Bullet Points v. Narrative Writing

[Terrel L. Shields]

My assistant was taking an on line course out of desperation... (BTW, she hated it)... and one question was about which was better presentation for a narrative - "long sentences" "short crisp" sentences or "bullet points" . The answer was "Bullet points"...really.

I don't use a lot of "bullet points" in a narrative. I reserve that for powerpoint slides. I don't like them when I read reports...it's like reading tables.

What do my peers think?

 

[Michigan CG]

When applicable I like to use bullet points in my reconciliation of value section.

 

[PropertyEconomics]

Arent bullet points short crisp sentences which are incomplete?

 

[Lakefront boater]

I love bullet points, especially if you have a list of items such as updates/repairs I think they work very well. Ala mode's addendum has a decent word program (not as good as ms-word) but good enough most the time if your in forms software.

Actually the latest versions of ms-word are a bit quirky with fonts reverting to default settings and such and some techy people actually prefer the word 97 format over the later versions. I took a college course recently and the professor mandated all papers be written in the 97 word format!

 

[DMZwerg]

Actually the latest versions of ms-word are a bit quirky with fonts reverting to default settings and such and some techy people actually prefer the word 97 format over the later versions. I took a college course recently and the professor mandated all papers be written in the 97 word format!

Open Office and Libre Office can both save documents in Word 97 format plus many other formats and even print to PDFs. I used to use Open Office but after many of the programmers switched to Libre Office I followed suite. Down side of Libre is currently less available documentation and help.

 

[Ken B]

The secrets to effective written communication (any communication, actually) are the following:

• Clear
• Concise
• Complete
• Correct
• Saves the reader's time
• Builds goodwill

Towards this goal, bullet points work quite well.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

The secrets to effective written communication (any communication, actually) are the following:

• Clear
• Concise
• Complete
• Correct
• Saves the reader's time
• Builds goodwill

Not everyone learns the same way. Do I read the book or just the Cliff notes...? Shakespeare in Cliff notes...nice concept.

When I READ something, I want to READ it. And NARRATIVE suggests reading, not summarized compiled lists. I find such lists chaotic and have to concentrate on them more than reading something that flows like a book.

The only reason bullet points are liked by reviewers is that they are basically check list driven in the first place.

 

[Ken B]

My previous post was in a narrative format. It certainly wasn't in form format. The bullet points could be expanded upon in subsequent paragraphs, if it was thought necessary. Are you saying you could not read and comprehend the information presented as bullet points? Or are you saying you think all reports should be written in self-contained format and that bullet point lists have no place in such a report? I bet you couldn't assemble a group of 3 appraisers and not have 4 ideas about what was required in a self-contained report.

White space is our friend. An appraisal report is not a literary work of art open to discussion and interpretation. It is a technical paper to be read and understood by the target audience with the least amount of reader effort and time. I assure you that an attorney looking for a 25-page summary of the information considered and analysis performed in an appraisal assignment is going to be unhappy if the appraiser plops down a 450-page thesis on his desk.

I am reminded of the time I was in court and two attorneys approached the bench. One attorney placed a stack of papers about 3 inches high on the bench. The other attorney placed a stack of papers about 7 inches high on the bench. The judge looked at each pile and then said, "Let me guess, whoever killed the most trees wins."

It was not said with a smile.

 

[The Warrior Monk]

The secrets to effective written communication (any communication, actually) are the following:

• Clear
• Concise
• Complete
• Correct
• Saves the reader's time
• Builds goodwill

Towards this goal, bullet points work quite well.

I agree with Ken. Pages and pages of narrative can tedious to read. Using bulleted lists, tables, etc. can break up the monotony and make a report more readable. Real world examples:

Example #1:

The first level of the home has a foyer, kitchen, dining room, living room, family room, library, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a laundry area.

Example #2:

The first level of the home has the following rooms:

• Foyer
• Kitchen
• Dining Room
• Living Room
• Family Room
• Library
• Three Bedrooms
• Two Bathrooms
• Laundry Area
  

There are reasons for using both. The first might be good for a short narrative in a lending assignment. The latter might be better for an expert witness situation, which makes referencing very easy.

 

[Ken B]

Another secret of good communication:

• say what you are going to say
• say it
• say what you said

'Nuff said.