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1.2.1 Use headings and subheadings.
- Use headings and subheadings to indicate (1) where the important ideas are and (2) where major separations of thought occur. Think of headings as signs along the highway. Readers depend on such signs as much as drivers do. A 20-mile stretch of interstate without any signs would be spooky and aggravating.
- There are three types of headings: question headings, statement headings, and topic headings.
- Question headings (for example, How Do I Locate the Records I Want?) are particularly useful in letters and general instructions. Readers move through the document with particular questions in mind, and question headings guide them to the answers. Phrase the question headings from the reader's point of view. In other words, use Will I Be Charged for the Service? rather than Will You Be Charged for the Service?
- Statement headings are short declarative sentences (for example, Lodging Is Available Nearby) and are the next most engaging.
- Topic headings (the most common form) are considered the most formal, so management is often most comfortable with them. Topic headings consist of a word or phrase (e.g., Requesting Records), but they are not engaging and are often so vague as to be unhelpful. If topic headings are to be used, make sure they are clear and accurate.
1.2.2 Limit heading levels to three or fewer.
- While headings are useful for organizing your text, don't use more than three levels. Dividing your document into more pieces at the top levels should allow you to limit subdivisions below the major level to two. In most cases, you will need only the main heading and one level of subheading.
- The Office of the Federal Register recommends that regulations contain no more than three levels, noting that more than three levels make regulations hard to read and use.
1.2.3 Write short sections.
- Long paragraphs are daunting and discourage the reader from even trying to understand your material. Short paragraphs are more inviting and are easier to read and understand.
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