2 Important Ways to Steer Your Readers
There are many times when while writing a procedure you’ll have to steer a reader in one direction or another.
There are two types of steering instructions in technical writing: A REFERENCE and a BRANCH statement. And both can be either CONDITIONAL or UNCONDITIONAL.
I’ll give examples of each.
Unconditional Reference
- See Chapter 8, “How to Install RX450.” (Within the same book.)
- Return to Chapter 8, “How to Install RX450,” A Comprehensive Guide to RX450 (In another book.)
(You should either provide a hot-link to the referred chapter or refer the reader to the Bibliography.)
Conditional Reference
- If you are preparing for TOEFL, see Chapter 7.
- If the color of the valve is YELLOW, make sure to wear gloves before turning it in any direction.
Unconditional Branching
- Go to Step 8.
- Go to Step 23.
Conditional Branching
- If it is a Tuesday, go to Step 8. If it’s a Friday, go to Step 9. If it’s neither a Tuesday nor a Friday, go to Step 10. (You might be tempted to say “Otherwise, go to step 10” but don’t do it. There’ll always be readers who misinterpret the condition “Otherwise.”)
- If you’re using RX capacitor, go to Step 23. Otherwise, go to Step 24.
Be consistent about the way you phrase such references and branching instructions throughout your document. I recommend you use the verb “to go” in its imperative mood (“go”) instead of more ambivalent verbs like “skip,” “refer,” or “jump.”
The Golden Rule
Use as FEW such references and branching instructions as possible since every such move will force your reader to leave the regular flow of the document, go to a new location, and run the risk of committing unintended errors.
Pay special attention if the user is supposed to GO BACK to the original point in the document where she was asked to branch off. That RETURN LOOP must be established very well to avoid any procedural errors.
Write tight. Stay bright. Serve right.
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