{"id":2120,"date":"2022-04-14T21:06:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-14T19:06:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/neu.kontextlab.com\/?p=2120"},"modified":"2022-07-08T21:11:45","modified_gmt":"2022-07-08T19:11:45","slug":"structure-your-topics-so-your-readers-understand-you","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kontextlab.com\/en\/structure-your-topics-so-your-readers-understand-you\/","title":{"rendered":"Structure your topics so your readers understand you"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Like a building, when you\u2019re working with a bunch of information, it needs adequate structuring. Yes \u2013 most of us think we\u2019re perfectly able to get our point across when we put pen to paper. But do you really ever get to thinking about how you shape your information? In this blog post, we detail how to do just that: structuring your topics in order to make the most sense.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First things first: why is structure important? It all comes down to how we see things. If your information is not structured clearly, you can\u2019t expect others to understand what you\u2019re trying to communicate. Your point might not come across, or worse: you might be misunderstood completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only does well-structured information convey what you intend, it also makes it much easier and enjoyable for the reader. There\u2019s much less mental struggle to go through your words if you use structuring well enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Structuring the broader topic<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Before we focus on the smaller aspects of writing, for instance pieces of text, we need to get our mind straight about the broader topic. This can be quite the process. Let\u2019s take a look at our map on 5G technology<\/a>, for instance. Such a broad topic, where do we start? How far do we want to go? Not only is there the technical aspect, the topic reaches much wider than that. Think of the politics and economics behind it, for instance, and the conspiracy theories floating around.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Kontextmap 5G in Europe<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For this, we went from big to small. Using a kontext map, we established what our main topics were and how they branched out into smaller subjects from there. By going visual, we managed to keep a clear overview of what is a dauntingly big and important topic. Breaking down the topic visually helps you keep perspective and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Kontextmap 5G in Europe<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

While we used the 5G topic above as an example, structuring any big topic is best done visually because of the possibilities to keep a clear overview. Whether you\u2019re trying to write a book or producing a web site with different pieces of information, we\u2019d always recommend mapping out your thoughts before continuing with the smaller chunks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following logic<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

After we managed to get a hold of our topic structure, we were able to structure the single, smaller texts: the next level. This too, can be tricky. The logic your piece should follow, first of all depends on what text structure you\u2019re going for. In general, there\u2019s 5 \u2018main\u2019 options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n