Writing accessible text? Check.

How do you write about your dementia research in such a way that the message you want to convey really sticks – and you achieve your goal? DEMPACT has put together some practical tips to help with this.

Let’s start at the beginning. Why is accessible writing actually important? The answer is simple, although putting it into practice does take some practice: if you write in such a way that your intended readers grasp what you want to convey, you’re most likely to achieve your goal.

Perhaps you want to collaborate with organisations outside your research institution, or involve people with dementia (or their loved ones) in your research. In that case, you’ll need to explain in plain language what you want to investigate, what you expect from them and why it’s important. When drawing up informedconsent forms, it is mandatory to use plain language. Or consider grant applications: funding bodies often ask for a plain-language summary in Dutch to accompany your research proposal.

And you’ll be able to do just that, with a bit of practice and these practical tips.

1: Put yourself in your reader’s shoes

Who are you writing for? How is your research relevant to this person or group? And what do they already know? In other words: put yourself in your reader’s shoes. Are you writing a text as input for an editor, communications officer, podcast producer or journalist? First, find out which target audience the creator is producing this content for.

2: Think about what you want to achieve with your reader

Ask yourself: what should the reader think, do, feel, know or be able to do after reading your text? Make this objective as specific as possible.

NB: ‘Sharing knowledge’ is a frequently cited goal, but it is too general and (worse still) it focuses on what the sender wants. Formulate what you want to achieve with your target audience. A few examples:

• participants in my research understand their role and realise what I do with the data;
• the community centre decides to roll out a new prevention programme in collaboration with me;
• the journalist is able to explain my fundamental research correctly in layman’s terms;
• a policy officer or funder wants to discuss my research with me.

3: Select (only) essential information

Select the information needed to achieve your objective with your reader. Omit all other information.

Bear in mind that what is essential can vary greatly depending on the target audience, based on their prior knowledge, motivation or what they consider important. Be mindful of this when sharing your results with different target audiences and through different media. Always keep the target audience’s interests in mind, not (just) those of the research. Examples:

• ‘The pressure on (home) care is high. We have demonstrated that prevention programme X works for groups Y and Z: their demand for care is falling. We would be happy to share how this was achieved with your policy officers.’
• ‘Now that we know that protein X is a major cause of protein accumulation and, consequently, dementia, we want to find out how to inhibit its production. By funding our project, funder X would put Dutch research on the international map, accelerate the application of results and bring treatment closer.’

4: Use everyday language

Scientific publications contain highly complex language. This is unsuitable for accessible texts. Practise writing the way you speak. And phrase things at B1 level: check your terms (and find B1 alternatives) at ishetb1.nl. Examples of terms that are not B1 include: heredity, genetic, prevention.

Are you getting stuck, or do you find yourself unintentionally using vague or complex language? Then imagine your reader is sitting in front of you: how would you explain it to them?

5: Practical tips for clear writing

Use the active voice. Short sentences aren’t necessarily better. Long sentences do, however, require linking words, as a text becomes easier to understand when you make logical connections clear. Think of words such as: because, so, since, therefore. Also, keep the predicate (all the verbs) together. This prevents incomprehensible ‘clumsy constructions’.

From passive to active:

Don’t do this: ‘It has been investigated whether there are possibilities for …X… to take place.’
Better: ‘Consortium Y investigated whether …X… is possible.’

From convoluted constructions to clear language

Don’t do this: ‘We are doing this to investigate the current awareness of the relationship between brain health and modifiable risk and protective factors, motivation and behavioural intentions regarding dementia prevention amongst the Dutch population, including societal stakeholders.’

Better: ‘We are doing this to investigate whether residents and societal stakeholders in the Netherlands are aware that they can influence their own brain activity. Motivation, certain behaviours and a healthy lifestyle can help prevent dementia.’

6: Make your text tangible

Make sure you have a concrete example ready that demonstrates the urgency of what you are researching. Make your story vivid or compelling. Emotion creates engagement. Do ensure your examples are tailored to your readers.

If your (basic) research isn’t suitable for this, use a personal example to demonstrate your own motivation. Do you have someone in your family with dementia? Do you want to help prevent dementia in your own children? Are you fascinated by the brain’s ability to recover, or the possibilities of AI? Show the personal side of your professional self. That creates sympathy and, with it, engagement.

7: Include supporting visuals

Visuals can help get the message across more effectively. Think of an image, video or infographic. That is an art in itself, though. Common mistakes include cramming too much information into a single image or creating overly complicated flowcharts.

So what’s the right approach? As a general rule, a visual adds value if it visually reiterates or summarises part of your textual information. Your visual is understandable if no caption or explanation is needed.

Visual communication is a specialised field: it’s therefore best to involve a graphic designer or video producer. And test your result with your target audience. Or simply use existing visual material that’s already tailored to a wide audience.

Would you like to attend a workshop on accessible writing or the design of visual material? Please let Karin Postelmans, communications adviser at DEMPACT, know.

Want to read more?

• Check your text for B1 level via Ishetb1.nl.
• Take a leaf out of their book: read popular science articles or information on dementie.nl, quest.nl and kennislink.nl.
• Videos on dementie.nl provide simple explanations about dementia.
• Do you want to show how your research benefits people with dementia or healthcare practice? Then use the animations on zonmw.nl/dementie.
• You can find out more about presenting your research at LiesbethSmit.com.
• Practical tips for good visual material: theonlinescientist.com.