Tuesday, December 24, 2002
Sunday, December 15, 2002
KnowledgeBoard: the European Knowledge Management (KM) Community - KM for Beginners
A knew acronym KM - plain language must fit in here somewhere!
A knew acronym KM - plain language must fit in here somewhere!
Friday, December 13, 2002
Stephen Jay Gould: Anything, even the conceptually most complex material, can be written for general audiences without any dumbing down. Of course you have to explain things carefully. This goes back to Galileo, who wrote his great books as dialogues in Italian, not as treatises in Latin. And to Darwin, who wrote The Origin of Species for general readers. I think a lot of people pick up Darwin's book and assume it must be a popular version of some technical monograph, but there is no technical monograph. That's what he wrote. So what I'm doing is part of a great humanistic tradition.
Mother Jones, January/February 1997
Mother Jones, January/February 1997
"People like Flesch and Gunning studied what adults read. They found that all successful magazines and English best sellers, including the King James Version of the Bible, kept their reading level at or below the 12th grade. For example, Gunning found: Francis Bacon used an average 28 words a sentence. Captain John Smith used an average 16 words a sentence. Thomas Paine, writing "The American Crisis" ("These are the times that try men's souls…"), wrote at a 7th-grade reading level. Gunning wrote, "It appears from our own investigation that in all ages there have been men with something to say who wrote comparatively simply.""
Thursday, December 12, 2002
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
Assessing Readability - SMOG etc
" SMOG:
There are a number of formulas to assess the readability of a text. The formulas fall into two major categories: those that are computer generated and those that are calculated by hand. The most frequently used computerized formulas include the Flesch Grade Level Formula and the Flesch-Kincaid Index. Newer word processing programs often have the Flesch formula built into the software for easy use. For those who do not have a computer, or conduct readability tests in the field, there are a number of formulas that can be calculated by hand. Hand-calculated formulas include the FOG method, Fry formula and the SMOG. The SMOG was created by McLaughlin in 1969 and predicts 100% comprehension."
" SMOG:
There are a number of formulas to assess the readability of a text. The formulas fall into two major categories: those that are computer generated and those that are calculated by hand. The most frequently used computerized formulas include the Flesch Grade Level Formula and the Flesch-Kincaid Index. Newer word processing programs often have the Flesch formula built into the software for easy use. For those who do not have a computer, or conduct readability tests in the field, there are a number of formulas that can be calculated by hand. Hand-calculated formulas include the FOG method, Fry formula and the SMOG. The SMOG was created by McLaughlin in 1969 and predicts 100% comprehension."
Health Literacy Studies
"As we develop written materials for the general public, we need to think about vocabulary and sentence structure, organization of ideas, as well as layout and design elements so that we can eliminate as many unnecessary barriers as possible."
"As we develop written materials for the general public, we need to think about vocabulary and sentence structure, organization of ideas, as well as layout and design elements so that we can eliminate as many unnecessary barriers as possible."
What is Plain Language?
Some examples of plain language activities in the countries most active with plain language:
The Plain English Campaign in England awards a crystal mark, a symbol of clarity, to documents that are written in plain language. Consumers know to watch for the mark as they shop for financial services, insurance plans, etc. In March 2002, the Campaign awarded the crystal mark to the 7,000th document that has earned its approval.
Australia’s legal community has worked tirelessly to move to understandable legal documents.
The Swedish government employs plain language consultants to assist government workers in creating easy-to-understand legislation.
In Canada, legislators create laws that are readable to those they govern and health care providers are working to create materials that patients and their families can understand.
In South Africa plain language has become a critical issue. With the new democracy, many people in government are committed to making the constitution and laws understandable. The new government is emphasizing human rights and is very concerned about disseminating information to its citizens. Since there are eleven official languages, many South Africans speak English as a second language, so clarity in English is critical.
Some examples of plain language activities in the countries most active with plain language:
The Plain English Campaign in England awards a crystal mark, a symbol of clarity, to documents that are written in plain language. Consumers know to watch for the mark as they shop for financial services, insurance plans, etc. In March 2002, the Campaign awarded the crystal mark to the 7,000th document that has earned its approval.
Australia’s legal community has worked tirelessly to move to understandable legal documents.
