avoid figurative uses avoid figurative uses may sometimes be replaced with targeted, precise, focused, defined, etc.; often it can be eliminated should only be used for mail and messages, not ‘forwarding the initiative’, ‘forwarding the programme’ Needs an object – i.e. “he informed the meeting about the results”, not “he informed about the results”. Or rephrase with describe, tell, say, report return to, take up again the problem, etc.) |
