National Adult Literacy Database

This document is housed on the Hammond & Associates website: http://www.hammondassociatesinc.com.

In this guide, specifically aimed at the construction industry, the author offers a guide to preparing clear, readable workplace documents.

The guide is divided into five sections, summed up in the acronym CLEAR: Clarify the message; Learn about your readers; Expand your idea; Apply the principles; and Review your work.

The guide includes examples of documents rewritten according to the principles of clear language, along with numerous tips for clarifying the message in a document. In addition to hints for composing a clear message, there are also suggestions for using type size, fonts and capitalization to make documents easier to read.

The author explains that using clear language in the workplace provides real benefits by helping workers understand the message; lessening the chance that information will be misinterpreted; and increasing the chance that instructions will be carried out properly.