Plain Language guidelines

As previously stated, the guidelines suggested by the main authors working with Plain Language are to be taken as suggestions and to be reflected upon by considering the text and task at hand, as well as

the target audience. Nevertheless, some of these strategies can be helpful and small ways to transform an intelligible document into a successful transmission of ideas.

It is important to note that Plain Language can go far beyond sentence structures, writing and words used. In fact, the design and organization of a document or communication can make just as significant of a difference. Kimble (2002) even organizes the elements of Plain Language in five categories: in General, Design, Organization, Sentences and Words. Cutts (1995, 2020), Taglialatela (2015) and Petelin (2010) also list some of these guidelines.

Write concise, short sentences

One of the most commonly criticised aspects of Plain Language writing is also one of its most frequently employed strategy. Cutts (2020) specifically recommends an average length of 15 to 20 words per sentence in the whole document. As he explains, this does not mean you cannot have a sentence above or below this mark, but he points to how lengthy sentences demand a lot of effort from the reader as they often try to make too many points, which can overwhelm them.

This is also the first point Kimble (2002) makes about sentences, and he adds that keeping the subject in the beginning of the sentence can be a strategy to help keep phrases short.

Avoid “jargon” and opt for relatable terms instead

The critics of this guideline often claim that it is an attempt to eliminate specialized language and terminology or to remove long words for the mere fact that they are long. On the contrary, most authors agree that some of these words are often necessary to make sense of a text and give suggestions such as adding explanations within the text or a short glossary:

Not that there’s anything wrong with long or unusual words in the right place and for the right audience. And many long words aren’t unusual—think of immediately or disappointment. In a technical document, technical words will usually be clear enough to technical people. But it’s poor practice for a doctor to say someone is exhibiting xanthochromia and diaphoresis if he is really just yellow and sweating. Of course, sometimes an unusual word is perfect for the job, expressing just what you want to say; then you should use it and either give an explanation or trust the context to explain. (Cutts 2020, p. 36)

More often than not, though, there is still a tendency to sound formal that haunts many official documents or papers. In law, there is even a special term for this type of jargon, legalese.

In an attempt to make replacing complicated jargon or expressions easier, several thesauri have been created and different websites have compiled lists offering the user alternative equivalent terms that are simpler than “stuffy old formalisms” or “unnecessary latin” (Kimble, 2002). Per example, the United States’ CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has published a Plain Language Thesaurus for Health Communications to help simplify messaging surrounding health.

In Portugal, the Português Claro initiative recently launched the Dicionário de compliquês²⁴ which is also a very inventive and practical tool to find synonyms for certain expressions and terms, as well as example sentences to help clarify both uses.

It is also important to keep terminology consistent throughout a text, especially if there is a tendency from the writer to constantly use synonyms, often called “thesaurus syndrome” (Petelin, 2010, p. 213).

This will only confuse the reader.

Organize your material so that the readers take what they need from it

There are several strategies that can be devised to make organization more efficient and get ideas across in a clearer manner. The reality is that readers and users are busy, their attention span is limited, and they will want to extract relevant information as quickly as possible.

Cutts (2020) suggests the Top-heavy triangle method, by which the most important information is put first, and the following ones gradually decrease in importance. This can also be achieved by using headings, different styling, subdivisions, and lists. Petelin (2010) also suggests “readable chunks organized in a ‘reading path’ through the document” (p. 212). What is at stake here is creating a visual hierarchy: “Visual hierarchy controls the delivery of the experience. If you have a hard time figuring out where to look on a page, it’s more than likely that its layout is missing a clear visual hierarchy” (Gordon, 2020).

The fourth model suggested by Cutts (2020) is using a question-and-answer template, which is an idea we will use for our database. Some of the arguments for this model pointed out by the author are that

“Questions tend to provoke interest in readers by bringing them into the action” and the fact that

“Questions also convert dull, plodding label headings into verb-rich information” (Cutts, 2020, p. 15).

24 Can be accessed through the following link: https://palavrasclaras.pt/n.

Proofread before publishing

The value and importance of proofreading cannot be denied. After all, the wrong spelling of a word or inaccurate translation of a term can have serious repercussions in the quality and veracity of the message being transmitted. Cutts (2020) illustrates this well: “Yet proofreading matters. Without it, your writing could soon be plagued by uninformed not uniformed police, marital not martial arts, infernal not internal disputes, and pubic not public affairs” (p. 129).

Be sensitive to the users and the context

This guideline is directly connected with our goal for inclusivity, yet it entails more than one way to strive for inclusion.

On the one hand, this inclusion can be achieved through bias-free communication and inclusive language, which reminds us that language is not neutral and that we should avoid words and language which can carry prejudice, discrimination, and cultural insensitivity. Cutts (2020) highlights that “(…) anything that raises a barrier between you and your readers may reduce the impact of your message”

which circles back to our objective of reducing barriers for refugees by putting them first. To achieve this, then, it is recommended to opt for neutral words and terms (replace laymen with laypeople, use they/their pronouns) as opposed to gendered ones. Petelin (2010) points out, though, that neutral does not mean abstract, since being concrete is also a cornerstone of Plain Language.

Inclusive language goes far beyond gender, though, and considers employing the correct and preferred terms for those with disabilities, avoiding prejudicial and discriminatory words to refer to different ethnicities, cultures, or cultural practices, and being mindful of people in the LGBTQ+ community by, per example, having government forms reflect the family set-ups of LGBTQ+ households (Cutts, 2020, p. 201).

What is more, the tone is also something to be considered when writing for an audience like our own.

This relates to a trauma-informed approach, which focuses on considering the traumas that our audience might have endured and choosing to communicate in a way that is caring and empathetic, and even provides them with a sense of safety.²⁵ Opting for a warmer, empathetic tone is important because “Trauma impacts so many people, and yet many communications are created in ways that do

25The PLAC teaching approach mentioned in section 6.2, page 53, follows this methodology by taking into account the trauma, vulnerability and all the extralinguistic challenges faced by refugees.

not take this into account - documents that are harsh and punitive, forms that are deficit-focused, images that reinforce stereotypes, and more” (Sampson, 2020).

It is clear that the principles of Plain Language align with our own when conceptualizing this database, particularly our objective of achieving inclusion through language and design. In that sense, these guidelines and others are to be applied and considered throughout the conceptualization when relevant, which should also be reflected in the surveys conducted. In addition, we would also like to understand and test the validity of some of these recommendations.