Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jan 2005

A Syntactic Approach to Readability

Timothy D. Giles Georgia Southern University ; Brian Still Texas Tech University

Abstract

Focusing on the issue of readability, this article examines problems that readability formulas present to the technical communicator, especially in terms of interaction with government agencies, and focuses on readability formula requirements mandated by The Office of Health and Industry programs [OHIP] for medical technology product support literature. Because the Flesch Reading Ease and the Flesch-Kincaid formulas are widely available, they are probably the ones most frequently used. Contemporary readability scholars have overlooked the Golub Syntactic Density Formula, which evaluates prose according to a sentence's syntax at a deeper level than the number of words per sentence and the number of syllables per word. The authors recommend it as a tool for evaluating readability. How it might be applied with current computer applications is discussed.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2005-01-01
DOI
10.2190/phuc-gy8l-jrle-vmnn
Open Access
Closed
Topics
writing across the curriculum

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. Kreuter (2015)
    The US Intelligence Community's Mathematical Ideology of Technical Communication
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Garwood (2013)
    Metonymy and Plain Language
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Still (2010)
    A Dozen Years after Open Source's 1998 Birth, It's Time for <i>OpenTechComm</i>
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Kim et al. (2008)
    Keeping Users at the Center: Developing a Multimedia Interface for Informed Consent
    Technical Communication Quarterly

Cites in this index (3)

  1. Connatser (1999)
    Last Rites for Readability Formulas in Technical Communication
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Giles (1990)
    The Readability Controversy: A Technical Writing Review
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Golub (1969)
    Linguistic Structures in Students’ Oral and Written Discourse
    Research in the Teaching of English
Also cites 9 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1145/344599.344634
     ↗
  2. 10.1145/344599.344638
     ↗
  3. 10.1145/344599.344641
     ↗
  4. 10.1145/344599.344637
     ↗
  5. 10.1145/344599.344645
     ↗
  6. 10.1109/TPC.1987.6449109
     ↗
  7. 10.1007/BF02402555
     ↗
  8. 10.2307/1165818
     ↗
  9. 10.1037/e520802009-001
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 12 View in citation network →

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