A fact sheet is a brief document that shares relevant information about a topic in a way that is easy for laypeople to understand.
Fact sheets should:
- Include a title with the words Fact Sheet. For example: Rural Public Health Fact Sheet.
- Include an introduction—1-3 sentences at the top explaining what the fact sheet is about and why it is important.
- Be fairly short—check your assignment requirements for any guidance on minimum length, but generally fact sheets are 1-2 pages at most.
- Use bullet points.
- Be single spaced, with double space between any defined sections.
- Define any specific terms that are used, and otherwise be written in plain English without jargon.
- Be written in the present tense.
- Use one or two sentences at a time—no wordy paragraphs.
- Report only the most important information. Don’t get lost in the details of your topic.
- Cite any sources used in a references list at the bottom (on the same page as the rest of the text).
You may want to:
- Bold text or use text boxes to emphasize the most important points.
- Include charts or graphics to provide visual interest (but remember to cite them if you didn’t create them yourself!).
Below are some examples of fact sheets you can look at for inspiration.
What You Need to Know about COVID-19
References
Center for Rural Health. (n.d.). Communication tools: Fact sheets. University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences. https://ruralhealth.und.edu/communication/factsheets
Colorado Nonprofit Association. (n.d.). How to create a fact sheet. https://www.coloradononprofits.org/advocacy/public-policy-resources/how-create-fact-sheet
Cubon-Bell, V. (2019). What is a fact sheet? Kent State University Center for Teaching and Learning. https://www.kent.edu/ctl/fact-sheets
District of Columbia Department of Health. (n.d.). Influenza (flu) fact sheet. https://dchealth.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/doh/publication/attachments/Influenza_0.pdf
Michigan Department of Health & Human Services. (n.d.). What you need to know about COVID-19. Michigan.gov. https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/nCOV-2019_General_Fact_Sheet_v2-4-20_680266_7.pdf
National Fire Protection Association. (n.d.). Exterior sprinkler systems. https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Firewise/Fact-sheets/FirewiseFactSheetsExteriorSprinklers.ashx
