Concerned about how to meet
Financial Consumer Agency of Canada
guidelines?
Plain English writing and editing
techniques to the rescue…
The Financial Consumer Association of Canada (FCAC) describes clear language and presentation as “Clear and simple writing
starts by focusing on the needs of the reader and presents information in a logical order using familiar, everyday words and
expressions. It avoids jargon and uses a minimum of technical language in a manner that is not misleading, but that an
audience can understand quickly and easily.”
Internationally, this clear and simple style of writing is known as plain English, with many considering the golden rule of plain
English writing and editing as “Write to your reader.” The definition of “plain” depends on your intended audience; what is
plain or clear language for one audience may not be plain or clear language for another audience.
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Feel free to forward this file, give a hard copy to others, even make photocopies, but please don't revise.
©2012 Clear Language @ Work Inc.
Accordingly, by focusing on your target reader and applying plain English writing and editing techniques to your information, your
organization can effectively meet FCAC guidelines. As a result, as per FCAC guidelines, your intended audience “can understand
quickly and easily” and achieve the goal of plain English: Your intended audience “can find what they need, understand what they
find, and act appropriately on that understanding.”(Centre for Plain Language: http://centerforplainlanguage.org/)
Applying the FCAC Clear Language Principles
The FCAC expects that “a financial institution must effectively demonstrate
that it has applied the five principles of clear language outlined below. Its
policies and procedures must incorporate the operational guidelines in
order to measure and ensure that the principles are met and respected.”
How? The FCAC recommends that financial institutions “use a checklist to
ensure that clear language and presentation principles were followed.” The
FCAC’s five principles encompass the range of plain English writing and
editing techniques so you can use the following checklist to assess to what
degree your information currently meets the FCAC guidelines, by checking it
against the plain English techniques. And you can also use the following
checklist when you are developing new information so that you can feel
confident that it meets FCAC guidelines.
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FCAC Guidelines and Plain English Checklist
(Source: columns 1-3: G-3 Clear Language and Presentation Principles and Guidelines for the Industry
http://www.fcac-acfc.gc.ca/eng/industry/commissioner/guidance/cg-3/index-eng.asp)
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
“Know your
audience”
“In all communications directed
at consumers, the financial
institution needs to:
•
•
•
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Be able to explain why the
reader needs the
information in the
document.
Ensure the document is
easy to understand, inviting,
and useful.
Find the right balance
between its marketing,
compliance, and legal
objectives and
requirements in order to
describe its products
accurately but also in a
clearly understandable
way.”
•
“Determine the needs of the reader the
document is written for.
•
Think from your reader’s point of view.
•
Put yourself in that reader’s shoes:
What questions would he or she ask?
•
Keep in mind that reader’s average level
of knowledge about the document’s
subject.
•
Do not underestimate the reader’s
intelligence, but do not assume the
reader understands the subject of the
document.
•
Consider the reader’s familiarity with
procedures and terms.”
•
Is there more than one intended
type of reader? Who are your
primary and secondary audiences?
•
Why are you bothering to write this
information? Why should your
target readers care? Why do they
need to know it? Why will they
consider it valuable? How will the
information meet their needs?
•
What is your target readers’
demographic profile? (e.g., age
range, ethnicity, gender, marital
status, income, professions/work,
physical or mental challenges,
education)
•
What is your target readers’
psychographic profile? (e.g., needs,
values, wants, cultural traditions,
sensitivities, emotional conditions)
•
What is your target readers’ literacy
level?
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
Page |4
•
What is your target readers’ current
knowledge regarding the topic?
•
What is your target readers’ current
interest level in the topic? Are they
motivated?
•
Where/how will your target readers
access the communication piece?
What environment will they be
using it in? (e.g., while moving? in
poor lighting?)
•
What formats are familiar to your
target readers? Is the format that is
known to your target readers the
“best format” at this time for your
specific purpose?
•
When do your target readers need
to know it? When is your
completion date?
•
How do you want your target
readers to use the information?
What do you want them to do?
