Tips About Quick Reference Cards

2008-07-14 15:09:20

( Financial )



Usefulness of Quick Reference Cards

Almost anyone can find good use for quick reference cards. These are handy short cuts for recalling basic facts, or to use as quick references for doing specific tasks or operating gadgets.

Those who engage in training or instructing others should have quick reference cards on hand. They can also give these as handouts to their trainees or pupils. In the classroom, quick reference guides can help students solve problems faster or simplify instructions.

People at work also prefer to use quick reference guides to assure themselves that they are following the right procedures. It is definitely easier to read quick reference charts or cards rather than go through detailed manuals.

And if you're giving a presentation, you can use quick reference cards as cues to guide yourself through an effective and logical presentation sequence. Using quick reference charts will also prevent forgetting important points that you should take up during a presentation or meeting.

Different Types of Quick Reference Cards

Some quick reference cards merely show classifications of items. For instance, the periodic table in chemistry is an excellent example of a quick reference chart.

Another type of quick reference card has IF and THEN columns to guide the user in what contingent measures to apply for specific situations. This is especially handy for people who assist customers on the phone.

A more complex type of quick reference card shows flow charts and are handy for people who perform computer functions and who undergo projects.

Tips on Preparing Effective Quick Reference Cards

First of all, a quick reference cards should be compact-sized, so that it's small enough to be pasted on a cubicle wall or desktop. But the characters and diagrams in it should be large enough to be viewed accurately.

If possible, the data should be organized into columns and rows for easy reading at a glance. Lines should be clearly drawn and straight to avoid confusion and misreading.

Being compact in size, a quick reference card cannot contain too much information. Make sure that only one type of information is in the card and that everything for that topic appears on one page.

Special Tips for Presenters in Using Quick Reference Cards

Write only key words on the quick reference cards to serve as reminders. You may want to organize your information in such a way as to have only one topic per card. You can have several cards, with each one showing only one part of the agenda.

Make sure to arrange the cards in the same chronological order as your presentation, and be careful not to mix them up. Once you have covered the key information on one card, immediately place it behind your other cards or place it down on a table.


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