etf-gfa.eu etf-gfa.eu
  • Home
  • Writing guide
  • About this guide
  • Credits – Disclaimer
etf-gfa.eu etf-gfa.eu
  • Home
  • Writing guide
  • About this guide
  • Credits – Disclaimer
loading
Popular Searches
  • quotation

Writing guide

  • Folder icon closed Folder open iconPreparing to get your message out
    • The message
    • The audience
    • Packaging
    • Drawing up a skeleton
  • Folder icon closed Folder open iconWriting to be read
    • How people read: print and online publications
    • Practical tips for achieving a plain, clear writing style
    • Plain language
    • Plain structure
    • The paragraph
    • Tools for effective writing
  • Folder icon closed Folder open iconStyle
    • UK English vs US English
    • Words to use and words to avoid
    • Nouns and Verbs
    • Capitalisation
    • Hyphens
    • Compound words
    • Singular and plural
    • Digital dialect
    • Numbers and dates
    • Abbreviations and acronyms
    • Countries and currencies
    • Signatures and names
    • Punctuation
  • Folder icon closed Folder open iconFormatting
    • Chapter titles and headings
    • Lists
    • Visuals: tables, graphs, diagrams
    • Table of contents
    • Headings
    • Quoted matter
    • Bold and italics
    • Footnotes
    • Other tools
  • Folder icon closed Folder open iconReferences and bibliographies
    • References
    • Bibliographies
    • Sample bibliographical entries
Preparing to get your message out

The message

Unless you are preparing a compendium or stocktaking report, you should be able to define your key message in one or two sentences. These lines will be your beacon throughout the publication process. The importance of taking your time to do this cannot be overstated. Everything you do afterwards can be measured against this key message.

If you cannot define one key message, you should consider whether you need several publications to convey your messages.

Poor example:

New reforms to exams in certain rural VET schools in Algeria now involve small- and medium-sized enterprises, state companies, authorities at the local, national and regional levels and trade unions who, based on a new national framework and revised occupational standards, have introduced different ways of mixing classroom education and on the job training so what students learn better reflects what they may meet in the labour market, thus improving the transition from school to work.

Alternative:

ETF research shows that a move from school-based summative evaluation towards formative evaluation with social partner involvement has positively affected the employability of VET graduates in rural Algeria.

ETF European Training Foundation | Guide for Authors | 2022 © All Rights Reserved