Abstract

Boilerplate paragraphs, pages, and even longer standard sections are materials taken from one writing and used with little or no change in another. Such materials can save time, cut costs, help to meet deadlines, and at times raise quality. This article outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using boilerplate in preparing long documents and suggests applications and guidelines for the proper use of boilerplate. It also proposes diagnostic questions and prescriptions for ensuring that off-the-shelf materials are accurate and up to date.