Guideline for Writing Lay Summaries

Guideline for Writing Lay Summaries Behrooz Rasuli and Parviz Shahriari Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology (IranDoc) Introduction A lay summary, also known as a plain-language summary, is a concise, non-technical explanation of complex research that makes findings accessible to a broad audience, including patients, policymakers, and the general public. While the value of these summaries is increasingly recognized by journals, funders, and regulators, there's often a lack of standardized, evidence-based guidance on how to write them effectively. This document presents a systematic review of the current literature and existing guidelines on lay summary development, synthesizing the best practices and providing a clear, practical guideline to help researchers and science communicators create high-quality, impactful summaries that maximize the reach and understanding of their work. The process and results of the systematic review of publications For a systematic literature review, five key sources of Web of Science, Scopus, LISTA, BASE Search Engine, and Google Search Engine were explored until the end of 2020. The search strategy and the results retrieved from these databases are shown in Table 1. Furthermore, Figure 1 shows the decision tree for selecting research sample in the literature review. Table 1. The Search Query and Number of Records Retrieved from Various Sources Source Query # of Records Web of Science TOPIC: (("lay summary" OR "lay summaries" OR "lay abstract" OR "layperson summary" OR "layperson summaries" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summaries") AND (guideline OR instruction OR "how to write" OR criteria OR characteristics (( Timespan: 1975-2020. Indexes: SCI-EXPANDED, SSCI, A&HCI, CPCI-S, CPCI-SSH, BKCI-S, BKCI-SSH, ESCI, CCR-EXPANDED, IC. 1,607 Scopus TITLE-ABS-KEY (("lay summary" OR "lay summaries" OR "lay abstract" OR "layperson summary" OR "layperson summaries" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summaries") AND (guideline OR instruction OR "how to write" OR criteria OR characteristics)) 991 LISTA TX (("lay summary" OR "lay summaries" OR "lay abstract" OR "layperson summary" OR "layperson summaries" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summaries") AND (guideline OR instruction OR "how to write" OR criteria OR characteristics)) 2 BASE Entire Document (("lay summary" OR "lay summaries" OR "lay abstract" OR "layperson summary" OR "layperson summaries" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summaries") AND (guideline OR instruction OR "how to write" OR criteria OR characteristics)) 844 Google Scholar ("lay summary" OR "lay summaries" OR "lay abstract" OR "layperson summary" OR "layperson summaries" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summary" OR "plain language summaries") AND (guideline OR instruction OR "how to write" OR criteria OR characteristics) 15,100 - Sum of retrieved records 18,544 - Duplicate removal (based on duplicate records titles) 16,823 Developing search strategy Identification Academic databases (WOS, Scopus, LISTA) n = 2,600 Academic search engines (BASE, Google Scholar) n = 15,944 Duplicate removal n = 16,823 Screening Records screened n = 16,823 Records excluded n = 16,588 Eligibility Full-text publications assessed for eligibility n = 235 Records excluded n = 198 Included Records included in review n = 39 Figure 1. Decision tree for selecting research sample in the literature review Lay Summary Writing Guideline Introduction Your colleagues or scientific peers can understand the scientific findings reported in your article, thesis/dissertation, or book; however, these findings are often unfamiliar and complicated to the GP and even professionals in other scientific fields. On the other hand, the institutes expect their researchers to publish their scientific findings in a way that have a higher impact on different communities. Thus, if the researchers translate their scientific findings into a language that is understood by the general public, chances are the scientific publication will have much higher readerships and this enhances academic research impact. The key to this is to write a “lay summary” (LS). LS is considered as a science popularization tool, which should be written in simple language while avoiding jargons and providing definitions of technical terms. A LS should answer key WH questions (who, what, where, when, how, and why) and clarify the research objectives. In order for researchers and authors to be able to prepare an effective LS, the following guideline, which includes the key components of an LS has been offered. This guideline is developed based on a comprehensive analysis of 39 key documents from various institutions around the world. As stated in the guideline, at least 21 key indicators should be considered in preparing LSs. These indicators are categorized into three dimensions of “content”, “structure”, and “evaluation”. The target audience of this guideline is authors, researchers, and institutions involved in conducting academic research (as administrators or financial/nonfinancial sponsors). Therefore, an attempt has been made to explain the LS writing key indicators in a clear and comprehensive manner so that they could be useful in LS writing. This is based on the assumption that the most appropriate LS writer is the one who conducted the study. This guideline can be used to prepare LSs for research articles, research projects, proposals, theses and dissertations, case studies, surveys, etc. It should be noted that writing LSs is not limited to a particular discipline and experts in various scientific fields can take advantage of them to have aggregate impact on various academic and non-academic communities. Structure Dimension First Person Point of View Using Active Voice Choosing a Logical Plan Spacing Between the Lines Avoiding Citations Avoiding Abbreviations Using Short Sentences Using Limited Number of words Storytelling Using Positive Sentences First Person Point of View The LS should be written from a first person point of view since LS readers make a closer connection with texts written from a first person narrative and understand it more easily. For instance, “My aim of doing this study was …”. Using Active Voice Although in academic writings passive voice is favored, LS readers would prefer active voice as it is easier to understand. Besides, sentences written in active voice are thought to convey a great sense of sincerity to the reader. For example, “It is believed that...” can be ideally replaced by “I/we believe that ...”. Choosing a Logical Plan The LS should be written in a logically ordered progression so that the text is coherent and cohesive. Accordingly, LSs should have a natural beginning and end, so they can feel more natural to the GP. In this regard, great attention should be paid to sentence connectors. Contrary to TAs, LSs begin with the most important findings and conclusions, continue with the research methods and problem statement, and finally end with the introduction and recommendations (if any). Spacing between the Lines Since it is easier to read pages with shorter texts and more white spacing, it is recommended that the spacing between the lines and paragraphs be larger in LSs. This allows the reader's eyes to follow the sentences more easily and fluidly. Avoiding Citations In scientific and academic publications, researchers often cite other resources to make credible arguments. In LSs, however, citations should be avoided since LS readers look more for the scientific findings and are thus less interested in who did previous studies or in the background in general terms. Avoiding Abbreviations Abbreviations and acronyms are used to summarize phrases that are long and take up a large space in the text. These are often familiar to and easily understood by experts in a scientific field. Moreover, since scientific publications are often long, abbreviations and acronyms help reduce the volume of the text. In LSs, however, full names and terms are recommended since LSs are usually short and LS readers are often unfamiliar with abbreviations and acronyms. For example, “non-governmental organization” should be favored over “NGO”. Using Short Sentences Short sentences are easier to understand because they do not require long-term focus and the reader can easily follow the text, thus in LSs, sentences of 15-20 words are recommended. For example, “To answer the research questions in this study, the survey method was employed and 380 questionnaires were randomly distributed among the study population.” should be replaced by “In this survey, a sample of 380 participants randomly answered the questionnaire.”. Using Limited Number of Words Readers spend a short period of time on LSs, so they should be as concise as possible. The LS word count varies depending on the policy pursued by the institution. Generally, a word count of 50 to 1000 words are recommended. Furthermore, the type of scholarly work for which an LS is prepared is also important. For example, required word count for an LS of a thesis is larger than that of an article. However, a 150-350 word count is preferred for an LS (depending on the type of the scholarly work). Storytelling The GP does not deal with the academic and scientific literature and usually reads for entertainment. Hence, an LS should be written in a narrative style with a natural beginning and end while maintaining comprehensiveness, coherence, and conciseness. Using Positive Sentences Negative words and phrases such as "not", "none", "never", etc. should be avoided in LSs. Based on experience, the GP understands positive sentences more easily and quickly because positive sentences are more pleasant to read, require fewer words, and draw a direct line to the point intended to be made. For instance, “Findings indicated that there is no significant relationship between the quality of work life and job productivity.” Should be replaced by “The job productivity remains constant with an increase or decrease in the quality of work life.”. Content Dimension Answering ‘WH’ Questions Explaining Research Impact Avoiding Jargons and Long Vocabulary Attending to Target Group Characteristics Using Simple headings Considering Context Clarifying Study Objectives Using Pictures/Diagrams/Data Displays Answering the Questions of who, what, where, when, how, and why LSs should provide readers with answers for WH questions (i.e., who, what, where, when, how, and why). This way the reader finds the summary interesting since it gives the reader an informed view of what the research is about and what the findings are. Explaining Research Impact It is crucial for the GP to know what impact a particular study might have on their lives. For example, they wonder if a particular piece of research has made contributions to the economy and have thus fostered their well-being. Therefore, the overall impact a study might have on the GP’s quality of life is required to be pointed out in an LS. Avoiding Jargons and Long Vocabulary LS target readers usually have a more limited vocabulary range compared to researchers. Many of the words and phrases commonly used in the academic environment are unknown to the GP. For example, although “a significant relationship between the variables” is a common phrase used in scientific writings, it is mostly unknown to the GP. As an additional example, the word “model” which refers to a framework or pattern in research articles might be interpreted by the GP as “a person who displays clothes by wearing them”. In addition, LS readers cannot easily understand technical and complicated terms. Therefore, LSs should be consistent with the target audience’s level of education, so they should be written by using simple, short, and non-technical vocabulary which are. Attending to the Target Audience’s Characteristics LSs are not written for specific groups of people but for all the literate ones. However, some believe that LSs address a particular target audience. For example, LS target audience of Alzheimer’s-related studies is patients with Alzheimer's disease. Overall, an LS should be written in a way that it is understandable to a high school student. Anyway, if the LS addresses a particular group, its demographic characteristics (such as age, level of literacy, gender, etc.) should be taken into account. Using simple headings It would be better to use headings in an LS so that different sections could be easily distinguished by the reader. Headings in an LS are not necessarily those in a scientific article (e.g., methods, findings, discussion, etc.), so any word or phrase which can enhance the readers’ understanding of the summary could be used as a heading. Headings should be short, simple, and easily understandable. Considering Context In writing LSs, great attention should be dedicated to readers’ socio-economic and cultural background. For instance, real-world examples based on readers’ lived experience can add to the comprehensibility. Writing an LS while considering different cultures, customs, beliefs, and norms can improve its effectiveness. Clarifying Study Objectives An LS should give the reader a clue of the motivation behind the study. In other words, problem statement can help to clarify why the study has been done and what the objectives have been. LS readers will not be interested in scientific findings and will not understand how they might impact their lives unless they are informed of the motivation behind the study. Using Pictures/Diagrams/Data Display As reported in literature, the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than it processes text (Bhabra & Sparks, 2022). In fact, visual communication via pictures, charts, diagrams, etc. can capture greater attention, particularly among LS readers who tend to pay less attention to written words in comparison to visual content. For example, activities that follow a sequence had better to be illustrated by a process flow diagram in a simple and understandable way. Evaluation Dimension Readability Control feedback from other researchers feedback from target audience Readability Control Once the LS is written, its readability should be controlled. Readability of an LS can be best controlled by the target audience for whom it has been written. Therefore, to ensure