Applying the tone of voice

Plain and active English

We should write with our audience firmly in mind and use the language they use. Use familiar, everyday words and keep them simple. 

We can not get around the fact that sometimes we have to use technical language, but we can always be precise about exactly what we mean and help out people who are not familiar with the subject. We should avoid bureaucratic jargon and not assume our audience has knowledge of a specialist subject. 

Keeping sentences short, ideally, one thought per sentence, helps aid understanding.

Short paragraphs also work best. Use a new paragraph for a change of subject.

Stick to an active rather than a passive voice. The passive sounds weaker, is less direct, more formal and impersonal. 

For example: ‘We fund motor neurone disease research’ rather than ‘Research into motor neurone disease is funded by the NIHR’. 

We or the NIHR?

When writing about the NIHR on NIHR channels, including the website, use the first person ‘we’.

Showing clear ownership of the content and an owning relationship of ‘we’ tells the audience we were an active part of this work, not simply an observer.

In some circumstances, it is ok to establish ‘the NIHR’ in the introduction and then switch to ‘we’.

If describing an NIHR scheme, such as the NIHR Biomedical Research Centres, consider using ‘our Biomedical Research Centre’ to reinforce the impression we want to create of being one NIHR.  

We should use the definitive article ‘the NIHR’ when using the organisation name. For example, ‘The NIHR is funding new research into multiple long-term conditions.’

Get straight to the point

Our readers do not have time to navigate lengthy copy to find out what we are trying to say. Get to the point quickly and make it interesting. Be clear about what you want to say and stick to it.

Simplifying terms and language

The Plain English website is a useful resource for alternative words to help simplify language.

The NHS style guide also explains technical terms simply and is an excellent resource.

The gov.uk style guide also hosts a useful list of words to avoid.

Hemingway editor can be used to give a reading score and highlight sentences and words which are hard to read.