I’ve now seen quite a few cases where lists were defined as ordered lists when they should have been unordered and vice versa.
An ordered list is one in which each item is preceded by a number. The numbering of the items in the ordered list implies that there is a logical order in which the items must be done, followed, accomplished, etc. You would never want to begin with item 10, then go to item 2 then item 7, and then item 1. Think of ordered lists as a set of steps or instructions to accomplish a task in a specific order. Ordered lists can use numbers, letters of the alphabet. You can even define your own number format.
- Do this first
- Do this second
- Do this third
- Do this fourth
- Do this last
On the other hand, if you have a list of items that do not have to be followed in any specific order, then you should use an unordered list. An unordered list usually precedes each item with a symbol such as a bullet point, an arrow, a checkmark, or some other symbol. A good example of an unordered list is a supply list for the start of the school year.
- 12 Pencils
- 5 Pens – 1 red, 2 blue and 2 black
- Erase
- Glue Sticks
- Ruler
- Tablet
- Tissues
Note that in this case, by using a bullet list, there is no implied order in which the supplies must be purchased.
You should not use lists simply to format the page. It is not appropriate to make each paragraph a separate item in an unordered bulleted list unless all of the paragraphs are related perhaps as a single thought. An example of that might be a list following a line such as, ‘The following are the five topic areas we will cover in science this year’. In this case, you could use an ordered list if you want to imply the order in which the science topics are covered. If there is no required order in which the topics are covered, an unordered list is more appropriate.
Finally, items in an ordered list are by default defined by the numbering/labeling used for each item. Items in an unordered list can appear in a random order, but many stylists recommend that the order should be alphabetical as shown in my supply list above. Alphabetized unordered lists are easier to read and easier to find items within the list than items in a random unordered list.
Next time, I’ll return with an ADA related topic again.