EMPHASIS TECHNIQUES

Where should the most important points be placed in a document?

Beginnings and endings are more prominent than the middle. Emphasize major ideas by placing them at the beginnings and endings of paragraphs and documents.

Details--support, data, explanations--are placed in the middle.

Is repetition a good idea?

Yes, because it reinforces the idea in the reader's mind.

To be effective, repetition of an idea should occur in several different forms--typically at the beginning and ending of sections and paragraphs. Between the repetitions are the details--explanations, examples, elaborations, etc.

How can major points be distinguished from minor points?

Give major points more discussion space; use less space for minor points.

Minor items can include raw data, lengthy discussions of processes and techniques, and routine explanations of matters less important than central ideas. To avoid the appearance of emphasis, the appendix may be the best place for such information.

What various type styles can be used to emphasize points?

Several type styles, when used sparingly, are more emphatic than normal text:

boldface type
italics
CAPITAL LETTERS
underlining

Boldface type and italics are the most common emphatic type styles used in word processing, while CAPITAL LETTERS and underlining are used in the electronic mail medium.

Caution: If these type style variants are overused, their impact is diminished and the text will look chaotic.

How can the capabilities of a color printer be utilized to give emphasis to topics?

If not overdone, color can be used very effectively to emphasize major topics, headings, and even text statements. The color red is probably the most emphatic, but if it appears to be too bold, blue or green can be used to make text stand out.

Are visuals emphatic?

Yes. They attract the eye because they are different from text. Charts, graphs, drawings, flowcharts, tree diagrams, illustrations, and schematics are excellent devices that may be used to emphasize information.

What are other common emphasis techniques?

Headings are used to draw attention to the information which follows. They allow for selective reading of text material.

Topical headings like Introduction, Discussion, Results, and Summary are helpful. However, descriptive headings like Purpose of the Study, Analysis of Survey Responses, or Data Retrieval and Implementation Programs are even more effective because each specifically defines the content of the section that follows.

White space around text draws a reader's attention and also helps make the page look less cluttered.

The single-sentence paragraph is a variation of the white space technique. Readers tend to read single-sentence paragraphs because they look easy to read and understand. Using too many single-sentence paragraphs, however, diminishes the emphasis and interferes with the flow of the text.

Lists are visually emphatic because they have numbers, letters, bullets, or dashes to define each listed item.

For minor emphasis, a list may be embedded within a paragraph: 

Any of five brainstorming techniques may be employed:
(1) key-word, (2) mind mapping, (3) sticky notes, (4) galaxy,
or (5) free-sketch.

Displayed lists (vertical lists not embedded in a paragraph) carry the most emphasis: 

Any of five brainstorming techniques may be employed: