Comparing lay summaries to scientific abstracts for readability and jargon use: a case report

Ju Wen and Lan Yi ()
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Ju Wen: Chengdu Jincheng College
Lan Yi: Chengdu Jincheng College

Scientometrics, 2023, vol. 128, issue 10, No 18, 5800 pages

Abstract: Abstract Lay summaries provide a brief account of scientific articles and are supposed to be written in accessible language. However, it remains largely unknown whether lay summaries are readable to the intended non-technical audience. Here, we present a case study that examines the readability of and the use of technical jargon in lay summaries and their corresponding scientific abstracts collected from the journal Medical Mycology. It was found that (1) the average reading grade level of lay summaries was significantly higher than that of scientific abstracts, and (2) a higher proportion of technical terms were used than the recommended threshold in both lay summaries and scientific abstracts. In other words, improvements are needed to make lay summaries more readable for the non-technical audience. Possible explanations for the findings were discussed and suggestions to enhance the readability of lay summaries were offered.

Keywords: Lay summary; Plain language summary; Readability; Academic writing; Science communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1007/s11192-023-04807-1

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