The Swedish government employs plain language consultants to assist government workers in creating easy-to-understand legislation.
In Canada, legislators create laws that are readable to those they govern and health care providers are working to create materials that patients and their families can understand.
In South Africa plain language has become a critical issue. With the new democracy, many people in government are committed to making the constitution and laws understandable. The new government is emphasizing human rights and is very concerned about disseminating information to its citizens. Since there are eleven official languages, many South Africans speak English as a second language, so clarity in English is critical.
CLG / Clear Language Group
"We’re a national consortium of health literacy, plain language, and cross cultural communication specialists."
"We’re a national consortium of health literacy, plain language, and cross cultural communication specialists."
Sunday, December 08, 2002
Dummies::Home
"From the start, For Dummies was a simple yet powerful concept: Relate to the anxiety and frustration that people feel about technology by poking fun at it with books that are insightful and educational and make difficult material interesting and easy. Add a strong dose of personality, a dash of comic relief with entertaining cartoons, and — voilá — you have a For Dummies book."
"From the start, For Dummies was a simple yet powerful concept: Relate to the anxiety and frustration that people feel about technology by poking fun at it with books that are insightful and educational and make difficult material interesting and easy. Add a strong dose of personality, a dash of comic relief with entertaining cartoons, and — voilá — you have a For Dummies book."
'Introducing...' books
"Introducing - from Marx to Freud, from Einstein to Postmodernism, Icon’s brilliantly written and illustrated guides provide witty and accessible introductions to the key figures and issues that have shaped the world in which we live."
Very similar to but seemingly different from the 'for beginners' sereis which is mentioned below
"Introducing - from Marx to Freud, from Einstein to Postmodernism, Icon’s brilliantly written and illustrated guides provide witty and accessible introductions to the key figures and issues that have shaped the world in which we live."
Very similar to but seemingly different from the 'for beginners' sereis which is mentioned below
Clear English Standard - the logo
This blog hasn't passed the test but if it had it would have a seal like this.
This blog hasn't passed the test but if it had it would have a seal like this.
Clear English Standard - accreditation criteria
'The writing and setting out of essential information in a way that gives a co-operative, motivated person a good chance of understanding the document at first reading, and in the same sense that the writer meant it to be understood.'
So plain language is not an absolute: what is plain to scientists may be obscure to lay people. It is inevitable that some documents use technical language but, where possible, they should give explanations. We can accredit a difficult text if we feel it could not be put more simply without verbosity or loss of meaning. Hence we do not expect all documents to be equally plain to everybody, though they should always be appropriate to the intended audience.
'The writing and setting out of essential information in a way that gives a co-operative, motivated person a good chance of understanding the document at first reading, and in the same sense that the writer meant it to be understood.'
So plain language is not an absolute: what is plain to scientists may be obscure to lay people. It is inevitable that some documents use technical language but, where possible, they should give explanations. We can accredit a difficult text if we feel it could not be put more simply without verbosity or loss of meaning. Hence we do not expect all documents to be equally plain to everybody, though they should always be appropriate to the intended audience.
Saturday, December 07, 2002
Text, Tables and Graphics
"It's advisable to use sentences for relations between 2 or 3 data at most. The use of tables is recommended between 3 and 20 data and graphics from 20 on. You will get the most of graphics the larger the amount of data."
"It's advisable to use sentences for relations between 2 or 3 data at most. The use of tables is recommended between 3 and 20 data and graphics from 20 on. You will get the most of graphics the larger the amount of data."
A Unified Field Theory of Design
On second thoughts - the writing is not too jargony. The picture maps the 'field'
On second thoughts - the writing is not too jargony. The picture maps the 'field'
A Unified Field Theory of Design
A simple idea getting increasingly jargonised - the need for plain language does not seem to be built into the paradigm
A simple idea getting increasingly jargonised - the need for plain language does not seem to be built into the paradigm
STC Information Design SIG | Some definitions of "Information Design"
eg "Information design requires that we understand the meaning and purpose of information, its visible and subtle effects, its social and cultural role. Informatics is the academic discipline which studies information with a view towards designing it."
eg "Information design requires that we understand the meaning and purpose of information, its visible and subtle effects, its social and cultural role. Informatics is the academic discipline which studies information with a view towards designing it."
