Writing Tips for Evaluators: 10 Principles for Clearer Communication Presented by: Joy Quill C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc. EERS 2008 Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

The 10 Principles 1. Know your audience. 2. Develop an outline. 3. Be consistent. 4. Use headings. 5. State the main point first. 6. Write effective paragraphs. 7. Write concise sentences. 8. Avoid jargon & limit acronyms. 9. Know when to stop. 10. Review your draft with fresh eyes. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

1. Know your audience Varied backgrounds – generally not evaluation experts. Limited knowledge or interest in complex methods. Very busy – wants to understand on first reading. Wants the main points only. Interested in findings and practical recommendations. If persuaded, they may take action. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

2. Develop an outline Helps organize thoughts. Presents material in logical order. Shows relationships among ideas. Groups related information together. Moves from general to specific. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

3. Be consistent Follow prescribed format. Present information in proper section. Follow consistent writing style. Use terms consistently. Follow grammatical rules consistently. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

4. Use headings. Headings tell the story. Headings can capture the reader’s interest. Use statement headings in findings. Some readers will go no further than headings. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

5. State the main point first Conduct research inductively. ◦ Gather facts and data. ◦ Reach conclusion at end of process. Write report deductively. ◦ State main points or findings first. ◦ Easier for reader to follow and understand. ◦ Reader saves time. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

6. Write effective paragraphs Use topic sentences Write unified paragraphs Write coherent paragraphs Write shorter paragraphs Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

6.1 Use topic sentences About the topic sentence: First sentence in a deductive paragraph. States the paragraph’s main point. Gives the reader clues on what to expect in the rest of the paragraph. Everything else in the paragraph tells more about the main point. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

6.1 Use topic sentences Cockroaches living in many city apartments and homes are almost impossible to exterminate. What would the reader expect in the rest of the paragraph? Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

6.2 Write unified paragraphs About Unity: Every sentence supports, develops or explains the main idea presented in the topic sentence. Several methods can achieve unity: ◦ Examples or illustrations ◦ Data (facts, statistics, evidence, details) ◦ Chronological narration ◦ Comparison or contrast ◦ Cause and effect ◦ Definition or classification Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

6.3 Write coherent paragraphs About Coherence: Smooth, logical flow of ideas within a paragraph. Achieve coherence through repetition, parallel structure, and transitions. Transitions are common in technical writing. ◦ Orderly movement from one idea to the next. ◦ Show how an idea fits into the discussion. ◦ Only effective in paragraph with basic logical order. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

6.4 Write shorter paragraphs Limit paragraphs to 2-4 sentences. Cover only ONE MAIN POINT in each paragraph. Use other techniques to convey ideas more clearly. ◦ Bullets or numbers ◦ Active voice ◦ Fewer prepositions Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

7. Write concise sentences 7.1 Use active voice. 7.2 Use parallel structure to organize related ideas. 7.3 Write shorter sentences. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

7.1. Use Active Voice Active VoicePassive Voice Subject performs the action.Subject receives the action. One less preposition in sentence. Doer of action is hidden by preposition. Fewer words in sentence.More words in sentence. Stronger, more direct language. Force of writing is weaker. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

7.1 Use passive voice when… The doer is obvious or unimportant. The scheduled meeting was cancelled. The doer is unknown.The project was not completed on time. You wish to emphasize the receiver of the action. Evaluators were trained on effective writing. You wish to diminish the strong tone of active voice. Agreement on the proposed treaty could not be reached. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

7.2 Use parallel structure Parallelism is a way to organize related ideas. It uses structure to emphasize similarity. The similar structure can be words, phrases, or clauses (including sentences). Often uses bullets or numbers to denote parallel items. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

7.2 Parallel Structure - Examples WordsThe evaluator reviewed and verified the preliminary findings. PhrasesOpportunity for grant review and program evaluation was lacking. ClausesAlthough Congressional intent was clear and public acceptance of the program was assured, the agency moved slowly. Bullets, Numbers The database administrator’s responsibilities include: Creating databases and backups, Verifying data integrity, Implementing access controls, and Ensuring maximum performance and efficiency. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

What’s wrong with this sentence? The registry’s major functions are to: facilitate the establishment of a system for finding marrow donors suitably matched to unrelated recipients for bone marrow transplantation; recruit individuals who could be potential donors; and increase the representation of individuals from racial and ethnic groups in order to enable an individual in a minority group, to the extent practicable, to have a chance of finding a suitable donor as would an individual not in a minority group. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

A possible revision: The registry has three major functions: 1. To establish a system to find unrelated marrow donors; 2. To recruit donors; and 3. To increase donor representation from racial and ethnic groups. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

7.3 Write shorter sentences Limit sentences to words. Limit each sentence to one main idea. Write two shorter sentences instead of one long sentence. Use numbers or bullets to separate parallel phrases. Limit prepositions to 4 per sentence. Eliminate wordy phrases and unnecessary words. Use shorter words. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

8. 1 Avoid jargon Question: What is jargon? Answer: A language of a specialized group generally understood only by group members. Examples: chi square, gigabyte, catchment area Avoid jargon if possible. If using it: Define in footnote. Include glossary. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

8.2 Limit acronyms Use acronyms and abbreviations only when they will help the reader. Unless very common and well known, spell out the first time and follow with acronym in parentheses. Do not use if term appears only once. Spell out again if not used for several pages. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

9. Know when to stop Readers’ time and interest in your subject can vary widely. Consider these levels and write accordingly. ◦ Abstract ◦ Executive Summary ◦ Table of Contents ◦ Short report ◦ Technical appendix Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

10. Review your draft Review Techniques: Use a cold reader. Set the draft aside. Read aloud, slowly, one word at a time. Use a cover page. Outline the draft. Look for your usual errors. Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

10. Review your draft What to look for: Is it well organized? Is it smooth and logical? Does it make sense? Is your message clear and compelling? Is it clear to a non-technical reader? Does it use mostly shorter words and concise sentences? Does it contain jargon or acronyms? Does each paragraph contain only one main point? Is the tone objective? Are the grammar, punctuation, and spelling correct? Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.

Questions? Joy Quill C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc Copyright 2008 C. J. Quill & Associates, Inc.