Session1 pl online_course_19_may2011

Write Great Web Content: Plain Language in Action

Session 1: May 19, 2011

©E-WRITE, 2011 -- Session 1 2

Course topics for Session 1

• Part 1: Course overview

• Part 2: Plain language overview

• Part 3: Review pre-course assignment

• Part 4: Write task-oriented web content

• Part 5: Session 1 wrap-up

• Part 6: Session 1 homework – writing assignment and reading assignment

Part 1: Course overview

• Four online course meetings (live webinars) on May 19, 26, 31 and June 6

• Pre-course writing assignment• Brief web writing practices during the online

course meetings• Remember to print the PPT and other files

before each meeting• Readings and web writing homework after each

course meeting• Course text: Letting Go of the Words, by Ginny

Redish

What is plain language?

Plain language is a communication philosophy• “Plain language…is communication your

audience can understand the first time they read or hear it.”

• “A communication is in plain language if the…audience for that communication can quickly and easily – find what they need – understand what they find – act appropriately on that understanding”

Plain language is a community

• Organizations– Plain Language Action and Information Network (PLAIN)– Center for Plain Language– Clarity

• Many federal agencies have plain language programs (partial list)

– U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services – Bureau of Land Management – Environmental Protection Agency – Federal Aviation Administration – Fish and Wildlife Service – Health Resources and Services Administration – National Institutes of Health – Office of the Federal Register – Securities and Exchange Commission

• Plain language awards – Center for Plain Language’s ClearMark Award– Legal Writing Institute’s Golden Pen Award– NIH’s Plain Language/Clear Communication Award

Plain language: It’s the law

Final guidance on implementing the Plain Writing Act of 2010

Plain language shapes writers’ decisions at every stage of the writing process• Planning stage

– Does this content meet an actual need?– Have the writers anticipated readers’ questions?– Does it have a clear message?– Will it enable readers to take action?

• Drafting stage– Is the content broken into logical units or chunks?– Does the content offer the right amount and type of information;

does it answer readers’ questions?– Does it include headings that will enable readers to scan?

• Reviewing stage– Is the writing concise? Is the wording concrete?– Will readers understand the jargon or acronyms?– Are the sentences written in active voice?

Plain language: We know it when we see it

Not plain language

Local Veterans Employment Representatives conduct outreach to employers to engage in advocacy efforts with hiring executives to increase employment opportunities for veterans, encourage the hiring of disabled veterans and generally assist veterans to gain and retain employment.

Why is this not plain?

Local Veterans Employment Representatives conduct outreach to employers to engage in advocacy efforts with hiring executives to increase employment opportunities for veterans, encourage the hiring of disabled veterans and generally assist veterans to gain and retain employment.

Plain language rewrite

Local Veterans Employment Representatives contact employers to encourage them to hire veterans, including disabled veterans, and generally assist veterans in finding and keeping jobs.

Does plain language = web writing?

Part 3: Review pre-course writing assignment and look at course text

Part 4: Write task-oriented web content

• Helping people do things online (complete tasks) is web content’s highest calling

• Some web writing helps people know• Some web writing helps people do• Best practice: focus on top tasks

Six guidelines for writing task-oriented web content

1. Name the task clearly and provide an overview. 2. Identify the outcome of the task.3. Make the task scannable as users may

bookmark it and return frequently.4. Provide an example, illustration, or screenshot

when necessary.5. Link to background info instead of including it in

the task.6. Make the web content substantive; don’t lock

all the info about the task into the PDF form.

Name the task clearly and provide an overview

Identify the outcome of the task

Make the task scannable

Provide an example, illustration, or screenshot - when necessary

Link to background info instead of including it in the task

Make the web content substantive; Don’t lock all the info in a PDF

Part 5: Session 1 wrap-up

• Questions?

• Web pages to look at again?

• Plain language writing practices to review?

• Guidelines for writing task-oriented web content to review?

Part 6: Writing and reading homework for Session 1

By Tuesday, May 24:• Rewrite a task page

Read • Chapter 2, “People!

People! People!”

Resource

Evaluation

Session1 pl online_course_19_may2011

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