STC Information Design SIG | ID Resources
A really awkward name but a handy list of resources on what looks to be a new field of expertise - "Information Design"
A really awkward name but a handy list of resources on what looks to be a new field of expertise - "Information Design"
Friday, December 06, 2002
Find a Professional Writer: What to Pay a Writer
I suppose you get what you pay for (give or take some spin).
I suppose you get what you pay for (give or take some spin).
Impact Information: Your One-Stop Source for Plain Language Services
The main man from this web site makes some useful comments in the Yahoo group to which I put a link a few days ago.
The main man from this web site makes some useful comments in the Yahoo group to which I put a link a few days ago.
Wednesday, December 04, 2002
They Said It
"Excessive wealth, like power, tends to corrupt. Even if the rich are not 'idle rich,' even when they work harder than anyone else, they work differently, apply different standards, and are set apart from common humanity. They corrupt themselves by practicing greed, and they corrupt the rest of society by provoking envy." – E. F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful, 1973
A handy set of quotations
"Excessive wealth, like power, tends to corrupt. Even if the rich are not 'idle rich,' even when they work harder than anyone else, they work differently, apply different standards, and are set apart from common humanity. They corrupt themselves by practicing greed, and they corrupt the rest of society by provoking envy." – E. F. Schumacher, Small Is Beautiful, 1973
A handy set of quotations
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Writing Well - Chapter 3: Pack the Essentials
"I set before you, ladies and gentlemen, two pieces of writing. They walk alike, they talk alike, but they're not at all alike. Why not? Because one is much better than the other one. Decide which one you like better and why."
"I set before you, ladies and gentlemen, two pieces of writing. They walk alike, they talk alike, but they're not at all alike. Why not? Because one is much better than the other one. Decide which one you like better and why."
The Complete Idiot's Guides
"Like most of our visitors, you're smart, curious, at ease with yourself, and interested in learning. Learning is what idiotsguides.com is all about. It's a relaxed, casual-dress-only learning place, where you can explore hundreds of topics that interest you-from investing to home repair, hobbies, health, and everything in between."
"Like most of our visitors, you're smart, curious, at ease with yourself, and interested in learning. Learning is what idiotsguides.com is all about. It's a relaxed, casual-dress-only learning place, where you can explore hundreds of topics that interest you-from investing to home repair, hobbies, health, and everything in between."
Tuesday, December 03, 2002
Link to Asiapac in Singapore
"Our winning formula - offering distilled wisdom, culled from our Asian heritage, to the modern readers. And we do it in a way that is attractive and irresistible, using powerful text, effective pictures and appealing cartoons. In this manner, we have established ourselves as a global publisher."
No bullshit - the books are unbelievably ... words fail me.
"Our winning formula - offering distilled wisdom, culled from our Asian heritage, to the modern readers. And we do it in a way that is attractive and irresistible, using powerful text, effective pictures and appealing cartoons. In this manner, we have established ourselves as a global publisher."
No bullshit - the books are unbelievably ... words fail me.
Writers and Readers Publishing
"For twenty-five years we have been offering inquisitive readers accessible, intelligent introductions to major thinkers and ideas of our time." - and they do a brilliant (illustrated) job of it.
"For twenty-five years we have been offering inquisitive readers accessible, intelligent introductions to major thinkers and ideas of our time." - and they do a brilliant (illustrated) job of it.
Sunday, December 01, 2002
Saturday, November 30, 2002
The Plain English Movement. ERIC Digest.
"An educational group with a different approach to plain English is the NCTE Committee on Public Doublespeak, which attacks the misuse of both oral and written public language. William Lutz, chair of the committee, describes four types of "doublespeak."
EUPHEMISMS, words or phrases that soften unpleasant realities, can be used to mislead or deceive, as when the phrase "unlawful or arbitrary deprivation of life" is substituted for "killing."
JARGON, the specialized language of members of a profession, becomes doublespeak when used in addressing (and in fact confusing) nonmembers. In its annual report to stockholders, an airline explained a three-million-dollar loss due to a plane crash as "the involuntary conversion of a 727."
BUREAUCRATESE refers to the use of a sheer volume of words or complicated syntax to overwhelm audiences. One bureaucrat, testifying before a Senate committee, stated, "It is a tricky problem to find the particular calibration in timing that would be appropriate to stem the acceleration in risk premiums created by falling incomes without prematurely aborting the decline in the inflation-generated premiums."
