Law, medicine and money
Following this helps:
- people in a hurry – simply written content is quicker to scan
- people who are stressed – if you're anxious it's harder to comprehend things
- people who are multi-tasking – when distracted you cannot concentrate on complex text
- cognitive impairments – easy to understand words carry less cognitive load
- visual impairments – short, simple sentences convey meaning in a smaller visual field
- motor impairments – it's less tiring when you can understand what you read quickly
Guidance
The legal, medical and financial professions are known for using complex terminology. But it's not necessary and confuses people who use their services.
Law
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.
1. Use simple language for legal terms.
2. Explain the law in context.
Usability evidence: plain English in law
Medicine
People need doctors' letters and consultant reports to be easy to understand. And they need online information about health conditions to be comprehensible.
Usability evidence: plain English in medicine
Money
Many people do not understand financial terms. This causes problems. Complex terminology describing conceptual arrangements about a non-tangible resource does not help anyone.
3. Give examples of conceptual arrangements.
Usability evidence: plain English in finance
Law – plain English guidelines
1. Use simple language for legal terms.
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.
2. Explain the law in context.
When you refer to a law, or part of it, explain what that law is at the point of user need. Do not only refer to it in a reference section or appendix.
Example:
Positioned at the top of a form, not hidden away in references section.
"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)."
Example:
[Subheading]
"Direct sales contract — exemptions from application of the Act
[Body copy]
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."
Usability evidence: plain English in law
'Joseph Kimble—No, the law does not (normally) require legalese' Editing Goes Global, 2015. Professor Joseph Kimble discusses the "psuedo-precision of legalese".
Plain language: the underlying research, Karen Schriver slide presentation, pages 29 to 35.
The public speaks: an empirical study of legal communication, study by Christopher Trudeau (@proftrudeau on Twitter) containing case studies from solicitors about using legal language.
Richmond vs HRA A pharmaceutical company called Richmond took the Health Regulatory Authority to court because the website was confusing. A high court judge deemed the site 'unlawful' and ruled against the government. The site was cleared through a legal department. This set a precedent in the UK. You could still be sued even with all the legal language is there, if the information is not clear.
Plain English Campaign 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."
Medicine – plain English guidelines
1. Write clearly.
Users of the information might be in shock or anxious, which reduces cognition.
2. Explain medical terms.
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.
Usability evidence: plain English in medicine
Guide to medical information from Plain English Campaign.
Guidance on writing letters to outpatients from Academy of Medical Royal Colleges.
'Clarity is king – the evidence that reveals the desperate need to re-think the way we write' GDS blog, Mark Morris, 2014
'Connecting with audiences: An evidence-based language sourcebook for the Department of Health' Linguistic Landscapes, July 2010
NHS content style guide beta, January 2019
Money – plain English guidelines
1. Use clear language.
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.
2. Explain financial terminology.
Avoid using financial jargon. Acronyms and pseudonyms may make sense internally, but people using your services may not understand them.
3. Give examples of conceptual arrangements.
A tracker or shared ownership mortgage is easier to understand if you give examples.
This is important for credit arrangements where there is an initial interest rate that may change.
Usability evidence: plain English in finance
A to Z of financial terms (PDF 87KB) from Plain English Campaign.
Plain English guide to financial term (PDF 686KB) from National Adult Literacy Agency, Ireland, January 2009.