Chapter 5
Characteristics of a Text
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Format
5.3 Length
5.4 Style
Here lies the peerless peer Lord Peter, Who broke the laws of God, man and metre.
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5.1 Introduction
The function of a text is to convey information. A text has three characteristics in relation
to information that affect how well it carries out this task and how well it reads. These are
format, length and style.
5.2 Format
Introduction
There are a number of matters relating to format that need to be discussed – location of
information, headings, footnotes and schedules.
Location of Information
The location of information is one of the most important aspects of formatting. Information can be in
any of four locations:
(1)
The text itself.
(2)
Before the text. Publishers refer to this as the preliminaries; here they are referred
to as the "befores."
(3)
After the text. These are the "afters."
(4)
Notes. Usually these are either footnotes or endnotes at the end of a chapter or at
the end of a text.
Text
Typically, most information is located in the written text itself. Most obviously this
information consists of the written part of the text as it discusses the subject. It may also
contain headings, possibly paragraph numbering, diagrams, pictures, graphs and so on,
which generally are incorporated into the body of the written discussion and assist it in
explaining the subject.
Information is put in other places for either of two reasons. First, it is more conveniently
located in that other place. An obvious example is a table which might not fit into a text.
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Epitaph for Lord Peter JG Lockhart
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