Resources

Articles & Reports

“Bioengineers as Professional Communicators.” Technical Report to Rice University.

“Document Design from 1980 to 1990: Challenges that Remain.” Technical Communication, 36(4), pp. 316-333.

“Evaluating Text Quality: The Continuum from Text-Focused to Reader-Focused Evaluation Methods.” IEEE Transactions in Professional Communication, 32(4), pp. 238-255.

“Grounding Plain Language in Research.” Clarity: Journal of the International Association Promoting Plain Legal Language, Vol. 64, pp. 33-39.

“Plain Language for Expert or Lay Audiences: Designing Text Using Protocol-Aided Revision.” Technical Report for the Center for the Study of Writing, University of California (Berkeley) and Carnegie Mellon University.

“Plain Language in the US Gains Momentum: 1940 – 2015.” IEEE Transactions in Professional Communication, 60(4), pp. 343-383.

“Quality in Document Design: Issues and Controversies.” Technical Communication, Second Quarter, pp. 239-243.

“Readability Formulas in the New Millennium: What’s the Use?” ACM Journal of Computer Documentation, 24(3), pp. 138-140.

Book Chapters

Ch3: How Documents Engage Readers’ Thinking and Feeling. From Karen Schriver’s Dynamics in Document Design: Creating Texts for Readers.

“On Developing Plain Language Principles and Guidelines.” In K. Hallik and K. H. Whiteside’s Clear Communication: A Brief Overview, pp. 55-69.

“Reading on the Web: Implications for Online Information Design.” In P. C. Oven and Pozar’s On Information Design, pp. 111-137.

“The Rhetoric of Redesign in Bureaucratic Settings.” In J. Frascara’s Information Design as Principled Action: Making Information Accessible, Relevant, Understandable and Useful, pp. 173-184.

“Teaching Writers to Anticipate Readers’ Needs: What Can Document Designers Learn from Usability Testing?” In H. Pander Maat and M. Steehouder’s Studies in Functional Text Quality, pp. 141-157.

“What Do Technical Communicators Need to Know about Information Design?” In J. Johnson-Eilola and S. Selber’s Solving Problems in Technical Communication, pp. 386-427. 

“What We Know about Expertise in Professional Communication.” In V. W. Berninger’s Past, Present and Future Contributions of Cognitive Writing Research to Cognitive Psychology, pp. 275-312.

Slides & Videos

“Improve Your Value at Work: Using Evidence to Influence Decision Making” – part of a closing keynote to the Society for Technical Communication

“Designing Plain Language Guidelines Internationally” – presented to the European Commission for the Clear Writing Awards

“Plain by Design: Evidence-Based Plain Language” – presented as part of a keynote to the International PLAIN Conference

“Reading on the Web: Implications for Online Information Design” – keynote presented to the Ljubljana Museum of Architecture and Design

Podcasts & Podcast Transcripts

Plain Language around the World

Plain Language: It’s about Smartening Up, Not Dumbing Down (HLOL: #149)

Using Design to Get People to Read and Keep Reading