Editing and Reformatting

All handouts are in Microsoft Word .docx format.  If you don't have Word, most other word processing applications are able to import them.  This includes free applications such as Google Docs and LibreOffice.

You are free to edit or reformat the handouts to suit your needs, or to fit a standard format used at your institution.  However, please keep in mind that a great deal of effort has gone into the design of these handouts.  Attributes such as font style, font size, alignment and spacing have been chosen thoughtfully, based on well-researched principles for making printed materials easy to read and user-friendly.  If you change these attributes, you may diminish some of these benefits.

Similarly, the text has been written carefully to minimize use of large words and long sentences.  Formal analyses of reading ease were applied to ensure that each one remains at a 5th-6th grade reading level.  As a well-educated person, you probably write at a much higher reading level.  If you make substantial changes to the text, you may increase the reading level, making the handouts less accessible to people with low literacy levels.  Try to use simple words and short sentences for maximum accessibility.

I think the ability to adapt and customize these handouts is a valuable asset.  It helps make them useful everywhere, despite the many variations in local practices.  So go ahead and customize them to make them work best for you.  Just keep these thoughts in mind.