In a bulleted list, each paragraph in the list is preceeded by a bullet, a small symbol such as a circle or a square. In the type of document that business analysts create, much of the information is better presented in a list than in a connected paragraph.
Bulleted lists are very suitable for system documentation for several reasons:
The individual points are easier to identify.
The individual points are easier to separate, so that the client can consider each point one at a time.
The number of items, such as features or requirements or business reasons, are clear, and their importance can be emphasized by putting them in a list.
It is easier to identify the individual points and later put them in a database.
It is easier to follow a set of instructions presentated in a list than in a connected paragraph.
Remember that technical documentation describes systems and processes and gives specific information for business purposes. It is not intended as a work of fiction, an interesting story, or an entertainment.
Exercise:
Ø Create a document.
Ø Type the list beginning with the yellow sentence, above.
Ø Put all the points in bullets.
Ø If you type one line and make it a bulleted line, all of the following lines will most likely be bulletted, every time you press "enter", until you press "enter" twice.
Ø Automatic bullets are controlled by a Word Option. Find the option and turn off automatic bulleting.
Ø Select the list and select different shaped bullets.
Ø Select the paragraph and make the list a numbered list (1,2,3, ... etc.).
Suggestion: Be careful with automatic numbered lists, one after the other. Sometimes they continue numbering from a previous numbered list.