In today’s multicultural society it is increasingly important that information is made available in a way that allows it to reach as many people as possible. The present study investigates the readability of the information provided in English on a Swedish municipality’s website. While Umeå Municipality sets a good example when it comes to providing information in foreign languages, the question is how easy the information is to read. The methods used to measure the readability of the texts were three automated readability formulas as well as additional analyses focusing on sentence structure and the number of clauses per word. The results show that despite obvious efforts to follow the guidelines for providing public information, more attention needs to be given to the form of the texts themselves. The complexity of the texts as gauged by the reading formulas was in all cases greater than what is recommended for information written for the general public. Some of the texts would seem to require the reader to have a college degree to fully comprehend the information. The supplementary analyses, especially when it comes to the number of clauses per sentence, confirmed the complexity of the texts. The importance of ‘writing for your audience’ thus seems to have been neglected for parts of the analysed material, which implies that some readers may not fully understand their rights and responsibilities regarding the areas addressed on the municipality’s website.

Med hjälp av den här undersökningen i svenska med didaktisk inriktning skapas en uppgiftspecifik lärandematris utifrån en bedömningsmatris med hjälp av Johan Alms femstegsmodell. Avsikten med lärandematrisen är att synliggöra lärandet för eleven och baseras på de styrdokument som Skolverket tillhandahåller. Den har ett elevperspektiv, vilket skiljer den från den mer vedertagna bedömningsmatrisen, som har ett bedömningsperspektiv ur pedagogens vinkel. Lärandematrisens uppbyggnad med tydlig layout och lättillgängligt språk underlättar för elevens förståelse för uppgiften och dess progression vilket bör bidra till ökat kunskapsintag. Litteraturstudiens resultat bekräftar att femstegsmodellen är användbar i skapandet av lärandematrisen, och bekräftar därmed syfte och frågeställning. / With the help of this research in Swedish with didactic focus, a task-specific learning matrix is created based on an assessment matrix using Johan Alm's five-step model. The intention of the learning matrix is to make the learning visible to the student and is based on the steering documents provided by the National Agency for Education. It has a student perspective, which distinguishes it from the more accepted assessment matrix, which has an assessment perspective from the educator´s aspect. The structure of the learning matrix with clear layout and easily accessible language facilitates the student's understanding of the task and its progression, which should contribute to increased knowledge intake. The result of the literature study confirms that the five-step model is useful in the creation of the learning matrix, thereby confirming the purpose and research question.

Hypotheses on the efficiency of evidence-based printed materials can be directed by health communication concepts. These concepts can provide a general framework that goes beyond the traditional vulgarization point of view: instead, it points towards a strategy to obtain health outcomes and provoke behavior change, from a disease prevention, management and health promotion perspective. The present study proposes a comprehensive framework based on concepts from health risk communication, Tarde's theory of social values, usability, readability and plain language. Using the mapping approach, an evaluation grid was applied to printed evidence-based materials with proven effectiveness, in order to reveal the underlying strategy and isolate the characteristics of effective materials. The results allowed us to define two types of printed evidence-based materials, according to the robustness of the evidence they contain and the target audience. It was also possible to identify indicators of notions that are translated into operationalized items, frequent in those materials that might be responsible for their efficiency: clear purpose of the documents, limited scope, learning motivation and correspondence to the logic, experience and language of readers. Effectiveness of printed evidence-based materials could also be correlated to numeracy, objectiveness, standard definitions, constant timeframes and denominators, risks enumerated in order of importance, effective response, and high degree of threat, urgency, novelty and visibility of the disease. It was also possible to identify some missing communication concepts: cultural diversity, narrative, increased easiness of procedures and aesthetic advantage for the patient. In the process of work, the theory of social values emerged as a dynamic component that can bring together and explain many concepts, as well as physician’s acceptance of the guidelines. Value in terms of usefulness and truth plays a major role in cognitive appreciation of the documents. This concept gives a strategic meaning to the whole work and allows us to better understand attitude and behavior change.

Hypotheses on the efficiency of evidence-based printed materials can be directed by health communication concepts. These concepts can provide a general framework that goes beyond the traditional vulgarization point of view: instead, it points towards a strategy to obtain health outcomes and provoke behavior change, from a disease prevention, management and health promotion perspective. The present study proposes a comprehensive framework based on concepts from health risk communication, Tarde's theory of social values, usability, readability and plain language. Using the mapping approach, an evaluation grid was applied to printed evidence-based materials with proven effectiveness, in order to reveal the underlying strategy and isolate the characteristics of effective materials. The results allowed us to define two types of printed evidence-based materials, according to the robustness of the evidence they contain and the target audience. It was also possible to identify indicators of notions that are translated into operationalized items, frequent in those materials that might be responsible for their efficiency: clear purpose of the documents, limited scope, learning motivation and correspondence to the logic, experience and language of readers. Effectiveness of printed evidence-based materials could also be correlated to numeracy, objectiveness, standard definitions, constant timeframes and denominators, risks enumerated in order of importance, effective response, and high degree of threat, urgency, novelty and visibility of the disease. It was also possible to identify some missing communication concepts: cultural diversity, narrative, increased easiness of procedures and aesthetic advantage for the patient. In the process of work, the theory of social values emerged as a dynamic component that can bring together and explain many concepts, as well as physician’s acceptance of the guidelines. Value in terms of usefulness and truth plays a major role in cognitive appreciation of the documents. This concept gives a strategic meaning to the whole work and allows us to better understand attitude and behavior change.

Klarspråket som begrepp är väl känt inom Sverige, och arbetet med det har utförts systematiskt under lång tid. I Polen är klarspråket, eller prosty język, ett relativt nytt begrepp och arbetet med att göra myndighetstexter begripliga i Polen har just börjat. En jämförelse mellan de två länderna är alltså mycket intressant – arbetet kommer att fokusera på en jämförelse mellan skattemyndigheter, en specifik typ av myndighet som mig veterligen inte har varit föremål för en sådan komparativ studie mellan Sverige och Polen i fråga om klarspråk tidigare. Även klarspråkets historik, ledande myndigheter och rekommendationer kommer att tas upp i uppsatsen.

The United States dedicates greater than 17% of its gross national product to healthcare. This percentage is expected to go up to 20% by 2018. Despite the high cost of care, the health care system remains inefficient and ineffective. Barriers include reduced access to care related to low health literacy. Complicating low health literacy is the high readability score of patient education materials. The high readability score is in part due to tools that are not standardized and measure different aspects of education materials creating varying readability scores. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to adopt a tool, the Clear Communication Index, which is evidence-based and standardized using the federal Plain Language Guidelines, to assess the reading score of educational materials in a 62-bed acute long-term care facility. The plan, do, study, and act model was used as a translational framework to guide this project, and the theory of goal attainment served as the theoretical support for the project. The Clear Communication Index worksheet was used to assess the readability of documents given to patients at discharge. Any score below 90% was considered difficult to understand and required revision. One month after implementation, patient satisfaction scores on 2 metrics showed improvement. The score for 'When I left the hospital, I clearly understood the purpose for taking each of my medications?' increased from 58.2% to 90.7%. The 2nd patient satisfaction survey metric, 'During this hospital stay, did you get information in writing about what symptoms or health problems to look out for after you left the hospital?,' increased from 73.1% to 83.3%. The results may promote social change by providing equal care access to all through readable educational materials.

This thesis discusses the benefits of using plain language in legal documents and the role technical communicators can play to help implement plain language. Although many definitions for plain language exist, it is best described as reader-focused communication that presents information in a manner that makes it easy for a reader to find, understand, and use the information. Plain language facilitates comprehension by using shorter, less complex sentences; active voice; and common words. All these elements aid in processing and understanding information, especially unfamiliar concepts. Laypeople, unversed in the law, frequently have difficulty understanding traditional legal writing. The complex sentences, wordiness, and redundancy that characterize traditional legal writing often inhibit comprehension and become barriers to understanding. To demonstrate how plain language can improve legal writing, this thesis reviews before-and-after versions of documents that were revised to incorporate plain language as well as common documents that laypeople might encounter. The studies and research discussed in this thesis demonstrate that readers achieve greater comprehension with plain language documents. Technical communicators, the language experts, can work with legal professionals, the content experts, to help encourage plain language use in legal writing. By emphasizing plain language use in legal formbooks, law school courses, and continuing legal education courses, plain language will become more dominant. Technical communicators can work with governments and law firms to develop and run in-house writing programs. When organizations realize how plain language can benefit them, both economically as well as in improved consumer relations, they will be motivated to adopt plain language into their legal writing.

This thesis seeks to investigate the influence and applicability of three technical writing principles across electronic maintenance manuals in the aerospace defense industry: military standard (MIL-STD) guidelines, plain language, and audience scope. Aerospace defense technical writers are liaisons tasked with coherent communication on advanced technological developments for technicians maintaining equipment. Their primary responsibility involves synthesizing specialized content from subject matter experts to draft comprehensive instructions for personnel safety and product sustainment during critical military operations. Current literature insufficiently examines the significance between aerospace defense technical documents and product performance following routine maintenance. Poorly composed manuals contribute to technician misinterpretation or disregard due to convoluted procedures and disorganized appearances increasing malfunction probabilities. Writing-based MIL-STDs and Simplified English emerged as efforts to mitigate understanding obstructs amongst domestic and international novice technicians. Maintenance manuals must conform to governmental guidelines including product liability laws, cultural variables, and audience expectations. Interview findings with two practitioners each from a different aerospace defense company supports the prediction that technical writing theories considerably impacts maintenance manual quality and recipience throughout the aerospace defense industry.

