Page:Federal Plain Language Guidelines.pdf/12



People read documents and visit websites to get answers. They want to know how to do something or what happens if they don’t do something and they want to gain this knowledge quickly-. Organize your document to respond to these concerns. Think through the questions your audience is likely to ask and then organize your material in the order they’d ask them. For regulations and other complex documents, create a comprehensive table of contents. Your table of contents should be a reliable road map that users can follow to quickly find the information they need.

Chronological organization

Regulations frequently address processes. Chronological organization is best for process information: you fill out an application to get a benefit; you submit the application; the agency reviews the application; the agency makes a decision on the application. Present the steps chronologically, in the order your user and your agency will follow them. The table of contents below is organized in a logical sequence for a grant program.

Federal Plain Language Guidelines, March 2011, Rev. 1, May 2011