For whom and what?
In the Knowledge Base Comprehensible Text empirical research into the comprehensibility of texts and documents is collected and summerized. Its aim is to inform researchers, communication professionals, students, policy makers and other interested individuals.
Most studies are in English, but some are in German or Dutch as well.
Note: While searching, you will often see that publications are mentioned more than once in your search results. Such a publication reports on several studies and each study is a separate item in the knowledge base. After all, each study may introduce new manipulations or comprehension measures.
Searching
This first screen enables you to search publications in terms of:
- type of text genre;
- type of text feature that may affect comprehensibility;
- type of comprehension measure used in the studie.
The Advanced search option offers much more searching facilities, including a search bar.
What can not be found in the Knowledge Base?
- Essays on text interpretation, articles offering advice on how to write texts, or reports on document design projects (unless these include emperical research).
- Studies aimed at individuals with language or reading deficiencies, like dyslexia or aphasia.
- Studies aimed at second language learners.
- Studies about language development in young children (<10 years old).
These selection choices are further explained in the article we wrote about the Knowledge Base.