By Dana P Skopal, PhD

In our work lives we read material and we write a range of documents. Our reading and writing can be with printed paper-based pages or take place on a computer screen – even down to a small screen on a mobile phone. Have you ever thought about how you read a book compared to a long work manual?

We usually approach reading with a purpose. Our purpose could be to understand a process, for example, how to operate a machine, or it could be to enjoy a story set out in a novel. So most readers have a set of reading strategies and will look for the information that answers their specific question or purpose. Yet our research has shown that readers may select and read information in different sequences or even skip sections.

So when we write, the aim is to get our message across and we should write for our reader. Both academic writing guides and plain language guides state ‘write for your reader’. This sounds like a simple instruction, but in fact it involves numerous steps. First, think about what is the important information that the reader needs to know. Second, make that information easy to find – no matter if the reader starts at the beginning or back of the document.

Writing for your reader means planning, drafting, reviewing and editing. More important messages need more planning and reviewing. If possible, ask a range of readers (who represent your target audience) to look at the document, and learn from this ‘usability’ testing. Reading is not as simple as going from page one to the end anymore – and that in turn changes how we write.

Copyright © Opal Affinity Pty Ltd 2015