Presentation

This chapter covers formatting for clear presentation. Use a template and Microsoft Word settings for a consistent style, including proofing language, paragraphs, font and format. Number the sections and use an automatic table of contents. Use the Microsoft Word readability statistics. Target a Flesch–Kincaid grade level of 9 to 11, with an average of 5 characters per word and 15 to 20 words per sentence.

Always introduce bullet points with a lead-in, perhaps finishing in a colon. Where these are complete sentences, start with a capital letter and finish with a full stop. Be consistent or follow a style guide, such as no punctuation for bullets and lower-case letters for words or phrases that are fragments.

Follow standard conventions, such as SI, with numbers, units and equations. Use a full stop for the decimal marker and either a space or a comma for the thousands separator. Use tables and figures to present large amounts of information. Figures may include visuals, photographs, charts and drawings. Follow the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, as well as dyslexia guides. Adopt a house style guide, which may be based around one of the published style guides or from a checklist, with preferred options.