Return-Path: <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id fBBJtG016844; Tue, 11 Dec 2001 14:55:16 -0500 (EST) Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 14:55:16 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <108.a00a42e.2947be4a@aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Plnenglish@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-health@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-HEALTH:3494] Readability software: info and cautions X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: AOL 6.0 for Windows US sub 10536 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="part1_108.a00a42e.2947be4a_boundary" Status: O Content-Length: 6920 Lines: 100 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Greetings, listers, Right Writer (RW) software for Windows is no longer available (even on the website Robert mentioned. They have only DOS). Once Word and Word Perfect added readability and grammar checking functions, there was no longer enough demand for it. It was available from Que software which was then part of McMillan. This was a terrific software package because it would give you readability scores, average number of words per sentence, average number of syllables per word, *and* suggestions for how to improve your writing based on the reading level of the audience, which you could specify. Several years ago, I entered into an agreement with McMillan wherein I paid them a fee, and they gave me permission to copy my disk and owner's manual a certain number of times. Now I've exhausted that contract and they are not willing to give me permission to duplicate any more. So...I believe RW is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the readability and grammar checking functions in word processing software don't come close to RW. The grammar checkers will tell you if there are mistakes but won't give you suggestions for changing things into plain English for a less educated audience because you can't specify the educational level of your audience like you could in RW. Moreover, the readability functions are, in my experience, not terribly reliable. Word can give one score one time and very different score on the same text a few minutes later. My search for a replacement software led me to the next best thing which is a software program called Readability Calculations. It is accurate if you are careful to save the text the way it tells you to in the manual. For example, you must save it as a certain type of file, not just a Word document. You have to choose a "text only" format for Word. Be aware this software gives only readability scores. So it will give you a ballpark idea of the difficulty of your materials but no suggestions on how to improve it. Readability Calculations (not RW) is available from Micro Power and Light Co. in TX at 214-553-0105. It comes in both PC and MAC versions. I recommend ordering Formula Set 1. For our purposes the Set 2 software is not necessary. Set 1 is about $50. Site licenses are available, too. Remember to "clean up" your document before you run it through any computer analysis. Remove all headings, titles, bulleted lists unless each bullet is a sentence or complete thought, and all periods that are not marking the end of a sentence, such as periods in abbreviations, am and pm, degrees of temperature, degrees of education, etc., ellipses (...), and so on. If you don't remove them, you may get an articifially low score because your software may "see" each period as the end of a sentence and will falsely assume there are many more sentences than there really are. I wish there was better news in this area. Best wishes. Audrey Riffenburgh, MA President, Riffenburgh and Associates Specialists in Plain Language and Health Literacy since 1994 1606 Central SE Suite 201 Albuquerque, NM 87106 USA Phone: 505-242-5808 Fax: 505-246-9164 E-mail: plnenglish@aol.com
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