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Subject:Re: Measuring readability From:Bob Morrisette <writer1 -at- SABU -dot- ENG -dot- SUN -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 2 Apr 1998 11:50:48 -0800
> Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998 12:57:25 -0600
> From: "Collier,Michael" <Michael -dot- Collier -at- CNALIFE -dot- COM>
> Subject: Measuring readability
> To: TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
>
> I've been asked to ensure that our user docs are written on a 10th grade
> level so that they are understandable to a wide audience. If you've had to
> do this, how do you measure this?
>
> I searched the archives and the web and found references to the Gunning Fog
> Index and the Flesch Readability Index, but I couldn't determine if these
> enforce a grade level standard (plus, if they're dated, and with the decline
> of literacy...)
>
> Has anyone used an index or standard for this? No mil specs, please. Is
> there any software that does this?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael Collier
>mailto:mcollier -at- cnalife -dot- com
--------------------------------------------------
I question using the 10th grade level. When I wrote for other
companies, including IBM, they wanted the 8th grade level. The
average person these days has trouble with the 10th grade level.
Bob Morrisette
writer1 -at- sabu -dot- Eng -dot- Sun -dot- com
