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Last modified by Lizzie Bruce on 2020/01/11 23:49
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edited by Lizzie Bruce
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edited by Lizzie Bruce
on 2019/03/15 20:26
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Title
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1 -Plain language for law, medicine, money
1 +Plain language for health, finances and law
Content
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15 15  == Guidance ==
16 16  
17 17  (% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
18 -The [[legal>>doc:||anchor="l"]], [[medical>>doc:||anchor="m"]] and [[financial>>doc:||anchor="mo"]] professions are known for using complex terminology. But it's not necessary and confuses people who use their services. 
18 +The legal, financial and medical professions are known for complex terminology. This is not necessary and confuses people. 
19 19  
20 20  
21 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
22 +**Health:** People need to understand doctors' letters and consultant reports easily. They need to be able to comprehend online information about health. 
23 +
24 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
25 +**Finances: **Many people do not understand financial terms. This causes problems. Complex terminology describing conceptual arrangements is not helpful.
26 +
27 +(% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
28 +**Law: **Judges created a set of tools to decide what legal writers intended: Statutory Interpretation. But analyses can contradict each other. Plain English makes meaning clearer from the start.
29 +
30 +
21 21  (% class="wikigeneratedid" id="H1.Usesimplelanguageforlegalterms." %)
22 22  [[1. Use simple language for legal terms.>>doc:||anchor="#l1"]]
23 23  
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40 40  [[7. Give examples of conceptual financial arrangements.>>doc:||anchor="#mo3"]]
41 41  
42 42  [[Usability evidence>>doc:||anchor="#UEL"]]
53 +
43 43  
44 -
45 45  ----
46 46  
47 -== {{id name="l"/}}Law ==
48 -
49 -Judges need to decide what legal writers intended by their writing. They evolved a set of tools for this analysis: Statutory Interpretation. Using plain English can make meaning clear, so that judges avoid relying on sometimes contradictory interpretations.
50 -
51 -
52 52  === {{id name="#l1"/}}1. Use simple language for legal terms. ===
53 53  
54 54  If information on your website is unclear your organisation could be taken to court and lose, even if content is approved by your legal department.
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60 60  
61 61  
62 62  Example:
63 -\\(% class="mark" %)Positioned at the top of a form, not hidden away in references section.
68 +\\(% class="mark" %)Positioned at the top of a form, not hidden away in references section:
64 64  
65 65  (((
66 66  "We collect personal information on this form under section 26 the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, because it concerns our programs and activities (c), and it is necessary for planning and evaluating our programs and activities(e)."
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76 76  (% class="mark" %)5 (1) This section describes direct sellers that are, and circumstances in which direct sellers are, exempt from the application of sections 19 to 22 (required contents, direct sales contracts, direct sales contract — cancellation, credit agreement respecting direct sales contract) of the Act."
77 77  
78 78  
79 -----
80 -
81 -== {{id name="m"/}}Medicine ==
82 -
83 -People need doctors' letters and consultant reports to be easy to understand. And they need online information about health conditions to be comprehensible.  
84 -
85 -
86 86  === {{id name="#m1"/}}3. Write medical information clearly. ===
87 87  
88 88  Users of the information might be in shock or anxious, which reduces cognition.
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90 90  
91 91  === {{id name="#m2"/}} 4. Explain medical terms. ===
92 92  
93 -Medical terms are likely not to be understood by your readers. It is likely assuming they would know a word in a foreign language. Follow the word or phrase with a plain English explanation.
91 +Medical terms are unlikely to be understood by your readers. It similar to assuming they would know a word in a foreign language. Follow the word or phrase with a plain English explanation.
94 94  
95 95  
96 -----
97 -
98 -== ==
99 -
100 -== {{id name="mo"/}}Money ==
101 -
102 -Many people do not understand financial terms. This causes problems. Complex terminology describing conceptual arrangements about a non-tangible resource does not help anyone. 
103 -
104 -
105 105  === {{id name="#mo1"/}}5. Use clear language for financial information. ===
106 106  
107 107  Dealing with financial issues can be stressful, which means your audience will have less cognitive capability available. Write information so that it is easy for them to understand.
108 -\\
97 +
109 109  
110 110  === {{id name="#mo2"/}}6. Explain financial terminology. ===
111 111  
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119 119  This is important for credit arrangements where there is an initial interest rate that may change.
120 120  
121 121  
111 +----
112 +
122 122  === {{id name="#UEL"/}}Usability evidence ===
123 123  
124 124  (% class="wikigeneratedid" %)
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135 135  [[Plain English Campaign>>url:http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/campaigning/past-campaigns/legal/drafting-in-plain-english.html]] believes legalese is unnecessary and does not do what it was intended to. "The argument that clarity should be sacrificed for a document to be comprehensive does not stand up."
136 136  
137 137  ====
138 -\\Medical ====
129 +Medical ====
139 139  
140 140  [[Guide to medical information>>http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/files/medicalguide.pdf]] from Plain English Campaign.
141 141  
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145 145  
146 146  [['Connecting with audiences: An evidence-based language sourcebook for the Department of Health'>>http://www.linguisticlandscapes.co.uk/pdf/DH%20Language%20Guidelines%20230710%20FINAL_for%20website_240114.pdf]] Linguistic Landscapes, July 2010
147 147  
148 -[[NHS content style guide beta>>https://beta.nhs.uk/service-manual/content/how-we-write]], January 2019
139 +[[NHS content style guide beta>>https://beta.nhs.uk/service-manual/content/how-we-write]], January 2019 
140 +
149 149  
150 -
151 151  ==== Finance ====
152 152  
153 153  [[A to Z of financial terms (PDF 87KB)>>http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/files/financialguide.pdf]] from Plain English Campaign.
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160 160  See also:
161 161  
162 162  * [[Plain English>>doc:Plain English.Plain English, simple sentences.WebHome]]
163 -* [[Simple sentences>>url:https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Plain%20English/Simple%20sentences/]]
164 -* [[Specialist terms>>url:https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Plain%20English/Plain%20English%2C%20simple%20sentences/#st]]
165 -* [[Words to avoid>>url:https://readabilityguidelines.myxwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Plain%20English/Words%20to%20avoid/]]
154 +* [[Simple sentences>>doc:Plain English.Simple sentences.WebHome]]
155 +* [[Specialist terms>>doc:Plain English.Specialist terms.WebHome]]
156 +* [[Words to avoid>>doc:Plain English.Words to avoid.WebHome]]
166 166  )))