Goal: Ensure readers understand specialised vocabulary by defining technical terms when they are used.
Technical terms can be useful and precise, but they can also confuse readers who are not experts. If you must use a specialised term, explain it the first time you use it. This ensures your audience follows your message without guessing or searching for definitions.
When introducing a technical term, you can:
- Give a short definition in brackets or after a comma.
- Use a plain language explanation before or after the term.
- Provide a simple example to make the meaning concrete.
Example:
NO: “Our policy complies with GDPR requirements.”
YES: “Our policy complies with GDPR (the European rules on data protection).”
Avoid overloading your text with unnecessary jargon. Even in professional contexts, a short explanation shows respect for your readers’ time and knowledge.
Tip: Imagine your reader is smart, but not an insider in your field. Give them the information they need to understand you the first time.
Try it:
Take a page of text from your organisation’s website, a report, or a brochure. Identify all technical or specialised terms. For each one, ask:
- Does my target audience already know this term?
- If not, can I briefly define it without breaking the flow?
- Can I replace it with a plain language equivalent?
Revise the text so that each technical term is either defined or replaced.