The document discusses principles for organizing technical information, including analyzing your audience and purpose, using conventional patterns of organization, and prominently displaying your organizational pattern. It also discusses eight typical patterns of organization: chronological, spatial, general to specific, more important to less important, comparison and contrast, classification and partition, problem-methods-solution, and cause and effect. Guidelines are provided for organizing information according to each of these patterns.

1. Understand three principles for
organizing technical information:
• Analyze your audience and purpose.
• Use conventional patterns of organization.
• Display your organizational pattern
prominently in the document.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 1

2. Ask four questions when you
study documents from other cultures:
• Does the text follow expected organizational
patterns?
• Do the introductions and conclusions present
the kind of information you would expect?
• Does the text appear to be organized linearly?
• Does the text use headings? If so, does it use
more than one level?
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 2

3. Display your organizational
pattern prominently:
• Create a detailed table of contents.
• Use headings liberally.
• Use topic sentences at the beginnings of your
paragraphs.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 3

4. Understand eight typical
patterns of organization:
• chronological
• spatial
• general to specific
• more important to less important
• comparison and contrast
• classification and partition
• problem-methods-solution
• cause and effect
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 4

5. Follow these three guidelines for
organizing information chronologically:
• Provide signposts.
• Consider using graphics to complement the
text.
• Analyze events where appropriate.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 5

6. Follow these three guidelines for
organizing information spatially:
• Provide signposts.
• Consider using graphics to complement the
text.
• Analyze events where appropriate.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 6

7. An example of
information organized spatially
Source:
Metropolitan
Museum of Art,
2010
<www.metmuseum.
org/toah/world-
regions/#/09/World-
Map>.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 7

8. Follow these two guidelines for organizing
information from general to specific:
• Provide signposts.
• Consider using graphics to complement the
text.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 8

9. Follow three guidelines for organizing information
from more important to less important:
• Provide signposts.
• Explain why one point is more important than
another.
• Consider using graphics to complement the
text.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 9

10. Follow these four guidelines for organizing
information by comparison and contrast:
• Establish criteria for the comparison and
contrast.
• Evaluate each item according to the criteria
you have established.
• Organize the discussion.
• Consider using graphics to complement the
text.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 10

11. Follow these six guidelines for organizing
information by classification or partition:
• Choose a basis of classification or partition that fits
your audience and purpose.
• Use only one basis of classification or partition at a
time.
• Avoid overlap.
• Be inclusive.
• Arrange the categories in a logical sequence.
• Consider using graphics to complement the text.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 11

12. An example of information
organized by partition
Source: Canon, 2010
<www.usa-
canon.com/cusa/cons
umer/products/camera
s/digital_cameras/pow
ershot_sx210_is#Box
Content>.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 12

13. Follow these five guidelines for organizing
information by problem-methods-solution:
• In describing the problem, be clear and specific.
• In describing your methods, help your readers
understand what you did and why you did it that
way.
• In describing the solution, don’t overstate.
• Choose a logical sequence.
• Consider using graphics to complement the text.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 13

14. Follow these four guidelines for
organizing information by cause and effect:
• Explain your reasoning.
• Avoid overstating your argument.
• Avoid logical fallacies.
• Consider using graphics to complement the
text.
Chapter 7. Organizing Your Information © 2012 by Bedford/St. Martin's 14