INFLATED LANGUAGE makes the ordinary seem extraordinary, as when car mechanics are called "automotive internists" or electronics companies describe black-and-white television sets as units with "non-multicolor capability" (Lutz, 1987). While intensive analysis of manipulative language has historical roots in the general semantics of Korzybski (1933), recent scholarly applications have merged with the popular movement toward plain English." YOH
"An educational group with a different approach to plain English is the NCTE Committee on Public Doublespeak, which attacks the misuse of both oral and written public language. William Lutz, chair of the committee, describes four types of "doublespeak."
EUPHEMISMS, words or phrases that soften unpleasant realities, can be used to mislead or deceive, as when the phrase "unlawful or arbitrary deprivation of life" is substituted for "killing."
JARGON, the specialized language of members of a profession, becomes doublespeak when used in addressing (and in fact confusing) nonmembers. In its annual report to stockholders, an airline explained a three-million-dollar loss due to a plane crash as "the involuntary conversion of a 727."
BUREAUCRATESE refers to the use of a sheer volume of words or complicated syntax to overwhelm audiences. One bureaucrat, testifying before a Senate committee, stated, "It is a tricky problem to find the particular calibration in timing that would be appropriate to stem the acceleration in risk premiums created by falling incomes without prematurely aborting the decline in the inflation-generated premiums."
INFLATED LANGUAGE makes the ordinary seem extraordinary, as when car mechanics are called "automotive internists" or electronics companies describe black-and-white television sets as units with "non-multicolor capability" (Lutz, 1987). While intensive analysis of manipulative language has historical roots in the general semantics of Korzybski (1933), recent scholarly applications have merged with the popular movement toward plain English." YOH
ED284273 1987-00-00 The Plain English Movement. ERIC Digest.
"The current plain English movement is affecting many areas of our society. It favors the interests of the reader and consumer over the private or organizational interests of the writer. At the same time, organizations that embrace plain English benefit from better internal communication and improved public relations. In outlining the plain English movement, this digest (1) describes how the consumer movements in the 1960s influenced federal and state legislation, (2) examines how the plain English movement has affected education, and (3) discusses publications pertinent to the movement."
"The current plain English movement is affecting many areas of our society. It favors the interests of the reader and consumer over the private or organizational interests of the writer. At the same time, organizations that embrace plain English benefit from better internal communication and improved public relations. In outlining the plain English movement, this digest (1) describes how the consumer movements in the 1960s influenced federal and state legislation, (2) examines how the plain English movement has affected education, and (3) discusses publications pertinent to the movement."
List of Essential Skills
From the Canadians. It is good to see that thinking and writing are included.
From the Canadians. It is good to see that thinking and writing are included.
Friday, November 29, 2002
Click to subscribe to plainlanguage
A really neat egroup with a bunch of enthusiastic word smiths exchanging views.
Thursday, November 28, 2002
The Plain Language Association International - Your Best Page for Effective Communication
Cheryl Stevens had a hand in this as well - links to PLAIN
Cheryl Stevens had a hand in this as well - links to PLAIN
Wednesday, November 27, 2002
Radio UserLand : Radio is a News Aggregator
Cutting edge stuff - if knowledge is power then this is its new source.
PS "Radio" is a trade name in this case and doesn't mean the 'wireless'.
Cutting edge stuff - if knowledge is power then this is its new source.
PS "Radio" is a trade name in this case and doesn't mean the 'wireless'.
10 rules towards successful features
"When you are starting out, you may have the right ideas, but it is unlikely you will have your own distinctive style, or that you will be able to adopt the distinctive style of any specific publication.
This does not mean you face immediate rejection. If an article is written in a solid, readable way, with a clear structure and a smooth flow from one thought to the next, one sentence to the next, and one paragraph to the next, and avoiding cliches and excessive adjectives, then it will probably sell itself on its subject matter.
The key words in the above are "readable" and "structure". Once you are experienced, every story you write will dictate its own structure, and the readability will develop organically. When you are starting out, however, you may find you have to apply these artificially. Call it, if you like, artificial respiration for bringing a freelance career to life. "
"When you are starting out, you may have the right ideas, but it is unlikely you will have your own distinctive style, or that you will be able to adopt the distinctive style of any specific publication.