This case study uses a reading comprehension test and interviews to investigate how readers with and readers without reading or writing difficulties understand and perceive a decision on building permission in two versions: an original version and a version revised in accordance with the recommendations in a guide to plain language, Klarspråk­stestet för beslut. The aim is to contribute to usage guidance on adjusting texts for people with reading and writing difficulties and to study how comprehension and perception differ between those who have reading and writing difficulties and a control group. The study includes twelve participants, half of them with reading and writing difficulties. The theoretical framework of the study is plain language based on adequate simplifications and explanations for the intended recipient.   The result shows that there were differences between the groups’ mean scores on comprehension questions when they have read the decision in the original form, but there were no longer any differences between the groups when they had read the version in plain language. Just two people answered all the questions on the reading comprehension test correctly. One of the reasons for this may be that decisions on building permission are a type of decision that can be difficult to understand. Revising such decisions in accordance with the recommendations of the Swedish Language Council can facilitate reading comprehension, but does not automatically mean that the content is correctly understood or that the decision is perceived as being sufficiently adapted to the reader’s perspective. The result of the reading perception test shows that most participants were more positively disposed towards the plain language version of the decision. Another result is that there is a tendency for the last text the informants read to be perceived as better. All the informants’ responses to the questions on perception show that they want to find answers to their questions early in the text. The participants with reading and writing difficulties think that the technical terms should be explained in detail, while the informants without reading and writing difficulties think that these words are sufficiently well explained. The viewpoints expressed about the content show that the informants have different reading goals.

Den här studien undersöker hur en tryckt broschyr kan anpassas till en webbplats. Syftet med arbete är att se hur en informationsrik text kan skrivas i klarspråk och hur tydlighet och struktur påverkar webbanpassningen av en text. Jag har i denna studie utgått från en informationsbroschyr om värmepumpar utgiven av Energimyndigheten. På uppdrag av Energimyndigheten har jag omarbetat några sidor av broschyren och förberett dem för digitalt format. Målgruppen för informationsmaterialet är villaägare och energi- och klimatrådgivare som arbetar med rådgivning om värmepumpar. Jag har utgått från teorier gällande klarspråk, läsning på skärm, hierarkier, komposition och disposition. Jag har gjort en textanalys på den befintliga broschyren, genomfört en enkätundersökning med energi- och klimatrådgivare, intervjuat en värmepumpsexpert på Energimyndigheten och sedan genomfört utprovningar med villaägare. De slutsatser jag kommit fram till är att webbtexter behöver vara konkreta och korta. Användande av vardagliga uttryck och förklaringar av krångliga ord och facktermer, underlättar för läsaren. Ett bra exempel är att inkludera en ordlista. Det ska vara enkelt att få en snabb överblick av webbplatsens innehåll och användaren vill inte behöva skrolla ner på skärmen, det försämrar översikten och sammanhanget. Men den absolut viktigaste slutsatsen är att försöka förstå målgruppen och utgå från deras förkunskaper. / This study examines how a printed brochure can be adapted to a website. The aim of this study is to see how an information-rich text can be adapted to a digital format with focus on plain language and how structure can contribute to web adaptation of a text. In this study I have worked with an information brochure about heat pumps, the brochure is a publication from the Swedish Energy Agency. On behalf of the Swedish Energy Agency I have revised some pages of the brochure and prepared them for a digital format. The target group of this information brochure is Swedish homeowners and energy and climate advisors. The advisors help and guide homeowners who are looking for information about heat pumps. I have focused on theories of plain language, reading on screen, hierarchy, composition and disposition. A text analysis on the existing brochure has been performed and I have conducted a survey where I gathered opinions from the energy and climate advisors. I have also interviewed a heat pump expert at the Swedish Energy Agency and conducted usability test with homeowners. The conclusions of my study are that web texts need to be concise and short. The usage of ordinary words is important and to always explain difficult phrases and technical words is of great help to the reader. A good example is to include a dictionary. It should be easy to get a quick overview of the site content and the user should see the full page info, having to scroll down complicates the overview and context. But the most important conclusion is that the writer needs to understand the target group and their previous knowledge.