Written information

Written information explains systems, data and information in sentences and paragraphs rather than in cells. Organisations use it alongside tables and charts to describe how something works and why the figures matter. It is not just any text: it is written to help a particular reader understand a system or a set of figures.

Documenting a system

When an organisation records how a system works, written information sets out what a table cannot: who uses the system, what each piece of data is for and the order in which things happen. For example, a youth club might keep a table of its equipment loans, then add a paragraph explaining that the code in each row is the borrower's membership number and that returned items are marked with a date. A new volunteer can read this and use the system correctly.

Written information can be as short as one explanatory sentence or as long as a full report or user guide. The right length depends on how much explanation the reader needs.

Giving figures meaning

A table shows the figures and a chart can show the pattern, but neither can say why the pattern happened. A short text description under a table or chart gives it context. Suppose a bike workshop's table shows repairs rising from 18 in week 1 to 41 in week 4. A chart makes the rise easy to see, yet only a sentence underneath can tell you that a new cycle path opened in week 3 and brought more customers. The numbers and the explanation work together; written information does not replace the table.