This does not mean you face immediate rejection. If an article is written in a solid, readable way, with a clear structure and a smooth flow from one thought to the next, one sentence to the next, and one paragraph to the next, and avoiding cliches and excessive adjectives, then it will probably sell itself on its subject matter.
The key words in the above are "readable" and "structure". Once you are experienced, every story you write will dictate its own structure, and the readability will develop organically. When you are starting out, however, you may find you have to apply these artificially. Call it, if you like, artificial respiration for bringing a freelance career to life. "
MediaChannel.org - Journalists' Toolkit
Specificially for journalist but maybe of the points are applicable across the broad spectrum of writing
Specificially for journalist but maybe of the points are applicable across the broad spectrum of writing
Guardian Unlimited | Style guide | Guardian style guide
Very pedantic but may be useful if you are stuck
Very pedantic but may be useful if you are stuck
Tuesday, November 26, 2002
What is the special significance of community media to civil society?
"Community media are key to creating a strong, socially responsible civil society. They must have access to sufficient financial resources whilst respecting and preserving their independence from government and commercial media corporations. Revenues raised from the sale of spectrum and cable and telecommunications licenses should be reinvested in social communications objectives, including support for community media development. And policy initiatives that support and promote community media at regional, national, and transnational levels – such as tax incentives, production funds, and legislation supporting the creation of co-operatives and other not-for-profit organizational forms - should be devised and implemented. Communication policy development and international investment in information and communication technologies must consistently include support for community-based media."
"Community media are key to creating a strong, socially responsible civil society. They must have access to sufficient financial resources whilst respecting and preserving their independence from government and commercial media corporations. Revenues raised from the sale of spectrum and cable and telecommunications licenses should be reinvested in social communications objectives, including support for community media development. And policy initiatives that support and promote community media at regional, national, and transnational levels – such as tax incentives, production funds, and legislation supporting the creation of co-operatives and other not-for-profit organizational forms - should be devised and implemented. Communication policy development and international investment in information and communication technologies must consistently include support for community-based media."
Monday, November 25, 2002
7 Principles of Plain Language
Be on the Cutting Edge:
Learn These Seven Plain Language Principles Now!
By Carol Ann Wilson - an even briefer intro.
Be on the Cutting Edge:
Learn These Seven Plain Language Principles Now!
By Carol Ann Wilson - an even briefer intro.
Theory from the blogger
An outline of the 4D approach to popularising policy 98kb pdf file
A brief outline of how to 'demystify' jargon laden documents 173Kb pdf file
An outline of the 4D approach to popularising policy 98kb pdf file
A brief outline of how to 'demystify' jargon laden documents 173Kb pdf file
Plain English Campaign: Free guides: How to write in plain English
So what's plain English?
First let's say what plain English isn't and destroy some of the myths about it.
"It's not 'cat sat on the mat or 'Peter and Jane' writing. Almost anything - from leaflets and letters to legal documents - can be written in plain English without being patronising or over-simple.
It doesn't mean reducing the length or changing the meaning of your message. Most of the UK's biggest insurance companies produce policies that explain everything fully in plain English.
It's not about banning new words, killing off long words or promoting completely perfect grammar. Nor is it about letting grammar slip.
It is not an amateur's method of communication. Most forward-looking senior managers always write in plain English.
And finally, it is not as easy as we would like to think."
So what's plain English?
First let's say what plain English isn't and destroy some of the myths about it.
"It's not 'cat sat on the mat or 'Peter and Jane' writing. Almost anything - from leaflets and letters to legal documents - can be written in plain English without being patronising or over-simple.
It doesn't mean reducing the length or changing the meaning of your message. Most of the UK's biggest insurance companies produce policies that explain everything fully in plain English.
It's not about banning new words, killing off long words or promoting completely perfect grammar. Nor is it about letting grammar slip.
It is not an amateur's method of communication. Most forward-looking senior managers always write in plain English.
And finally, it is not as easy as we would like to think."
Plain Language International Network - Resources
A good place to begin. Some neat articles and useful links.
A good place to begin. Some neat articles and useful links.
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