4.5 Highlighting Techniques: Lists

The Function of Lists

Lists are useful in report writing because (a) they enhance readability by simplifying long sentences and increasing white space, and (b) they emphasize important information.

While lists are useful, they should be used judiciously in report writing.

Reports require thoughtful synthesis and explanation; therefore, paragraphs are mostly used.

As a general rule, if lists are used in reports, they should comprise about 10% or less of the report. Of course, this number varies depending on the audience and purpose of the report.

The Five Types of Lists

The following five types of lists are used for a particular purpose:

• In-sentence: used when it is desirable to maintain sentence structure
• Bulleted: used when the order of the listed items is unimportant
• Numbered: used when the order of the listed items is important
• Labelled: used for indicating the content of each item in the list
• Nested: used for making sub-lists within a list

All five types of lists are preceded by a lead-in sentence or phrase which establishes a context for the list. The list items are presented in parallel form to enhance readability.

Variations in Punctuation Rules for Lists

As discussed earlier, grammatical correctness in English is determined by its users. The rules for punctuating lists vary in different style guides. Therefore, check the style guide preferred by your organization.  For our purposes, we are following the APA style guide.

Sample Lists Punctuated APA Style

In-sentence list: use when paragraph style is preferred

Three or more items

• Use a comma before the final “and”.
  • This report includes information about finding legitimate online merchants, checking online product information, entering online purchase contracts, understanding international online purchases’ related fees, and recognizing potential online transaction scams.
• Use lowercase letters in parentheses before each item to highlight the items. Do not use numbers (1) in the parentheses.
  • This report includes information about (a) finding legitimate online merchants, (b) checking online product information, (c) entering online purchase contracts, (d) understanding international online purchases’ related fees, and (e) recognizing potential online transaction scams.

Bulleted List: use when the order of the listed items is unimportant

APA provides two options for punctuating bulleted lists that begin with a phrase:

Option 1 (no punctuation in the list)

This report includes information about (no colon because the lead-in is not a complete sentence)

• finding legitimate online merchants
• checking online product information
• entering online purchase contracts
• understanding international online purchases’ related fees
• recognizing potential online transaction scams

Option 2 (separate the items by commas, include “and” for the second last item, end with a period)

This report includes information about (no colon because the lead-in is not a complete sentence)

• finding legitimate online merchants,
• checking online product information,
• entering online purchase contracts,
• understanding international online purchases’ related fees, and
• recognizing potential online transaction scams.

APA provides two options for punctuating bulleted lists that begin with a sentence.

Option 1 (no punctuation in the list)

This report includes information about the following: (use a colon because the lead-in is a complete sentence)

• finding legitimate online merchants
• checking online product information
• entering online purchase contracts
• understanding international online purchases’ related fees
• recognizing potential online transaction scams

Option 2 (separate the items by commas, include “and” for the second last item, end with a period)

This report includes information about the following: (use a colon because the lead-in is a complete sentence)

• finding legitimate online merchants,
• checking online product information,
• entering online purchase contracts,
• understanding international online purchases’ related fees, and
• recognizing potential online transaction scams.

Numbered List: use when the order of the listed items is important

APA prescribes complete sentences for numbered lists.

1. How did participants find legitimate online merchants?
2. How did participants check online product information?
3. When did participants enter online purchase contracts?
4. Did participants understand international online purchases’ related fees?
5. Did participants recognize potential online transaction scams?

The survey results provided the following information: (use a colon because the lead-in is a sentence)

1. Participants found legitimate online merchants by checking customer reviews.
2. The participants checked online product information by accessing the company’s website.
3. About 65 percent of participants enter online purchase contracts before checking for related fees.
4. Almost 75 percent of participants did not understand international online purchases’ related fees.
5. About 85 percent of participants recognized potential online transaction scams.

Labelled List: use when list requires clarification

The renovation plan includes the following stages: (use a colon because the lead-in is a sentence)

1. Demolition: Remove existing walls and flooring
2. Reframing: Create new office spaces and employee break room
3. Painting:  Paint walls to match company logo
4. Flooring: Install wood floor in office and granite in entry hall

Use bold or italics to differentiate the label from the text. Separate the label from the text with a colon.

Nested List: use when sub-list would provide clarity

Please visit our newly renovated employee cafeteria to enjoy any of the following free of charge: (use a colon because the lead-in is a sentence)

• Hot or Cold Beverages
  • Tea
  • Coffee
  • Fruit Juice
  • Bottled water
• Snacks
  • Granola bars
  • Yogurt
  • Nuts
• Fruits
  • Apples
  • Bananas