(e.g., memorize it, train others,
accomplish a specific task)
•
Do you have access to the actual
target group for feedback?
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
“Make your
material
understandable
by planning your
text”
“Let consumers know what
they’re looking at, and provide
them the information they
need.
Avoid ambiguities: Be direct,
concise, and to the point. Use a
logical pattern and make the
links between your ideas
obvious.
Remove any information that is
not essential to your purpose.
Will the consumers understand
the document the first time
they read it?”
•
•
Are any technical or complicated
terms explained at the level
appropriate for the reader?
•
Are the tone and language
appropriate for the reader?
•
Is the writing appropriate for the
medium (hard copy versus web)?
•
Use concrete rather than abstract
words as much as possible.
•
Is the information concrete from the
reader’s perspective?
•
Be precise when describing ideas and
products.
•
Is the information direct, only
including redundant phrases and
repetition if they add clarity?
•
Be consistent by using the same
terminology.
•
Is structure and language consistent
throughout the text, including
headings and body text?
•
Is all the information accurate? (i.e.,
information, grammar, and spelling)
•
Does the information use idioms
(jargon, clichés) and figures of
speech only if they are appropriate
for your target reader and use
abbreviations only if you are sure
they add clarity?
•
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“Replace technical terms with
equivalent everyday words wherever
possible.
Minimize your use of acronyms; define
them the first time you use them, and
be consistent.
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
“Write clearly”
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“Organize your ideas and
structure your writing.”
•
Use examples and tables to present
comparisons or to explain a calculation.
•
Is it descriptive when needed to
enhance clarity for the reader? (e.g.,
use brackets; include an example; or
use a diagram, illustration, or table)
•
Keep most sentences short.
•
Is it concise, with short sentences,
short words, and no unnecessary
words?
•
Use the active voice. (“The customer
invests in certificates”, not “Certificates
are invested in by customers.”)”
•
Is it engaging and in the active voice
as much as possible?
•
“Weigh the importance of every idea.
Which is the most important? What
content is necessary?
•
Does it provide only relevant
information for the reader? (i.e.,
information the reader needs to
know, focused on the reader and
not the sponsoring organization)
•
Put the main message — the most
important idea — first.
•
Have you developed an objective
and planned the information to
address the most important issue
first?
•
Group related ideas together.
•
Have you developed an outline or
was the information previously
developed based on an outline or
template?
•
Present the information in a logical
•
Is the information organized
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
order.
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logically from the reader’s
perspective?
•
Use lots of headings and subheadings.
Descriptive headers will help your
reader scan and absorb the information
more easily and quickly.
•
Have you guided your reader
through the information by using
headings and subheadings like an
“internal” table of contents?
•
Use short and simple sentences and
paragraphs. Avoid the “wall of words”.
•
Have you considered techniques like
keeping each sentence under 15
words with the subject and verb
close together, ideally near the
beginning of the sentence? What
about breaking up the “wall of
words” with techniques like bulleted
lists?
•
Use footnotes for explanatory
information or examples.
•
Is the target reader familiar with
footnotes, end notes, glossaries,
and indexes? Have you considered
techniques like sidebars?
•
In larger documents, include a table of
contents for easier reference.”
•
Will a table of contents provide a
true benefit or will it just make the
document unnecessarily longer
and/or come across as overly
formal?
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
“Use the visual
presentation to
enhance your
text”
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“Create a reader-friendly
format. The way the
information is presented on the
page is almost as important as
the words used to describe it.
•
“Use a readable and appropriate
typeface and font size. The most
common are Times New Roman or Arial
at 10- to 12-point size.
Your document needs to be
visually inviting.”
•
Is the body text clear and
comfortable to read?
•
Is the information easy to find
through consistent font usage and
styles?
•
Is the font choice appropriate for
the audience?
•
Use layout and spacing that separate
sections.
Have you considered the techniques
below?
•
Leave plenty of white space between
lines of text and paragraphs.
•
•
Avoid a dense, block-like appearance.
Layout that includes an appropriate
amount of white space to create an
inviting feel
•
Text left justified
•
Leave the right margin ragged.
•
•
Make key information easier to find.
Only images relevant for the reader
and content
•
Use a text box or other graphical
treatment to emphasize a particularly
important idea.
•
Graphic treatments that add clarity
rather than take away from it by
adding clutter
Highlight important information in
boxes or bulleted lists.
•
•
Design that is appropriate for the
medium (hard copy versus web)
•
Use bold type and/or underlining to
emphasize important information — for
example: 19.9%”
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
“Test your
material”
“A financial institution needs to
test its documents in order to
determine whether they are
user-friendly.
It is especially important to test
application forms and
agreements that will be used
by the average reader.
If the average consumer can
read the entire document
without feeling confused and
without having to go back and
read it again, you’ve passed the
test.”
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•
“Test your documents on a variety of
readers.
•
Have you built field testing into each
document’s development plan?
•
Monitor how customers complete
application forms, and identify areas
that cause confusion or
misunderstanding.
•
Do you have an easy way for
readers to provide feedback and a
process for capturing and acting on
their feedback?
•
Seek feedback through focus groups
and surveys.
•
Add a statement to each document
inviting readers to comment on its
clarity and to suggest how to make it
easier to understand.”
•
“Use a checklist to ensure that clear
language and presentation principles
were followed. Ask yourself:
•
Does the document speak clearly to the
intended reader?
•
Is the information organized and
presented in a logical sequence?
•
Is the most important information
summarized in a box at the beginning of
the document?
•
Is the document written in the active
voice?
•
Is the document organized in short
Now here is a checklist within this
overall checklist. Use it to help assess
existing information as well as to guide
development of new information and
use it as a final “checkpoint” to critique
each document.
•
Be a planner: Know the
characteristics of your target reader,
develop an objective and an outline
for your information, and use a
checklist for assessing and
developing information.
•
Be appealing: Make your
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
sections?
•
•
Does the document contain useful
headings, subheadings, tables, and
bulleted lists?
Be relevant: Focus on your target
readers’ needs.
•
Be concrete: Include only concrete
information and concepts.
•
Does it use short, familiar words instead
of jargon?
•
Be appropriate: Use the right tone
and familiar language.
•
Is the text arranged neatly on the page
with readable typefaces, appropriate
use of boldface and italics, and good use
of white space?”
•
Be engaging: Use the active voice
whenever possible and avoid
turning verbs into nouns
•
Be concise: Use short words (in
general), short sentences, and short
paragraphs, and take out
unnecessary words.
•
Be direct: Avoid redundant phrases
and repetition (unless you are sure
that repetition adds clarity or
intentionally reinforces your main
message).
•
Be real: Don’t use “big words”, even
technical terms, unless you are sure
they are appropriate and engaging
for your target readers.
•
Be selective: Use idioms (jargon,
•
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Are there more short sentences than
long sentences?
information appealing right off the
top with a logical flow throughout.
FCAC Principle
FCAC Guidance
FCAC Operational Guidelines
CLW Interpretation of the
FCAC Operational Guidelines
Based on Plain English
Writing and Editing Techniques
Give your information a checkup!
•
P a g e | 11
clichés) and figures of speech only if
they are appropriate for your target
readers, and use abbreviations only
if you are sure they add clarity.
Be consistent: Check for consistency
of structure and language.
•
Be accurate: Check that all
information is accurate with no
contradictions.
•
Be visually appealing: Use
clear/plain design techniques.
•
Be receptive: Ask for feedback at as
many stages as possible — ask early;
ask often; ask again at the end.
May your future be filled with clear information!
Plain English to the rescue…
Close to half of the Canadian
adult population is
considered below the
desired level of competence
for coping with the
increasing skill demands of
the emerging knowledge and
information economy.
P a g e | 12
For additional help, feel free to check out our other
complimentary resources and “Tip of the Month” at
http://clearlanguageatwork.com/complimentaryresources/